A History of the St. Cloud Downtown Sertoma Club

Our Club was started on April 25, 1959 and chartered with seventy-five (75) members.  After a disastrous trial as a breakfast club, when our membership dropped below thirty, we become a noon meeting club.  From that time until the later 1970's we grew to a membership of more than one hundred.  On March 18, 1981 we split into two clubs, St. Cloud Downtown Sertoma Club and a West Side Sertoma Club.  

Our Downtown club started talking about allowing female members in June of 1986.  Women were first formally allowed to join on March 10, 1987.  Prior to that time we always had a very active La Sertoma Club made up of the wives of Sertoma members.  

Our first president was Robert Nicol and the first governor from our club was Ernie M. Mahon.  Robert Nicol & Dick Dorn, are the only charter members still in our club.  We hosted our first district convention in 1966 at the Germain Hotel.  The slogan that year was “Up in the Sticks in 66".  To show that Sertoma was a growing organization we gave live pine trees to each attending conventioneer.  

St. Cloud Downtown Sertoma Club History Highlights:

The St. Cloud Downtown Sertoma Club started in 1959 (April 25, 1959)
West side (started by St. Cloud Downtown Sertoma Club) on March 18, 1981
Women first admitted in 1987.  First proposed on March 10, 1987.  First talked about on June 3, 1986. 

Past Meeting Locations:  

Press Bar - Breakfast
St. Cloud Hotel - noon
Spaniol Hotel                        
Sunwood
Americana

Current Meeting Location:
Radisson Suite Hotel in Downtown St. Cloud