Rotary Club of Kingston

Organisation

Rotary Club of Kingston

1921-

The first planning meetings for a Rotary Club in Kingston (District 7040, Club #4576, Charter 872) were held in the fall of 1920 at Ross Livingston's Men's Wear store at 75 Brock Street. As soon as 16 candidates were recruited, dinner meetings were held at the Frontenac Hotel on Ontario Street where it was decided to apply for a charter. Charter night was held in April 1921 at the British American Hotel (current site of the Four Points Sheraton). It included delegations from Ottawa (the sponsoring club) and Montreal with a total of 100 Rotarians sitting down for dinner. The following week, Joe Stewart took the chair for the first regular Thursday luncheon meeting that included 18 Rotarians.

In 1923, the newly chartered club began to give Service Above Self with a focus on underprivileged or crippled children. The first fundraising project was sponsorship of a minstrel show put on in Grant Hall by RMC cadets in aid of Dr. Barnardo's Boys, who were orphaned boys from London's streets, brought to Canada to live on farms. This event raised $450.

As well as fundraising and supporting charities, the club meetings provided great fellowship and excellent speakers dealing with a range of topics that concerned the world, Canada and the local community. Membership increased from 21 in 1921 to 40 in 1924. Dues were $20 a year and lunch was 65¢.

In 1930 The Rotary Club, The Kiwanis, and the YMCA purchased 25 acres of land on Eagle Lake and established RKY Camp to help look after the recreational needs of underprivileged children. To this day the camp is jointly owned and supported financially by all three organizations.

In the early 1940s the club set up The Kingston War Service's Salvage Committee and in 1942 was the driving force behind the foundation of the Sea Cadet Corps and provided $6000 for uniforms, rifles and equipment. The Corps was subsequently turned over to the Navy League. In 1947, an association with Easter Seals began when the club sponsored the annual campaign for the Ontario Society for Crippled Children (precursor of the Easter Seal Society). During the 50's, the club started the Rotary Peanut Drive, which has blossomed into a major fundraiser for all three Kingston Rotary clubs.

Over the next several decades, the Rotary Club of Kingston initiated many fundraising projects for this community and on an international level. In the early '60's, Rotarian Ed Church started a $45,000 campaign for the new International Centre at Queen's University. Rotarians helped launched the Easter Seal Telethon in 1983, and it has become one of the most successful in Ontario. The Boys and Girls Club has received tremendous financial support from Rotarians who consider it to be one of their most important ongoing projects. Contributions for emergency aid and hospital beds around the world have made a significant impact in the lives of those who have needed help.

In 1988, Rotary International voted to allow women into Rotary, and Alice McKeown became the Rotary Club of Kingston's first female member. In 1999, Marijke Wilkins served as the first female president. Today, women make up 13 percent of the local membership.

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