The first federation plan
By the time of the International Convention in Los Angeles in 1964, ten extension countries had active Kiwanis clubs: Mexico, Switzerland, the Bahamas, Austria, Belgium, Germany, Norway, Iceland, Japan and Jamaica. By the October meeting of the Board, there were twenty-five extension clubs organised and the Board voted to adopt the Federation Plan as set forth in the policies governing the organisation and administration of Kiwanis clubs outside of Canada and the United States. Thus the Federation Plan came to be mandatory.
To implement this action, the name and emblem were to be registered in Europe and a corporation established in Switzerland to further protect the interests of Kiwanis International. After much discussion and several suggestions as to how Kiwanis International could help all the clubs, it was agreed to form a European Committee to work with the Board on an informal basis until a more permanent organization seemed feasible. Professor Dr. Werner Bartschi of Bern, Switzerland, chaired the committee. Prominent among those involved was Dr. Gottfried Reimann of Basel, oftenreferred to as the father of Kiwanis in Europe. This committee was the forerunner of the European Commission and the Council of Founders and led to the formation of Kiwanis International-Europe in 1968, with an office in Zurich, Switzerland. Past Kiwanis International vice-president Kenneth P. Greenaway, who had been handling extension matters in the KI General Office for a time, was asked by the KI Secretary to handle the assignment in Zurich as European Administrator and Secretary of the European Federation.
Jean Ladriere was elected the first president of the Federation, serving during the year of 1969. It was obvious from the beginning that the Europeans believed that a strong relationship between Kiwanians in Europe was necessary. It is also interesting to know that from the beginning Kiwanis International believed that the Europeans would be the best group to lead the way in this new structure of Kiwanis International.
