Kiwanis International is a service organization whose mission is "Serving the Children of the World". The organization was founded on January 21, 1915 in Detroit, Michigan and is now headquartered in Indianapolis, Indiana. 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.

The third largest service organization in the world, membership in Kiwanis International, as of 2005, stands at 275,000. The average age of members is 57 years old. Average size of the 13,000 clubs is 34 members. The organization has chapters in 93 countries.

Kiwanis International also founded and supports Key Club. Started in Sacramento, California in 1920, it is the oldest and largest service program for high school students in the world.

The Objects of Kiwanis are:

• To give primacy to the human and spiritual, rather than 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.

(Source: http://www.kiwanis.org/membership/ ) (Source: Staff at Kiwanis International Headquarters)

See also

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

External links

• Kiwanis International