JAYCEE – Developers of People- Builders of Communities
Graham & Susan Butterworth Ngaio Press $49.95

In its heyday Jaycee was undoubtedly New Zealand’s liveliest service organization with members who were both ‘developers of people’ and ‘builders of communities’. The organisation made an impressive contribution to the social infrastructure of New Zealand after World War II and later. Almost every community has amenities built or aided by the Jaycees.

Over the years I belonged to the Gisborne, Tawa and Napier chapters of Jaycee and we undertook a huge number of worthwhile community activities – creating community parks, painting the roof of a children’s home, building walkways, raising funds for cardiac equipment for the public hospital and a raft of other things. It was a most rewarding experience and even today, many many years later I feel great pride in what we achieved.

The organisation's role in training leaders in politics, local government and business is less well known but many a parliamentarian and mayor learned public speaking and meeting procedure in a Jaycee chapter. And I was one who gained my skills in this area from Jaycee. Public speaking and debating was very much an everyday part of Jaycee activities.
I had the great privilege of being President of the Napier chapter of Jaycee way back in 1969 and was a member for several years of the successful debating team which made it all the way to the National final in 1972.

Jaycee was also an international movement that looked to foster world peace through democracy, trade and international brotherhood. New Zealand Jaycees boxed far above their weight in the international body, taking a strong lead in the Asia-Pacific region. But, like the whole voluntary sector throughout the western world, Jaycee lost ground as new forces in society and the economy invaded its niche. By century’s end the decline in social capital and social cohesion emerged as a worldwide concern. As the New Zealand movement celebrates its 75th anniversary it faces reinventing itself in this new situation.

This readable and well-illustrated book remembers the fun times and the more serious times, while making an important contribution to New Zealand history and the international study of service organisations.

This book is a must-have for all those thousands of former Jaycees out there many of whom will find themselves mentioned as it lists all the winners of the various trophies competed for on an annual basis as well as describing some of the many outstanding projects undertaken. The book is prolifically illustrated with more than 200 photographs.



For me reading it proved quite emotional especially seeing and reading about old friends no longer with us, and also recalling many happy and rewarding occasions particularly those Napier days.

If any former Jaycees have trouble locating this book, (I can’t imagine too many bookshops will be stocking the title although they can order it for you from Ngaio Press), there is a facility for direct purchase from JCI Senators – http://www.ngaiopress.com/jayceeorder.htm

Wellington-based authors Susan and Graham Butterworth are long-established independent professional historians. Susan has been in practice since 1985 and Graham since 1990, after a career in government, university and as executive officer of the Police Association. Their books and papers cover a very wide range of New Zealand history, government and local government, business, community and Maori history.

They have done the Jaycees proud with this title.

Photos show the Napier Jaycee Christiaan Barnard organising committee in 1969, left to right,
John Wade, Tony Reid, Christiaan Barnard, Graham Beattie, Ian Price and 1972 Napier Jaycee President James White with Princess Alexandra. Both of these fabulously successful fund-raising events are covered in the book from where the photographs were taken.