Kiwanis is a global organization of volunteers dedicated to changing the world one child and one community at a time.

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.

• 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.

The Kiwanis International family includes not only Kiwanis Clubs but also sponsored service clubs for young people:

Circle K International has 11,000 members on 570 university and college campuses;

Key Club International has 215,000 members in 4,600 high schools; and

Builders Clubs have been organized in 2,000 junior high and middle schools.

Other members of the Kiwanis family include K-Kids in elementary schools, young European adults in Kiwanis Junior, and Aktion Club, which involves persons with disabilities in community-service activities.

You can also check the official Web site of the Capital District of Kiwanis. The District includes Kiwanis clubs in Virginia, Maryland, Delaware and the District of Columbia. If you have an interest in becoming more involved in your local community, joining a Kiwanis Club is a good start. There is probably a Kiwanis Club near you. Most clubs meet weekly and each Club determines its own service projects. Some clubs meet for breakfast, some for lunch and some for dinner. See the listing of each Kiwanis Club in the Hampton Roads area including its meeting time, contact person and telephone number.