A HISTORY OF THE JCI SENATE

The Pennsylvania JCI Senate is an organization of Jaycees and former Jaycees who have been awarded membership in the Senate of Junior Chamber International. A Senatorship is the highest award that can be presented to a Jaycee at the local, state, national or international level and less than 1% of all members of our organization ever receive this recognition.

The idea which resulted in honoring a Jaycee with a Senatorship was conceived in 1951. JCI president Phil Pugsley from Canada (1951-52) discussed the need for better communications among “aged-out” Jaycees with John Armbruster, Charter member of the first Jaycee organization in the United States. In 1952, Sid Boxer, Jaycee representative to the United States, met with President Phil Pugsley in New York to further discuss the idea that instead of allowing these “honored Jaycees” to drift completely away from the Jaycee movement, to provide a lifelong link with the Jaycees and a way for them to continue to work for a cause in which they believe. The idea was presented at the VII World Congress in Melbourne, Australia in 1952 where it was approved and placed in the JCI By-laws as a category of membership.

Honored Jaycee Senators receive a number which is never assigned to anyone else. Senator #1 in the world is Joaquin V. Gonzales, Phillippines’NOM President, 1951-52. Phil Pugsley is Senator #2 and John Armbruster became Senator #3.

The founding of the Pennsylvania JCI Senate was on October 18, 1965, at the Host Motel in Lancaster. The Senate group formed in 1965 aimed to foster the fellowship and friendship of Senators rather than to promote programming.

While Pennsylvania and many other states had formed Senate organizations, there was no National JCI Senate group until June 1972. At a special meeting held at the U.S. Jaycees Convention in Atlanta, Georgia, Senators from 26 states voted to organize under the umbrella of a National Senate. The expressed purpose of the newly founded organization was “to provide a line of communication” between Senate groups presently formed or about to be formed. Pennsylvania was represented at this meeting by Norm Garrett #6154 and Ray Reber #7802.

Now we officially formed a Pennsylvania JCI Senate and a United States JCI Senate but official affiliation did not occur until October 19, 1974. A motion was made by Ed VanGorder #13395 and seconded by Norm Garrett #6154 to affiliate with the national group. There was to be a $25 Charter fee and a cost of $1 per Senator (50 cents fro the first year). Much discussion was held as to maintaining the informality and structure of the Pennsylvania organization. Assured that no major disruptions were to occur with affiliation, the motion was passsed, Official affiliation had occurred during the term of Rodger Rapp #6571.

Ray Reber #7702 succeeded Rodger as president of the PAJCI Senate and in the first IMAGE of his term in August 1975, he led off his Presidential Message with a written purpose of the Pennsylvania JCI Senate: The purpose of the JCI Senators of Pennsylvania is to promote fellowship among the Senators in Pennsylvania, to engage in any program or activity which will foster the aims and objectives of JCI, and upon request, lend support to the Pennsylvania Jaycees in the capacity of a Speakers Bureau, or in any other capacity that cannot be construed as active participation in the Jaycees.