Club History
KIWANIS AND KIWANIS CLUB OF BURLINGTON NC
HISTORY
By Jack Pritchett
Allen S. Browne, a professional organizer, started organizing a group of Detroit business and professional men into a fraternal club using the name “The Supreme Lodge of the Benevolent Order of Brothers.” The growing membership soon tired of belonging to an organization know as ‘BOB’ for short. With a helping hand from Detroit’s official historian an Indian phrase “NunKee-wan-is” was adopted as a name. The name translated as “We Trade.” A more thorough check later revealed that a truer meaning was “We have a good time – we make noise!”
During a meeting in the first week of January, 1915, “Kiwanis” was approved as the new name for this club. On January 21, 1915, the Detroit (#1) Club received its corporate charter from the State of Michigan. This date has been the birthday of Kiwanis ever since.
With the founding of the Kiwanis Club of Detroit Number One, Kiwanians discovered they were having a good time and could make a noise in the world. They could do it by rendering important community service without thought of personal gain.
The second club was organized in Cleveland, OH, and that city was the site of the first Kiwanis Convention May 18-19, 1916. The first Kiwanis club formed outside the US was in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada, November 1916. Roe Fulkerson, first editor of Kiwanis magazine, proposed two simple words – We Build – as the Kiwanis motto. It was adopted in 1920.
Other landmarks in the development of Kiwanis:
1924 – Adopted the name Kiwanis International and the six Objects at the 1924 Convention, CO USA.
1962 – First Latin America Club was formed, April, 1962, in Tijuana, Baja California, Mexico.
1963 – First European club formed, February, 1963 in Vienna, Austria.
1964 – July, 1964, the first Asia-Pacific club was established in Manila, Philippines.
1976 – First African club established in Kano, Nigeria in May.
1987 – Delegates to the 1987 Kiwanis International Convention voted to admit women into membership Nearly 50,000 women are now Kiwanians.
1990 – January 21, 1990, 75th Anniversary of Kiwanis.
1992 – Kiwanians adopted the first Worldwide Service Project (WSP) to eliminate Iodine Deficiency Disorder (IDD), the leading preventable cause of mental retardation.
Burlington Kiwanis held its Presentation of Charter banquet December 17, 1920, at the Chamber of Commerce Hall with a roster of 59 members. Roast wild turkey and quail on toast were on the menu. The game was furnished by Kiwanians W.W. Brown and H.F. Mitchell. A Kiwanis Quartette titled “Not Professional But Will Be!” provided entertainment. The charter was presented by Lt. Governor W.B. Merrimon and accepted by President M.C. Terrell. Chamber of Commerce President W.E.Sharpe (another Kiwanian) gave the main address. The Burlington Club will celebrate 90 years of service in the year 2010.
The club’s official address is as follows:
Burlington Kiwanis Club
PO Box 857
Burlington, NC 27216
The club holds weekly meetings on Thursday evenings, 5:30PM, with a buffet dinner at Occasions, 286 E. Front ST., Burlington, NC. The opening gong is a 6:15 for prayer, pledge of allegiance, songs, camaraderie and brief business session. At 6:30 an informative and oftentimes entertaining program is scheduled. The meeting ends with the closing gong at 7:15 PM.
The recent history of the club is typified by its community service programs and activities listed below:
- Terrific Kids Recognition Program – funding and manpower to honor elementary students - $2,000/yr.
- Builders Clubs – Middle school youth club promoting leadership and service.
- Key Clubs – High school student service club.
- Scholarship Funds – provided to high school seniors from Williams, Cummings and Western Alamance to continue their education.
- Special Olympics – supply manpower and funds for annual field days, $500.
- Lake Waccamaw Home for Boys and Girls – funding and support for the underprivileged, $500/yr.
- Habitat for Humanity – funding and manpower to build houses for the deserving, $1,000/yr.
- Allied Churches’ Ministry Center – providing emergency shelter and food for the needy, $500/yr.
- Burlington Recreation Dept. – funded picnic shelters at City Park and Joe Davison Park.
- City Park Walking Trail – funded the paving project of the walking trails.
- City Park Playground – provide funding for new playground at City Park.
- Crimestoppers – funding to support the Burlington Police Crimestoppers program, $1,000/yr.
- IDD – funding of the worldwide Kiwanis Iodine Deficiency Disorder service program.
- Citizen of the Year Award – sponsor the annual award to honor outstanding local citizens.
- Thanksgiving Prayer Breakfast – sponsors of the community-wide annual event.
- Playground Equipment Eastlawn Elementary, $12,000.
- Playground Equipment Positive Attitude, $12,000.
- Reading is Fundamental program, $500/yr.
- Young Children Priority One, $700/yr.
- Loaves and fishes, $500/yr.
- Victory Junction Gang Camp $500/yr.
Why don’t you come join us and MAKE A DIFFERENCE!
