In December of 2024, Carmi Kiwanis honored it’s newest members of the Legion of Honor, that is those members who have reached significant milestones of membership with the organization. At that time, the club couldn’t honor one significant achievement because the intended recipient was “snowbirding” in Florida. Read more at Carmi Kiwanis Welcomes Two New Members; Honors Four Others for Legion of Honor Milestones – WRUL-FM
Before that though Thursday, Kiwanis President Amanda Nelson corrected an error by honoring Roger Winter with his 35-year service plaque. After that, Nelson turned the floor over to Toby Brown who consistently provides 
historical context on what was going on in the world and locally the year Legion of Honor members joined Kiwanis.
In 1974, you probably remember this if you were alive, President Richard Nixon resigned from office after being involved in the Watergate scandal. Gerald Ford became the 38th President of the U.S. Muhammad Ali and George Foreman fought in a boxing match in Zaire; it was dubbed the Rumble in the Jungle. Alil won by knockout in the 8th round.
Other interesting notes included the invention of the Rubik’s Cube and the country instituted a nationwide 55 mph highway speed limit to help save on gas.
Locally,
The Carmi Times was sold by Velda T.C. Ames to a publishing group out of Bradford, Pennsylvania which owned newspapers in West Frankfort and Marion already. The White County Board reversed itself and withdrew authorization to a group to proceed with planning for a lake in the “seven-mile-flats” then the board dissolved. Harold Stahl, a proponent of the lake accused the board of reneging and predicted the action would kill the lake project. The Carmi White County Unit 5 School Board and teachers union approved a new contract. Teachers base salary; this puts things in perspective, was raised to $8,365.
It was also the year the Carmi Kiwanis Club officially welcomed Barry Cleveland. He’s been a treasured member, valued journalist and former editor and publisher of the Carmi Times.
It had been a tradition throughout Kiwanis history for the editor of the paper to be a member of the Kiwanis Club so I followed through with that. I was editor from 1974 and with one interruption for most the rest of my career and publisher the last 24 years.
Cleveland, who possesses a passion for the importance of keeping historical records also shared that his thoughts echoed through an historical parallel.
A fellow by the name of J. Robert Smith, who the older of us knew well, local historian and former newspaperman, was honored for his years of dedication to the club. I don’t know that they had the Legion of Honor at that point, but [Ivan] “Johnny” Elliott was the one that got up and honored Bob for all the work that he’d done on behalf of the community and the club. And what Bob said was, ‘I joined the club in 1931 and that’s one of the best things I ever did in my life.’ And I echo what Bob Smith said 60-65 years ago. I was fortunate to be welcomed into this club. It was a dynamic club. It was easily the largest in Carmi, the most active. I think in my own mind, of course I’m prejudice, the most important and the most influential club in Carmi. It’s been my pleasure to have served it…to have served with so many good men and women over the years…my pleasure to be president some 42 years ago…to write the stories about Kiwanis and Kiwanis activities and meetings that appeared in the Carmi Times for the best part of 40 years.
Cleveland is expected to present at a Kiwanis meeting in the next 30 days or so specifically on Carmi Kiwanis Club history. In the meantime, you can find his latest project, more than 50 “It Happened in White County” booklets available at 103 Grounded in Grace coffeeshop at 103 West Main in Carmi or give him a call at 618 – 599 – 8497 for details.