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 the application of higher social, business, and professional standards.
	To develop, by precept and example, a more intelligent, aggressive, and serviceable citizenship.
	To provide, through Kiwanis clubs, a practical means to form enduring friendships, to render altruistic service, and to build better communities.
	To cooperate in creating and maintaining that sound public opinion and high idealism which make possible the increase of righteousness, justice, patriotism, and goodwill.

HISTORY

Allen S. Browne, a professional organizer for fraternal groups, has an idea for a new kind of club and begins recruiting business and professional men in Detroit, Michigan. Joe Prance, a merchant tailor, is the first to sign up and becomes "the first Kiwanian." Browne's proposed name for the group, the Benevolent Order Brothers, is rejected, however. As one member commented, "Who wants to belong to an organization called BOB?" A committee consults with a local historian, who tells them about a phrase in the local American Indian language: Nunc Kee-wanis, which means, approximately, "We get together" or "We trade." The club adopts an abbreviated version of this phrase, Kiwanis.

* 1915 *
January 21 becomes the official birthday of Kiwanis when the Detroit group receives a corporate charter from the State of Michigan. Membership in the Detroit #1 club quickly grows to more than 200. A second club is organized in Cleveland. Both the Detroit and Cleveland Kiwanians sponsor projects to benefit disadvantaged children -- a service slant that will become an enduring theme of Kiwanis.

* 1916 *
Thanks to Allen Browne's energetic organizing and member contacts in other cities, Kiwanis grows to 32 clubs -- including the Kiwanis Club of Hamilton, Ontario, "the club that made Kiwanis international." The Cleveland club calls a convention. A basic constitution is adopted and George F. Hixson, Rochester, New York, is elected as the first International President.

* 1917 *
Many more clubs are organized. The second annual convention is held in Detroit, and George Hixson is elected to a second term -- the only International President to serve more than one year. A "K" with the words "Kiwanis Club" enclosed in a double circle becomes the official symbol. The first rumblings of discord are heard from two contending groups: those who support Allen Browne's concept of an organization that provides mutual business benefits for members, and those who believe that Kiwanis' long-term success depends on a higher ideal, community service.


CALIFORNIA-NEVADA-HAWAII DISTRICT OF KIWANIS

The California-Nevada-Hawaii District (Cal-Nev-Ha) was organized in the fall of 1918 as the Kiwanis District of California. At that time the Los Angeles Club was our only one. On March 24, 1923 Nevada was affiliated with the District and the International Board approved the change of name to the California-Nevada District at its meeting on December 5-6, 1924. The Honolulu Club was organized in May 1947 and the Island Clubs became the Hawaiian Division of Kiwanis International. They requested affiliation with the California-Nevada District, the District was heartily in accord, and the Board of Trustees of Kiwanis International at its meeting May 11, 1950 recommended the addition. This was approved by the District Board of Trustees at the District Convention in Santa Cruz on October 10, 1950. The International Board of Trustees approved this action at its meeting on October 29th and voted to make us the California-Nevada-Hawaii District as of January 1, 1951.