What is a Z Club versus a Golden Z Club?

• A club is either called a Z Club or a Golden Z Club
• Z Clubs are in schools
• Golden Z Clubs are in tertiary institutions
• Both have a Sponsoring Zonta Club and have a teacher or person helping them liaise

Why Z & Golden Clubs?

Z and Golden Z Clubs give young people (male and female) an opportunity to interact and work together with experienced Zonta sponsors to enable Future Leaders to Build a Better Future through Service and Advocacy by:

• Planning, organising, and participating in a range of activities
• Having a positive influence on the world around them
• Supporting community and international service projects
• Developing international awareness
• Learning valuable communication skills and civic leadership experience
• Exploring career alternatives

International History

The first Z Club was started by Dr Elta Pfister, charter president of the Zonta Club of Burbank, in response to a suggestion that she should start a club for girls like the Key Club for boys (sponsored by Kiwanis). The girls were encouraged to follow Zonta’s examples by engaging in community activities. At the time, Zonta International had been encouraging Zonta clubs to advise young women to enter the diplomatic corps and to attend colleges and universities.

To support the organisation of Z Clubs was to demonstrate further effort to promote young women. Growth through service became the motto for the Z Clubs, although it originally began as a Zonta Club motto. Today, the motto for Z Clubs has evolved to: Future Leaders Building a Better World Today through Service and Advocacy.

The first four Z Clubs were organised in southern California, and then the movement began to spread.

New Zealand History

The first Z Club in NZ was formed in Christchurch in 1994 at Avonside Girls’ High School. Today there are seven chartered clubs and one Golden Z Club.

What responsibilities do you have as a Z or Golden Z Club?

Z Clubs are student organisations formed in secondary schools or in the community that are sponsored by a Zonta club. The Zonta club is responsible for:

• Paying the fees for the Z club
• Communicating with the club they are sponsoring
• Providing resources and information to encourage service to the school and community and an international awareness
• Liaising between Zonta International and the Z Club

It is the school, community, and international aspects that make Z Clubs unique to other clubs that you could join.

Young Women In Leadership Award

The progress of women in the last century has dramatically increased the opportunities available to women, yet women’s participation in positions of public influence continues to lag behind. Zonta International believes young women are the key to women’s advancement in the field of public service.
The Young Women in Leadership Awards program recognises young women for their demonstrated leadership skills and commitment to public service and civic causes and encourages them to continue their participation in public and political life.
Since the program’s inception in 1991, Zonta has given 721 awards totalling $621,750 to 629 young women from 51 countries.  District recipients receive $US1,500 and 10 international awards of $US5,000.