What is Key Club?

Key Club is a service organization for high school students, which operates under school regulations and draws its members from the student body. The club is a unique organization because it is sponsored by a local Kiwanis club, composed of the leading business and professional people of the community. Key Club's objective is the development of initiative, leadership ability, and good citizenship practices. It functions not only on a local level, but on a district and international level as well. This highly developed structure provides programs, literature, and the opportunity for students to relate to other teenagers from across the globe. Key Club is the largest service organization of its kind with over 135,000 members from approximately 3,900 clubs.

History of Key Club

The first Key Club was sponsored in May, 1925 at Sacramento High School in California by the Kiwanis Club of Sacramento. The original concept was to develop a vocational guidance program aimed to combat the problems of student fraternities. From this evolved the idea of a service organization for the home, school, and community.

The idea slowly spread throughout the country and by 1939 Florida has a sufficient number of Key Clubs functioning to hold a state convention and form a district. Other districts followed Florida's lead, and finally in 1943, a national organization was started. In 1946, the first club in Canada was formed. The Club International Constitution and Bylaws were adopted that same year. Today there are clubs in Aruba, Australia, Bahamas, Barbados, Canada, Cayman Islands, Jamaica, Netherlands Antilles, Philippines, Republic of China, St. Lucia, Trinidad and Tobago, and the United States.

Kiwanis Support

Kiwanis International Each Key Club must have a sponsoring Kiwanis club. The members of the Kiwanis Clubs are dedicated to seeing that the Key Clubs are active and thriving. They spend a great deal of time and energy on Key Club's behalf to ensure a successful program. There is also a district and international level of Kiwanis that is pledged to the support of Key Clubs. Kiwanians on all three levels are valuable sources of information, wisdom, and insight. It is therefore very important that each Key Club maintains a close relationship with its sponsoring Kiwanis Club. Two Key Clubbers should attend each Kiwanis meeting, and the Kiwanis club will appoint a committee and advisor to help guide and counsel the Key Club. Finally, there is an International Office in Indianapolis, Indiana, devoted to Key Clubbers’ needs. The International Office serves as a clearing house for Key Club information, keeps the records, handles the correspondence, provides effective liaison between Key Clubs and Kiwanis, conducts the annual International Convention, and handles the organization's international publication—Keynoter.

The Club

Although there are district and international levels within the Key Club Program the local club is the foundation of this organization. The members and the club perform the real services. Also, another unique feature of Key Club is that it is run by the Key Clubbers themselves; the adults are there to advise and counsel only. Students develop the programs, organize the projects, run the meetings, and take the initiative to serve.

Dues

Dues Like any worthwhile undertaking, Key Club costs money. To defray some of the costs of operating such a large organization, Key Club International charges annual dues. Districts also charge dues, which vary in amount from one district to another. In Pennsylvania, district dues are $5.00 per person and International dues are $6.50 per person. With this money, each Key Clubber receives the Keynoter, the official publication of Key Club International, an official membership-theme emphasis card, and a wealth of other materials and information literature, most of which is free of charge. All Key Club dues are spent directly on Key Club activities and projects, which ultimately strengthens local clubs.

Conventions

International Key Club Convention The annual Key Club International Convention is usually held during the first week of July. Here, new programs are introduced, awards are presented to outstanding clubs and district officers, the International Constitution and Bylaws may be amended, educational workshops are held, and international officers for the upcoming year are elected.

Each district conducts a convention in the spring that is similar to the International Convention, but limited to only one region of Key Club International.

Attending these conventions will not only inspire you for the next year of service, but will also provide you the opportunity to meet many new people from different cities, states, and countries. Plan now to attend the upcoming convention.

Objects of Key Club International

To develop initiative and leadership.
To provide experience in living and working together.
To serve the school and community.
To cooperate with the school principal.
To prepare for useful citizenship.
To accept and promote the following ideals:
- To give primacy to the human and spiritual, rather than to the material values of life.
- To encourage the daily living of the Golden Rule in all human relationships.
- To promote the adoption and application of higher standards in scholarship, sportsmanship, and social contacts.
- To develop, by precept and example, a more intelligent, aggressive, and serviceable citizenship.
- To provide a practical means to form enduring friendships, to render unselfish service, and to build better communities.
- To cooperate in creating and maintaining that sound public opinion and high idealism which makes possible the increase of righteousness, justice, patriotism, and good will.