CIMCO History

Our Early History

1986 — City Clerk Mary Haynes, Peoria, and Marianne Edwards, Normal, took a trip to Marion, Illinois, to attend Municipal Clerks Seminar and discussed forming Central Illinois Clerks Regional Group.

1987 — As MCI District Director, District IV, Haynes solicited members and/or member input through newsletters, mailings, and seminar announcements.

1988 — Haynes, Edwards, Robert Arnold, East Peoria, and Anita Carlton, Galesburg (and 1988 MCI District IV Director) agreed to work to promote group. Carlton reported similar talks began at Institute to form organization.

June 29, 1998 — First Organizational Meeting held at Holiday Inn, Brandywine. Attending were:

• Anita Carlton, City Clerk of Galesburg
• Ilion Crabel, City Clerk, Chillicothe
• Sharon Crabel, Assistant Clerk, Chillicothe
• Joan Steffen, City Clerk, Goodfield
• Robert Arnold, City Clerk, East Peoria
• Veona Dinkins, Assistant Clerk, East Peoria
• Harriet Anderson, City Clerk, Morton
• Earlene Nelson, City Clerk, Bloomington
• Susan Cramer, Deputy City Clerk, Peoria
• Carol Moss, City Clerk, Washington

Also in attendance, representing MCI, were President Pat Ehrhart of Neoga and former MCI President and District VIII Director, Edward Voumard of Alton.

Elected to formally set the Second Organization Meeting and provide for the actual signing of the Charter were Temporary Chairman, Mary Haynes of Peoria, and Temporary Vice Chairman/Secretary, Anita Carlton, Galesburg.

September 8, 1998 — Second Organization Meeting — Lariat Club, Peoria., Illinois. Our Agenda was set to Adopt By-Laws, Elect Officers, and sign our official Charter, along with other brief business pertinent to forming organization.

Those registered as members and luncheon guests are as follows:

• Penny L. Bright, Delavan
• Mary L. Haynes, Peoria
• Anita Carlton, Galesburg
• Harriet Anderson, Morton
• Chris Pitts, Bayview Gardens
• Robert Arnold, East Peoria
• Veona Dinkins, Asst. Clerk, East Peoria
• Marianne Edwards, Normal
• Wendy Briggs, Deputy, Normal

Attending as luncheon guests and potential members are:

• Mary Howeter, Havana
• Earlene Nelson, Bloomington
• Sandra Kurtz, Germantown Hills
• Carol Moss, Washington
• Sharon Gordon, Germantown Hills
• Ilion Crabel, Chillicothe
• Sharon Crabel, Chillicothe

Officers were elected as follows:

President: Mary L. Haynes, Peoria

Vice President: Anita Carlton, Galesburg

Secretary: Carol Moss, Washington

Treasurer: Robert Arnold, East Peoria

Committee Members were assigned by the President and named as follows:

Membership:

• Veona “Berta” Dinkins, East Peoria, Chair
• Robert Arnold, East Peoria
• Vicki Crum, Marquette Heights

Auditing:

• Harriet Anderson, Morton, Chair
• Earlene Nelson, Bloomington
• Wendy Briggs, Normal

By-Laws:

• Joan Steffen, Goodfield, Chair
• Sue Cramer, Peoria
• Penny Bright, Delavan

Candles were lit for the signing of the Charter to signify the following precepts of the Organization:

FRIENDSHIP:               Penny L. Bright, Delavan, First Member

SUPPORT:                     Ilion Crabel, Chillicothe Clerk for 65 years, longest in Illinois, Recipient of 1^st Member of the Year Award from Municipal Clerks of Illinois

GROWTH:                     Carol Moss, Secretary

PROFESSIONALISM:    Robert Arnold, Treasurer

ALLEGIANCE:              Anita Carlton, Vice President

KNOWLEDGE:             Mary L. Haynes, President

WITH THE WORDS,

“WE FORM THIS ORGANIZATION FOR THE SAKE OF FRIENDSHIP AND SUPPORT, TO PROMOTE PERSONAL GROWTH AND PROFESSIONALISM, WE OFFER OUR ALLEGIANCE TO OUR COUNTRY, OUR MUNICIPALITIES AND TO CIMCO, AND WE PLEDGE TO SEEK KNOWLEDGE FOR THE GREATER GOOD OF ALL.”

The candles were lit and the Charter was signed by the officers, the first member and those attending the first and second meetings and submitting a membership form.

The next meeting, which was the first official meeting of the newly formed CENTRAL ILLINOIS MUNICIPAL CLERKS ORGANIZATION was set for the second Wednesday evening in November in Galesburg. As of November 9, 1989, we had 33 Charter Members and growing. We met bi-monthly with some luncheon meeting and some evenings. Our topics were informative and relevant to the duties of a Municipal Clerk. By year-end we had 50 members. I am grateful to all who worked with me to breathe life into this fledging organization. I am grateful to a loyal staff who always managed to assist me and CIMCO. I’m grateful to each Municipal Clerk and Deputy who made this organization to be proud of. It has been a privilege to be your first President.

Mary L. Haynes, CMC/AAE
Peoria City Clerk

October 14, 1998

30^th Anniversary of CIMCO – 1988 to 2018 

HIGHLIGHTS: 

June 29, 1988: First organizational meeting. 14 people met. Pat Ehrhardt, MCI President, was part of the 14.

Mary Haynes welcomed those in attendance.

Anita Carlton called meeting to order and stated purpose of meeting.

Purpose: See if there was enough interest to organize a club for clerks in the area.

Name would be: Central Illinois Municipal Clerks Organization (CIMCO)

Purpose of organization: meet, eat and to learn from and help each other.

Consensus: was to proceed.

Temporary Chairman and Temporary Secretary were elected by nominations from floor:

Chairman: Mary Haynes.

Secretary: Anita Carlton.

September 8, 1988: Second organizational meeting. 13 present.

By-Laws were adopted after being amended.

Standing Rules were amended to be in accord with By-Laws.

• Amendment was- regular meeting shall be held by-monthly basis on the 2^nd Wednesday of January, March, May, July, September and November.

Officers were elected:   

President: Mary Haynes
Vice-President: Anita Carlton
Secretary: Carol Moss
Treasurer: Robert Arnold

Candle lighting ceremony was held celebrating the organization and chartering of this new group. Each member in attendance was asked to sign the charter.

November 9, 1988: Third meeting. 13 present.

President Haynes presented the CIMCO Logo. It was adopted as the official logo for CIMCO.

This was the final chartering meeting and official charter certificates were presented to each member by President Haynes.

Vice President Carlton presented a membership booklet and meeting schedule to each member present.

Treasurer Arnold reported an account had been set up at the Community Bank of Greater Peoria with all checks and material free of charge.

Membership Committee Chairman Dinkins reported CIMCO has 33 members. More letters going out encouraging membership. (Today we have 53 members plus 8 life time active members).

January 11, 1989:  11 members present.

Resolution No. 89-1 was issued recognizing Ilion Crabel for her 65 years of service to the Community of Chillicothe as City and Town Clerk.

March 9, 1989: 13 present.

Treasurers Reported $192.30.

Membership sent out 136 letters. At present, there are 37 members.

September 13,1989: 15 present.

FIRST ANNUAL MEETING OF CIMCO

Annual Reports were presented by office holders.

Presidential Award was given stating criteria for it is Distinguished Service.

Vice President Anita Carlton, Secretary Carol Moss and Treasurer Bob Arnold were awarded the Presidential Award as the first officers of the newly formed CIMCO Organization.

Berta Dinkins was presented another award for outstanding job recruiting members for CIMCO. Treasurer had reported $969.00 less expenditures of $426.61 with a cash balance of $542.39. Membership from first meeting to August 30, 1989 to be 49, one shy of Dinkins goal of 50!

Vice President Canton read a poem entitled “The Chair” and presented to President Haynes with a plaque recognizing her for her outstanding job as the “first” President of CIMCO.

Outgoing President Haynes swore in the new President Carlton, Vice President Moss, Secretary Dinkins and Treasurer Arnold.

Mav 9, 1990: 23 present.

CIMCO pins were presented at a cost of 50 for $133.50. Purchase was approved. Pins were sold to members at $3.00 each.

My hope is you have learned something about our CIMCO organization that you were not aware of and have enjoyed this stroll down memory lane. Happy 30^th Anniversary clerks of Central Illinois Municipal Clerks Organization!

Jenny Hayden, MMC
CIMCO Vice-President
December 12, 2018