Here is a brief history of the Council Bluffs Jaycees
The Council Bluffs Jaycees were started in June 1933 by the Des Moines and Omaha Jaycees, and were the 10th chapter in the state of Iowa and the 90th chapter in the country. The Council Bluffs Jaycees have been involved in a number of projects over the years:
Rammeumpton Festival, 1933-34Lake Manawa dredging/restoration, 1934-37House Remodeling Project, 1935Aviation show, 1930s“Build a Bond” war drive effort, 1942Safety and Traffic/Street Safety Campaigns, 1940s-60sJaycee Night at the Park – community sings and concerts, 1948War Memorial Fund, 1948Air Youth Education, late 1940sHoliday Parade, 1948Ice skating rink, 1949Kid Day, 1940s and 1950sAnnual Pet Parade, 1940sStreet marker campaign, 1950-52Local Golden Gloves tournaments, 1940s-50sCity manager form of government campaign, 1950Get-Out-to-Vote campaign, 1950sVoice of Democracy, Voice of America and other essay contests, 1950sTeenage Road-e-o, 1950s-60sWater Fluoridation campaign, 1950sHarvest Ball, 1950sWooden lung to Jennie Edmundsen Hoospital, 1958Youth Fitness Day, 1958-59Golden Spike renovation and landscaping, 1962Miss Council Bluffs pageant, 1940s-60sChristmas decorating contest, 1960sJunior Champ track and field, 1963CB Swimming meet, 1963Airport Grand Opening Celebration, 1967Youth Employment Service, 1970sFourth of July at Manawa, started 1975Haunted Jail/Forest/House, 1977-92MDA fundraiser, 1970s-80sPride Day/Week events since 1980Children’s Halloween party, 1981-83Cystic Fibrosis Association fundraiser, 1984Swing for the Retarded, 1980sAmerican Heart Association “Cardiac Arrest”, 1985Christmas Shopping Spree, 1953 to presentLabor Day Street Dance, 1997 to presentliChristmas Tree Sales, 1990s
Source: Clippings, notebooks and Council Bluffs Jaycees 50th Anniversary Scrapbooks in Council Bluffs Library