Those of us who are members of Kiwanis are often asked just what we do and who we are.
The official description from Kiwanis International is: Kiwanis is a global organization of volunteers dedicated to improving the world, one child and one at a time.
However, a more succinct explanation is that Kiwanis is creating tomorrow’s leaders today.
The true mission of Kiwanis is to empower communities to improve the world by making lasting differences in the lives of children.
“It is easier to build strong children than to repair broken men.”
~ Frederick Douglass
Today, we stand with more than 550,000 members from K-Kids to Key Club to Kiwanis, spanning many age groups in 80 countries and geographic areas. Each community has different needs, and Kiwanis empowers local members to pursue creative ways to serve the needs of children, such as fighting hunger, improving literacy, and offering guidance.
Local clubs look out for our communities, and the international organization takes on large-scale challenges, such as fighting disease and poverty. We are generous with our time. We are creative with our ideas. We are passionate about making a difference. And we have fun along the way.
What makes Kiwanis different from other service clubs? It’s our SLP (Service Leadership Program) clubs. We are, in short, a family of servant leaders.
To reach more people and have a greater service impact on their communities, clubs sponsor a family of Kiwanis clubs —
K-Kids for elementary school children; Builders Clubs for middle school; Key Clubs in our high schools; Circle K(CKI) clubs for university students and Aktion Clubs for adults living with disabilities.
The Kiwanis Club of Aiken sponsors K-Kids at Chukker Creek and Byrd Elementary, Builders Clubs at Jackson-STEM Middle School and Leavelle McCampbell Middle School, and Key Clubs at Aiken High School, Midland Valley High School, and Silver Bluff High School. We are proud to complete the school-related Kiwanis family by sponsoring our Circle K (CKI) club at USC Aiken. The Kiwanis Club of Aiken also provides scholarships for graduating Key Club Seniors from each high school as well as a CKI student each year at USC Aiken.
While K-Kids and Builders Clubs are run by students, there is greater participation with adult supervision. Key Clubs in high schools have both a faculty advisor and a Kiwanis member advisor. The clubs are student-led to enable the students to develop leadership skills. Key Club has its own governance, and students may serve at the Key Club District and International levels and may attend local and international conventions. The Kiwanis Club of Aiken assists students by chaperoning, providing transportation, and assisting with the expenses involved in attending these leadership opportunities.
In addition to all of the SLP clubs, the Kiwanis Club of Aiken is actively involved in supporting the Key Leader program. Key Leader (ages 14 – 17) teaches service leadership as well as the social-emotional skills required for students to become value-driven leaders. Based on Robert Greenleaf’s “servant leadership” model, and delivered to more than 33,000 students around the world since 2005, the Key Leader program serves to break down the isolation students face in the era of smartphones.
Many of these high school students go on to join Circle K, the college organization geared to further development of leadership and friendship in the world. This organization is self-governing; it elects its own officers, conducts its own meetings, and determines its own projects while providing the opportunity to meet other college students from around the world. This program is mentored by a Kiwanis advisor who provides advice and guidance as needed.
Kiwanis also actively serves the local community in volunteer projects such as aiding the Boys and Girls Clubs, Child Advocacy Center, ACTS, and many other local projects.
Most recently the Aiken Kiwanis club started a new reading mentoring program in conjunction with Leavelle McCampbell Middle school. This program is designed to help students improve their reading skills. The Aiken Kiwanis club will provide books for the school, and some members will mentor the students and spend time with struggling students. This enriching and rewarding experience not only serves to enhance reading skills for the students but also creates a rich experience for the adult participants. Many volunteers are needed for such projects and Kiwanis proudly steps to the forefront and invites all community members to help make a difference in the lives of children.
Service is at the heart of every Kiwanis club, no matter where in the world it’s located. Members stage approximately 150,000 service projects and raise nearly $100 million every year for communities, families, and projects. By working together, members achieve what one person cannot accomplish alone.
Here in Aiken, our major fund raising effort is our upcoming 3rd Annual Aiken’s Bacon & Brews, to be held downtown at the Newberry Street Festival Center on Saturday March 14, 2020. Once again, Tokyo Joe will provide the entertainment while guests enjoy a great selection of craft beer and fantastic bacon dishes from a variety of vendors. The funds we raise locally are used to support children here in our local communities.
I hope this gives you a better idea of Kiwanis is and what we do here in the community. When you give a child the chance to learn, experience, dream, grow, succeed, and thrive, great things can happen. When you join Kiwanis, your horizons expand with the rewards of service and fellowship; and in time, through the bonds of friendship that are formed, networking happens organically.
Please feel free to join us at a Thursday luncheon meeting to find out more about the organization. Feel free to contact me by email for more information.
Harvey Krape
President-Elect
Kiwanis Club of Aiken
Lenore Lewis
Lieutenant Governor
District 23
Aiken, South Carolina
