The Kiwanis Club of Penns Valley serves the entire Penns Valley region, including Centre Hall, Millheim, Spring Mills, Coburn, Madisonburg and Rebersburg.

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Kiwanis was created by a professional organizer named Allen Simpson Browne. His original concept was an organization whose members did business with each other. However, the Detroit club had been organized only a few weeks when the members began their first service project. During the next five years, Kiwanians would debate the basic purpose of the organization: mutual business exchange or community service.

The first name suggested for the organization was “Benevolent Order Brothers.” But Ottie Robertson, a charter member of the Detroit No. 1 club, didn’t like it. “It seems to me,” he said, “that Benevolent Order Brothers is a mighty peculiar name for an organization of businessmen. Who wants to be a BOB?”

The name “Kiwanis” was coined from an expression of the American Indians in the Detroit area. The expression “Nunc Kee-wan-nis” (found in Bishop Baraga's dictionary of the Otchipew language) broadly meant “we trade” or “we share our talents.” As a coined word, however, “Kiwanis” has no meaning except as the name of a leading international service club.

The first Object of Kiwanis International is: “To give primacy to the human and spiritual rather than to the material values of life.”

The second Object of Kiwanis International is: “To encourage the daily living of the Golden Rule in all human relationships.”

The third Object of Kiwanis International is: “To promote the adoption and the application of higher social, business, and professional standards.”

The fourth Object of Kiwanis International is: “To develop, by precept and example, a more intelligent, aggressive, and serviceable citizenship.”

The fifth Object of Kiwanis International is: “To provide, through Kiwanis clubs, a practical means to form enduring friendships, to render altruistic service, and to build better communities.”

The sixth Object of Kiwanis International is: “To cooperate in creating and maintaining that sound public opinion and high idealism which make possible the increase of righteousness, justice, patriotism, and goodwill.”

If this interests you, please contact us at pvkiwanis@gmail.com or just show up at one of our meetings.