HISTORY
1974
Past California-Nevada-Hawaii (CNH) Kiwanis District Governor Sid Smith wanted his daughters to have the option to join a service organization. Key Club was the only one existing at that time, but they weren't able to join because it was an all-male club. Smith wanted his girls to have the same opportunities as men so he started a club called Keyettes.
MID-70S
The name was changed to "Key-wanattes" in the mid-70s because a women's organization on the east coast already had the rights to the name. It was through the efforts of the Cal-Nev-Ha district Kiwanis Sponsored Youth Advisors and high school principals that a program be made available to the young women of the community that provides the opportunities that young men had in Key Club.
CNH
In the beginning, Keywanettes was the fastest growing high school organization in the nation. There used to be four districts: Texas, West Virginia, the Carolinas, and CNH. However, the Texas, Virginia, and Carolinas District district merged with the Key Club District. Since CNH was so strong, the CNH Keywanettes district remained.
1995
Keywanettes became KIWIN'S when the House of Delegates convened at the 1995 CNH Convention. KIWIN'S comes from the Otchipew language and translates to "people, men, and women, working together in service." The Cal-New-Ha District changed their name to dispel gender specific connotations and promote growth.
2001
At the District Convention in Woodland Hills, CA, it was decided by the House of Delegates that the Cal-Nev-Ha KIWIN'S District would now be brought into Key Club International. We did nat merge with the CNH Key Club District, which is a common misconception. We became Cal-Nev-Ha KIWIN'S 32nd District of Key Club International.
2019
Even though we do have unique situation as we share boundaries with CNH Key Club, we are all part of the same overachieving organization, working toward similar goals. Â So, yes, we are all Key Clubbers. Â But at the same time, we do maintain a unique culture--as most Districts do- that is extremely unique from that of CNH or any other District.