By A. J. (Jim) Morton, Senator #16254
NC JCI Senate Charter President

How do you say “Thank You” to a person who has given unselfishly of their time, energy and talents to make your community a better place in which to live, while active in the Jaycees? A person who not only shares similar goals, thoughts, and ideas as their peers in the local Jaycee chapter, but through their actions, involvement and leadership has improved their community, their chapter and the lives of people around them? A person, as if through a process of osmosis, their personality characteristics have become a part of Jaycees, thereby enriching everyone’s life they’ve touched?

THE ANSWER IS ... BY HONORING HIM OR HER WITH A JCI SENATORSHIP.

The JCI Senatorship is an honor recognized throughout the world as an indication that a man or woman has, while active in the Jaycees, made a significant and substantial contribution toward the furtherance of the organization’s philosophy and beliefs.

Since the start of the Jaycee movement in the world in 1920 (St. Louis, Missouri), there have been millions of men and women to join the Jaycees. Only 65,000 members have been bestowed with the honor of JCI Senator, a fact that speaks well, that it is indeed a most coveted honor. With the global growth and development of Junior Chamber International and the desire to provide members a means to repay the organization for all it has given them. The idea of the Senatorship was conceived, by President Phil Pugsley from Canada (1951-1952), as a distinct honor by which to recognize achievements of outstanding members, while also enabling them to retain contact with the organization for life. In 1952, Sid Boxer, Jaycee representative to the United States, met with President Pugsley in New York to further discuss the idea of “honored” Jaycees. They reasoned: “Why is it that past members are allowed to drift completely away from the Jaycee movement when many of them would like to have a lifelong link with Jaycees? Why do local Jaycees spend thousands of dollars annually giving certificates, plaques, trays, briefcases, desk sets, and the like, to those they wish to honor when the same funds spent on Jaycee International could work for a cause in which they believed?” 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. The JCI Senate was formed in 1952 at the 7th JCI World Congress in Melbourne, Australia.

The JCI Senate Foundation was established in 1979 to provide long-term financial support for JCI. Its name was later changed to Jaycees International (JCI) Foundation, Inc., to appeal to the broadest possible donor base. The principle is invested to generate interests, which are used to support JCI programs, activities and expansion around the world. Only the interests are used; the principle remains intact. Contributions to both the JCI Senate program and the Foundation have significantly assisted JCI’s growth and development over the years. They have also funded training schools and courses, strengthened existing NOMs, and extended the organization into new countries and to more young people around the world.

The U.S. Jaycees at its annual meeting in Atlanta, Georgia in 1972 officially approved the U.S. Jaycee International Senate organization. James O’Connell from Illinois was elected its first president.

H. T. "Jumper" Davis is the 2008-2009 US JCI Senate Chairman of the Board.
The current U.S. JCI Senate President is Pat Hoelker, Senator# 45893, from Sioux City, IA, to be elected at the annual meeting, June 2008.

The North Carolina Jaycees International Senate was chartered in 1975 during the presidency of A. J. (Jim) Morton of Charlotte. The JCI Senate organization existed prior to this date as a loosely knit entity. In 1968, thirty (30) NC JCI Senators met for breakfast during a NC Jaycee State meeting. This is the first known gathering of the Senators in North Carolina. No officers were elected. These “Mentors to the Jaycees” agreed to meet at future NC Jaycee state meetings. These pioneers agreed that their “reason to be” would be to provide support for the NC Jaycees (both state and local organization, and meet to renew friendships. In time it was felt that a state JCI Senate president needed to be appointed or elected. Initially, for several years the NC Jaycee State Presidents appointed the president of the JCI Senate. Eventually the policy of the NC Jaycee was rewritten to have the outgoing State Jaycee President to automatically become the JCI Senate President. This method of selecting the Senate president was rescinded in 1973. In 1974 at the Annual Meeting in Raleigh, Poe Cox of Garner was elected to serve as the first JCI Senate president under the new NC Jaycee policy. A full slate of officers was also elected, including vice president, secretary and treasurer. At mid-year convention, Winston-Salem, in 1974, Senators voted to become affiliated with the United States JCI Senate. The US JCI Senate had only recently become an organized entity at the national convention, Atlanta, Georgia in 1972. North Carolina’s JCI Senate application for membership in the U.S. JCI Senate was approved in Miami, Florida in 1975. The NC JCI Senate was incorporated on the 4th day of June 1999.

The Senate meets in conjunction with all State Jaycee meetings to renew friendships and make friends with newly honored Senators. The Senators do not propose, run or chair any projects. Senators do not take the honor as senator lightly. For Senators, the Jaycees have given them more than they could ever give back. Many Senators are now mayors of cities, legislators, successful business leaders and active community and family members; due to the firsthand experience only an organization such as the Jaycees can give. The “on the job” experience equipped the Senators to succeed in life.

North Carolina Jaycee Senators want to further the Jaycee movement in our State. A senator is honored again when asked to speak at a local chapter membership recruitment meeting, judge a speak-up contest or render assistance in extending a new chapter. In a nutshell, it may be said that the North Carolina JCI Senators are organized for the furtherance of the North Carolina Jaycees, fun, and fellowship.

When a deserving person is given an award, or lifetime chapter membership, the chapter should, also consider giving the award recognized worldwide ... JCI Senatorship. It is pleasing to note that all monies related to giving the Senatorship to a deserving person are used to further the Jaycee philosophy, beliefs and creed into parts of the world where Jaycee chapters do not currently exist. This is accomplished via the Jaycee International organization, and on the local and state level the NC JCI Senate to support the activities of the North Carolina Jaycees and the local chapters.