The Yorkton Kinsmen celebrated 100 years as an organization over the weekend, and 75 years in Yorkton. But what did the organization look like back when it began in the city? For the answer we can look back to 1945, when the Kinsmen鈥檚 Charter Night took place in Yorkton. J.D. Clare Thacker, past national President of the Kinsmen Clubs, spoke at the night, which took place at the Yorkton Hotel on March 16, 1945. The Yorkton Enterprise was there, and in the March 22, 1945 edition wrote about what was the city鈥檚 newest service club.
The first president of the Kinsmen in Yorkton was Bill Johnston, who presided over the event with G.B. Grant, then president of the Kinsmen of Regina.
The Kinsmen鈥檚 goal as a service club hasn鈥檛 changed very much in the 75 years since it began in Yorkton. Thacker mentioned their effort to serve 鈥榯he communities鈥� greatest need,鈥� a phrase that remains part of Kin Canada鈥檚 motto to this day. Specific examples cited back in 1945 included sponsoring boys鈥� camps, gym classes, playgrounds, swimming and wading pools, pee-wee hockey, clinics, hospitals and similar efforts. Many of these resemble projects of the modern Yorkton Kinsmen, including sponsoring playground equipment at York Lake and local schools and being the name sponsor of the Yorkton Kinsmen Midget Terriers.
One of the largest projects undertaken by Saskatchewan Kinsmen and Kinette clubs was a long way from existing at the 1945 event. Kinsmen Telemiracle, Saskatchewan鈥檚 annual telethon, which has raised over $134 million for the Kinsmen Foundation of Saskatchewan over its history, didn鈥檛 start until 1977. Money raised at Telemiracle goes to help improve the quality of life for Saskatchewan residents with mobility or cognitive challenges. Examples of projects funded by Telemiracle money include walkers, communication devices, vehicle conversions, power chairs and life chairs and hospital and care home improvements. While it didn鈥檛 exist in 1945, let alone 1920 when the Kinsmen itself was founded, the roots can be seen even back then, as the club proudly spoke about how they supported health care efforts like hospitals and clinics.
The Yorkton club was born in wartime, and that meant that the Kinsmen鈥檚 big fundraising campaign at the time was the Milk for Britain campaign, where milk was being sent overseas to prevent malnutrition in the children of Britain. Hal Rogers, founder of the Kinsmen, declared that the Kinsmen would supply the milk 鈥� even though he was no longer a member, and the organization was still small.
The Yorkton Kinsmen was founded in the middle of the campaign, and Yorkton contributed before they had an official Kinsmen organization. The Rotary Club had contributed $16,000 to the campaign and were thanked at the Kinsmen鈥檚 Charter night. According to the Bank of Canada鈥檚 inflation calculator, that is the equivalent of $243,200 in 2020 dollars.
At the time, the Kinsmen had sent 24,228,120 quarts of milk to Britain, and the campaign would send an estimated 50 million quarts by the end of the campaign in 1948.
There is no longer a need to send milk to Britain, there are still hungry children who need a good meal. The Yorkton Kinsmen has donated funds to The Soup Haven and the Salvation Army Food Bank to help feed local kids who need it.
While the war was ongoing, the Kinsmen also saw the end in sight, and one of their focuses was post-war rehabilitation.
鈥淲e pay tribute tonight to those gallant young men on active service, many of whom are Kinsmen; many of whom have paid the supreme sacrifice in order to preserve our way of living, our freedom, yes, our heritage,鈥� said Thacker.
鈥淲e at home must play our part today for the tomorrow. We must be prepared to welcome home these brave Canadians; welcome them into our clubs and with them play an important part in the post-war world.鈥�
Thacker鈥檚 speech ended with a challenge to the freshly born club.
鈥淚 leave with you tonight this challenge: The challenge to do your share. The challenge to show courage and self reliance. Even though ideals and principals of Kinsmenship are strong, the character of your club can only match that of its members. To aspire to greater attainment we must balance character with action. This will be the undertaking of every member. Let your aims be high, The finger of challenge points to you all. This is the challenge that I give you this evening as we as Kinsmen and as an association go forward into the future.鈥�
