The Kiwanis Story

 

FOUNDING: Kiwanis was founded in Detroit, Michigan, January 21, 1915. 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 Indian term “Nun Keewanis”, which roughly means ‘Self Expression”. It has also become obvious that the original purpose lacked the power to attract and hold members. The purpose of the organization thus became “community service”, a concept from which Kiwanis has never deviated. A little later, Kiwanis “brought itself” from organizer Allen Browne, “incorporated

itself”, and began following a growth pattern that continues today.

 

ESTABLISHING ITSELF: In 1916, Kiwanis entered Canada (Hamilton, Ontario), thus becoming “international”. Kiwanis move into Mexico in 1962, breaking with its long-standing tradition of serving only in the US and Canada. International extension has continued since that time. And today, Kiwanis serves the needs of over 71 countries around the world.

 

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.

YBHG TAN SRI KHIR JOHARI

BAPA KIWANIS MALAYSIA

The late YBHG Tan Sri Khir Johari, Malaysian Ambassador to the United States was inspired by a visit to Washington DC where he witness the Kiwanian spirit of community service. On his return to Malaysia, he founded the club with a handful of members. The decade was the 70s. The period when the Kiwanis organization came to Malaysia with the founding of the first Kiwanis Club, the Kiwanis Club of Kuala Lumpur in 1976. Because of his illustrious action, he became known as

“Bapa Kiwanis Malaysia”