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'Kiwanis International' is an organization of service clubs headquartered in Indianapolis, Indiana and made up of approximately 8,000 clubs in 96 countries with over 260,000 adult members. Members of Kiwanis place special emphasis on service to children and youth, both through international initiatives intended to improve the quality of life of children around the world, and through their Service Leadership Programs, made up of about 7,000 youth clubs with about 320,000 youth members. ^[4]

Contents

Objects

International Office

History

Kiwanis Family

Key Club

Circle K

K-Kids, Builders Club, Aktion Club, KIWIN'S, Kiwanis Junior

See also

References

External links

Objects

Kiwanis clubs and members are guided by six "Objects."^[5]:

★ To give primacy to the human and spiritual rather than to the material values of life.

★ To encourage the daily living of the Golden Rule in all human relationships.

★ To promote the adoption and the application of higher social, business, and professional standards.

★ To develop, by precept and example, a more intelligent, aggressive, and serviceable citizenship.

★ To provide, through Kiwanis clubs, a practical means to form enduring friendships, to render altruistic service, and to build better communities.

★ To cooperate in creating and maintaining that sound public opinion and high idealism which make possible the increase of righteousness, justice, patriotism, and goodwill.
Today, the Kiwanis family has more than 600,000 members in more than 13,000 clubs. Kiwanis clubs serve in more than 90 countries around the world and achieve what individuals cannot do alone.^[6]

International Office

The Kiwanis International Office is located in Indianapolis, Indiana.^[7]

History

The organization was founded on January 21, 1915, in Detroit, Michigan, by Joseph G. Prance (a tailor) and Allen S. Browne (a professional fraternity organizer). In August 1914, Browne suggested to Prance the idea of a business and professional men's club with social and commercial benefits. Prance was sold on the idea, and in 1915 the Kiwanis Club of Detroit, Michigan, was founded.^[8]
Its original purpose was to exchange business between members and to serve the poor. The debate as to whether or not to remain a networking organization or a service organization was resolved in 1919 when Kiwanis adopted a service-focused mission. The organization was for men only until 1987 and since then female membership has grown to be 22% of total members.
In 2007, the charitable financial arm, Kiwanis International Foundation, was awarded the top rating by an independent evaluator.^[9]

Kiwanis Family

Key Club

Kiwanis founded and supports 'Key Club International'. Started in Sacramento, California in 1925, it is the oldest and largest service program for high school students in the world. Membership in Key Club was 245,000 in 2005.

Circle K

The collegiate version of Kiwanis, which maintains some autonomy from Kiwanis, is 'Circle K International'. The first official Circle K club was chartered in September, 1947 at the campus of Carthage College (then in Illinois). Current membership is over 13,500 members, making Circle K the largest collegiate service organization of its kind in the world.

K-Kids, Builders Club, Aktion Club, KIWIN'S, Kiwanis Junior

Key Club, Circle K and KIWIN'S (exclusive to the Cal-Nev-Ha district) are part of Kiwanis Service Leadership Programs, receiving funding and professional guidance from Kiwanis. K-Kids (elementary school), Builders Club (middle school) and Aktion Club (for people who have disabilities) are considered sponsored programs. The difference is that Key Club and Circle K, just like Kiwanis, elect their own club, district, and International officers each year to lead the organization. Kiwanis Junior is part of the European Service Leadership Program, with clubs in Austria, Germany and Italy, and is typically for people ages 18-35.^[10][11]

See also

★ List of civic, fraternal, service, and professional organizations

References

1. Kiwanis International Financial Statement
2. Campaign aims to grown endowment
3. Indy Life
4. What is a Kiwanian
5. The Six Permanent Objects of Kiwanis International
6. This Is Kiwanis
7. Contact Kiwanis
8. The Kiwanis Legacy, , Chuck, Jonak, Kiwanis International, ,
9. http://www.charitynavigator.org/index.cfm/bay/search.summary/orgid/3972/print/1.htm retrieved July 23, 2007
10. Kiwanis Junior
11. Kiwanis Junior Distretto Italia

External links

★ Kiwanis International

★ History of Kiwanis International

★ Kiwanis Family

★ Kiwanis International Foundation