KIWANIS lNTERNATIONAL

Kiwanis International was founded in 1915 in Detroit, Michigan, U.S. The organisation was originally called the Supreme Lodge Benevolent Order of Brothers. A year later, the name changed to Kiwanis, which was selected by the organisation’s founders based on their understanding that the word was translatable to “we build” from the Algonquian Native American language family. That same year, Kiwanis became an international organisation with the founding of the Kiwanis Club of Hamilton, Ontario, Canada. Initially focused on business networking, the organisation changed its focus to service in 1919 — specifically service to children. Over the years, more clubs were created in the U.S. and Canada, and worldwide expansion was ultimately approved in the 1960s. Today, there are Kiwanis clubs in nearly 80 nations and geographic locations.