A letter, written by Thomas E. Sly, a member of the Serra Club of St. Louis on August 28, 1946 to his nephew, Norman P. Gordon, stated the exploratory and organizational work that opened the heart of America to Serra.
On October 17, 1946, a meeting was arranged by Gordon between Bishop Edwin V. O’Hara and Russell Bley, District governor of Serra of this district. At this meeting Bley explained the purposes of Serra to the Bishop. Gordon suggested names of Catholic men who could form the nucleus of this new organization, and the Bishop gave his approval.
Words of encouragement came to Gordon from Frank Bruce, then president of Serra International. The District Governor contacted Serrans in St. Louis who recommended men in Kansas City who should be contacted for membership.
November 20, 1946 saw eleven men assembled at Fred Harvey’s Restaurant where Gordon outlined to them the proposed Serra movement in Kansas City. Present at this meeting were Tony Cresto, Fred Dreiling, Willis Gremp, Frank Hayde, George Kinney, Randy Knight, JoZack Miller, Vince O’Flaherty, Eugene Rudloff and John Turner. Paul Froeschl was unable to attend. Norman Gordon was elected temporary chairman to serve until the organization was completed and permanent officers were selected.
The second meeting was held at the Hotel Muehlebach on December 4, 1946. Sixteen men were present. The organization work went ahead with the appointment of Richard M. Ong as acting secretary and William F. Helm, Jr., as acting treasurer.
By December 18, By-Laws, Attendance, Program and Membership committees had been appointed and were at work drawing up the rules that would guide Serra in Kansas City in its formation.
With the advent of 1947, there appeared also the first issue of the Serra-Nader, at first a typewritten sheet, but soon a printed and mimeographed bulletin.
At the meeting of January 15, 1947, eighteen members and two guests (Rev. Hugh Mullin and Rev. Francis
Weir) were present to hear the recommendations of the various committees. This group voted no programs be scheduled for future meetings until the organizational work was entirely completed. The meeting of February 5 was devoted in its entirety to the business of perfecting the organizational setup. The same was true of the meeting on February 19.
International President Frank Bruce attended the meeting on March 5, 1947 and faced 20 members and 17 prospective members of the Kansas City Serra Club. After this meeting, he wrote Russell Bley that he had met with the Kansas City Club and ”…the Kansas City crowd looks to me like the finest group of top executives that have ever gathered together in any American city.”
By March 19, Serra in Kansas City was ready to elect its first group of officers. The twenty-seven members present voted Norman P. Gordon, president; Mark Small, vice-president; Richard M. Ong, secretary; William Helm, Jr.,
treasurer; and Vincent I O’Flaherty, Jr., Leonard Corless, Frank Hayde, Ed Borserine, A.V. Cresto, Angus McCallum, Jack F. Whitaker and Jim Speilman as Trustees. The Very Rev.George W. King, Vicar-general of the diocese, was announced as Chaplain of the Serra Club.
April 5, 1947, Russell Bley, as District governor, presented the charter to the Serra Club of Kansas City with Bishop O’Hara in attendance. Congratulatory telegrams were received from Serra clubs in Seattle, Portland, Oakland, Salt Lake City, Minneapolis. Milwaukee and Houston and from the International President, Frank Bruce.
Charter members were: Ernest R. Beverly, Ed Borserine, Joseph A. Budinger, W.T. Conroy, J. Leonard Corless, A. V. Cresto, Vincent Crimmins, Dr. Fred Dreiling, Paul A. Froeschl, T. Jas. Galvin, Patrick Gibbons, Norman P. Gordon, Alex M. Gow, Willis Gremp, Landry Harwood, Frank R. Hayde, William F. Helm, Jr., A.M. Hillner, George H. Kinney, R.E. Knight, Jr., James Lenaghan, W.C. Locke, Angus McCallum, Robert McCarthy, James P. McGilley, J. Clinton Meunier, JoZack Miller, III, Frank B. Nobrega, V.I. O’Flaherty, Jr., N.S. O’Neill, Richard M. Ong, Col. M.A. Quinn, Eugene Rudolff, G.V. Schuh, Mark H. Small, James A. Spellman, Jr., Arthur R. Stock, J. Frank Trotter, J.P. Turner, Walter Weidmann and Jack F. Whitaker