Our History

The first Kiwanis club was organized in Detroit, Michigan. The group received a charter from the state of Michigan on January 21, 1915, and this is regarded as the birth date of Kiwanis. The first clubs were organized to promote the exchange of business among the members. However, even before the Detroit club received its state charter, the members were distributing Christmas baskets to the poor. A lively debate ensued between those who supported community service as the Kiwanis mission and those who supported the exchange of business. By 1919, the service advocates won the debate. Kiwanis became international with the organization of the Kiwanis club of Hamilton, Ontario, Canada, in 1916. Kiwanis limited its membership to the United States and Canada until 1962, when worldwide expansion was approved. Since then, Kiwanis has spread to all inhabited continents of the globe. Kiwanis was defined as "an organization for men" in the constitution and adopted in 1924. In 1987, after several years of debate and growing support, women's membership received overwhelming approval.

The Kiwanis Club of Dover-Foxcroft of Dover-Foxcroft was chartered in 1938 and has operated continuously to bring a better quality of life to Dover area residents. In past years Kiwanis sponsored a learn to swim program at Memorial Beach, and even bussed Dover children to Sebec Lake for swimming lessons. As the YMCA evolved (and many Kiwanians were instrumental in its inception), the swimming lessons are now given at the "Y", and Kiwanis contributes annually to the costs.

Before government got into the business, Kiwanis provided a lunch program in the public schools, looking to the nutritional needs of our kids. Now, of course, the schools take care of it, but Kiwanis has often pioneered pilot programs to meet the needs until other systems have evolved to carry on the initiatives.