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In 1917, a group of [[Birmingham, Alabama|Birmingham]], [[Alabama]], businessmen were members of the local [[Rotary International|Rotary club]]. Many of the men thought that the club focused too much on increasing the business of club members, so they surrendered their club's charter. Led by [[Courtney Shropshire]], a local doctor, they formed an independent service club named ''Civitan'', derived from the Latin word for ''citizenship''.<ref>{{cite book |last= Armbrester |first= Margaret E. |title= The Civitan Story |year= 1992 |publisher= Ebsco Media |location= Birmingham, AL |pages= 14 }}</ref>
 
The United States entered [[World War I]] just one month after the club formed. With all attention focused on the war, Civitan remained a local organization. Some of the earliest projects the club undertook supported soldiers,<ref>{{cite web | url= http://www.civitan.com/template.php?id=5 | archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20110708161716/http://www.civitan.com/template.php?id=5 | dead-url= yes | archive-date= 2011-07-08 | title= Civitan History and Founders | work= Civitan International Website | date= | accessdate= 2008-05-23 }}{{dead link|date=August 2017 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref> helped European war orphans, and encouraged voter participation through the payment of [[Poll tax (United States)|poll taxes]].<ref>{{cite book |last= Armbrester |first= Margaret E. |title= The Civitan Story |year= 1992 |publisher= Ebsco Media |location= Birmingham, AL |pages= 15 }}</ref>
 
[[Image:12th Civitan Convention with Herbert Hoover.JPG|thumb|right|150px|Herbert Hoover (bottom right) holding a reception for delegates to the 12th Civitan International Convention]] Shropshire envisioned an international organization of Civitan clubs dedicated to serving humanity. The process to incorporate was begun, and the International Association of Civitan Clubs was founded in 1920. In the years immediately following World War I, the organization saw rapid growth. By June 1922 at the second international convention, delegates from 115 clubs attended; there were more than 3,300 Civitans throughout the United States. Service clubs like Civitan were extremely popular, since they promoted the spirit of optimism which characterized much of the [[Roaring Twenties]].
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===Service projects===
[[Image:Civitan Club Banner.jpg|thumb|175px|right|Each club is issued a banner when it is organized. Patches are added to the banner to recognize significant awards, achievements, and milestones.]]On a local level, individual Civitan clubs undertake various service projects which benefit their local communities. Examples of club projects include maintaining a section of highway (the [[Tyler, Texas|Tyler]] Civitan Club was the first to volunteer for the [[Adopt a Highway]] program),<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.dot.state.tx.us/trv/aah/history.htm |title=History |work=Texas Department of Transportation Website |date= |accessdate=2008-05-28 |deadurl=yes |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20080509013903/http://www.dot.state.tx.us/trv/aah/history.htm |archivedate=2008-05-09 |df= }}</ref> promoting the creation of hospitals,<ref>{{cite book |last= Lewis |first= Catherine Heniford |title= Horry County, South Carolina, 1730-1993 |year= 1998 |publisher= Univ of South Carolina Press |pages= 56 | isbn = 1-57003-207-6 }}</ref> honoring community leaders,<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.timesnews.net/community_article.php?id=674 |title=Civitans Honor Local Volunteer |work=Tri-Cities Personal News and Media Center |date=2006-09-18 |accessdate=2008-05-22 |deadurl=yes |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20071013225827/http://www.timesnews.net/community_article.php?id=674 |archivedate=October 13, 2007 }}</ref> supporting local reading programs,<ref>{{cite web | url= http://www.the-dispatch.com/article/20080516/NEWS/805160315/1005/NEWS01 | title= Welcomes | work= The Dispatch | date= 2008-05-16 | accessdate= 2008-05-22 }}</ref> sponsoring children in financial need,<ref>{{cite web | url= http://www.dunndailyrecord.com/main.asp?SectionID=11&SubSectionID=54&ArticleID=96898&TM=39526 | archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20110727095600/http://www.dunndailyrecord.com/main.asp?SectionID=11&SubSectionID=54&ArticleID=96898&TM=39526 | dead-url= yes | archive-date= 2011-07-27 | title= $5,000 Donated Through South Johnston Senior's Project | work= The Daily Record | date= 2008-05-15 | accessdate= 2008-05-22 }}</ref> purchasing playground equipment for developmentally disabled children,<ref>{{cite web | url= http://www.tkmagazine.com/new%20biz%20news/051208_3.html | archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20110717063442/http://www.tkmagazine.com/new%20biz%20news/051208_3.html | dead-url= yes | archive-date= 2011-07-17 | title= Civitan Day Camp Rededication Ceremony and "First Play Day" | work= TK Magazine | date= | accessdate= 2008-05-22 }}{{dead link|date=August 2017 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref> and holding events for developmentally disabled individuals.<ref>{{cite web | url= http://www.newbernsj.com/news/fishing_39372___article.html/hurst_wednesday.html | archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20080509042252/http://www.newbernsj.com/news/fishing_39372___article.html/hurst_wednesday.html | dead-url= yes | archive-date= 2008-05-09 | title= Civitans Host Special Day of Fishing | work= Sun Journal | date= 2008-05-07 | accessdate= 2008-05-22 }}{{dead link|date=August 2017 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref> Clubs operate independently of the international organization or other clubs, leaving them free to participate in whatever service they deem appropriate.
 
===Focus on developmental disabilities===
While individual clubs are free to pursue their own projects, on an international level Civitan is focused on service to the developmentally disabled. This emphasis was adopted in 1956,<ref>{{cite book |last= Leonhart |first= James Chancellor |title= The Fabulous Octogenarian |year= 1962 |publisher= Redwood House, Inc. |location= Baltimore Maryland |pages= 287 }}</ref> with Civitans becoming some of the first to provide special training for teachers of developmentally disabled children.<ref>{{cite book |last= Armbrester |first= Margaret E. |title= The Civitan Story |year= 1992 |publisher= Ebsco Media |location= Birmingham, AL |pages= 74–75 }}</ref>
 
Civitan continues to focus on assisting those with developmental disabilities. In 1990, the Civitan International Research Center was established on the campus of the [[University of Alabama at Birmingham]] with a $20,000,000 grant from the Civitan International Foundation.<ref>{{cite web | url= http://circ-uab.infomedia.com/content.asp?id=98808 | archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20070210043315/http://circ-uab.infomedia.com/content.asp?id=98808 | dead-url= yes | archive-date= 2007-02-10 | title= History | work= UAB Civitan International Research Center website | date= | accessdate= 2008-05-22 }}{{dead link|date=August 2017 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref> The Civitan International Research Center was the first institution of its kind in the United States to be focused solely on the research of developmental disabilities. Medical professionals from all over the world also come to the center for training on developmental disabilities.
 
===Clergy Appreciation Week===
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===Candy Box Project===
The '''Civitan Candy Box Project''', one of Civitan's oldest and most successful fundraising programs, has raised $50,000,000 since its inception in 1976. Civitan volunteers place boxes of mints at businesses in their community, and patrons donate money to take a piece of candy. Volunteers collect the money, keeping some for club service projects and sending the rest to Civitan International for its charitable projects.<ref>{{cite news | last = McCann | first = John | coauthors = | title = Through Civitans, spare change you can believe in | work = | pages = | language = | publisher = The Herald-Sun | date = 12 January 2009 | url = http://heraldsun.southernheadlines.com/durham/4-1068312.cfm? | accessdatearchive-url = 21https://web.archive.org/web/20151018203046/http://heraldsun.southernheadlines.com/durham/4-1068312.cfm? January 2009| }} {{dead-url = yes link| archive-date =December 201618 October 2015 | accessdate = 21 January 2009 }} </ref>
 
===Claxton fruitcake sales===
Civitan's other important fundraiser involves the sale of [[The Claxton Bakery|Claxton Bakery's]] fruitcakes. This partnership began in 1951 when Tampa Civitan club (#0202) member Earl Carver enjoyed the cake so much that he suggested they be sold nationally as a fundraiser.<ref>{{cite web | url= http://www.civitan.com/template.php?id=5 | archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20110708161716/http://www.civitan.com/template.php?id=5 | dead-url= yes | archive-date= 2011-07-08 | title= Civitan History and Founders | work= Civitan International Website | date= | accessdate= 2008-05-27 }}{{dead link|date=August 2017 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref> Each year during the holiday season, local Civitan clubs sell millions of pounds of fruitcake.<ref>{{cite book |last= Armbrester |first= Margaret E. |title= The Civitan Story |year= 1992 |publisher= Ebsco Media |location= Birmingham, AL |pages= 72 }}</ref> The proceeds from these sales benefit Civitan International's work with developmentally disabled persons.
 
==International activities==
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