THE HISTORY OF THE
WORLD COUNCIL OF SERVICE CLUBS
(WOCO)
A Profile
The World Council of Service Clubs (WOCO) is a
federation of young men and women who are members of service clubs
encompassing the globe with ideals of fellowship and service to others.
These same ideals, born out of man’s need for
friendship and understanding, have spread, been accepted and acclaimed in
six continents by young men from business and professional backgrounds,
representing many vocations and the widest range of religious and
political beliefs, regardless of color and creed.
WOCO has a strength of approximately 100,000
young men with each member’s intent on attaining a high level of
citizenship individually. Active participation in club life by individual
members ceases at age 40, thus ensuring an energetic and youthful
membership, a constant renewal of ideas and an opportunity for many to
take office and responsibility.
Objects of World Council
- To organize and maintain the following objects
through the medium of the member Associations:
- Develop the fellowship of young men through
the medium of business and professional occupations and community
service activities;
- To encourage active and responsible
citizenship by cultivating the highest ideals in business,
professional and civic traditions;
- To promote and further international
understanding, friendship and cooperation;
- To promote the extension of the Association
throughout the world;
- To coordinate and inspire member Associations
in their individual activities.
Background
and Development
Associations of young men were formed in the
1920’s in Australia, Canada, Great Britain and the United States. These
associations were formed independent from each other. These clubs were:
Apex Clubs of Australia; Kinsmen Clubs of Canada;
Round Tables of Great Britain and Ireland; Active International of the US
and Canada; and 20-30 International of the US and Canada
Although little was known of each other’s
activities, the Associations were all formed with an upper age limit, a
common bond, and aimed to fulfill a similar need. They were all formed
with a desire for young men to foster friendship and the ideal of service
and good citizenship. The Associations established themselves firmly in
their own countries and man of them began to extend throughout Europe,
Africa, Asia, Australia and Central America.
Over the years, these Associations came to
realize the similarity of their view-point and ideals. They decided that
some sort of closer liaison should be arranged between themselves.
On April 8, 1945, the World Council of Young
Men’s Service Clubs (WOCO) was formed at a meeting in Chicago, Illinois
in the United States. This was agreed upon by representatives of Kin,
20-30 International, Active International, Apex and the National
Association of Round Tables of Great Britain and Ireland. The five
Associations subsequently ratified the Chicago Resolutions and constituted
the Founder Members. The second World Council meeting took place in
October 1946 in Sacramento, California in the United States. This is where
the original constitution was adopted. It was not until the third meeting
in 1947 in Montreal, Canada, that all Founder Members were represented.
Each Association was represented by the two
delegates appointed to World Council. Meetings were held annually until
1950, and thereafter, every two years. The realization that World
Council’s structure would have to be revised when it was realized that
little could be achieved by so few delegates meeting so infrequently and
Associations were rapidly expanding.
In 1956, the Round Tables of Great Britain and
Ireland surrendered its place on the World Council to Round Tables
International. In the same year in Jasper, Canada, discussions commenced
on ways and means of altering the framework of World Council. The
delegates at the Malmo Conference in 1959 reached complete agreement on a
revised constitution which was adopted in Brighton, England, in 1960.
After two years of discussion, the organizational
structure of the Board of Directors was changed at Hong Kong in 1975, and
at the same time qualification for membership was changed to allow small
Associations a speedier entry as full voting members.
