Participants Manual

JCI Achieve

JCI Achieve
The JCI Local Organization Development Course
Version 01 January, 2013

JCI Official Course

JCI Achieve General Information

JCI Achieve
JCI Vision

Course Summary

To be the leading global network of young active

citizens.

The JCI Achieve, the JCI Local Organization

Development Course uses discussions and learning
activities to understand ones own values and the values
and principles of JCI, the role of all members in
establishing the Local Organizations identity, the
activities needed to fulfill JCI Mission.

JCI Mission
To provide development opportunities that empower
young people to create positive change.
About JCI
JCI is a membership-based nonprofit organization of
young active citizens ages 18 to 40 in more than 100
countries who are dedicated to creating positive change
in their communities. Each JCI member shares the belief
that in order to create lasting positive change, we must
improve ourselves and the world around us. JCI members
take ownership of their communities by identifying
problems and creating targeted solutions to create
impact.

JCI Achieve is a half day course and should be taken by

all new members who want to fully understand the
principles, meaning, purpose and dynamics of a JCI
Local Organization.
Program
JCI Achieve is a half day course divided in these
modules:
Module 1 Values
Module 2 Identity
Module 3 Purpose
Module 4 Product
Criteria to attend this course

JCI Official Courses are designed to facilitate the

learning process by combining the new theories with
practice using the previous experiences from participants
as a source of learning with the focus on sharing
knowledge and experiences.

This course can only be attended by active JCI members

or past members still contributing to the Local
Organization and to graduate the participant must pass
the online knowledge test and fill the trainer evaluation.
The course must be organized online and have all
participants registered online.

Copyright by JCI: All rights reserved.

Criteria to become Trainer of this course

This publication is for the exclusive use of the trainers

conducting the JCI Official Course and can only be
reproduced for this purpose. All JCI Official Courses must
be organized online and all participants must individually
register online to qualify for the manual and to be certified
as graduated from the course.

Be an active JCI member or past members still

contributing to the Local Organization for at least
one year.
Have graduated from this course and JCI Impact.

This publication or parts of it may not be translated in any

other language without the express permission of the JCI
Secretary General.
Published by
Junior Chamber International (JCI), Inc.
15645 Olive Boulevard Chesterfield, MO 63017, U.S.A.
Tel: +1 (636) 449 3100 Fax: +1 (636) 449 3107
Toll free (from USA only): 1 800 905 5499
E-Mail: training@jci.cc - Website: www.jci.cc.
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JCI Achieve General Information

JCI Achieve
JCI Achieve
The JCI Declaration of Principles
"We believe:

Economic justice can best be won by free men through

free enterprise.
Government should be of laws rather than of men.

That faith in God gives meaning and purpose to human

life;
That the brotherhood of man transcends the sovereignty
of nations;
That economic justice can best be won by free men
through free enterprise;
That government should be of laws rather than of men;
That earth's great treasure lies in human personality;
And that service to humanity is the best work of life."
The year was 1946; the place, Milwaukee, Wisconsin,
U.S.A.; the event, the United States Junior Chamber
National Convention. Visitors came from Canada,
Mexico, South America, Europe and the Philippine
Islands. It was here that the idea of a JCI Creed was
born.
Past President of the Ohio Junior Chamber and National
Vice President of the United States Junior Chamber C.
William Brownfield realized at this convention that the
organization did not have a Creed. He was inspired by
the devotion of Junior Chamber members "to the
purpose of serving mankind in a thousand different
ways, right down at the grass roots where freedom lives
or dies."
Brownfield saw Junior Chamber as "the potential for a
new force in the world, one capable of changing the
balance between victory or defeat for our chosen way of
life in a time of crisis."
The actual writing of the Creed took place in July 1946
during a drive from Brownfield's hometown of Columbus,
Ohio, to his coal mine in New Lexington, a journey of
about 75 minutes. He started that journey with a firm
conviction in his mind to work on the Creed. It was
during that trip that the following words came to mind
and were put on paper:
The brotherhood of man transcends the sovereignty of
nations.

Earth's great treasure lies in human personality.

Service to humanity is the best work of life.
In 1950 the first line, "We believe that faith in God gives
meaning and purpose to human life." was added.
Since it was written, Junior Chamber members all over
the world recite the Creed at local, national and
international meetings and functions. During that time
there has been much discussion of the interpretation of
the Creed. The author himself said, "Every Member is
free to interpret the Creed in the light of his own
conscience."
The following interpretation is based on Brownfield's own
views and what is commonly believed and understood to
be the meaning of the Creed to the organization.

Brownfields interpretation of the JCI

Declaration of Principles
"We believe..."
Everyone must believe in some ideal, principle or
philosophy. To believe is to practice what is believed to
be true.
"That faith in God gives meaning and purpose to
human life..."
"God" here does not refer to any specific religious God,
but to a supreme omnipotence. It does not matter who
or what your God is; the line is just saying that you must
believe in something. Brownfield interpreted it in this
way: "The Junior Chamber membership, drawn from
many religious backgrounds, is united by a common
bond of faith; that man lives by the will of (his/her) God,
that God's will for man is good; and that the life
worthwhile is lived in harmony with His eternal plan."
"That the brotherhood of man transcends the
sovereignty of nations..."
This line breaks down all the boundaries that have been
imagined by mankind. It simply means that all men and

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women are equal. It respects allegiance to one's
country, but, at the same time, reinforces the idea that
man is a citizen of the world. Brownfield put it this way:
"Man-made boundaries have been drawn and redrawn,
separating the human race into many nations. But
across these unnatural divisions there has been an
intercourse in art, science, commerce and religion;
evidence of man's universal brotherhood; proof that man
himself, not his territorial divisions, is of basic worth."
"That economic justice can best be won by free men
through free enterprise..."
The operative words here are ...can best be won..."
Junior Chamber members believe that man should be
free to use his skills and abilities to the limit in improving
his economy. Brownfield expressed it this way: "Where
economic improvement has been greatest, man has
been free to follow his dream of making a personal
fortune by doing something never done before, or by
doing it better." He also said, "...the system of selfdevelopment through private enterprise could be
adapted with variations to suit local conditions in many
parts of the world."
"That government should be of laws rather than of
men..."
This tenet of the Creed simply means that no one should
be above the law, and that the law should be the same
for all people, no matter what status they hold in society.
The government must be based on constitutional law,
accepted and ratified by a majority of the people. The
power to change laws and elect governments should
remain in the hands of a majority of the people.
Abraham Lincoln, the 16th President of the United
States, spoke of a government of the people, for the
people, and by the people." This line of the Creed
crystallizes what President Lincoln was talking about so
many decades ago. Brownfield expressed the meaning
this way: "In a free society, the fundamental law is
derived from the people. It is they who hold the final
authority."

This final tenet of the Creed is the logical culmination of

the preceding lines. A person who believes in the Creed
will most definitely find service to humanity to be the best
work of life. Note the word humanity. Brownfield's
interpretation to this line of the Creed is, "The life lived
unselfishly grows richer, deeper and fuller. Joy is more
enduring and peace of mind, more certain. The world
looks at the contribution such a life has made and marks
the one who lived it as a benefactor of the race; yet he
knows in truth the greater benefit has been his own."
No matter what a member's interpretation of the Creed
may be, he or she should always practice what he or she
believes. Many unsuccessful attempts have been made
to change the Creed, but it has prevailed through the
years and continues be as the covenant that holds the
organization together. Many members have made the
Creed their guide in life.

The Organizations Identity

An organization (or any other company) must also
establish an identity. The organization already has a
name and logo but this is not enough to differentiate the
organization from others.
The identity of organization overtime goes beyond just to
name to a reputation that is built around that name.
In the case of your Local Organization, when it was
established in your community, it has just a name that
was probably not recognized. Overtime your
organizations Identity is not just the name, but the
reputation that the organization has built for itself. How
your organization is perceived determines what identity
you have in your community.
It is through that identity, not the name or logo, an
organization builds a reputation.

"That earth's great treasure lies in human

personality..."
Every individual has a separate and unique personality.
That is the main difference between humans and other
creatures of the world. That uniqueness makes the
human personality earth's greatest treasure. It cannot
be duplicated nor can it be made. Brownfield's views on
this line are: "True treasure lies in the hearts of men.
There is about us a vast field of opportunity for
cultivation of the human personality. It is not the quantity
4

or the length of life that gives it zest, but the quality of

living, the achievement we make in terms of human
progress."
"And that service to humanity is the best work of
life."

The Organizations Purpose

An organizations purpose means more than just writing
a mission statement and posting it on the website,
publications and meeting place.
To maximize the potential, every organization small or
large must have a well-defined purpose, where it

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JCI Achieve
wants to go and how it hopes to get there. A clear
purpose brings together everyone in the organization
and provides guidance over the long haul.
An organizations vision must exist on every level within
the organization, not just with the president, directors or
leaders, but also and most importantly, every single
member must know why they are members and what
they are building with their efforts and work for the
organization.
Here are the three main levels where the purpose of the
organization must necessarily exist, be clearly
understood and carefully followed:

International level means having Vision and

Mission for the entire organization with clear
objectives.

Local Organization Level means having specific

objectives that coexist with the values and goals of
the entire organization.

Individual level means detailed job descriptions for

every position so they know exactly what is
expected of them and how it relates to the overall
organizations mission.

Vision, is the dream of what we would like our

organization to be; the organizations preferred
future state.

A Mission describes what we need to do as an

organization to get there.

JCI also wants its members in this network to be young

and active citizens. Young people taking the lead in
community solutions rather than complaining and
expecting someone else, government or society to solve
the challenges.
By being active in JCI and learning new skills, members
should be qualified to take the challenge and together,
with other active forces in the community, work towards
a better future for all.

JCIs Mission

Vision and Mission

network, with impact in all corners of the world, in every

Country where JCI is represented, not just having
members, but being part of the positive changes
everywhere.

Mission statements differ from vision statements in that

they state more clearly the operational aspects of the
organization.
These are the real activities that, if carried out properly,
should help fulfill the vision. The mission of an
organization is the reason for its existence, a clear
definition of its purpose. It is an expression of what the
organization does and how it plans to do it.
For this reason, everyone, at all levels in the
organization must work towards the same mission:

To provide development opportunities that

empower young people to create positive
change.

The main difference between a vision and mission is that

while the vision describes the preferred future state, or
ultimate outcome of the activities of the non-profit, a
mission statement describes exactly what we must do to
get there.
A Vision is what we want to accomplish as a result of
the activities outlined in the Mission. A Mission is
what we do as an organization to realize our Vision.

JCIs Vision
To be the leading global network of young
active citizens.
This Vision means that the JCI wants to be a real global

This is the Mission every Local Organization must adopt

and work towards by organizing projects and activities
related to this mission.
JCI's role is to lead and coordinate the efforts of its
affiliates, the National Organizations, who in turn lead
and motivate the Local Organizations to accomplish
the result that will fulfill JCI's Mission, who in turn will
empower its members to create positive change.

JCIs Brand
JCI has established a clear corporate identity and logo
all over the world where JCI is established with Local
Organizations. A logo or image however is not enough to
establish a brand. Local Organizations need to decide
and deliver activities that identify the organization and
promote the benefits of JCI to young people in the

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community.
After JCI has already established the logo and name,
Local Organizations need to establish an identity (people
know them by a name and place), established a clear
purpose (what they will do and concentrate efforts) and
then establish a few activities for what they will re known
and recognized.

JCIs Product
It is important for a Local Organization to ensure that the
community has the correct perception of what the
organization is, what it does and what it stands for.
Depending on what the public sees or thinks about the
organization will reflect on how the public identifies the
Local Organizations activities. The Local Organization
must be careful to project the image that is aligned with
the Mission:
To provide development opportunities that empower
young people to create positive change.

Activities must provide development opportunities:

This means that the members must learn and
develop new skills, knowledge or experience while
working on projects or activities. A project that can
be conducted by one single person without including
any learning cannot be considered a project for a
JCI Local Organization.

Activities must empower young people:

This means that the new knowledge, experience or
skills must have some added value to the persons
life. They must help the member to become a better
member, a better citizen, a better member of the
society and of course, a better person in the family.

Organization, where the efforts, time and talents of

the members (and many times, the resources of the
local organization or the community) are invested,
must have a positive impact on the community. It
must create something better than it is now.
Local Organizations must concentrate on getting well
organized to deliver the Mission of JCI and avoid inviting
every young person in the community.
Not everyone likes to belong to organizations and not all
share the same believes for JCI Creed and Mission.
JCI members are young people who believe in:
Our Values The declaration of Principles or JCI
Creed.
Our Vision To be the leading global network of young
active citizens
Our Mission To provide development opportunities
that empower young people to create positive change
And know that each person can make a difference,
become better and create positive changes.
Our Results For JCI to achieve its Mission each
individual member must be committed to:
Become a better person and an active citizen By
becoming a better person and active citizen, each
member is helping to achieve JCIs Mission but most
importantly, each person is the biggest beneficiary.
Positive change in the community Better persons
and active citizens will definitely create positive change
around them. Start at home, with friends, at the club, at
the company and in the entire community.
Small actions combined can make a tremendous impact
in a community.

Activities must create positive change:

This means that the activity conducted by the Local

JCI Achieve

JCI Achieve

JCI Achieve

JCI Vision
.
To be the leading global network of young active citizens.
JCI Mission
To provide development opportunities that empower young people to create positive change.
About JCI
JCI is a membership-based nonprofit organization of young active citizens ages 18 to 40 in more than 100
countries who are dedicated to creating positive change in their communities. Each JCI member shares the
belief that in order to create lasting positive change, we must improve ourselves and the world around us. JCI
members take ownership of their communities by identifying problems and creating targeted solutions to create
impact.