Kiwanis Family Links
Key
Club is a coeducational service organization for high school students,
organized and sponsored by a Kiwanis club. It is a self-governing
organization and elects its own officers, determines its owns service
activities, and establishes its own dues structure. Its Objects include
the Objects of Kiwanis. Once organized, a Key Club is continuously
sponsored by a Kiwanis club. Although the ultimate responsibility for
Key Club sponsorship is that of the Kiwanis board of directors, the
sponsorship function is most directly carried out by the Kiwanis club
Committee on Key Clubs, assisted by a faculty advisor (who may or may
not be a Kiwanian) designated by the high school administration.
It
was in May, 1925 in Sacramento, California, that the 11 charter
members, comprising the first Key Club, met officially for the first
time. Prior to that meeting, came a full year's activity through which
the idea of Key Club developed and finally reached fruition.
Key
Club continues to grow rapidly. There are now clubs located throughout
the world. In these groups, thousands of students are receiving
training in leadership and service. Key Club is truly an
"international" organization. In 1946, the first club was built in
Canada, and since that time many more have been added. Every year, led
by the international officers, two hundred or more new Key Clubs are
added to this fast growing organization, but emphasis is on permanent,
active clubs, rather than on mere numbers as such.
Circle
K is a coeducational service, leadership development, and friendship
organization, organized and sponsored by a Kiwanis club on a college or
university campus. It is a self-governing organization and elects its
own officers, conducts its own meetings, determines its own service
activities, and establishes its own dues structure. Its Objects include
the Objects of Kiwanis.
Once organized, a Circle K club
continues to be sponsored by a Kiwanis club. Although the ultimate
responsibility for Circle K is that of the Kiwanis Board of Directors,
the sponsorship function is most directly carried out by the Kiwanis
club Committee on Circle K Clubs, assisted by a faculty advisor (who
may or may not be a Kiwanian) designated by the college or university
administration.
District and International Conventions are held
each year. At the International Convention, International officers are
elected, the Constitution and Bylaws are amended, and Circle K members
participate in a service project.
Builders
Club is a coeducational service program, sponsored by a Kiwanis club,
which provides young people between the ages of 12 and 15 the
opportunity to help others, serve their school and community, and build
a positive future for themselves.
The Kiwanis club role is to
initiate organization of a Builders Club in accordance with guidelines
provided by Kiwanis International, get the approval of school officials
for its establishment as a school organization, recruit initial
members, schedule the organizational meeting, file the Petition for
Charter, plan for the charter presentation event, and after the club is
fully operating, to provide continuous coordination, counsel, and
assistance. Additional information, including a Petition for Charter
and the Standard Form for Builders Club Bylaws, are included in the
"Builders Club Building Kit," free upon request from Kiwanis
International.
A Builders Club takes the name of the school in
which its members are enrolled, and the school administration names a
faculty member to serve as faculty advisor to the Builders Club. For
this reason, a Builders Club must be approved by the school
administration before it can be organized, and once organized, it must
operate in conformity with school regulations regarding school
organizations.
A Builders Club elects its own officers,
determines the schedule for its regular meetings, and establishes its
own committees. Projects are carried out under the supervision and
cooperation of a faculty advisor, school administrator, and sponsoring
Kiwanis club. The club may select its own projects, but is also seeks
opportunities to work with the sponsoring Kiwanis club, Key Club, or
Circle K Club and/or K-Kids Club in joint service or fund-raising
activities.
K-Kids,
a local Kiwanis club sponsored community service program for elementary
school students, has experienced continued growth since its inception
in 1990. Begun in Florida, the program soon spread to other districts.
K-Kids was adopted as a sponsored program of Kiwanis International on
October 1, 1998.
K-Kids clubs operate under school regulation
and draw its members from the elementary school student body. K-kids is
sponsored by a local Kiwanis club, working in concert with parents,
teachers, and school administrators to provide young children their
first experience in service learning, community service, leadership
development, and partnering with organizations committed to the welfare
of the community.
K-Kids clubs elect a president,
vice-president, secretary, and treasurer. Each club is supported by one
or more faculty and Kiwanis advisors, parents, and a K-Kids Committee
from each sponsoring organization. K-Kids may be sponsored by a Kiwanis
club and a Circle K Club or by a Kiwanis club and a Key Club.
K-Kids
is structured only on the local club level but is supported by the
Kiwanis International Office in Indianapolis, Indiana. The
International Office provides programs, literature, and opportunities
to relate to elementary school children from countries all around the
world. New club building kits are available through the Kiwanis
International Office.
The district may have a district committee
chairperson responsible for the K-Kids program on that level. This
person serves to promote the K-Kids program, train Kiwanis clubs
concerning their role in sponsoring a K-kids club and involving Key
Clubs and Circle K as cosponsors of K-Kids clubs.
Above all
else, K-Kids is a community-service organization whose members are
dedicated to improving their communities. The variety of K-Kids service
work is as broad as the need it fills. The elderly, the disabled, and
the underprivileged are all benefited by K-Kids sponsored projects.
Virtually any unanswered need is a potential target for K-Kids
commitment and dedication.
The
Aktion Club program was created by the Florida District of Kiwanis
International in 1987 to address the needs of citizens with
disabilities. An Aktion Club is a community-service group of adults who
are developmentally impaired, and it is co-sponsored by a Kiwanis club
or division and an agency that serves people who have disabilities. An
Aktion Club program has four primary goals for its members:
- To develop initiative and leadership
- To provide experience in living and working together
- To serve the community
- To prepare for useful citizenship
More information concerning Aktion Club bas be obtained from the International office.
Kiwanis
is a worldwide service organization comprised of individuals who want
to improve their communities. As a group, they can achieve what they
cannot do alone.
Kiwanis is not a social club nor a secret or
political society. It does prescribe a way of life for others. It often
does, however, act as a forum for diverse ideas.
It performs
service beyond the capability of an individual; assistance to the
aging, the needy, and to youth; improvement of communities;
encouragement of international understanding.
Individuals of
good standing in the community, invited by a Kiwanis club itself, are
eligible for membership. The cost is low, considering the tremendous
satisfaction Kiwanis membership provides.
Kiwanis was found in
Detroit, Michigan, January 12, 1915. It extended into Canada in 1916.
Not until 1962 did it serve outside these two nations.
Today,
Kiwanis numbers more than 300,000 members in over 8,000 clubs. Though
Kiwanis serves in countries around the world, the basic principles are
the same.
Kiwanis
International announces Key Leader—a new leadership experience for
today's youth leaders. It will focus on service leadership as the
first, most meaningful leadership development experience. A Key Leader
will learn the most important lesson of leadership—leadership comes
from helping others succeed.
