The National Exchange Club – a service organization with 700 clubs and more than 21,000 members throughout the United States and Puerto Rico – celebrates its 100th anniversary in 2011. The Exchange Club was officially started in 1911 as a national organization in Detroit, Michigan. Its second oldest club is the Exchange Club in Toledo, Ohio formed in 1913. Founded in 1911 in Detroit by businessmen who wanted to “exchange” ideas on making their community better, the Exchange Club moved its headquarters to Toledo in 1917. For a hundred years, Exchange Club volunteer efforts have supported the needs of the country and of local communities, making it the country’s oldest American service organization operating exclusively in the United States.
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During the 1940s, Exchange had organized its club activities around seven areas of service that included: education; agriculture; aviation; citizenship; commerce and industry; federal youth rehabilitation; youth and geriatrics.
In the mid 1960s, Exchange adopted its present National Programs of Service activities. Also known as the four "pillars" of Exchange, the National Programs of Service brought into greater focus the most pressing issues of the day and affords local clubs the ability to structure activities according of their specific community. The programs include: Americanism, Youth Programs, Community Service and its national project--the Prevention of Child Abuse.
In 2010, Exchange entered into strategic partnerships with the American Red Cross and the Statue of Responsibility Foundation. In 2011, Exchange entered into a national agreement with Darkness to Light (D2L) in their shared effort directed toward the prevention of child abuse. With this new partnership, local Exchange Clubs will now be able to utilize Darkness to Light’s Stewarts of Children program as an Exchange Club Program of Service project.
The Exchange Club specializes in helping youth and service to senior citizens. The Senior Outreach Program, adopted in the 1980s as a national program, helps senior citizens remain active. For youth, the Exchange Club gives scholarships and awards such as the Accepting the Challenge of Excellence (ACE) Award, Youth of the Month, Youth of the Year, and Citizenship Award. A "Junior Exchange Club" is offered to high school students, called the Excel Club, volunteering the same amount of work as the National Exchange Club.
The Exchange Club support Teacher Appreciation Day to honor teachers educating youth. The Law Enforcement Officer of the Year Award honors a member in law enforcement that has given credit to protecting a community. The Exchange Club also gives out Rookie of the Year and Exchangite of the Year awards to members that succeed in doing a substantial amount of work and contributions for the club.
The Exchange Club's most prestigious award is the Book of Golden Deeds Award given to a special person that has dedicated their time and efforts to strengthen their community. This award may be given to a member of Exchange or a non-member.
The National Exchange Club is organized into 31 districts and 12 regions throughout the United States. The national president presides over every Exchange Club in the entire country. The regions are headed by a vice-president overseeing several districts, each headed by a district president. A local Exchange Club is managed by a president, president-elect, vice president, secretary, treasurer and 6 to 8 members of a board of directors.