CJC History

The Junior Chamber movement came to Canada in 1923 with the formation of its first chapter, the Young Men's Section of the Winnipeg Board of Trade. As it was in St. Louis where it was founded, the Junior Chamber movement in Canada involved organizing young people to meet their needs in terms of learning and development, and in turn meeting both the current and future needs of their communities. In 1936 representatives from chapters across Canada met in Toronto and officially founded the Canadian Junior Chamber of Commerce. In the 1960's, the CJC enjoyed the most active and visible period of its history with over 20,000 members nationwide.

The Opportunity

Active involvement in a local chapter becomes the primary vehicle for an individual member to explore the opportunities offered by the Junior Chamber organization. Junior Chamber prides itself on offering the Four Areas of Opportunity: Individual Development, Business Development, Community Development, and International Development. The mix of projects and programs used to deliver these opportunities to the members varies between local chapters based on the members' preferences and desires.

By participating in Jaycee training courses and in working on various local projects, members gain leadership experience, practical skills and learn management techniques, while making measurable positive contributions to their local community. Jaycees is a vehicle for many members to acquire skills and knowledge otherwise unattainable to them. For example, someone whose education and employment deal strictly with financial concerns can acquire skills and experience in public relations and promotion, logistics, marketing and selling, managing and leading people by involvement in various projects in different capacities over time.

Other opportunities to expand and compliment their local learning and development are available through involvement with the regional, national, and international levels of Junior Chamber. This may entail holding an Executive position or chairing a program, or simply meeting other Jaycees and sharing ideas, beliefs and techniques.

The Impact

Since Jaycees is a development organization striving to train and create the leaders of tomorrow, often its value to the communities it touches isn't fully apparent until sometime in the future. It is easy to see and measure the immediate benefits of the community projects a chapter may run at any time, but hidden within those projects is the acquisition of skills which prepare members to become effective leaders in their future endeavors throughout life.

History is rich with examples of Jaycees who have gone on to lead local and community groups, businesses of all sizes, and indeed governments of all levels. Mayors, Canadian Cabinet Ministers, a Deputy Prime Minister and a Governor General, three Presidents of the United States, Presidents of Germany and Thailand, a Secretary General of the United Nations, and corporate leaders of such companies as Sun Life of Canada and Toyota are all titles and positions filled by former Jaycee members.

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