Introduction to Junior Chamber International Hong Kong, China (JCIHK)
Junior Chamber International Hong Kong, China (JCIHK) (formerly named as “Hong Kong Junior Chamber”), inaugurated in 1950, is affiliated with the worldwide leadership development organization – The Junior Chamber International (JCI). JCI has a worldwide membership of over 200,000 and more than 100 countries around the world.
In Hong Kong, we have about 2,000 members representing a network of highly motivated and forward looking young men and women who are mostly entrepreneurs or executives from a wide range of trades and businesses. The active members are between the ages of 18-40 from 21 local chapters, who make full use of their leisure hours to work for the betterment of the community and themselves.
The purpose of Junior Chamber is to provide development opportunities that empower young people to create positive change.
History of JCIHK: Timeline (1950-Present)
History of JCIHK: 1950's
Flashback 1950’s – Practical Idealists Pioneered of the Jaycee Movement in Hong Kong
In late 1940’s, Hong Kong was recovering from the Second World War. There were urgent needs and great opportunity for the local community leaders to contribute to its social and economic development. The Jaycees thus found their role in the making of Hong Kong.
A group of dynamic young men of various nationalities and backgrounds, were inspired by Junior Chamber International to form the Hong Kong Junior Chamber (Jaycees).
With unbounded enthusiasm and tireless efforts, those pioneer Jaycees worked hard in different community projects and training program, and participated in a series of international meetings. It also opened its first office in the Hong Kong Bank Building.
Assessing the needs of society, these young men put ideas into action. Projects were put in hand which aroused civic consciousness among young people here. A novel project was the timely setting up of more than 30 children’s libraries, including portable and mobile van libraries. This was one of the most prominent achievement must appreciated by the public.
The first children’s library was established in 1952 at the War Memorial Centre in Wanchai, followed by the ones in Shek Kip Mei and Yuen Long (Nixon Library). In 1955, Hong Kong Jaycees donated the first mobile Van Library to the Social Welfare Office under the Chinese Languages Department. As a result, thousands of children were given the chance to read and learn. The success of the project led to the first award for the Hong Kong Junior Chamber in the Melbourne World Congress in 1952. The children’s library project was further developed into a scholarship program, helping those who wanted to learn.
Side by side with civic projects, there was keen interest in business pursuits too. The Jaycees held its first trade exhibition in Melbourne in 1952, and repeated the project elsewhere until the territory stepped up its official presence at numerous trade and industrial exhibitions in the years that followed.
In a move to broaden their vision and widen their horizon, pioneer Jaycees were also active in attending various Conferences and Congresses, not only Jaycees but other such occasions as well.
The experience gained led to the success of hosting the first and the forth JCI Regional Conferences in Hong Kong in 1951 and 1954 which won community plaudits and put the Chamber in the forefront of Jaycees in the continent.
History of JCIHK: 1960's
In the continuation of the relay, Hong Kong Junior Chamber of Commerce stepped into its further developing stage.
Applying the experiences gained and together with the endeavor of the Jaycee members, the 17th World Congress of Junior Chamber International was, for the first time, held in Hong Kong in 1962. It was a grand and memorable event, widely covered by the media. The use of the whole new City Hall became the talk of the town. The success of which not only reaffirmed the social status of Jaycees in the community, but also was a confidence booster for each Jaycee member.
The handsome surplus from the Congress also led to the formation of the Trust Fund. It gave the Chamber a sound foundation which enabled the Jaycees to carry out many projects for community development with the confidence and helped it eventually to buy an office.
With the continual injection of new blood, Hong Kong Junior Chamber was restructured into a core National Organization Member and 2 affiliated chapters of Victoria and Kowloon Jaycees in 1965.
JCI Regional Conference was hosted again in 1966.
To spread the Jaycee spirit, Jaycee Week program was also launched in the 60s to promote Jaycees to the public. The First Chinese speaking chapter (Peninsula Jaycees) and the first all lady chapter (Hong Kong Jayceettes) were then formed in 1969.
The coming together of members from various backgrounds provided the impetus for a diversification of community projects.
The Annual Dragon Seed Races shared our concern for the boat people in the Kowloon typhoon shelters.
The Miss International Goodwill Contest, and the later Miss Hong Kong Contest in the 60s were first initiated by the Jaycees and became an international friendship program which promoted the international goodwill and enhanced cultural exchange of Hong Kong.
The addition of more members and more projects, called for better communication, co-operation and administration. The introduction of management course and projects such as Golden Anniversary Ball played an important role in answering to the needs.
Through such projects in 1960s, Hong Kong Junior Chamber of Commerce became more concerned with membership development and began to strive for more opportunities in leadership training and to step up work for betterment of the community.
History of JCIHK: 1970's
Flashback 1970’s – Many the First and Meaningful Projects in 1970’s
Stepping into the decade of the 70s and after the celebration of the silver Jubilee Anniversary, it marked the beginning of an expansion in chapters and rapid increase in international awareness of their high standard of administration activities.
It was a memorable period which had many encouraging rewards and meaningful projects carried out. Five more chapters were formed. JCI Asia Pacific Conferences were again hosted in Hong Kong in 1972 & 1979.
In 1974, during the World Congress held in Auckland, Hong Kong Junior Chamber won the first LOM Award and the JCI Presidential Award and the JCI Presidential Award of Excellence in NOM management.
Three years later, Hong Kong Junior Chamber was awarded the JCI Presidential Award of Excellence for Outstanding Achievement in Chapter Extension with an increase of 25%, and the JCI Presidential Award of Excellence for Outstanding Achievement in Growth with an increase over 50% in membership in the year of 1979.
The Jaycee owned Chamber Office was opened in the year 1977 with the help of the Trust Fund, which further enhanced the sense of belonging of members in the Jaycee family.
• The first “Outstanding Young Men Award” was launched (forerunner of the “Ten Outstanding Young Persons Selection” (TOYP) program which received increasing support and commendation from the public until now).
• The “Exchange program” in 1971 was the first Youth Voyage which deepened the cultural exchange and understanding between Hong Kong and Japan.
• The first “Solar Heating System” installed in Wu Kai Sha Youth Camp received the first LOM award in JCI World Congress.
• The much acclaimed “Earth Population Awareness Program” which propagandized the slogan: “One is cute;Two is ideal;Three is too much for the bill, Four breaks the family quilt” was adopted by The Family Planning Association as a slogan for family planning education program.
• The “Pop Folk” Concert in those days was the only outdoor concert attracted the youths in Hong Kong.
History of JCIHK: 1980's
More LOMs were added to the Jaycee family in the 80s, increasing the total membership to over 1,300 and 19 chapters, in which two chapters – Macau Jaycees and Hou Kong Jaycees in Macau – formed the Macau Jaycees and affiliated with JCI as an independent National Organization Member at the end of 1988.
There were also honorable and glamorous moments for Hong Kong Junior Chamber in the 80s. Senator Jennifer Yu was elected as the first Chinese Lady World President for 1988. Four TOYP awardees of Hong Kong were separately selected as the Ten Outstanding Young Persons of the World Honoree during the JCI World Congresses in the years 1983, 1984, 1985 and 1988. Furthermore, three lady National Presidents were elected, and led the Hong Kong Junior Chamber of Commerce in 1983, 1987 and 1989 respectively.
Hong Kong Junior Chamber had the honour to be invited to participate in the first “Youth Rally” of the “Youth Festival” in Dec. 1989. Relationship with outside youth organizations and Government was further strengthened and the image of Jaycees in the eyes of the public was also kept up.
History of JCIHK: 1990's
Flashback 1990’s – Scaling New Heights
Entering the nineties – a decade of change and transition – the Hong Kong Junior Chamber continued to uphold its mission of advocating social responsibility among young people. In the first-ever direct election in Hong Kong in 1991, the “One Plus One – Support Direct Election” campaign was organized by all 17 local chapters, once again marking the Jaycees’ active participation in civic affairs.
In 1993, the Hong Kong Junior Chamber hosted the JCI World Congress, an event that attracted more than 6,000 delegates from over 100 countries around the world. 30 years has elapsed since the Hong Kong Jaycees last hosted the World Congress in 1962 with wide acclaim.
The decade of the nineties also witnessed a series of improvement programs within the organization. With funding support from the Hong Kong Junior Chamber Trust Fund, a new office in Sheung Wan was acquired in 1990 to provide a more spacious training and meeting facility for the Junior Chamber’s 1,500 strong membership. The “National Business Network” (NBN) and the “Training and Development Committee” (TDC)were subsequently established to offer a wider scope of networking and development opportunities for the members.
Since 1996, the Hong Kong Junior Chamber has been actively involved in the “Right Decisions Program”. The project, originated by JCI and executed on a worldwide level, promulgates the importance of youngsters in making the right choice for their actions. The “Right Decisions Program” has been implemented in primary and secondary schools since 1998.
History of JCIHK: 2000's
Entering the millennium, the whole world continued to change and entered a digital era. The JCI started electronic Bid Book in 2003 and JCI Hong Kong fully adopted the e-Bid Book in 2005.
JCI also changed the logo and name among nations to build up a better branding. To align with the resolution in the JCI Copenhagen World Congress in 2003, the Hong Kong Junior Chamber was renamed into JCI Hong Kong in 2004.
To accommodate the increase in the JCI Hong Kong members, an Office Purchase Ad hoc Committee was formed in 2000. With the great support from the Hong Kong Junior Chamber Trust Funds, new JC chamber office in the Seaview Commercial Building, Connaught Road West was purchased in2004. Also in 2004, Hong Kong Junior Chamber Foundation (the former Hong Kong Junior Chamber Trust Fund) was established which aims to effectively manage the trust funds and financially support the JCI Hong Kong and its chapters.
After Hong Kong was handed over to the People’s Republic of China in 1997, JCI Hong Kong firstly coorganized Youth Exchange Program with other youth organizations since 2006, so to strengthen the young people about the understanding of the current situation of Mainland China. In 2008, JCI Hong Kong started to work with China Youth University for Political Sciences, to organize National Affair Lectures for our JC leaders in Beijing.
JCI Hong Kong has put effort to achieve better in every aspect. A Guinness World Record for the world’s largest mosaic made of paper flower was achieved by TOYP Awardees and hundreds of JC Members in 2001. In addition, JCI Hong Kong was awarded the Most Outstanding National Organization Member Award in 2005.
Since 2008, United Nations Millennium Development Goals (UNMDGs) was adopted as one of the National Flagship Projects which aims to eradicate extreme poverty and hunger, achieve universal primary education, combat HIV/AIDS, Malaria and other diseases, ensure environment sustainability and develop a global partnership for development etc.
In 2010, JCI Hong Kong bid for the hosting rights of 2012 JCI Asia and the Pacific Conference during Singapore ASPAC.
History of JCIHK: 2010's
The 2010s marks the 100th anniversary of the JC Movement. During the century, the JC Movement has gained traction to spread around the world. It counts more than two hundred thousand members in more than five thousand local organizations. In Hong Kong, JCI keeps bringing positive changes to young active citizens, recruiting more members and affiliating new chapters. Projects like The Housing Forum, at which the Chief Executive of Hong Kong came to address the audience, are exemplary of JCIHK’s commitment to care about Hong Kong.
JCI Hong Kong hosted the 2012 JCI Asia Pacific Conference. Over 4800 delegates from over 40 nations attended.
Internationally, the United Nations Millennium Development Goals (UNMDGs) are set to end in 2015. In the decade where JCI is officially endorsing the UNMDGs, JCI Hong Kong has devised many prominent projects tackling the goals. In the future, JCI Hong Kong will continue its support for global issues.
Past National Presidents
Achievements of JCIHK
Best National Growth and Development Program – JCI Hong Kong (“Lead to Impact!“)
Best Local Business and Entrepreneurship Program – JCI City (“The 28th Innovative Entrepreneur Awards Programme”)
Best JCI RISE Project – JCI City (“CityCut Evolve The New Middle Age”)
Best National Growth and Development Program – JCI Hong Kong (“Lead to Impact!“)
Best Local Business and Entrepreneurship Program – JCI Peninsula (“Be the Boss – Make IT Happen!”)
Best Local Individual Development Program – JCI Peninsula (“Dialogue with Future – Conservation Leader for Tomorrow”)
Best JCI RISE Project – JCI Kowloon (“INNO Leaders International Business Development Program”)
Most Outstanding Member – JCI Kowloon, Claudia Chor
Creative Young Entrepreneur 1st Place – JCI City, Tan Ho Chan (“Elderly Home Design“)
Most Outstanding Local President – 2022 JCI Apex President Carol Wong
Most Outstanding Local President – 2022 JCI Apex President Carol Wong
