The first Kiwanis club was organized in Detroit, Michigan, USA, on January 21, 1915. A year later the Kiwanis Club of Hamilton, Ontario, Canada, was chartered, and Kiwanis International grew rapidly into a leading service club in these two founding nations. In 1962, worldwide expansion was approved, and today Kiwanis clubs are active in every part of the world.
What is the Kiwanis Motto?
" Serving the Children of the World"
What does the name "Kiwanis" mean?
The name "Kiwanis" was coined from an expression in an American
Indian language of the Detroit area, Nunc Kee-wanis, which means, "we
trade" or "we have a good time."
How many Kiwanis clubs/members are there?
There are more than 8,400 Kiwanis clubs with nearly 280,000 members
in 96 nations and geographic areas.
What are Kiwanians?
Kiwanians are men and women from all walks of life, united in their
commitment to serving children and their communities worldwide.
What other organizations does Kiwanis sponsor?
Kiwanis International sponsors several service clubs for young people:
Circle K International has 12,000 members on 500 university and college
campuses; Key Club International has 245,000 members in 4,700 high
schools; and Builders Clubs have been organized in 2,000 junior high
and middle schools. Other members of the Kiwanis family include K-Kids
in elementary schools, young European adults in Kiwanis Junior, and
Aktion Club, which involves persons with disabilities in community-service
activities.
How much community service is done by Kiwanis clubs around the world?
In one year, Kiwanis clubs sponsored 147,000 service projects. To do
so, Kiwanians raised and spent nearly $100 million and contributed
6.2 million hours of volunteer time.
What does Kiwanis do on an international scale to serve the children
of the world?
Kiwanis' continuing service emphasis is called "Young Children:
Priority One," which focuses on the special needs of children
from prenatal development to age five. In one year, projects conducted
as part of the "Young Children: Priority One" service emphasis
involved $14.3 million and 1.3 million volunteer hours
Want more information on Kiwanis International?
Visit their website here