The Unseen Challenge

In 1915 a group of men formed a club they called Kiwanis. They did not form this club with conscious intention of creating an organization dedicated to community service. Their avowed aim congenial fellowship in an atmosphere conducive to business was much narrower.

It is of great significance that their aims gave way almost immediately to the broader and higher one Kiwanians share today. The change came about not as a result of planning, but as a response to an inner need.

The important thing is that it did come about. The first Kiwanians were giving themselves to community service even before they consciously recognized that this was their new organization’s proper goal. The motto “We Build” was adopted in 1920. Today we have built upon that idea and the new defining statement reflects our growth:

Kiwanis International is global organization of volunteers dedicated to changing the world one child one community at a time.