Author: unknown
Puka Puka Parades, November 1947, vol. 2 no. 8
Article about honorary member, Charles Hemenway with a brief look into his life and how he had benefited Club 100
Mr. Charles Reed Hemenway, one of the three original members elected into the Club 100, wh1le most of us were still in Europe, passed away on October 16, at the Queen’s Hospital.
Mr. Hemenway was born in Manchester, Vermont, on June 12, 1876. He was graduated from Yale in 1897 with an A.B. degree. In 1899, he married Jane Munson Colburn and came to Hawaii to become a teacher at Punahou.
During the fifty years he spent in Hawaii, he was widely known for his able leadership in many community activities. His business background included board memberships of a dozen leading firms in Honolulu. Aside from his business interests, he was President of the Board Regent of the University of Hawaii of the Queen’s Hospital and Honolulu Community Chest. At the time of his death, he was President and Chairman of the Honolulu Trust Company.
Mr. Hemenway’s keen enthusiasm in the welfare of the youth of Hawaii, especially of the AJA’s dated back to the day when he was first a Regent of the University of Hawaii. He was one of the outstanding leaders in the field of fair play and racial tolerance among the executives of Hawaii. Many of our boys burdened him with personal problems and he took pride in being able to assist them.
When the Club 100 was first organized and funds began piling up from dues turned in by members, there was the problem of a place for safe-keeping of the money. This money was sent back to Mr. Hemenway and he was entrusted the responsibility of keeping it for us until we returned. This was not a business deal, the money was not sent to Hawaiian Trust but to Mr. Hemenway himself. However, as the accumulation of money grew and larger, he realized the need for a regular depository in the name of club members. An organizational agreement was drawn up by him, setting forth the purposes and objectives of Club 100 and naming Hawaiian Trust as Trustee. He sent this to the battalion in Italy and it was adopted under date of August 12, 1944, when approximately 600 members placed their signatures on the agreement. Until a majority of the boys came back, and Club was incorporated, the Hawaiian Trust, with Mr. Hemenway’s recommendations, acted as trustee without charge. Upon corporation, Bldg 100 officially designated Hawaiian Trust as agent.
This was only one of the things Mr. Hemenway did for us while we were away. A volume could easily be written on his kindness and consideration if time and space are available.
We, of the Club 100 have parted with a friend, a honorary member, a counselor and a GREAT guy.
The members of this organization offer their sincerest united sympathy to Mrs. Hemenway, his departure from us and extend an open invitation to her to call on us if there is anything we can do for her in the days to come.
The Territory, needless to say, has lost one of its leading citizens with his passing.
Our sorrow in his death knows no bounds. However, we are deeply comforted by just reviewing his achievements and the ideals for which he stood. His rich life and accomplishments may well serve as a textbook for us to follow in the future.
Honorary member, Charles Hemenway, we salute you as our 100th Battalion buglers sound Taps.