Together we can.

There always has been a need for good fellowship and service. Since  the beginning of time, there was a need for camaraderie and the desire  to support communities. The history of Kiwanis and how it began is, in  large part, the story of how fellowship and service developed within an  organization. 

It is the special kind of service Kiwanis offers and which today  crosses many national, cultural, and personal lines. Today, as in the  early 1900s, Kiwanians demonstrate in many ways how they join together,  understand, and help to solve the pressing problems their communities  face.

Two natives of Detroit, Michigan, Allen S. Browne, a professional  organizer, and Joseph C. Prance, a tailor, had an idea one day in August  of 1914. It was a concept, rather, to develop an organization that  provides not only fellowship, but insurance features as well. They  wanted to develop a group that was like no other organization. They  first constructed this group as a strictly fraternal club that only  young professional businessmen could join. They also wanted to provide  an opportunity for other men to experience new ideals in human  relationships.

Together, these two men began recruiting new members. Browne, as a  professional, would receive the $5 membership fee from each man. Prance  was the first member to sign up. But he was not yet the first Kiwanian,  for the name that Browne had chosen for the group was truly in the  spirit of the times: The Supreme Lodge Benevolent Order Brothers.  Kiwanis it was not. The growing membership soon fixed that. They quickly  grew tired of belonging to an organization known as “BOB”. With a  helping hand from Detroit’s official historian, an Indian  phrase—“NunKeewan-is”—was adapted as a name.

During a club meeting in the first week of January 1915, Kiwanis was  approved as the new name for this club, which translated as, “We  trade.” A more thorough check later revealed that a truer meaning is,  “We have a good time - we make noise.” The club attracted nearly 200  members in only six months. The corporate charter was returned by the  state of Michigan, dated January 21, 1915. This date has been the  birthday of Kiwanis ever since.

The Children of Methuen are our main focus and specifically improving their life experiences and providing services to each child of our community.

Kiwanis International  is a global community of clubs, members and partners dedicated to  improving the lives of children one community at a time. Today, we stand  with more than 550,000 members  from K-Kids to Key Club to Kiwanis and  many ages in between in 80 countries and geographic areas. Each  community has different needs, and Kiwanis empowers members to pursue  creative ways to serve the needs of children, such as fighting hunger,  improving literacy and offering guidance.
 

Kiwanis clubs host nearly 150,000 service projects each year. 

Kiwanis helps kids around the world. Local clubs look out for our  communities and the international organization takes on large-scale  challenges, such as fighting disease and poverty. We are generous with  our time. We are creative with our ideas. We are passionate about making  a difference. And we have fun along the way.
 

For more than a century, Kiwanis has created opportunities for children  to be curious, safe and healthy regardless of the community in which  they live. When you give a child the chance to learn, experience, dream,  grow, succeed and thrive, great things can happen. 

Kiwanis empowers communities to improve the world by making lasting differences in the lives of children.

Kiwanis will be a positive influence in communities worldwide — so  that one day, all children will wake up in communities that believe in  them, nurture them and provide the support they need to thrive.

Service is at the heart of every Kiwanis club, no matter where in the  world it’s located. Members stage approximately 150,000 service  projects and raise nearly US$100 million every year for communities,  families and projects. By working together, members achieve what one  person cannot accomplish alone.  

Kiwanis clubs focus on changing the world by serving children, one  child and one community at a time. To reach more people and have a  greater service impact on their communities, many clubs sponsor a  Kiwanis family club — K-Kids for primary school children; Builders Clubs for adolescents; Key Clubs for teens; Circle K clubs for university students and Aktion Clubs for adults living with disabilities.