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THE SEA COAST ECHO
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History of the Hancock County Exchange Club
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.
To my surprise, I exclaimed, “I thought we just told those fellows that we weren't interested." Mike Haas, Sr. explained that Henry Thomas, general manager of Coast Electric, had just called and thought that it would be a good idea if he and I joined. Thus, we became charter members of the Hancock County Exchange Club.
Almost immediately, Mr. Thomas suggested to the club that the community needed patriotism and that he envisioned an avenue of flags along Highway 90 being a hallmark to introduce people to Bay St. Louis and Waveland and the Hancock County community in general.
The members purchased flags and solicited donations from area businesses totaling approximately 120 flags. Brackets were installed along Highway 90, and the first avenue of flags was erected on July 4, 1985.
The flags were displayed on Highway 90 from the Bay St. Louis bridge to Waveland and additionally along the downtown areas as well.
This fundraiser and patriotic display was continued for several years by the club until the City of Bay St. Louis installed center highway lighting along
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 further exemplified by the club by our long-time commitment to our Youth of the Month and Youth of the Year program.
Initially, Camille Tate headed this project, but later Janell Nolan took over the reins of this project and continues to head it today.
Over the years many fine youths of this community have been honored as both the Youth of the Month and Youth of the Year. Included in these are several local businessmen including Micky Lagasse and Micah Necaise.
Perhaps the largest accomplishment made by the club was with the cooperation of the other Gulf Coast clubs in founding the South Mississippi Exchange Club Family Child Center for the Prevention of Child Abuse in October of 1988.
This organization continues in existence and is still the main charitable organization supported by the Exchange Clubs on the Gulf Coast including our club.
Mike Haas, Sr., Mike Haas, Jr., Bill Stechmann and Bob Hubbard are the only four remaining charter members of the original 25 charter members of the Hancock County Exchange Club.
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 the club increased its membership from 19 members to 56 members or a 195 percent increase. National Club President, James Schnoering stated this was "an exceptional achievement." Bob received a gold watch in recognition of this honor.
I would like to thank Linda Henrie, wife of past member Jim Henrie, for her tireless efforts in maintaining the club scrapbooks for many years.
It is a shame that we don't have a member currently keeping track of our scrapbook, and I would certainly suggest to our president that if someone or some people would be interested in maintaining this, that' I think it would be a great asset to the club and future generations of the club. Linda served as our unofficial club historian, and without whom this presentation would not have been possible.
In conclusion, the Exchange Club has always stood for Americanism and the prevention of child abuse. I am proud to say that I am an Exchangite and you should be, too.
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