PII HistoryRed Note

How it all began...Our History

In 1965, a summer youth conference at Makinac Island, Michigan, produced a dynamic musical program performed by people from all over the country which became known as Sing Out '65. As they toured the nation promoting their standards of HONESTY, UNSELFISHNESS, CONCERNED LOVE, AND SELF-DISCIPLINE, many local groups were formed and a fresh new movement was born.

Sing Out '65 evolved into the group known today as "Up With People Inc.". Up With People maintained a network of the hundreds of local Sing Outs that had sprung up across the country until 1968. In 1968, Up With People grew too large to continue it's affiliation with the local groups and the National Action Council (NAC) was born. IN 1971, NAC was organized by Sing Out members from across the United States to keep the Sing Outs together, share ideas and maintain lines of communication. IN 1977, NAC changed its name to People International Inc. in order to represent its followers outside the U.S.

Many of our adult members were part of these local Sing Out casts from around the country. They bring with them a wealth of knowledge related to performing, community awareness and leadership. Most importantly, these adult members keep PII strong, with never ending support, guidance, and excitement for the dream of keeping People International Inc. alive for many years to come. A few, have had the pleasure of passing this legacy down, and perform on stage beside their children.

New Member information

If you are reading this right now, you are thinking of becoming a new member of People International Inc. We're so glad you're interested! PII is truly an amazing group, and we're sure you will have a wonderful time at this year's conference.

There are a few things you need to do to become a member. First of all, read through this web site so that you understand all about us and what we do. Second, if you are under the age of 18, you need to make sure your parents understand what PII is about too! So direct them to our site and have them learn about us. Remember, if they don't understand PII, they won't sign your permission slip! Be sure to have them go to our Board of Directors page, and contact an adult member in your area to ask questions, and get more detailed information. Lastly, fill out the request form, to receive the next issue of our newsletter, Lifestyle.

There is a lot of information contained on this site, along with numerous email addresses for our members. Please don't hesitate to get in touch with any of us; we're always looking for new friends!

How to join

Becoming a member of PII is easy. As long as you are 12 years of age or older, you can contact the National Coordinator, and be sure to submit a request for the next newsletter on our Request Form Page. You can also go to our Board of Directors page and contact someone in your area.

Our membership fee is $15 a year, and is INCLUDED in the annual conference fee. There are no other fees for membership. There are also no requirements to fulfill, only a set of rules to follow during conference week. There are no auditions for membership, only for solos in our show. You are not required to audition if you're not interested in a solo.

That's it. It's an amazing group, you just have to trust your gut and come to conference! You won't be sorry.

Parent Information

Dear Parents,

We have tried to provide you with ample information to make an informed decision about sending your child to conference. We know that you want as many details as possible, and that your child's well being is of utmost importance to you. As many of us are parents ourselves (some with our kids performing in the show with us), we understand your concerns and would love to answer any other questions you might have.

You can visit our Rules page to get an idea of what we expect from our membership during conference week. We have a NO TOLERANCE drugs and alcohol policy. We also have a Disciplinary Committee in place during conference week to ensure that these rules are strictly enforced.
Please feel free to email us pii@peopleinternational.org. We will be glad to put you in touch with someone in your area that can call you for a chat! (Sometimes talking to a real person helps.) Last but not least, visit our Testimonials page to hear what real members had to say about the PII experience.