What do former President Bill Clinton, NASCAR driver Richard Petty and Oxford resident Dr. Merle Smith have in common?
They’re all members of Civitan International. And now you can join too.
An organizational meeting for the formation of the “Great Oaks Civitan Club” will take place from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m on Thursday, Oct. 23 at Kalloway’s Restaurant and Pub.
Civitan is a worldwide organization, founded in 1917, of 55,000 men and women in 22 countries working together in community service clubs to help those less fortunate than themselves.
Civitan clubs provide a great deal of service to their communities with a major emphasis on helping people with developmental disabilities, youth leadership development and good citizenship.
“The major emphasis is on serving others and supporting your community,” said Smith, a member of the Pontiac Civitan Club for nearly 30 years.
While helping others, Civitan members discover the best in themselves and in others, creating treasured friendships and valuable professional contacts.
“Good fellowship” is a positive by-product of Civitan involvement, Smith said.
Smith – a former psychologist for Pontiac Schools, who worked in special education – is going to be one of the charter members of the Great Oaks Civitan Club, which will encompass all the communities that makeup northeast Oakland County.
The area’s explosive population growth coupled with increasing interest in the organization made it a prime target for the addition of another Civitan Club in Michigan, Smith said.
For those who may not realize it, Smith said the Pontiac Civitan Club has been very supportive of the Oxford area for many years, donating to Oxford/Orion FISH, Oxford Public Library, Oxford Township Parks and Recreation, Oxford Senior Center and the Problem Pregnancy Center.
The Civitans coordinate two major fund-raising efforts to underwrite their donations.
Utilizing a traditional holiday favorite, the Civitan’s annual Claxton Fruitcake Program has been funding various community service projects for more than half a century.
Locally, Oxford Bank is a “major outlet” for Civitan fruitcake sales, Smith said.
The Civitan’s Candy Box Program is the other important fund-raiser.
Volunteers place and maintain the boxes at many locations, such as local restaurants, throughout various communities.
The resulting income, above the direct costs of materials, goes directly toward charitable activities.
Smith said a portion of the monies generated by local candy box sales go toward the Auburn Hills-based New Horizons Rehabilitation Services – a private, not-for-profit organization that provides a wide array of vocational and other rehabilitation services to people with disabilities as well as those with other barriers to employment.
Both fund-raisers have been quite successful locally, Smith said, adding that the Oxford area is “great in terms of the generosity of its people.”
Smith explained that Civitan International is “not the typical professional, business group.”
“Our membership is a little more diverse,” he said, adding that the club includes “housewives and non-professionals” in addition to “professionals.”
“Anyone is welcome,” Smith said.
Another unique feature of the club is that members can choose the level of participation that best suits their lives and schedules.
“We have people who are very active and we have people who attend one meeting a month,” Smith said. “It’s up to the person to decide how much time they can give.”
Smith is hoping the Oct. 23 organizational meeting will have a large turnout to help “increase awareness” about Civitan International and its good works.
The goal is to eventually have 35 charter members of the new Great Oaks Civitan Club.
Anyone interested in attending the organizational meeting is being asked to bring two guests.
Joining Smith as a charter member of the new club will be local dentist Dr. Dan Sahutske, who practices at Oxford Lakes Dental Care (91 S. Washington St.).
Sahutske’s been a member of the Civitan Club of Pontiac for almost five years. He was recruited by Smith, who’s a patient of his.
The dentist said it makes “more sense” for him to join the club in the same community he practices in.
No stranger to charity work, Sahutske said he does “quite a bit” of free dental work for “physically handicapped, medically-compromised and mentally-challenged” patients who can’t otherwise afford it.
For more information about joining the Great Oaks Civitan Club call Smith at 628-3673 or e-mail him at Merle1928@aol.com or Joyce Scafe at (248) 620-8916 (e-mail: jescafe@aol.com).
To learn more about Civitan Internation log on to the group’s web site at www.civitan.org.