This text was obtained via automated optical character recognition.
It has not been edited and may therefore contain several errors.

---

THE SEA COAST ECHO
I
History of the Hancock County Exchange Cl
By Michael D. Haas, Jr.
Our club was founded and chartered April 13, 1985. The installation banquet was held at the Wheel Inn Restaurant in Bay St. Louis.
Installed as charter president was Tommy Brooks. Other officers included Bob Occhi, president-elect;	Rex
Gilbert, Mississippi Power Company, secretary; and Bob Hubbard, treasurer.
Members included E.J. Marengo, Frank McNeil,
Mike Necaise, Ronnie Peterson, Peter Platz, William Stechmann, Kelvin Schulz, Mike Haas,
Sr. and Mike Haas, Jr.
The club was chartered and founded by members of the Gulfport Exchange Club. Included in the initial membership drive were Q.D. Spruill, John Bates, Ray Necaise, Robert Young and others representing the Gulfport Club.
Instrumental in pushing for a new Exchange Club in Hancock County was Henry L. Thomas, then general manager of Coast Electric Power Association. I can recall the day that my father, Michael Haas, Sr. and I decided to join the club.
Several members of the Gulfport Club came by our office and explained to us the Exchange Club and its focus on Americanism and prevention of child abuse and suggested that we should become charter members of the new club in Hancock County.
Politely, Mike Haas, Sr. and I explained that we were very busy and did not have time to join any new clubs and frankly, that there was no need for another service club in Hancock County as we already had several fine service clubs operating in the community.
About an hour later, my father called me into his office and informed me that we had just joined the Hancock County Exchange Club.
rPi-k wnr oiivnrioo T PYPI 5*1 TY1 .
and prosper, and thereafter Bob Hubbard was elected president in 1987. Under Bob's leadership, the club grew substantially from 19 members to 56 members in his year as president.
With the flag project waning, the club decided to try to conduct a different fundraiser.
4.	Jim Henrie was our first Exchangite of the Year.
5.	Carolyn Amacker was one of the first female members in the Exchange Club in the United States and a past Exchangite of the Year.
6.	In 1987, the club sponsored the Royal Lipizzaner Stallions
Past Presidents		Past Exchangites of the Year
Charter President - Tommy Brooks		•
1985-86	Michael D. Haas, Jr.	Jim Henrie
1986-87	Bob Hubbard	Carolyn Amacker
1987-88	Kelvin Schulz	Michael D. Haas, Jr.
1988-89	Rex Gilbert	Camille Tate
1989-90	Bill Stechmann	Jeannie Deen
1990-91	Gwen Myers	E.J. Marengo
1991-92	Julie Cannon	Bill Stechmann
1992-93	Lisa Rodriguez	Dina Hitt
1993-94	Bob Hubbard	Barbie Haas
1994-95	Lynne DeRussy	Dina Hitt
1995-96	Barbie Haas	Sue Donnelly
1996-97	Janell Nolan	Amy Corr
1997-98	Joey Temples	Regina Gleber
1998-99	Regina Gleber	Bob Hubbard
1999-2000	Wayne Hoffman	Linda
2000-2001	Joey Temples	
Jeannie Deen, with the Peoples Bank, devised a scheme to create a "Fun Raisin" auction.
Colonel Bob Glover was solicited and served as a volunteer auctioneer for many years in this highly successful and fun fundraiser. In 1996 the event raised over $5,500.
More recently, we ended the fundraising auction due to competition from other fundraisers which utilized the same idea and conducted a fundraiser involving an art raffle and Wal-' Mart gift certificate raffles as well.
The club also has been active in purchasing and installing freedom shrines in the Hancock County area. The first Hancock County freedom, shrine was installed in the Hancock County Courthouse foyer in Bay St. Louis in March of 1986.
Thereafter, freedom shrines were installed at St. Stanislaus, Bay High School and Hancock High School.
Our clubs’ focus on youth is
of Austria. These are the world-famous jumping horses. This was a g’ eat fundraiser.
7.	In 1987, Bob Hubbard, president, was recognized by the National Exchange Club for "achieving the highest actual net increase and percentage of increase in all of Exchange in
the past year."
At the time increased its membei 19 members to 56 me 195 percent increase Club President, Schnoering stated th exceptional achieven received a gold watcl nition of this hoi I would like Linda Henrie, w member Jim 1 her tireless effor taining the club for many years.
It is a shan: don't have a m rently keeping t scrapbook, and 1 tainly suggest ti dent that if s some people interested in n this, that' I thii be a great asset and future ger the club. Linds our unofficial c an, and w'ithoul presentation have been possi In conclusion, th Club has always Americanism and 1 tion of child abuse, to say that I am an and you should be, t