About the Honolulu Chinese Jaycees

The Honolulu Chinese Jaycees (HCJ) is one of seven chapters in Hawaii, as part of JCI USA and JCI International. We share a mission and set of values to successfully create sustainable impact in a dynamic world, especially according to the JCI Action Framework. With this extensive network, our members have access to conferences, trainings, and specialized resources while having opportunities to be honored for individual and chapter achievements with awards, celebrations, and widespread recognition.

History of the Junior Chamber

Founder Henry Giessenbier founded the Jaycees in 1920 with 3,000 members in St. Louis, Missouri. It was Henry’s vision to provide young people with opportunities which they had little or no access to otherwise attain. He believed that young people could change the world. He was right. In his era, most young men were out of school and working by the age of 15. Their first jobs were most likely the jobs they held throughout their lives. With luck and hard work, some might reach executive positions by their forties.

Giessenbier felt that young men were not receiving the opportunities necessary to develop their skills at a younger age, thus depriving our nation of an important resource, and so he formed the founding ideals of the U.S. Junior Chamber. His theory was simple – to offer leadership opportunities to young people, giving them hands–on experience through serving the community. That concept has never wavered.

Giessenbier saw JCI as an organization that could harness the energy of young leaders to overcome a variety of civic challenges. JCI members would have the opportunity to develop as individuals, contribute to the prosperity of economic infrastructure through entrepreneurship, understand and appreciate the social dynamics that enable community problem-solving and promote goodwill, cooperation and understanding amongst all people. That enduring vision lives on through the organization today.

Fellow Hawaii Chapters

JCI Hawaii consists of seven chapters including HCJ. Each chapter has their own focus on the Jaycee Action Framework and their own Signature Projects (check out HCJ’s here!). These projects include the Filipino Fiesta, Honolulu Megabon, and the Cherry Blossom Festival, just to name a few. Every chapter will lead a different journey, but we all share the same goal of providing young leaders with opportunities to create change. The seven Chapters in Hawaii are:

Filipino Jaycees of Honolulu
Hawaii Kai Jaycees
Honolulu Chinese Jaycees
Honolulu Japanese Junior Chamber of Commerce
JCI Honolulu
JCI Maui
Rising Phoenix Jaycees

Sister Chapters

HCJ has established a Sister Chapter agreement with four other JCI Chapters:

We are proud to have cultivated strong relationships with our four sister chapters across the globe. These partnerships form the backbone of our international collaboration, enabling us to share ideas, foster cross-cultural understanding, and work together to impact communities worldwide.

These partnerships help enrich our members’ experiences and create a more interconnected world. By learning from each other, we strive towards the common goal of creating young leaders and positive change in the communities we serve. As HCJ and JCI continues to grow, we plan on establishing Sister agreements with more Chapters around the world to foster more relationships and expand both our and our sister chapters’ opportunities.

Click on each Chapter below to view their websites: