History:
The Kiwanis Club of La Crosse began on October 27, 1919, with Charles Cone as President and Lee H. Motl as the Secretary. The charter date was December 16, 1919 with a charter membership of 100 members. The Kiwanis Club of Winona, Minnesota was the sponsoring organization. Completion of the organization was accomplished by October 27, 1919. We were the tenth club to be formed in the Wisconsin District and the 171st formed in the United States and Canada.

In the formative years, Kiwanis leaders chose to adjust the organization's purpose from a member-benefit society to a group devoted to serving others. Soon after, with timeless wisdom, the Presidents and others that served the national organization drafted the six Objects of Kiwanis International that remain unchanged to this day.

The Objects of Kiwanis International are:

-To give primacy to the human and spiritual rather than to the material values of life.
-To encourage the daily living of the Golden Rule in all human relationships.
-To promote the adoption and the application of higher social, business and professional standards.
-To develop, by precept and example, a more intelligent, aggressive and serviceable citizenship.
-To provide, through Kiwanis Clubs, a practical means to form enduring friendships, to render altruistic service and to build better communities.
-To cooperate in creating and maintaining that sound public opinion and high idealism which makes possible the increase of righteousness, justice, patriotism and good will.