By JULIE CARLE
BG Independent News
For Bob Callecod, service was never about recognition—it was about people.
That mindset, shaped over decades of dedication to the Kiwanis International mission, is exactly what led to his recent induction into the Ohio Kiwanis Hall of Fame. But true to form, Callecod met the honor with humility—and a joke or two about “the boys up north”—told in his “Minnesota nice” dialect reflecting his Minnesota roots.
“I thought this was going to be the Hall of Shame,” he quipped, drawing laughter in the same way he has for years as a respected voice within the Bowling Green Kiwanis Club.
Behind the humor is a story rooted in purpose. Callecod joined Kiwanis in 1988 shortly after becoming director of Bowling Green’s Park and Recreation Department. He chose to join Kiwanis because of the club’s long-standing support of children and community recreation.
“For over 100 years, this club has been doing things for the community,” he said. “When I’m so historically strongly involved with doing things for kids, to me it was a natural fit. There’s no better organization to be involved with—especially one so focused on kids.”
What began as a professional connection in the club soon became something deeper as his dedication to helping others grew like the trees in his parks.
Unexpected path toward service
That focus on service was not a part of his early life, Callecod said as he candidly reflected on a challenging upbringing.
“I didn’t know much about the world. It wasn’t until I got to college (at Knox College in Illinois) that I even knew about fine arts,” he admitted. “That opened up such a great world.”
At his first job in the corporate world—working at a major Chicago bank—he discovered his path for moving forward. He liked having tasks and solving problems, using the critical thinking skills he gained in college. However, two jobs he was tasked with at the bank convinced him to leave big business.
As a member of the systems department, he was expected to look at problem areas and determine the best solutions. He was assigned to survey the stenographers’ pool to test out the typewriters they preferred.
Clearly, there was one machine they really liked; however, when he reported his findings, the senior vice president told him, “That’s fine, but we’re not going to use that one,” because the stenographers “have no money in our bank.”
Callecod received a similar rebuke for helping his clients—mostly widows who had never in their lives opened a checkbook. “I got called in and told, ‘Bob, we don’t make any money off of you doing that.’”
When he was faced with decisions that prioritized profit over people, he realized, “This is not what I wanted to do for the rest of my life. I wanted to serve people.”
That decision would define the next 35-plus years.
A driving force locally and beyond
Within the Bowling Green Kiwanis Club, Callecod became a driving force behind its growth and culture. He served as club president (2000-2001), board member, and long-time membership chair—roles through which he helped expand membership to near-record levels and foster a welcoming, energetic environment.
He also transformed the new-member experience, said Paul Herringshaw, current club president. From leading orientations to orchestrating memorable (and often humorous) induction ceremonies—sometimes complete with props and costumes—Callecod ensured that every newcomer felt both informed and inspired.
Under his leadership, “The club was able to achieve some of the highest membership totals in the history of the club, nearly 130 members at times,” former club president Jason Miller wrote in Callecod’s Hall of Fame application.
He helped his committee develop a new member handbook that includes the club’s history, projects and “our rich history of supporting Service Leadership Programs,” Miller stated.
“He’s been very good at mentoring people within the club,” Herringshaw said. “I’ve talked to a couple of people who he helped bring into the club and who said they have a better idea of what’s going on,” thanks to Callecod’s role. New members have a better understanding what Kiwanis is about thanks to Callecod.
His dedication to Kiwanis and service became more evident when he was lieutenant governor for Division 1-South in Ohio in 2011-12. To this day, at 86 years old, he continues as Division Secretary/Treasurer.
In those roles, he has mentored leaders, strengthened struggling clubs, and maintained critical communication across the district—even stepping in when leadership gaps arose.
“My guess is given how he has handled himself here, he’s taken his district jobs very seriously and has worked with a lot of other clubs across the district and the state to help them out,” Herringshaw said.
That balance of purpose and personality became a hallmark of his leadership.
He played a key role in shaping the club’s evolution. From helping to guide structural improvements—like member feedback systems that led to major operational changes—to embracing inclusivity, including the integration of women into the club, he has supported progress even when it came with challenges.
“We lost members at the time,” he recalled. “But it made us better.”
Today, the club stands as the second-largest in Ohio and one of the most active in the state—a legacy Callecod helped build.
During his tenure as lieutenant governor, he had to visit all of the clubs in the district at least four times during the year. What he learned from those visits was the obvious difference between many other clubs and Bowling Green’s club.
“It’s attitude,” he said. “So many other clubs don’t want to change. What they’ve been doing for 40 years is good enough.”
Bowling Green doesn’t fall into that category of “just wanting to meet once a week and talk to their friends,” he said.
Local members are actively involved in several service leader projects and sponsor young people to become leaders of the college group, Circle K, in high school and junior high, he said. “I think this club has contributed to the vibrancy of the city of Bowling Green” through events such as Pancake Day and other activities.
“There are so many people who are pleasantly surprised that this isn’t a bunch of old, gray-haired men sitting around talking,” Callecod said. “It’s a vibrant club. We have fantastic presentations all the time. And we have fun; that’s where the ‘boys up north’ play a part.’” Don’t ya’ know?
