Our History
In 1949, Edwin Duval, an officer of the Trinidad Chamber of Commerce, while on a business trip to Britain, met with members of the British Junior Chamber who told him about the Junior Chamber Movement.
On his return to Trinidad he met with 21 young men at his office and introduced them to the Trinidad Chamber of Commerce, which was formed in Port of Spain with Vernon Pereira as President and affiliated to the British Junior Chamber of Commerce. The idea began to spread through the Eastern Caribbean, resulting in Grenada, St. Lucia and Dominica forming chapters. In 1957 Conrad O’Brien was instrumental in the inauguration of the Barbados Junior Chamber.
The Junior Chambers of the Eastern Caribbean kept in close association and soon other chapters were established in other territories. In 1959, John Claverie, President of Junior Chamber of Trinidad, and Conrad O’ Brian met Roy Mortimer, the then President of the London Jaycees, who told them about JCI. Following this, Dick Wong and Mark Walker from the Trinidad Council, were elected to attend the JCI World Congress held in Rio de Janeiro later that year.
West Indies Jaycees was thus born in 1960 with Conrad O’Brien serving as its first president, when a delegation comprising members from all of our territories attended the JCI World Congress in Paris and our body gained full membership to JCI.
In 1961 Trinidad played host to the first West Indies Junior Chamber (WIJC) National Conference and later that year Conrad O’Brien became a JCI Vice President. The following year he was elected as a JCI Executive Vice President and the year after that he became the first World President from the West Indies Jaycees.
By 1969 the organization had been completely restructured and made a successful bid to host the 24th World Congress, which was held in Trinidad. Also in that year Delroy J. Ziadie became a JCI Vice President. In 1971 L.A. Roy Banarsee of Jamaica also became a JCI Vice President. The following year he became a JCI Executive Vice President and in 1973 he became World President.
In the 2004, through a re-branding initiative of JCI, WIJC’s official name was changed to Junior Chamber International West Indies (JCIWI).
Now, there are currently eight affiliated islands under the umbrella of JCI WI. They are Antigua, Barbados, Dominica, Guyana, Grenada, St Vincent, Tobago and Port of Spain (Trinidad).
On his return to Trinidad he met with 21 young men at his office and introduced them to the Trinidad Chamber of Commerce, which was formed in Port of Spain with Vernon Pereira as President and affiliated to the British Junior Chamber of Commerce. The idea began to spread through the Eastern Caribbean, resulting in Grenada, St. Lucia and Dominica forming chapters. In 1957 Conrad O’Brien was instrumental in the inauguration of the Barbados Junior Chamber.
The Junior Chambers of the Eastern Caribbean kept in close association and soon other chapters were established in other territories. In 1959, John Claverie, President of Junior Chamber of Trinidad, and Conrad O’ Brian met Roy Mortimer, the then President of the London Jaycees, who told them about JCI. Following this, Dick Wong and Mark Walker from the Trinidad Council, were elected to attend the JCI World Congress held in Rio de Janeiro later that year.
West Indies Jaycees was thus born in 1960 with Conrad O’Brien serving as its first president, when a delegation comprising members from all of our territories attended the JCI World Congress in Paris and our body gained full membership to JCI.
In 1961 Trinidad played host to the first West Indies Junior Chamber (WIJC) National Conference and later that year Conrad O’Brien became a JCI Vice President. The following year he was elected as a JCI Executive Vice President and the year after that he became the first World President from the West Indies Jaycees.
By 1969 the organization had been completely restructured and made a successful bid to host the 24th World Congress, which was held in Trinidad. Also in that year Delroy J. Ziadie became a JCI Vice President. In 1971 L.A. Roy Banarsee of Jamaica also became a JCI Vice President. The following year he became a JCI Executive Vice President and in 1973 he became World President.
In the 2004, through a re-branding initiative of JCI, WIJC’s official name was changed to Junior Chamber International West Indies (JCIWI).
Now, there are currently eight affiliated islands under the umbrella of JCI WI. They are Antigua, Barbados, Dominica, Guyana, Grenada, St Vincent, Tobago and Port of Spain (Trinidad).
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