La JCI Celebró su Aniversario de Diamante

El 11 de diciembre de 2004, la JCI (Cámara Júnior Internacional) celebró su 60º Aniversario. Desde 1918, un gran número de líderes jóvenes y dedicados han asegurado el progreso de la organización. Sus aportaciones no deben ser olvidadas. A través de los años, los miembros nuevos pueden inspirarse y aprender de la valentía de sus líderes.

Como parte de las celebraciones de Diamante, la JCI ha creado una página de Historia de la JCI, en un esfuerzo por honrar a los líderes que ha tenido la JCI. La información que se ha recopilado hasta el momento no está completa, y todavía se necesita editar gran parte del texto, pero esperamos que la tarea realizada sea el comienzo de un camino inspirador y placentero que ayude a las futuras generaciones a redescubrir a nuestra querida organización. Apreciaremos su colaboración para ayudar a recopilar información y conservar la historia de la JCI.

Aprovechamos esta oportunidad para agradecer a todos los ex Presidentes, ex Miembros de la Junta Directiva, ex Miembros del Personal, Miembros actuales de la JCI y otras personas que han aportado información y fotos que ahora están disponibles en

www.jci.cc/members/history.php

Tomado de Men of Vision. . .

1944

EXCIMENT RAN HIGH on both sides of the border in 1944, as young men in Mexico, the United States and Canada, came closer to working out the details for the Inter-American Conference. J. Allyn Taylor and Vance Graham's trip had convinced enough young men of the value of Junior Chamber involvement, that all agreed the time was at hand to form the international organization of Junior Chambers of Commerce. Accordingly, the Conference was held in Mexico City on December 7 and ran until the 11th.

Principal topics of concern at the Inter American Conference, which was to lay the foundation for Junior Chamber International, included membership acquisition and requirements and meeting agendas. A provisional directing body and a set of statutes or constitution, were also primary concerns. Records indicate the methods of obtaining interested young men who would form the nucleus for the early Junior Chamber chapters in Central America were quite diversified.

While discussing individual national organizations, a delegate from Costa Rica declared, "we are not lovers of parties; we hardly have any parties at all. The men we have been able to get together are interested in community problems. For instance, our land is fertile, but produces little. We have very little industry." This showed an awareness of the community service aspects of Junior Chamber membership, but also indicated a similarity to Chamber of Commerce type activities. The Costa Rican delegate further stated, "we do not limit membership to young doctors and lawyers, but a much wider selection of young men from the community are invited to join." This indicates an amazingly farsighted intention to make membership open to all regardless of profession.

The chapter in Torreon, Mexico, was having problems with retaining members rather than attracting them initially. This was a chapter where ten out of 15 members regularly attended meetings. A history of the Junior Chamber organization was even printed in an attempt to help hold the members' interest in Torreon. These Mexican Jaycees often explained to their new members that their membership would deal with community problems with members giving all and receiving in return only the personal satisfaction of having helped their community.

The Junior Chamber in Panama undertook a psychological study of each of its members in order to be able to encourage them in their individual interests. If a member was particularly religious, the Jaycees would accompany him to church. If he did not drink, they made other refreshments available to him. This was certainly a sophisticated approach to membership retention at a very early stage for this Junior Chamber organization. It is interesting to note that a Panamanian delegate commented, "that many places of entertainment are open twenty four hours in Panama and this doesn't help our meeting attendance".

The Panamanian delegation voiced their hopes at the Mexico City Conference in 1944, that Junior Chamber International would help them solve problems of racial discrimination, particularly unequal treatment in employment practices in the Canal Zone. While this would seem to have political overtones, projects dealing with racial discrimination came early to the JCI movement and have continued with some regularity through the years since. It should be noted that Panama was selected as the site for the I World Congress, which would take place in February of 1946 and was chosen because of its proximity to a large number of the delegates who would be attending.

Due to the political situation in El Salvador the 10 12 Jaycees there were unable to hold even a single meeting. Their contact with Junior Chamber was only through the distribution of the Jaycee magazine. With Lions and Rotary also unable to meet, since this could be construed by the government as plotting against it, there seemed little immediate hope for any Junior Chamber development in El Salvador for the moment. An internal revolution had effectively stalemated all efforts at this time.

Henry Kearns of the United States Jaycees discussed meeting organization and the importance it has especially towards membership retention. Included in his suggested scheduled agenda for meetings was a plan putting new members to work on a specific committee in which their talents could best be utilized. This gives them common ground for conversation with other members of the chapter and kept their interest flowing Kearns stated.

Another important consideration was that each member's involvement with the Junior Chamber be changed or rotated periodically, so that he was able to profit from as many aspects of Jaycee experience as possible during his membership. Further, plans involving all members on a revolving basis ensured that no small group was burdened with all the work of the Junior Chamber. "In the United States, we also give credit through news items or articles in our Jaycee publications for responsibilities particularly well done," Kearns noted. Publicity for the chapter and its project chairman, for an especially successful community endeavor, was also helpful in retaining the member's interest as well as telling the Junior Chamber story to the community at large.

Upon request, the United States Jaycees furnished much of the information on organization and programming which was being used by newly formed Central American Junior Chambers. This was invaluable since the U. S. organization had been founded in 1920 and had been functioning successfully for some years time. In fact some of the delegates readily admitted they had come to the Inter American Conference with little to offer, but hoped to be able to learn what it was they lacked and then put these ideas to work in their local chapters upon their return home afterwards. In addition there were cases where meetings were prohibited altogether because of unstable governmental conditions and naturally early Junior Chamber development suffered in these countries.

Female membership was discussed at some length by delegates, with U. S. Jaycees' President Charles Zentgraff, Henry Kearns and Taylor Cole speaking in detail on the matter. An example was cited wherein a Texas Jaycee chapter had admitted women to its membership and it was based on the results of this experience, that this particular chapter decided that women would better be organized into Jaycee Auxiliaries, instead of assuming full membership in the Jaycee chapter itself. The ultimate decision of the conference was not to interfere with each individual national organization's internal matters. Thus, if an organization decided to admit ladies to full membership, that was their prerogative. Indeed some chapters did then and still do today have female members, whereas they are not allowed in the United States. Mexico indicated, for example, it admitted women members who were taking an active and effective role in their Junior Chamber organization.

A newspaper article appearing in "El Popular" is representative of the type of publicity the Inter American Conference received in December of 1944. In part it said "the original idea of holding an Inter American Conference was conceived by an up and coming local organization known as the 'Junior Executives Club' which, although it was only founded during the course of this year, has proved itself to be more than worthy of claiming its members known as 'executives'. The excellent purpose of this conference is to bring together representatives of the U. S. Junior Chamber of Commerce and affiliated organizations throughout Central and South America for the purpose of advancing suggestions for the betterment and closer relationships from civil, cultural and commercial standpoints of inter American youth".

It further reported "Undeniably, one of the things that has been most definitely proven by the present World War is that the decisions of the future will be in the hands of youth; and, therefore, the results of this first Inter American Conference should be of prime interest to all of us here in Mexico, as well as to progressive peoples throughout the rest of the world."

Another paper, El Gravico, reported that what is very special about this organization is that it is not geared to obtain economic profit for its members, or to expand their businesses, but instead aims to improve the standard of living in all countries of the Western Hemisphere.

Programming activities which might be suggested by the new international Junior Chamber as suitable chapter endeavors included the widest possible variety of subjects. Zentgraff suggested an Aviation Committee, observing that it could train men on technical aviation questions. Many locales would also be greatly benefited by having an airport and this could be another committee function, he said. Other committees could work on agricultural needs, international relations, health, benefit shows for soldiers and beautification of cities.

Still other suggested activities could be the exchange of literature, magazines and educational materials to expand members' knowledge of other countries. Addressing itself to a situation prevalent in many Latin American countries, it was also proposed that a Children's Nourishment program be established. It was accurately pointed out that until a people is well nourished, they are not likely to dedicate themselves towards improved intellectual and physical activities.

A most ambitious program was also suggested in which Junior Chambers undertake the responsibility for the education of all of its citizens . . . charging its members with teaching reading and writing to as many fellow citizens as possible. This program originated in Latin America and it was readily realized that it would be far more applicable in the south rather than in the north. Right through the present, Junior Chambers undertake many similar educationally oriented projects as those proposed at the Inter-American Conference in 1944.

It was only through the generosity of interested businesses and their officers that the Inter American Conference was possible. The expenses for this meeting were by far much higher than in any previous attempt to form the first international organization of Junior Chamber. Thomas J. Watson, Jr. of International Business Machines; Charles McCormick of McCormick & Co.; Samuel F. Pryor, Assistant to the President, Pan American Airways; George F. Smith, President of Johnson and Johnson and F. E. Stevens, President of Armstrong Cork Co. were those gentlemen and organizations that bore the financial burden of the 1944 conference. At this time all expenses for delegates were covered by the organizers rather than by registration fees, as became the case in later years.

It was decided that the guiding body of this new international organization to be called Junior Chamber International, would be referred to as the Directive Desk. Its members were elected from the delegations of the attending countries which included the United States, Mexico, Guatemala, Honduras, El Salvador, Nicaragua, Costa Rica and Panama.

Taylor Cole (U.S.) was asked to be Junior Chamber International's first President, but he declined, saying that the U. S. Junior Chamber of Commerce did not want to dominate the new international organization and that he knew there were several other good leaders available for the JCI Presidency. Accordingly, Raul Garcia Vidal was elected President and Ray Wolff and Alvaro Rodriguez Villarreal, Vice Presidents. Secretary was Elias Gonzalez and Treasurer, Carlos Josefe.

Junior Chamber International would come into formal being at the I World Congress in Panama at the end of February in 1946.

LIST OF NOMs FORMING JCI IN 1944

Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico, Nicaragua, Panama, United States of America

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