Service organizations have contributed much

BY EDDIE WALKER

Tennessee has been known as the “Volunteer State” for a long time, and the men and women who have joined the various service clubs are excellent examples of the embodi- ment of that spirit.

A service club is a voluntary, non-profit organization which meets regularly and is defined by its service mission and its membership. These groups support charitable causes relative to their

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David Popiel REALTOR www.CountryLivingRealt yT N.com respective communities either by direct, hands-on efforts or raising funds to support these causes. It is the goal of these groups to better their communities.

Although some organizations have specific membership requirements, no one is forced to join any of these organizations. They do so because camaraderie with the other members and an interest in fulfillment of the organizations’ goals. Cocke County has had many such organizations.

The oldest formal organization in the county would be the Masonic Order, which received a charter as Lodge No. 4 in 1806 from the State of North Carolina. Masonry is an ancient fraternal society whose goals have been to promote the brotherhood of man and the Fatherhood of God, to render aid to the less fortunate and to live responsible lives that reflect the objectives of the society. When the Masons erected their lodge hall in 1875, they made provision for Newport’s children by providing a building for the Newport Academy. The Masons used the top floor and the school the bottom. This was Newport’s school until 1898, and even after that, the building was used for occasionally for overflow classes from NGS.

The Masons and affiliated organizations like the Shriners and the Eastern Star support causes for the betterment of the commu- nity. Through the years in Cocke County, other fraternal societies have been the International Organization of Good Templars, Woodmen of the World, Knights of Pythias, Knights of Honor, Junior Order of United American Mechanics, Independent Order of Oddfellows, Rebekahs, Royal Arch Masons and Improved Order of Red Men.

The Newport Kiwanis Club is another organization that is worked for the betterment of the community. Organized in September 1920, one of its first service projects was actually spent improving the gravel highway at Wolf Creek in May 1921. Throughout its history, aiding children and youth has held top priority. Many older citizens will recall “Kids Day” at the

City Park every summer. Kiwanis Kapers, a revue-type production, was enjoyed by the community for several years. The Kiwanis Club is still active today.

The Newport Lions Club was first organized in 1939 but disbanded during World War ll because many members went into the military. It was rechartered in 1949. In addition to many community projects, another of the club’s main projects was sight conservation. They provided vision exams and glasses for the needy, and they were very supportive of Volunteer Blind Industries in Morristown. The club disbanded about 2010.

The Newport Rotary Club was organized in

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December 1957. The first president was Jack Hixon, the first secretary Dr. Jack Clark. This group supported any local program which fell under either of its objectives – promote peace, fight diseases, provide clean water and sanitation, protect the environment, support education and build the local economy. The club disbanded.

The name “Jaycees” actually stands for Junior Chamber of Commerce. It is an organization to provide opportunities for civic development to young adults, 18-40, who seek to make a positive change in society. The local Jaycee chapter sponsored the first “Miss Newport” pageant here in 1957.

There was an Optimist Club in Newport in the late 50s. This group seeks to make the future brighter by bringing out the best in children, in the communities and in themselves.

The Smoky Mountain Sertoma Club was chartered here in 1968. The name is an acronym for “service to mankind” which speaks of their goals. One of their first projects was developing the playground at the corner of Beech and Eighth Streets. Later adopted by the Kiwanis Club, it is still widely used today. The club sponsored the “Miss Newport Pageant” 19691974. They also honored leaders in the community with the “Service to Mankind” award, the first recipient being Dr. Hobart Ford, Sr. The club disbanded in the late 1970s.

Health charities focus on promoting awareness of and raising funds for the research for curing and treating those afflicted with certain diseases.

These are nationally organized, but there have been many local citizens who have been involved in the activities of these charities.

The March of Dimes was founded in 1938 by President Franklin D. Roosevelt for the cause of polio, as he himself was a victim.

Once polio was brought under control by vaccines, the focus of the movement shifted to improve the health conditions of women and children. From the time of its founding in 1924, the American Heart Association has worked for improving the cardio-vascular health of mankind. Funds raised helped research for better treatment and medicine for hearth health. There was a time when local citizens had to go to places such as Philadelphia for heart surgery and stay weeks in recovery. Improvements have brought such treatments to Knoxville with recovery being only days. Few families have escaped the scourge of cancer. Cocke County has had two organizations that have worked to those who have been affected by it. The American Cancer Society has a chapter here. Another group involved in helping cancer patients is Celebrate Life.

The American Lung Association was established in 1907 when tuberculosis was the number one cause of death. From that time, TB has been brought under control but other respiratory issues remain and the lung association is still working to alleviate those. Christmas Seals were sold as a fundraiser of this organization.

The Ruritan organization focuses on small towns and rural areas. Local clubs are autonomous and can focus on the needs in their own communities and can structure their programs to meet those needs. These have been the local Ruritan clubs: Cosby, Parrottsville, Centerview, Edwina, Del Rio and Natural Bridge. In addition to helping individuals in their communities, these groups have worked to provide such things as athletic teams, community centers, medical clinics, beautification and anti-litter campaigns, fire departments and scholarships.

The Home Demonstration Clubs were affiliated with the County Agent which is part of the UT Agricultural Extension Service. The clubs allow rural housewives to meet together socially and learn from the Home Demonstration Agent new methods and practices to improve home and community life. In Cocke County there have been several Home Demonstration Clubs: Cosby, Parrottsville, Sinking Creek, Sunset Gap and Newport. These ladies always took an active role in the Cocke County Fair.

As America became a more “throw away” society, much of this was becoming litter along the roads and highways and in our towns. In 1988 the “Adopt a Highway” program was brought to Cocke County, and citizens and organizations began taking a few hours a month to collect the litter which had accumulated along certain stretches of roads. Cocke County and the City of Newport both established convenience and recycling centers, which allow residents to dispose of trash. Cocke County has a chapter of Keep America Beautiful. This organization seeks to create clean, beautiful locations, promote recycling and reduce litter which will have a positive impact on the local economy and the environment in general. This group sponsors the clean-up of Douglas Lake bottom each year.

The ladies of the garden clubs have adopted projects which will improve the appearance of the community. For many years, the Newport Garden Club kept the grounds of the Stokely Memorial Library. The Heartease Garden Club took the beautified plot at the conjunction of Broadway and College Street. There have been women’s organizations that were cultural, educational and social, but each of them in various ways have adopted projects that improved the community in various ways: Twentieth Century Club, Clifton Club, Tenasee Club, Beta Sigma Phi, Alpha Delta Kappa, Epsilon Sigma Al- pha, Tanner Preservation Society, Music Appreciation Club, Newport Music Club, Easel Art Club, Business Women Club, Senior Citizens and Cocke County Retired Teachers.

In 1986 a group organized and called themselves the “Dead Pigeon River Society.” They began the campaign to see that Big Pigeon River was cleared from the pollution which the paper factory had been dumping into it since 1908. It was not an easy nor a pleasant campaign. There were meetings, there were hearings, there were threats but the group persevered and today the Big Pigeon looks much different than it did in 1986.