The Devils Lake world., 1922-10-04
What is the Kiwanis Club? What

What is the Kiwanis Club? What
does it stand for? And what does it
do? The organization is comparatively
new in the Lake Region and these
are some of the questions asked Of
it's members.
Kiwanis pronounced "Kee-Wan-
is") had its beginning at Detroit,
Michigan, when in January, 1915, the
first group of men assembled under
that name. 1t has grown to a great
International Organization covering
the United States and Canada with
near a thousand clubs and more than
$4,000 members. Club membership
Is composed of two men from each
business or classification Of occupa-
tions, such as two grocers, two dry
goods merchants, two dentists, two
farmers, two lawyers, two stockmen,
two machinists,-and those from each
classification must be competitors.
Once each week the members meet
for an hour for luncheon, the first
part of the period being given over
to eating, the singing of patriotic,
funny and catchy songs, visiting and
fraternizing,-but that is not the
real object of Kiwanis for their motto
is, "We Build" If the meal and
visiting were all, Kiwanis would not
be the influence that it is in the world
today. The success Of any organiza-
ton depends upon it's ability to con-
vey some aspect Of Truth to makind
and to accomplish some lasting good
IN the community in which it exists.
30 each Kiwanis club and each Kiwan-
ian must be continually, even if un-
consciously, expressing some vital
truths, must be filling some need in
the lives Of themselves, in the life
OF the city and community in which
they exist and in the lives Of the two
great nations of which Kiwanis clubs
are a part From first bringing men
together at luncheon that they might
satisfy their hunger and their desire
for fellowship, Kiwanis has caused it's
members to invest their lives in pra-
ctical service to their fellows and their
community; Kiwanis becomes vehicle
thru which the members can express
his unconscious self. A member may
have in mind some ideal Of service
but finds that alone he is able to ac-
complish but little. In Kiwanis he
comes to realize that great power
Of organization and how, almost be-
fore he realizes it, thru organized
efforts, his idea has accomplished
some great, lasting good. But as he
remembers no organization can rise
above the average of it's membership,
he realizes his personal responsibility
for all the clubs undertakings.
"The Kiwanian accepts new mo-
tive for life service to his fellow
man. The Golden Rule takes ON new
significance when translated into
terms of daily experience. To the true
Kiwanian his daily business of pro-
fession provides not only means for
ivlihood but also means by which
he may serve society,"" To stan lardize
and disseminate Kiwanian principles
for fair dealing and practices and
the observeration Of the Golden Rule.
To promote and encourage the living
Of lives within the the spirit Of that
rule in private, social, civic and busi-
ness affairs, to discuss and study
the science Of business building and
to promote cooperation among its
members in the various lines they
represent; to give the force Of or
ganization in voluntary, unselfish SER
vice for the continent, the nation
the community, the city, the church.
the school, the individual, the group
for fellowship and the real brother