Our History
CLF Network provides young adults with the opportunity for personal growth, friendship and leadership development while improving the quality of life for underserved children in our local community.
We have been serving Lane County, Oregon since 1927.
Our membership voted to become an independent organization, becoming the Children's Legacy Foundation of Lane County dba CLF Network.
One of our members proposed holding a clothing drive during "spring cleaning". After a conversation with contacts at Sheldon High School, it was shared that there is a need to provide clothing donations to students. This project has expanded to run year-round, with potential to partner with more local schools.
After women were finally allowed to join, history was made for our organization when our first female-identifying President was elected and took office on our Board.
The Club became coed and allowed Women to join as members. This was an important time during our history to progress forward and do the right thing.
In the late 1980s women officially became members of Active 20-30 US & Canada. 1988 was the year that the women in the Orange County (CA) Auxiliary petitioned the National Organization to become the first women’s club in the Active 20-30 organization. This request was approved and from that day forward women were officially full-fledged members of Active 20-30 United States & Canada. They were followed by Southern Arizona #1027 / Valley of the Sun #1028 / Redwood Empire #1029 / Gold Country #1030 / Sacramento Evening #1031 (co-ed) / Greater Sacramento #1032 and Gold Rush #1034.
In 1981, a proposal was put forth to the membership to allow for National Associations in Active 20-30 International. In 1982, the Active 20-30 United States and Canada, Inc., was formed with its National office in the building owned by Active 20-30 US & Canada on 1915 I Street, Sacramento, California. Arnie Krogh of Sacramento served as its first National President.
The major International Projects selected for the new organization were Keys in the Car, Aid to Scouting, Public Speaking and Rheumatic Fever. During the 1975 Convention in Calgary, Alberta, Canada, the new International Charity Foundation was adopted to replace Rheumatic Fever.
While the mechanics of the merger were being formulated, each organization maintained its separate administrative structure, officers and National Office through its convention year. In October 1960, the first combined magazine, Active 20-30 made its appearance. The first convention of Active 20-30 International was held in Tucson, Arizona, July 10-14, 1961, where the Constitution and bylaws were officially adopted.
In 1960, the 20-30 International Convention was held in Santa Cruz, California. The delegates unanimously adopted the merger proposal and the Constitution. One month later, the delegates at the Active International Convention in Calgary, Alberta, also unanimously adopted the propositions. Therefore, on August 1, 1960, Active International and 20-30 International became the Active 20-30 International.
Between 1959 and 1960, meetings were held between the two groups, culminating in the proposed Constitution and Resolution to be presented to the 1960 Conventions of each organization. In addition to Morrison and Helling, Jack Kummert, Doug Martin and Clint McClure of 20-30, and Victory W. “Bill” Smith, Owen Barnes and Jim Robertson of Active participated in the early negotiations.
In 1959, President Norm Morrison of 20-30 and President Ken Helling of Active, exchanged a letter renewing the long standing proposal that these two identical young men’s service clubs should merge.
Both the International and Active International Associations were charter members of the World Council of Young Men’s Service Clubs (WOCO). John Armenia, Joe Crowe and Arnie Scheldt of Active and Dr. James Vernetti, Henry Heyl and Ray Fletcher of 20-30 were among those who fostered the World Council movement up to its formal beginning in 1945 (See WOCO information).
When it all began in Eugene, Oregon!
Active 20-30 International had its beginnings in 1922 when young men in two widely separated communities of the United States saw the need for a service club for young men. They found that established service clubs were dominated by older men, run by older men, and whose officers were invariably much older men.
This realization led those groups of ambitious young men to stray away from existing groups and organized a club of their own. These clubs shared the ideal that young men would have a chance to engage actively in service to their communities; where young ideas, backed by enthusiasm and the energy of youth, could share in civic responsibilities on an equal basis with clubs composed of older men.
These pioneers of young men’s service clubs simultaneously created two virtually identical clubs: the Active International, located in Aberdeen, Washington, and 20-30 International formed in Sacramento, California.