The presidents of the Yorkton Kinsmen and Kinettes appeared before the regular meeting of Yorkton Council Monday to have the week of February 14-20 as Kinsmen and Kinette week in the City.
Council was unanimous is supporting the request, and with good reason.
Over the years the Kinsmen, which have a 65-year history in Yorkton, and the recently re-formatted Kinettes have invested money in a number of projects which have benefited the community. The list includes highly recognizable features in the city such as the Kinsmen Arena, Kin Point, the Gloria Hayden Centre, and of course the long-running Telemiracle.
In terms of the famous telethon there has been $3.9 million raised over the years locally, money which supports those with disability needs.
There is no doubt the work of the Kinsmen and Kinettes are important to the community, but both groups are small, with less than 40-members combined in a city of nearly 20,000.
The question for service clubs moving forward is increasingly how to attract members.
Without a strong membership service clubs find it difficult to do the work they have traditionally undertaken.
For a group to make donations to facilities in the city, or to events, or to youth groups, they have to fundraise, and that requires a dedicated membership working on events which range from running food booths at the Yorkton Exhibition, something the local Rotary has done for years, to 'catch and release' events such as the one the Kinettes have planned for early February.
While the Kinsmen and Kinettes are making things work, some have simply vanished from the city over the years.
Jaycee Beach remains in the city, as a sort of recreational testament to the Jaycees, a service club once viable in Yorkton, but now gone.
The Associated Canadian Travellers and United Commercial Travellers joined forces as a fraternal organization in the city, and finally folded as membership declined.
Such losses have to be something of a warning bell for groups such as Elks and Royal Purple, Lions, Kinsmen and Kinettes and others.
Moving forward how to get young people involved in volunteer work which does so much good in the community will be increasingly important in terms of being able to continue the good work such groups are so-well-recognized for.
