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This is Kiwanis
Kiwanis International: Serving
the Children of the World
Kiwanis International is a thriving organization of service-minded men and
women who respond to the unique needs of their communities and address worldwide
issues by “Serving the Children of the World.”
Founded in Detroit, Michigan, USA, in 1915 by a group of businessmen, Kiwanis
International is headquartered in Indianapolis, Indiana. Today, the entire
Kiwanis family has more than 600,000 members in more than 13,000 clubs. Kiwanis
clubs serve in 94 countries around the world and achieve what individuals cannot
do alone.
Kiwanis Impact
Worldwide, Kiwanis clubs:
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Assist children, young adults, the aging, and
the needy
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Improve communities
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Encourage international understanding
Kiwanis clubs also sponsor Kiwanis-family
organizations for young people and adults: K-Kids clubs in elementary schools,
Builders Clubs in middle school and junior highs, Key Clubs in high schools,
Circle K clubs at the collegiate level, Kiwanis Junior clubs for young adults
in Europe, and Aktion Clubs for adults living with disabilities. These clubs
teach future world leaders the importance of helping others.
Thousands of Kiwanis clubs support Young Children: Priority One —a
continuing service program focusing on the needs of children, prenatal through
age five, with projects in pediatric trauma, safety, child care, and early
development.
The Worldwide Service Project—a Kiwanis-family initiative in partnership
with UNICEF—aims to virtually eliminate the world’s leading cause of
preventable mental retardation, iodine deficiency disorders.
Rewards of
Membership
Through Kiwanis membership, communities are improved, friendships are
built, leadership skills are developed, and business contacts are made.
More importantly, the lives of children around the world are changed for
the better.
Members and clubs also receive KIWANIS
magazine ten times a year, enjoy access to an on-line community, as well
as discounts on products and services. Click here for a list of membership
benefits.
Kiwanis Membership
Prospective members are invited to join by existing members. The club’s
board of directors then reviews membership information for approval. Beyond
initial induction fees, members contribute annual dues as determined by the
club. Kiwanis clubs meet weekly or twice a month. Members, on average, invest
about six hours a month by participating in meetings, projects, and
volunteering in their community.
The Objects of Kiwanis
- To give primacy to the human and spiritual,
rather than the material values of life.
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To encourage the daily living of the Golden
Rule in all human relationships.
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To promote the adoption and the application
of higher social, business, and professional standards.
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To develop, by precept and example, a more
intelligent, aggressive, and serviceable citizenship.
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To provide, through Kiwanis clubs, a
practical means to form enduring friendships, to render altruistic
service, and to build better communities.
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To cooperate in creating and maintaining that
sound public opinion and high idealism which make possible the increase of
righteousness, justice, patriotism, and goodwill.
Through Kiwanis membership, individuals give
their talent, time, and love to those in need. Kiwanians worldwide dedicate
themselves to a way of life in which they believe.
Kiwanis Trivia
The Motto: We Build
Throughout its history, the Kiwanis name has been synonymous with endeavors that
build character, knowledge, commerce, communities, and—through genuine concern
for others—hope. We Build in Kiwanis.
The Name
The name Kiwanis stems from a North American Indian phrase, which, like many
aboriginal terms, had a variety of meanings, including; “We have a good
time,” “We make a noise,” or “We trade.”
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