Rod Kuckro named Silver Owls Head Hoot

Gil Klein

July 08, 2024

The Silver Owls, the Club's association of long-time members, appointed Rod Kuckro as Head Hoot.

Rod Kukro will lead the Silver Owls as Head Hoot.

Kuckro, who celebrates his 43rd year as a Club member Aug. 1, is an active volunteer on an array of teams. His years of service have included roles on Speakers, Newsmakers, House and Forums, which he chaired. For years, he organized the Club’s tennis tournament, and he rekindled the mentoring program for younger members, still serving as a mentor.

Kuckro joined the Club in 1981 when he worked for what was then The McGraw-Hill Companies – now S&P Global -- when its offices took up the Press Building’s entire fourth floor. Before then, he worked in the building as the foreign news editor of Gannett News Service, and as a correspondent for The Cincinnati Enquirer and the Oakland Tribune.

“I look forward to working with the Council of Wisest Owls as we explore ways to make the Silver Owls an integral part of enhancing the Club, and drawing on the expertise to find new ways of promoting camaraderie of members who have cherished their Club association for so many years," Kuckro said.

The Silver Owls was established in 1985 for members of more than 25 years, just as the building and the Club were reopening following the total renovation that took the building down to its girders before reconstructing it. The purpose of the Owls was to find a way to make sure that longtime members would return as active members with the Club. The name “Owls” came from the owl, representing wisdom, on the Club’s emblem.

The Owls for decades have held semi-annual Hoots that attracted all Club members with a full-course dinner, entertainment and speakers. In the aftermath of the Covid epidemic that shut down so many Club activities, the Owls are looking to expand their offerings for smaller, more frequent events that give value to their membership.

“Being an Owl is something special in this club,” Kuckro said. “We need to make sure that every member who qualifies for membership knows how special this can be for them.”