Serving the Children of the World
NORTHSIDE CLUB HISTORY
Each Kiwanis club is governed by elected officers and a Board of Directors. The Kiwanis Club of Northside Atlanta was founded on the night of Thursday, May 13, 1948 at a dinner meeting at the Biltmore Hotel in Atlanta, Georgia. A petition for charter in Kiwanis International was signed by 26 men who were elected temporary officers. These men selected the name that the club now bears. Weekly luncheons at the Biltmore began the next day. Formal organization was completed on the night of Friday, May 28, 1948, at the Piedmont Driving Club.
On June 25, 1948, Northside Kiwanis received its charter as the 74th Kiwanis Club in Georgia. At that time, 84 charter members were enrolled on the club roster. At the time of its organization and chartering, Northside was dubbed “The Silk Hat Club” by its founders, the Downtown Atlanta Kiwanis Club. The silk hat emblem was adopted as the official insignia of the club shortly after the club began operating.
Later in 1951, Henry Reid was credited with expressing the symbolism of the hat by coining the classic definition: The wide brim represents the broad areas that we serve, the height represents our lofty ideals, and the sheen represents the brilliance of our achievements. On May 29, 1998, the Northside Club members, past presidents and guests enjoyed a warm and spirited celebration of 50 years of fellowship, community service projects, programs and social gatherings. The group expressed great hopes and expectations for the future of the Kiwanis Club of Northside Atlanta.