Times are a’changing; so is motto

Since the late 1990s, “Serving the Children of the World” has served as Kiwanis International’s service slogan, calling members worldwide to make young children their “priority one.” This past June, the slogan became the motto.

Delegates to the 90th Annual Kiwanis International Convention in Honolulu, voted to change the official motto from “We Build” to the new wording. The “We Build” motto was adopted at the 1920 International Convention in Portland, Oregon, and was written by Kiwanis “scribe,” International Trustee, and magazine editor Roe Fulkerson.

“The new motto concisely communicates our mission today, and it is more reflective of our organization,” says Jennefer Pursifull, Kiwanis International’s director of marketing communications.

But what does the change mean for clubs? The “new” wording already is part of the logo, so what do clubs need to do to reflect this change?

“Clubs should begin using ‘Serving the Children of the World’ any place they print the motto,” Jennifer says. “Using the new graphics standards and the logo with the tagline will help Kiwanis build awareness of our organization and our mission within the general public.”