Slide1: LANDMARKS IN THE HISTORY of the Junior Chamber International (JCI)


The Origin Of Jaycees : The Origin Of Jaycees 1910 Began in St. Louis, Missouri, USA as the Herculaneum Dance Club Founder: Henry Giessenbier Purpose: bring about social elevation of its members. 1915 Jaycee Movement took 1st step when 32 young men met at the Mission Inn in St. Louis on 13 October 1915 The Young Men's Progressive Civic Association was formed with Giessenbier as its President.


The Origin Of Jaycees : The Origin Of Jaycees 1916 (August) The organization's name changed to Junior Citizens, initials "JC" was first employed. 1920 In 21 and 22 January, the first national organization, the United States Junior Chamber of Commerce (USJCC) was formed. 29 clubs around the nation attended and elected Henry Giessenbier as the first National President.


The Origin Of Jaycees : The Origin Of Jaycees 1920-44 The Jaycee Movement crossed international borders. Organisations were formed in many countries including Canada, England, Mexico, New Zealand, Australia and Colombia. Many actions were taken to form a Junior Chamber International, including the creation of the International Executive Council of Junior Chambers of Commerce formed at the Olympic Games in 1932.


The Origin Of Jaycees : The Origin Of Jaycees 1944 Junior Chamber International was born in Mexico City Raul Garcia Vidal was elected the first president. 1946 In February, the first JCI World Congress was held in Panama attended by 44 delegates from 16 countries. A Constitution was drafted. Also this year a young Jaycee member, Mr. C. William 'Bill' Brownfield, authored the Jaycee Creed.


The Origin Of Jaycees : The Origin Of Jaycees 1952 The JCI Senate was formed through the efforts of Phil Pugsley, the 1951 JCI president, at the 7th JCI World congress in Melbourne, Australia. 1953 1st World HQ was established at the US Jaycees War Memorial Headquarters Building in Tulsa, Oklahoma Philip Van Slyck was hired as JCI's first full-time Secretary General.


The Origin Of Jaycees : The Origin Of Jaycees 1955 The World HQ moved to its own building in Miami Beach, Florida, USA. 1969 The current World Headquarters was built in Coral Gables, Florida, USA to commemorate the 25th anniversary of Junior Chamber International.


The Origin Of Jaycees : The Origin Of Jaycees 1972 At the 38th JCI World Congress in Taipei, the organization's name was changed from Junior Chamber International to Jaycees International. 1983 Honorees were recognized at the 1st “The Outstanding Young Persons” ceremony at the 38th JCI World Congress in Taipei, Taiwan.


The Origin Of Jaycees : The Origin Of Jaycees 1988 At the 39th JCI World Congress in Sydney, Australia, the organization's name was again changed from Jaycees International to Junior Chamber International. 1989 Historic year for JCI as services were extended to the Eastern Bloc countries of Estonia (USSR), Poland and Hungary.


The Origin Of Jaycees : The Origin Of Jaycees RECAP-MAJOR WORLD EVENTS First World Congress (1946-just after WWII) 1946 in Panama - The international organization was formally constituted, a temporary constitution was approved, an emblem was adopted, and the word 'Commerce' was omitted from the name. The United Nations, which had been formed only a few months before on October 24, 1945 was officially endorsed by the Junior Chamber.


The Origin Of Jaycees : The Origin Of Jaycees MAJOR WORLD PROGRAMMES Many vigorous programmes were undertaken during the early years e.g.: 'Christmas Package Drive for Korea' which netted 400 tons of relief supplies worth US$1 million; 'Operation Brotherhood in Vietnam', and 'Operation Warmth' for Greek earthquake victims.


The Origin Of Jaycees : The Origin Of Jaycees MAJOR DECISIONS Many important decisions were made such as: Adoption of the JCI Creed (1948), Establishment of a permanent Secretariat (1952), Founding of the Senate Program (1952), initiation of the official publication JCI WORLD (1954 - now LEADER), Adoption of the Commission System and the 100 percent JCI Individual Membership Program (1960).


The Origin Of Jaycees : The Origin Of Jaycees MAJOR INTERNAL POLICY CHANGES: Commission system changed to Areas of Activity concept in 1974 A of A changed to Areas of Opportunity concept in 1979 Combination of the Areas of Opportunity and Commission Systems in 1985. JCI WORLD changed to LEADER in 1984 in order to reflect better the image of the organization. Women were welcomed into membership (Ebba Zachariassen from Sweden was elected the first female international officer in 1976).


The Origin Of Jaycees : The Origin Of Jaycees The JCI organization continues to change as time passes. From a small beginning in St. Louis, the spirit and purpose of the Jaycees now reach almost every nation in the free world.