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The History of Exchange




Part #1 - The Exchange Club was organized formally on March 27,1911 by Charles A, Berkey, a Detroit wholesale jeweler, the first meeting of the organization was held at a noon luncheon  in a small room at the Penobscot Inn in downtown Detroit. The first meeting was attended by 12 men. On the suggestion of Mr. Berkey the name "Exchange was selected because it best exemplified the intent of the group, which believed that progress comes from an interchange of ideas, opinions and experiences. Officers were elected and plans for the constitution and by-laws were drafted.

Part #2 - The first meting after the club was charted (March 27, 1911) officers were selected, now one would thing that Charles Berkey would become the first President of the Exchange Club, but that was not the case, Mr. Berkey believed he could do more good by remaining out of office at that time.The first President of Exchange was E.O. Geissler.. E.A. Lovely, vice president, Wells D.. Butterfield, treasurer, and Waldo F. Moore, secretary. These men helped to form the basis of Exchange.

Part #3 - When the Exchange Club was launched there was no thought of this organization becoming a club with national significance.  The selection of members was done in much the same way as it is done today weather forming or new club or recruiting members to a current club with the exception that we now welcome female members to Exchange. we look for the representation of business and profession, to select men and women in their respective lines, and in citizenship.

Part #4 - The most important idea to this first governing body was to take only members who place implicit confidence and who lived up to the idea of truth and integrity in their relationship with one another.

Part #5 - Within the first month the membership increase to 36 members and had outgrown its own meeting place and they published the first Exchange membership directory.


History of Exchange - October 2019
History of Exchange - December 2019


History of Exchange - January 2020