VERMONT JCI SENATE

In 1962, at the US Jaycees Annual Convention in Las Vegas, NV., “the seed was planted” that would 5 years later be the beginnings of the VT JCI Senate.

But first, back to the convention in Las Vegas. It was there that the Vermont Jaycee delegation heard an address by a JCI Senator about the desired need to keep the actions of the Jaycees “Young men of action” going for those that had reached the magic age of 36 and being retired as “Exhausted Roosters”.

It was 2 years later at the “64” Dallas Convention ( when we marched 2nd in the parade of states, after marching dead last the year before ) that several of us who were soon to be “Exhausted Roosters”, had a discussion and came to the conclusion that we must continue our many years of Jaycees that had extended chapters all around the state and had provided us with needed individual development and helped with community betterment projects. Some of those individual development programs, after our time as Jaycees, were a welcome transition to other service clubs such as the Kiwanis, Lions, Rotary plus local government positions that needed the new blood of active younger and energetic members.

So the conversation continued on “What do we do to keep our team together” and we met in St. Johnsbury on June 10, 1967. ( Costa brothers, Ellis, Sivret, Tarbox, Chadderdon and Pelkey ) Those young men were tasked with coming up with bylaws, getting incorporated with the Secretary of State and all the other details that go into starting a new organization.

The first formal meeting of the Vermont JCI Senators group was held on November 8, 1967 at the Catholic Central School in St. Johnsbury. Those present became the Charter Members of the Vermont JCI Senate. ( Ernie Chadderdon, William Costa, Wayne Pelkey, Bob McGegor, Wayne Jameson and Richard Waitt.)