The club's membership is composed of Akita fanciers whose interests are varied from Confirmation and Therapy to Rescue and Obedience.  Breeders and non-breeders, show people and non-show people, old timers and newcomers, all make for a nice mix of members who work well together and enjoy each others fellowship.

As the numbers of Akita's grew in the Midwest, the need for support from a local breed club grew.  In August of 1981 a group of Akita fanciers met in Lake Zurich, Illinois to form such a club.  It was called The Akita Club of Indiana and was chartered out of the area of the Indiana/Illinois border.
At the time better than half the membership came from Indiana.  Over the years the membership grew to include Wisconsin and more of northern Illinois.  By 1986 plans were underway to rename the club to more properly identify the location of the majority of its membership.  The name of the
club was changed to The Akita Club of Illini Valley and its center was Crystal Lake, IL.  An agreement was struck with the existing club in the area at that time, Great Lakes Akita Club, so that boundaries would notoverlap.  Most of GLAC's membership was in the city of Chicago, its suburbs
and south of Chicago.  By 1987 The Akita Club of Illini Valley had petitioned the parent club, ACA and received the necessary votes to accomplish this.  The only remaining charter members of the club today are George & Carol McKulski and Honorary Lifetime Members, Len & Marge Duco.


As the membership grows, so do the challenges.  The Club holds Fun Matches, Regional Specialties, a National Specialty in 1995, and supports Akita Rescue and Health Research Projects.  Education of its membership is an ongoing task.  Besides monthly meetings, newsletters of some fashion keep
the Club in communication with its membership.