The Tompkinsville Jaycees is a non-profit organization that serves the community: hosting the Monroe County Fair, co-hosting the Watermelon Festival, the Angel Tree and other events as needed. If you are interested in making a difference in your community we invite you to one of our regular meeting nights, 2nd and 4th Monday every month or contact us by private message. The United States Junior Chamber (Jaycees) gives young people over the age of 18 the tools needed to build the bridges of success for themselves in the areas of business development, management skills, individual training, community service, and international connections. For the past 86 years, Jaycees have been a force for good in America and around the world. Jaycees helped establish AirMail services in America with Jaycee Charles Lindbergh, and have raised millions of dollars for causes such as the Muscular Dystrophy Association and the March of Dimes. They have built parks, playgrounds, hospitals, ball fields, and housing for the elderly while conducting service and support programs in thousands of communities nationwide. Jaycees can be found in all walks of life: governmental leaders such as past Presidents Bill Clinton and Gerald Ford, business tycoons such as Domino’s Pizza mogul Tom Monaghan, registered nurse and former Miss America Kaye Lani Rae Rafko-Wilson, sports heroes like basketball great Larry Bird – name the field and Jaycees can be found at the forefront. With the focus of the nation on volunteerism, from the smallest towns to the largest cities, the Jaycees are enlarging areas of opportunity for young people. Members are also encouraged to develop their leadership skills by taking on a position in the managment of the chapter. That leadership development can even be taken further to managing the state, national, and international organization. Although there are numerous benefits to membership in the organization, there are also some concrete and tangible benefits as well. The Junior Chamber organization is: “a constructive action organization of young persons who devote a portion of their time to community service in the public interest, developing young persons as leaders in their communities.” (Taken from The U.S. Junior Chamber Bylaws Manual.) The purpose of the Junior Chamber is: “to promote and foster the growth and development of young persons’ civic organizations in the United States, designed to inculcate (to teach and impress upon) in the individual membership of such organization a spirit of genuine Americanism and civic interest, and to provide them with opportunity for personal development and achievement and an avenue for intelligent participation in the affairs of the community, state, and nation, and to develop true friendship and understanding among young persons of all nations.” (Taken from The U.S. Simply put, the purpose of the local chapter is to become a force for good in the community, determining community needs and providing solutions by planning and facilitating community service projects. In the act of serving, members receive hands-on experience, which translates to the enhancement of personal growth and the development of valuable leadership skills. This is the total Junior Chamber Concept.
