Americanism
Pride in country and honor for those who serve — from Camp Pendleton support to Park Semper Fi.
About the Club
Sixty years of
Sixty years of
showing up.
Since 1965, the Exchange Club of San Clemente has quietly shaped community life — funding local programs, honoring the people who keep us safe and building traditions that connect neighbors across generations.
Our story
A club built around service, not ceremony.
The club was started by a handful of San Clemente men who wanted a service club without the fines, the forced singing and the makeup-meeting rules. Charter member Paul Presley arranged our first meetings at the San Clemente Inn.
For years, our big fundraiser was a lively St. Patrick's Day party at the Community Center on Del Mar — Irish dancers, live music and corned beef dinners. When membership dipped in the early 2000s, retired Marine Corps General J.K. Davis suggested something new: a golf tournament that would pair local players with active-duty Marines. The Semper Fi Golf Classic has been our signature event every fall since 2006.
Today the club welcomes both men and women, and our newest members include some of the youngest we've had in years.
- Chartered
- 1965
- Affiliation
- National Exchange Club
- Status
- 501(c)(4) civic org.
- Values
- Family · Community · Country
- Motto
- Unity for Service
- Given back
- $670K+ since 2000
In memoriam
General J.K. Davis, USMC
- Rose from Private First Class to four-star general
- Assistant Commandant of the Marine Corps, 1983–86
- Marine aviator; 171 combat missions in Vietnam
- 32-year member of our club and a San Clemente resident for 33 years
- Early champion of Park Semper Fi
The man behind the tournament
Why it's the General J.K. Davis Semper Fi Golf Classic.
General John Kerry Davis served more than four decades in the Marine Corps, then made San Clemente home. He was a fixture at the municipal course, playing every week until he was 92 despite being legally blind, and from 2005 on he led the Pledge of Allegiance at every Memorial Day and Veterans Day ceremony at Park Semper Fi.
He gave our club its signature event, and helped shape Park Semper Fi, where a memorial garden contributed by the Exchange Club now carries his name. The tournament honors him every year.
About the Golf Classic →
How Exchange works
Local club. National network.
Exchange began in Detroit in 1911 as a place for business and professional people to exchange ideas about serving their communities. Every Exchange club works on the same four programs — and decides locally how to do it.
Community service
Recognizing our Deputy, Firefighter and Lifeguard of the Year, and backing local nonprofits.
Youth programs
Scholarships, A.C.E. Awards and support for youth sports and the Boys & Girls Club.
Child abuse prevention
Exchange's national project: helping families and protecting kids.