ACTIVE 20-30
United States and Canada

There was a debate between two members. One insisting it’s "Penny-A-Day" and the other it’s “Pennies-A-Day”. If your club has a can and the can is passed around the room and members deposit any loose change; you know what they were debating.
So? Which is correct? 

Now, let me tell you how it all began. In the 1950s, when the organization was still Active 20-30 International, with no National associations, the funds from the clubs went to fight Rheumatic Fever and funds were deposited into the International Rheumatic Fever Foundation.

At the 1965 International Convention, the delegates voted to change their support to children who were deaf. They set up the Active 20-30 International Charity Foundation, Inc. and the project was known as “Project Deaf”. The cans appeared on the scene in 1968.

In 1974, the International organization changed their emphasis to the “Foster Parents Program”. (Throughout the organization’s history they have assisted Aid to Scouting, General Child Welfare and a program working with the FBI fighting juvenile delinquency with the “Keys in the Car” project.)

In 1981, the association created National Associations, The Active 20-30/U.S. & Canada, Inc. was created. The International Charity did nothing for some time, and in 1989 our National association created the “Active 20-30 Foundation, Inc.”

We do not support any particular charity on the National level except for maybe the National Association for the Prevention of Child Abuse.

So to re-educate all the members (and I’m sure many of our clubs have never seen the Can), we have sent new cans for your use. “That’s all we ask – a penny-a-day for the kids”. Assign the responsibility of passing the can to your Sgt-of-Arms.

Your National Board of Trustees for the Foundation has made it a goal to collect enough funds to equal the amount of members we have in the association. That could amount to about $6,000. In the history of our association, we have yet to achieve that goal. Wouldn’t it be a great testimony to have that amount collected at the National Convention?

The funds received go into a restricted account in the Active 20-30 Foundation. These funds are not used for general operating expenses. Our intent is to build up enough money to live off the interest. Thereby, we could begin distributing funds to child welfare projects on a national basis or even to our clubs as a matching grant program.

So, get to work! Pass that can! We hope every club is planning sending a delegate to the National Convention where each club will make a presentation of funds at the Annual General Meeting.

Yes, we pay dues. Yes, we pay for meals at our meetings. And, yes, we give our sweat to making our projects successful but this is a way for each member to directly give to charity – for just $3.65 for the year. Here is one tradition that binds all our clubs together.

The Active Twenty-Thirtian, 1992, p3

There you have it, folks! It’s a PENNY-a-Day! If your club is not passing a can at meetings, get the tradition started in your club! If you’d like to donate to the Penny-a-day fund click here. We'll be collecting the term's results at the Annual General Meeting at Convention in June.... who will win? The kids! (And anyone that calls it Penny-a-day.)

Want to share a Penny-a-Day story or a photo of your club’s collection can/device? Send it to active2030clubpr@gmail.com and we’ll share it in an upcoming email or social media post.

Special thanks to “One L” Michele for archiving this article from the “Active Twenty-Thirtian” on the Active 20-30 History blog.