MOOSE JAW — The historic Grant Hall Hotel was filled with nostalgia, laughter, and heartfelt memories as members of the Moose Jaw Kinette Club celebrated 80 years with a recent come and go event reflecting on eight decades of service.
The milestone brought together past, present, and prospective members, alongside local dignitaries including MLA for Moose Jaw Wakamow Megan Patterson and around nine individuals from other Kinette Club locations in the province.
“The Kin is about service and volunteering, but fellowship is also a huge part of it,” said Michelle Duckworth, president of the Moose Jaw Kinette Club. “Getting to just visit and have fun is also a huge part of our organization, so being able to have that be our vibe today is really awesome.”
Duckworth said around 40 individuals attended throughout the day with a relaxed, casual tone.
“We’ve had members of the general public come, which is awesome, and just check us out… Then we’ve had lots of past… ladies who have been in the club back in the ‘60s (to the) ‘90s…,” she noted.
Members explored the history of the Kinette Club in Moose Jaw — a fitting gesture for the anniversary celebration — by sharing several decades’ worth of newspaper clippings, club minutes, and other records from the Moose Jaw Public Library archives.
“We actually have different news articles… all over the tables and yeah, that was really cool that they had all of that,” Duckworth said. “As we were looking through (the archive materials)… it was like, ‘Oh, I had no idea that the Kinettes were part of this.’”
In addition to the Kinette Club founding Meals on Wheels in Moose Jaw and sponsoring several sports teams and other community events, Duckworth shared a few lesser known past projects highlighted by the archives.
“Originally the club started because, across the country, Kinsmen and Kinette Clubs in the ‘40s were doing what they called the ‘Milk for Britain’ campaign because children in Britain had a milk shortage during the war…,” she shared.
The “Milk for Britain” campaign was a significant wartime initiative led by Kin Canada during the Second World War. In response to a radio appeal, founder Harold A. Rogers rallied Kinsmen and Kinettes across Canada to raise funds to purchase powdered milk. By its conclusion, the campaign raised close to $3 million and sent approximately 50 million quarts of milk to Britain.
Duckworth reminisced about a time not that long ago when membership was exclusively open to wives of Kinsmen Club members and the club was limited to an auxiliary role. One of these roles — discovered through the archives — was a time when the Kinettes sold wood flooring to be installed at the Natatorium in Crescent Park.
By the ‘80s, the Kinette Club was a full part of Kin Canada and no longer held the auxiliary designation. Ever since, Kinette Clubs took on an independent role with memberships open to anyone interested in sharing the club’s mission.
The Kinette Club’s 80-year milestone would not be possible without a supportive community. From new memberships to its community fundraising projects, this involvement has been essential, Duckworth noted.
If you’re interested in joining the Moose Jaw Kinette Club, you can reach out at [email protected], by phone at 306-631-1403, or through any of the club’s active social media channels including ‘Moose Jaw Kinette Club’ on Facebook.
All regular club meetings are held on the second Tuesday of the month at the Comfort Inn’s meeting room at 155 Thatcher Drive.
