Kiwanis International is approaching its 100th anniversary. Located in 80 nations, the organization’s focus is on helping children learn, experience, dream, grow, succeed and thrive.
“It’s a big deal for us to reach 100 years,” said Loyce McGregor, who is a member of the Kiwanis Club of Warren County. “That’s 100 years of service, which is the heart of every Kiwanis Club.”
Recently, Raven Dixon was the recipient of the local club’s focus. A Warren County High School graduate, she was given $300 from the Richard McGregor Memorial Scholarship fund.
“Dixon is a Key Club member,” said McGregor. “We select a member to award a scholarship. This year, our recipient was Raven.”
Kiwanis got its start in Michigan in 1914 with Allen S. Browne. He was a Detroit native who graduated from the Detroit School of Law in 1905. At the time, service clubs were very popular and he worked for both the Loyal Order of Moose and the Loyal Home Fraternity.
In 1914, Browne started his own outfit he called the Benevolent Order of Brothers. He saw it as less of a service club and more of a business club, a mutual back-scratching society, where moguls could talk business and little else. Approximately 35 members held their inaugural meeting in November and discussed a name change. Participants worried members of the Benevolent Order of Brothers would inevitably come to be known as the BOBs. Kiwanis was selected and on Jan. 21, 1915, and the club received its charter from the state of Michigan.
Membership climbed quickly and soon the club had 200 members. Browne, who made his living by keeping the membership fees, was granted the right to form new clubs. He marketed the club by emphasizing the potential to forge contacts and transact business. The promise worked to increase membership. However, it caused friction – newcomers were disappointed membership didn’t provide immediate business results and existing members wanted to move away from strictly conducting business and become involved in community service.
In July 1915, members rejected the business intent of the club and turned the group into an organization focused on community service. Browne, as well as most of its members, left. Almost immediately, the revamped club started attracting recruits. By 1920, there were 267 clubs and 20,000 members. By 1929, there were 1,811 clubs and 101,465 members.
Today, Kiwanis clubs stage nearly 150,000 service projects, devote more than 6 million hours of service and raise nearly $100 million every year for communities, families and projects.
The next fundraiser for the local Kiwanis Club is a pancake breakfast at Applebee’s on Oct. 11 from 7:30 to 9 a.m. Tickets are $5. Tickets can be purchased from any Kiwanis Club member or by calling McGregor at 668-8403.