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Civitan International is an organization of volunteer service clubs around the world, dedicated to helping people in their own communities. Civitans help wherever the need arises - from collecting food for a homeless shelter, to volunteering at their local retirement home, to building a playground for children with disabilities. Civitans have been helping people since the organization’s founding in 1917, by a group of businessmen determined to making a difference in their community.
In the 1950’s, Civitan adopted a special emphasis on helping people with developmental disabilities. Civitan was one of the major supporters of Special Olympics International, and thousands of Civitans still support these local events. Civitan clubs also fund and organize special camps and events for people with developmental disabilities.
History...
In March 17, 1917, when the fires of patriotism were burning brightly and the drums of war were reverberating in the distance, a group of business and professional men in Birmingham, Alabama, formed a local service club for the purpose of assisting our government in its war effort by the selling of War Bonds, participating in all drives necessary for the war effort of our government and at the same time contributing their time and efforts for all drives for the benefit of the armed forces of the USA. Thus conceived primarily for the purpose of establishing good citizenship from the hearts and minds of patriotic and loyal Americans
At that time, Jelks H. Cabiness proposed that the club take the name “CIVITAN,” a word coined from the Latin “CIVITAS,” meaning CITIZENSHIP. It also adopted the motto “BUILDERS OF GOOD CITIZENSHIP”. After the “Great War”, during a time in which the backwash of war psychology caused a lowering of standards and patriotism, the club continued and reinforced its work.
Citizen Leaders from other southern communities, noting the good results of the Birmingham Civitan club, wanted the same benefices, thus causing Dr. Courtney W. Shropshire to head a committee to expand Civitan into a national organization. The result was the establishment of Civitan International on April 15, 1920. Within five years, Civitan had grown into 154 clubs.
Civitan was first introduced to Canada on May 16, 1925 with the charter of the Hamilton Civitan Club. Members of this first club were representative of a cross section of community life, however the majority of the members were returned veterans of World War I and were inclined to stress the companionship of the armed forces without the discipline. The Civitan affiliation was shed less than two years later. Civitan was firmly re-established in Canada on January 29, 1932 when the Toronto Civitan Club received its charter.
On July 1, 1949, Canadian Civitan clubs became the Ontario District. Ernie Moore was the first Governor of this new District and went on to become the first President of Civitan International from outside of the United States.
On July 1, 1954, we shed the Ontario District name, having chartered our first club in Quebec on January 10, 1954. David Urquhart was named the first Governor of the newly formed Ontario-Quebec District. Civitan in Canada continued to grow, adding clubs in Scarborough, Sarnia, Port Credit, Oshawa, Richmond Hill, Oakville, Victoria Village, Burlington, Lakeshore, Cornwall and Pembroke.
On July 1, 1961, the Canadian District was formed under the direction of Governor J.R. Pearsall. During the next four years Civitan grew at an unprecedented rate. On July 1, 1965, Canadian District East and Canadian District West became a zone of Civitan International. Gord Bates was named the first vice-president of this newly created zone.
The first International Convention outside of the United States was held in Toronto on June 24-27, 1934. International Conventions have been held in Toronto three other times; June 16-18, 1948; June 18-21, 1961 and July 17-20, 1994. Montreal hosted a Civitan International Convention from June 29 to July 2, 1969. July 2003 marked the first time that Ottawa was the site of a Civitan International Convention.
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