United States Junior Chamber

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United States Junior Chamber
US Junior Chamber logo
Motto: National Association of
Young Leaders and Entrepreneurs
Type: NGO
Founded: January 21, 1920
Location: Tulsa, Oklahoma, USA
Key people: President Chris Oldham
Interim EVP Brad Gemeinhart
Services: See complete services listing.
Members: 35,000
Website: US Junior Chamber


The United States Junior Chamber (Jaycees) is a leadership training and civic organization for people between the ages of 18 and 40. Areas of emphasis are business development, management skills, individual training, community service, and international connections. The U.S. Junior Chamber is a non-profit corporation/organization as described under IRS code 501 (c)(4).

Established in 1920 to provide opportunities for young men to develop personal and leadership skills through service to others, the Jaycees later expanded to include women, reflecting the growing influence and leadership of women in America.

Since the organization's founding, Jaycees have been involved in civic, national and international affairs. Jaycees helped establish Airmail services in America with Jaycee Charles Lindbergh, and have raised millions of dollars for causes such as the Muscular Dystrophy Association and the March of Dimes. They have built parks, playgrounds, hospitals, ball fields, and housing for the elderly while conducting service and support programs in thousands of communities nationwide.

Jaycees can be found in all walks of life: governmental leaders such as past Presidents Bill Clinton, Ronald Reagan and Gerald Ford, business tycoons such as Domino’s Pizza mogul Tom Monaghan, registered nurse and former Miss America Kaye Lani Rae Rafko-Wilson, and sports legends such as basketball great Larry Bird.

Contents

[edit] The Junior Chamber Vision and History

[edit] Vision

The U.S. Junior Chamber founder Henry Giessenbier’s vision of providing young people with leadership through community service can be broken down into four Areas of Opportunity: Business, Individual, Community, and International.

  • Business: embodying the line of the Jaycee Creed, which states “Economic justice can best be won by free men through free enterprise,” this area provides an opportunity for individual members to contribute to the development and enhancement of the economic infrastructure, prosperity, and well-being for their community as well as all nations.
  • Individual: embodying the line of the Jaycee Creed which states “Earth’s great treasure lies in human personality,” this area provides an opportunity for individual members to realize their personal potential through training programs.
  • Community: embodying the line of the Jaycee Creed which states “Service to humanity is the best work of life,” this area develops the sensitivity of individual members to societal problems and community dynamics by providing experience in community problem solving.
  • International: embodying the line of the Jaycee Creed which states “That the brotherhood of man transcends the sovereignty of nations,” this area provides an opportunity for individual members to contribute to the development of goodwill, understanding, and cooperation among all peoples.

The Junior Chamber organization is: “a constructive action organization of young persons who devote a portion of their time to community service in the public interest, developing young persons as leaders in their communities.” (Taken from The U.S. Junior Chamber Bylaws Manual.)

The purpose of the Junior Chamber is: “to promote and foster the growth and development of young persons’ civic organizations in the United States, designed to inculcate (to teach and impress upon) in the individual membership of such organization a spirit of genuine Americanism and civic interest, and...to provide them with opportunity for personal development and achievement and an avenue for intelligent participation...in the affairs of the community, state, and nation, and to develop true friendship and understanding among young persons of all nations.” (Taken from The U.S. Junior Chamber Bylaws Manual.)

Simply put, the purpose of the local chapter is to become a force for good in the community, determining community needs and providing solutions by planning and facilitating community service projects. In the act of serving, members receive hands-on experience, which translates to the enhancement of personal growth and the development of valuable leadership skills. This is the total Junior Chamber Concept.

Henry “Hy” Giessenbier visualized an organization that would allow young men to develop their business skills and reputations in the community. In his era, most young men were out of school and working by the age of 15. Their first jobs were most likely the jobs they held throughout their lives. With luck and hard work, some might reach executive positions by their forties. Giessenbier felt that young men were not receiving the opportunities necessary to develop their skills at a younger age, thus depriving our nation of an important resource, and so he formed the founding ideals of the U.S. Junior Chamber.

[edit] Jaycee Creed

The author of the Jaycee Creed was C. William Brownfield. The Creed was was adopted by the Junior Chamber International in 1946 and the United States Junior Chamber in 1947. The original version of the Creed did not include a refernce to faith in God. This refence was not added until 1951. [1].

The original handwritten copy of the Jaycee Creed is currently housed in the USJC headquarters in Tulsa, OK.
The original handwritten copy of the Jaycee Creed is currently housed in the USJC headquarters in Tulsa, OK.

WE BELIEVE:

That faith in God gives meaning and purpose to human life;
That the brotherhood of man transcends the sovereignty of nations;
That economic justice can best be won by free men through free enterprise;
That government should be of laws rather than of men;
That earth's great treasure lies in human personality;
And that service to humanity is the best work of life.

[edit] National Presidents

[1]

[edit] Jaycee Honors

[edit] Senator

The title of Senator is the highest honor that may be granted to a member of the Junior Chamber International.

[edit] Ambassador

The title of Ambassador is the highest honor that may be granted to a member of the United States Jaycees.

[edit] State Honors

Approximately 20 state-based Junior Chamber organizations have an established program that recognizes the achievements of Junior Chamber members at the state level. The process for establishing and administering these recognition programs is decentralized to each individual state organization. Many of these honorary state organizations are referred to as Corps and the members of these organizations typically meet once a year at the Corp of Corps Convention. The title conveyed on recognized members varies from state to state. Examples of these honorary titles include:

  • "Colonel" in Georgia, Iowa, Virginia, Indiana.
  • "Gator" in Florida.
  • "Governor" in New York and Delaware.
  • "Militia Major" in Maryland.
  • "Roughrider" in North Dakota.
  • "Statesman" in Connecticut, Minnesota, and Wisconsin.

[edit] Notable US Jaycees

[edit] Jaycee terminology

[edit] Aged-out members

Individual Jaycees “age out” when their membership year ends following their 41st birthday. In the past, the friendly term “Exhausted Rooster” was used for such individuals, who had completed their Jaycee careers. Some remain available to assist their former organizations through advising on request, acting as a trainer, and being present at organization functions. Recently, the Exhausted Rooster has given way to the gender-neutral term, “Jaycee Graduate”.

[edit] Armbruster

The Armbruster competition, named for John H. Armbruster, is a resume writing and interviewing competition sponsored by the US Junior Chamber and its state affiliate organizations. The competition is open to any new Junior Chamber member with a minimum of 12 months in the organization. The competition includes an oral interview (50%) and a review of the competitor's Jaycee resume (50%) or portfolio.

[edit] Blue Chip

A planning, evaluation, and reporting process, utilizing membership and community input to develop an annual plan designed to impact the community and provide leadership training opportunities for its members.

[edit] Brownfield

The Brownfield competition, named for C. William Brownfield, is a resume writing and interviewing competition sponsored by the US Junior Chamber and its state affiliate organizations. The competition is open to any new Junior Chamber member with less than 24 months in the organization. The competition includes an oral interview (50%) and a review of the competitor's Jaycee resume (50%) or portfolio.

[edit] CPG - Chairman’s Planning Guide

The US Junior Chamber provides those interested in running a successful project the Chairman’s Planning Guide (CPG). [2]. A two-page form, this cover sheet provides insight to those interested in running a new project. Together with attachments and other documentation, a CPG can provide valuable assistance to those wishing to run a the same or similar project in a different year or location. Regions, states, and the US Junior Chamber at the national level also have competitions for outstanding CPGs.

[edit] DD - District Director

A District Director is a Junior Chamber officer at the state level with responsibility for assisting a minimum of 4 - 6 local chapters in a defined geographical area. A DD is expected to provide local chapter officers with training, develop an incentive program for chapter performance, and lead the effort to start new Junior Chambers where appropriate.

[edit] DSA - Distinguished Service Award

An award presented to a young person of Junior Chamber age for outstanding community service.

[edit] EVP - Executive Vice President

The appointed officer of the US Junior Chamber in charge of managing the national service center operations in Tulsa, OK.

[edit] Exhausted Rooster

A title bestowed on a Jaycee upon reaching the age of 40, the age of Jaycee retirement.

[edit] Extension

The organization of a new local chapter; also referred to as an affiliation.

[edit] HAFL - Healthy American Fitness Leaders

A Junior Chamber recognition program for individuals who have demonstrated outstanding leadership in the area of physical fitness. The program was discontinued in the 1990s.

[edit] Institutional Chapter

A chapter that exists within a confined, rehabilitative, or job training facility.

[edit] JAYS - Jaycees Against Youth Smoking

The U.S. Junior Chamber's Jaycees Against Youth Smoking (JAYS) project was created and piloted in Tulsa, Oklahoma in 1998. It is a free, educational program that goes directly into elementary and middle school classrooms to teach children about the dangers of smoking and to help them make the informed decision to be smoke free. The children begin the program with a pretest and end the program two weeks later with a posttest. The program is sponsored by RJ Reynolds Tobacco Company.

[edit] JCFAN - Junior Chamber Family AIDS Network

JCFAN was founded in 1994 as a service project dedicated to developing a network of care facilities for children and adolescents affected by HIV/AIDS. The United States Junior Chamber initiated this project in an effort to help address gaps in services specifically for children. After a decade of work, the Foundation was officially dissolved in 2006.

[edit] JCI - Junior Chamber International

The world-wide Junior Chamber organization operating in over 100 countries and headquartered in St. Louis, MO.

[edit] LOTS - Local Officer Training School

A training forum traditionally sponsored by Junior Chamber organizations at the state level designed to train newly elected local chapter officers.

[edit] Metro

A consortium of local chapters within the US Junior Chamber with a minimum of 100 local members and/or from a community with a population of at least 100,000.

[edit] OYF - Outstanding Young Farmer

A national recognition program for young farmers and is sponsored by the John Deere Company.

[edit] On-To

A slogan used in promoting attendance at the annual meeting of the US Junior Chamber.

[edit] Parade of Chapters

A recognition program sponsored by Junior Chamber organizations at the state level in which points are earned for conducting certain programs and chapters are ranked based on performance within the competition.

[edit] Plan of Action

A local Junior Chamber annual goals and objectives for achievement developed by local chapters officers on an annual basis.

[edit] RD - Region Director

A Region Director is a Junior Chamber officer at the state level with responsibility for assisting a minimum of 8 - 10 local chapters in a defined geographical area. A RD is expected to provide local chapter officers with training, develop an incentive program for chapter performance, and lead the effort to start new Junior Chambers where appropriate. RDs will typically have one or more District Directors working with them.

[edit] Speak-up

An individual development competition designed to provide Junior Chamber members with the opportunity to develop their verbal communication skills.

[edit] TOYA - Ten Outstanding Young Americans

An annual recognition program that honors ten dynamic young leaders from across the country during the annual meeting of the US Junior Chamber in September. The more than 600 TOYA recipients include: John F. Kennedy, Gerald R. Ford, Ann Bancroft, Gale Sayers, Elvis Presley, Dan Quayle, Dr. Kathryn Sullivan, Larry Holmes, Bill Clinton, Jeanna Yeager, Kaye Lani Rae Rafko-Wilson.

[edit] Write-up

An individual development competition designed to provide Junior Chamber members with the opportunity to develop their written communication skills.

[edit] World Congress

The Annual Meeting of JCI held each year in November.

[edit] See also

[edit] References

  1. ^ a b [1] USJC History
  2. ^ Chairman's Planning Guide

[edit] External Links

[edit] National Organizations

[edit] Honorary Organizations

[edit] International Organizations

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