Junior
Chamber International History
The
origin of Junior Chamber can be traced as far back as 1910 to the city of
St. Louis, Missouri, in the United States
of America. A young man named Henry Giessenbier and his friends formed the
Herculaneum Dance Club with the main objective being the preservation of
conservative dance styles.
Five
years later, in 1915, Colonel H.N. Morgan, a prominent St. Louis citizen,
inspired the members of the dance club to become more involved in civic issues.
Giessenbier and 32 other young men formed the Young Men's Progressive Civic
Association (YMPCA) on October 13, 1915. This organization grew to a membership
of 750 in less than five months.
THE
BIRTH OF JUNIOR CHAMBER
The
very next year, 1916, saw another change of name as the YMPCA became Junior
Citizens, commonly called JCs, which later became Jaycees. The year 1918 marked
another change as the JCs were affiliated with the St. Louis Chamber of Commerce
and officially became the St. Louis Junior Chamber of Commerce.
After
WWI, Giessenbier contacted other cities in the United States with similar young
businessmen's groups, and, subsequently, 29 clubs from around the nation formed
the United States Junior Chamber of Commerce. Henry Giessenbier was elected the
first President of the national organization.
CROSSING
THE ATLANTIC
The
international chapter of the organization began in 1923 with the Winnipeg Board
of Trade's becoming the first Junior Chamber outside the United States. By 1928
the idea of an international body crossed the Atlantic Ocean to England.
In
1940 a resolution was passed by the United States Junior Chamber approving a
program to further mutual interests among countries in Central and South
America. This lead to the establishment of Junior Chambers in Mexico City,
Guatemala City, El Salvador, Honduras, Nicaragua, Costa Rica and Panama City in
1943.
The
realization of Junior Chamber International had
begun. In 1944 the first international conference was held in Mexico City. Raul
Garcia Vidal of Mexico was elected the first President. The countries which
formed Junior Chamber International were: Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala,
Honduras, Mexico, Nicaragua, Panama and the United States of America.
THE
FIRST WORLD CONGRESS
Two
years later, in February of 1946, the first World Congress was held in Panama
City. This congress was attended by 44 delegates from 16 different countries.
The international organization was formally constituted, a temporary
constitution was approved, and the word "Commerce" was omitted from
the official name.
Erasmo
Chambonnet of Panama was elected the second JCI President at that Congress, and
Australia and Canada were officially affiliated.
In
1948 the JCI Creed was officially adopted at the IV JCI
World Congress in Rio de Janeiro, and in 1952 a permanent Secretariat was
established. In 1972 the name was changed to Jaycees International; however, in
1988 the name was changed back to Junior Chamber International.
