Columbia Kiwanis Club
Why Join Kiwanis
Applying for Membership
Kiwanis International was founded January 21, 1915, in Detroit, Michigan, by Allen Simpson Browne, a Moose lodge organizer, and Joseph G. Prance, a tailor. Kiwanis is an organization devoted to the principle of service; to the advancement of individual, community, and national welfare; and to the strengthening of international goodwill. Kiwanis membership spans the globe, with more than 300,000 members in more than 8,000 clubs in 79 countries, giving on average $70 million and 6.5 million volunteer hours for community service each year. |
| Objects of Kiwanis The six permanent Objects of Kiwanis International were approved by Kiwanis club delegates at the 1924 Convention in Denver, Colorado. Through the succeeding decades, they have remained unchanged. |
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About the Columbia Kiwanis Club The Columbia Kiwanis Club was chartered on March 15, 1920 with 58 charter members. Its first President was Frank E. Broadnax, and the meetings were held every other Tuesday at lunchtime at the Wade Hampton Hotel on Main Street in Columbia. The governing board met on the Tuesday in between regular meetings closest to the 3rd Tuesday of the month. Over the years, many distinguished state and local leaders, businessmen, attorneys, university professors and staff, ministers and medical doctors have been members. Among current members, Jim Holmes was welcomed into the club in 1946. The bi-weekly meetings continued regularly at the Wade Hampton Hotel until March 21, 1978. The club then moved to Seawells at the Fairgrounds on April 4, 1978 and held its meetings there consistently, with only occasional luncheons or annual socials elsewhere. We returned to our original site when we moved our lunch meetings to the Capital City Club atop the SouthTrust Building (Capital Center), the tallest building in Columbia, and the former location of the Wade Hampton Hotel. Our club sponsors three Key Club. The first charter was presented to Columbia High School in 1949. Dreher High School was chartered in 1953, and A. C. Flora High School in 1967. In 1998 we chartered the University of South Carolina Circle-K Club. Our Kiwanis Club supports a number of charitable activities in the Greater Columbia Area with financial contributions, member time, or a combination of these. We have adopted a cottage at Carolina Children's Home and help the 9 to 14 year old boys who reside there by providing them with school supplies, gifts on their birthdays, and at Christmas. We also support the Heartworks Ministry at Crescent Hill, an alternative schooling program for disadvantaged children. Our major fund raiser is our annual golf tournament. Proceeds from this fund raiser support all our sponsored youth programs. One of the most satisfying member activities is participation in the Terrific Kids program. Members go to area elementary schools to talk to and encourage children identified by their teachers as "terrific kids." They give them a pat on the back and small gift rewards, usually during the school’s awards assembly. Members of our club are also very involved in the Richland School District One mentoring and lunch buddy programs. Each member is screened and trained by the school district and assigned a student nominated by their teachers. They spend about one hour per week either mentoring the child or simply eating lunch with them and being a “buddy” and role model. This program offers each member with a great sense of accomplishment as they see the child grow and mature as a direct result of their involvement in their lives. Our bi-weekly luncheon meetings feature a guest speaker from the local community to address issues of interest to all our members. These entertaining and informative speakers combined with the outstanding buffet lunch offered by the Capital City Club make for enjoyable meetings and a great opportunity to network with community leaders in business and government. As you can see we are a very active club with a rich history. We encourage you to consider joining us. As our club motto states, "We Build."
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| Membership
in a Kiwanis club connects a person with the community and other individuals he or she
wouldn't otherwise know. Club members learn about developments and happenings in
their community during their regular club gatherings. They also enjoy new social and
business networking opportunities with the wide variety of members in their club.
And, together, they combine their interests and skills to improve their community in ways
that make a real impact in the lives of others, particularly children. Each club selects its members from the surrounding community. Kiwanis clubs look for persons over 18 years old who are interested in their community and other people, and they seek members who can contribute four to six hours a month for club activities and projects. After paying an induction fee upon joining, each member pays annual dues, which are set by the club. New members participate in an orientation program which helps them determine how to become involved in ways that best match their personal interests and skills. Members quickly learn that the benefits of membership increase with their level of participation in their club. They find the "Kiwanis Connection" to be an excellent fit in their personal and professional lives.
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Applying for Membership |
| If membership
in our club sounds interesting please read about our club and the
Responsibilities of Membership on our
About
the Columbia Kiwanis Club flyer (PDF), and then complete a
Kiwanis
Membership Application Form (PDF)* and either give it to a club
member,
or mail it to the above address. The application form can be filled out online and then printed on your printer. |
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