Kiwanis Overview | 国際キワニス日本地区

What is Kiwanis?

キワニスって？

The Name “Kiwanis” was coined from an American Indian expression, “Nunc Kee-wanis”, which means, “We trade”. It is one of the three major service organizations. Since 1919, it is focusing on service – specifically service to children. As of October 2022, there are 170,000 members in 6,700 Kiwanis Clubs in 82 countries worldwide. Together with “Service Leadership Programs” that consist of youth, there are around 440,000 members in the organization. The headquarter is situated in Indianapolis, Indiana, U.S.A.

Kiwanis clubs formed in communities across the United States and Canada until 1963, when clubs were formed in three cities in Europe. Kiwanis Club of Tokyo was established on January 24, 1964 as the first Kiwanis Club in Asia-Pacific Region. Then came Nagoya, Osaka, Hiroshima, Kobe, Sendai, Sapporo, Yokohama, Takamatsu, Fukuoka, Kyoto, Chiba, Wakayama, Niigata, Senshu, Saitama, Nishinomiya, Kumamoto, Shizuoka, Kanazawa, Matsue, Kagoshima, Ashiya, Fukushima, Oita, Chiyoda, Nagasaki, Miyazaki, Saga, Akita, Ogaki, Fukui, Okinawa, Tokushima, Aomori, Utsunomiya, Ehime, Yamagata, Okayama, Yamaguchi and Gumma. As of October 2023, there are 41 Kiwanis Clubs with around 2,000 members in Japan.

Kiwanis Clubs worldwide are divided to around 50 districts. On October 1, 1977, the Japan Kiwanis Committee was promoted to “the Japan District”, which consists of 8 divisions; Hokkaido-Tohoku, Kanto, Tokyo, Chubu, Kansai North, Kansai South, Chugoku-Shikoku and Kyushu. Every Kiwanis Club belongs to a division. Districts are led by Governors, and divisions are led by Lieutenant Governors.

キワニスの目的は？

What is the purpose of Kiwanis?

● To give primacy to the human and spiritual rather than to 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.

The Objects of Kiwanis International(Adopted at Kiwanis International Convention in 1924)

キワニスの年表

Chronology of Kiwanis

The first Kiwanis Club founded in Detroit, Michigan, U.S., focusing on business networking, in the name, "The Supreme Lodge Benevolent Order of Brothers".

1915

Change the name to "Kiwanis", coined from an American Indian expression, "Nunc Kee-wanis", which means, "We trade".
The first Kiwanis Convention.
The first Kiwanis Club in Canada.

1916

First office opened in Chicago, Illinois, USA

1918

Focus changed to service – specifically service to children.

1919

Our motto is “We Build”

1920

Kiwanis Six Purposes Adopted

● To give primacy to the human and spiritual rather than to 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.