Kiwanis was founded in Detroit, Michigan, January 21, 1915 by professional organizer Allen Browne. The first Kiwanian was a merchant tailor named Joseph Prance. The original name was "The Benevolent Order of Brothers," and its purpose was the mutual exchange of preferred treatment in professional and business dealings.

"SHAKING DOWN": Within a year, the name had been changed to "Kiwanis," taken from an American Indian term "Nun Keewanis," which means roughly "Self Expression." It had also become obvious that the original purpose lacked appeal for many members. The purpose of the organization thus become "community service," a humanitarian concept from which Kiwanis has never deviated. Shortly thereafter, Kiwanis "bought itself" from organizer Allen Browne, and began a growth pattern that continues today.

ESTABLISHING: In 1916, Kiwanis entered Canada (Hamilton, Ontario), thus becoming "international." Kiwanis moved into Mexico (Tijuana, Baja California) in 1962, breaking with its long-standing tradition of serving only in the United States and Canada. International extension has continued since, and today Kiwanis serves the needs of over 80 countries around the world.

In July of 1987, the assembled delegates meeting in Washington, DC at the 72nd Annual Kiwanis International Convention voted to permit women to be sponsored for membership in Kiwanis clubs. This change will continue to affect the dynamics of Kiwanis International.

REACHING MATURITY: Kiwanis is part of a twentieth-century phenomenon. The "service club movement," as it has been termed, is one of North America's most important contributions to the life of our times. Today, the service club movement is bigger, better accepted, and more desired than ever before in its history.

What is a Kiwanian? Officially, a Kiwanian is a member of a Kiwanis club and an individual of good character who adheres to the standards of good conduct in a community and believes in and subscribes to the Objects of Kiwanis International. The individual believes in giving primacy to the human and spiritual, rather than the material values of life; and believes in treating other human beings as the individual would like to be treated in all human relationships; believes in promoting the adoption and application of higher social, business, and professional standards; desires to develop, by precept and example, a more intelligent, aggressive and serviceable citizenship; believes in creating and maintaining that sound public opinion and high idealism that makes possible the increase of righteousness, justice, patriotism, and goodwill; and the individual desires to provide, through the club, a practical means to form enduring friendships, to render altruistic service, and to build a better community.

If present, you may vote on any matter for which club bylaws require a vote by the membership. These include:

At such meetings, you also have the privilege of the floor, including the nomination of qualified members for elective positions.

You are eligible to serve in any office to which you are elected or appointed and to serve as a delegate to a district or international convention if so elected.

For each consecutive twelve months of perfect attendance, you become eligible to receive the Perfect Attendance Tab for your lapel pin.
If you have been a member (other than honorary) in any Kiwanis club or clubs for a period totaling twenty-five years, you are eligible to become a member of the Kiwanis International Legion of Honor and to receive further recognition for each five years of membership accumulated thereafter.
Kiwanis International has other special awards for sponsoring new members.

You may apply for Life Member Status provided you meet certain Kiwanis International criteria and your club board of directors approves your application.

If you anticipate that, for a temporary period of 30 days to six months, you will be unable to maintain attendance (because of, for example, hospitalization or illness, travel, business conditions or assignments, military service, move to another community), you may apply to your board of directors for a leave of absence which will relieve you of attendance requirements for that temporary period.

If you have been an active member of any Kiwanis club or clubs for ten or more years and if you are unable to meet attendance requirements because of health, business, or other extenuating circumstances, you may ask your board to grant you senior membership for one year, after which your status will again be reviewed. The board of directors establishes attendance and participation standards for senior members.

You may visit the regular meeting of any other Kiwanis club in the world, the offices of Kiwanis International in Indianapolis and the Kiwanis International-European Federation, your district and your division conference. You may register for and attend the conventions of Kiwanis International, the Kiwanis International-European Federation, and your district convention.
Periodically the district office and your lieutenant governor inform your club president of other division and district meetings to which you are invited.
You may attend any regular meeting of you board of directors or accompany other members to any planned inter-club meeting.

Your secretary has the Official Supplies Catalogs of items which may be purchased from Kiwanis International by any Kiwanian - such items include lapel pins, tie-tacks, tee shirts, gold caps, gifts, decals, and desk sets - all with Kiwanis emblems. You may also directly request project support materials, counsel or information from the International Office.

Each Kiwanis club has special event to which you (or you and your spouse) are invited. Your president periodically announces these at your meetings.

One of the great privileges of membership is the privilege of wearing the "K." If you are proud to be a Kiwanian, you will be proud to wear your Kiwanis membership pin - any day, anywhere.

If you miss a regular meeting of your club during a given month, you can "make up" attendance if, during that month, you do any of the following:

In certain of the above instance (the club secretary has the complete "Official Attendance Rules") the makeup can occur six days before or after the month in which the meeting was missed. A maximum of two credits per month applies to meeting of Circle K and Key Clubs and one per month to participation in club projects.

Kiwanis International consists of all chartered Kiwanis clubs. Kiwanians are members of their local Kiwanis clubs. No individual is a member of Kiwanis International.

The official Motto of Kiwanis International is "We Build."

In addition to the Motto, Kiwanis International annually selects an administrative Theme and designates objectives or goals for the administrative year.

Kiwanis International has six permanent Objects:

Kiwanis International has the powers to direct, manage, supervise, and control the business and funds of Kiwanis International and to create, supervise, and control Kiwanis clubs and districts or other groups of Kiwanis clubs and divisions thereof.

KIWANIS magazine, issued ten times each year, is the award winning official publication of Kiwanis International. It provides club members with valuable news and information about international programs and activities. The magazine's feature articles are a source of information on topics of interest that affect the personal, professional, and community service lives of each Kiwanian.

There are nearly 9,000 Kiwanis clubs in more than 80 countries or geographic areas with a total membership of more than a third of a million.

Kiwanis International receives its authority from the Kiwanis International Constitution and Bylaws, all provisions of which have been adopted by club delegates and delegates-at-large in attendance at an annual convention of Kiwanis International.

The Kiwanis International Board of Trustees defines the policy and has full administrative authority in all matters of Kiwanis International. The Board consists of the President, President-elect, Immediate Past President, two Vice-Presidents, Treasurer, and twelve Trustees, each of whom has been elected at a Kiwanis International convention.

The Kiwanis International Building is located in Indianapolis, Indiana. The address is: Kiwanis International, 3636 Woodview Trace, Indianapolis, Indiana 46268-3196, U.S.A.

With certain exceptions, Kiwanis International is further organized into districts. Each district has territorial boundaries established by the Kiwanis International Board of Trustees; an each Kiwanis club within that territory is a member of the district. The chief executive officer of a district is the governor.
Each district - and there are more than forty of them - is further organized into divisions. The chief executive officer of a division is the lieutenant governor, who is a district officer and a member of the district board of trustees.

The annual convention of Kiwanis International may be held any time during May, June, or July but it is most commonly scheduled in late June of early July.
Each Kiwanis club may elect two delegates to a Kiwanis International convention. All delegates (plus delegates-at-large) in attendance constitute the House of Delegates at a convention and vote on matters coming before it. The primary agenda of a House of Delegates session is the election of officers, the adoption of resolutions, and action on proposed amendments to the Kiwanis International Constitution and Bylaws.
All Kiwanians and their spouses are encouraged to attend Kiwanis' International Convention.