Remaining active through a World War, and now, a global pandemic definitely gives the Ladner-Tsawwassen Kinsmen Club some substantial bragging rights.
The club bloomed from the minds of young Ladner businessmen in 1935, who were looking to create an organization that would not only promote a sense of community among themselves, but also help out the community they were living in.
So, in March of 1936, the group signed on to join the Association of Kinsmen Clubs of Canada.
And with their ideas, skills and efforts put together, they began leading various fundraisers and initiatives to meet Kin Canada’s motto of “serving the community’s greatest need.”
“Our concern now is, how long are we able to keep going?” says Stuart Holmes, the Ladner-Tsawwassen Kinsmen Club’s secretary who joined in 2000.
In the 1950s and 60s, the local Kinsmen Club was at its peak with around 50 members, and currently, they sit at 10 members with most between 60 to 70-years-old.
Holmes worries that the end of serving the community could be in sight if young people don’t get involved again, as the original model of Kin Clubs had them at the helm.
“We believe that [young people] are an important part going forward,” says Holmes.
“We’re all struggling, I think, with how to keep everything relevant.”
However, smaller numbers nor a global pandemic stopped them from holding their Crab and Corn Dinner fundraiser on Valentine’s Day this year, where the Kinsmen delivered 62 dinners throughout Ladner and Tsawwassen.
The Crab and Corn dinner tradition dates back to the 1970s, though originally Steak and Corn, and held the appeal of a social evening amongst friends as well as supporting local causes.
Since their creation, the Ladner-Tsawwassen Kinsmen Club puts their fundraising efforts and “manpower” into local organizations, events, projects and families in need of some extra help.
Whether that is in the form of funding, skills, supplies or a labour force, they have been here for the community and the community has been here for them for 85 years.
Over Holmes’ 20 years of being a Kinsmen, he says the club’s long-running success can be largely accredited to how “close-knit and supportive” the South Delta community is.
“What I’ve also been impressed with here is the combined support that service clubs have had [amongst each other]. They’re not competitive … Everybody is so willing to help,” he adds.
A lot of trading labour back and forth has gone on between the clubs, explains Holmes.
“It’s realizing that if you’re helping each other, nobody is keeping count on ‘how much did you make?’ … It’s been that sort of thing that I’ve found to be impressive.”
The Kinettes Club of Ladner was formed in the 1950s, where wives of Kinsmen joined on to work in community initiatives, but they wound up disbanding in 1993.
Because the Ladner-Tsawwassen Kinsmen Club is currently only men, when Kin Canada switched over to calling mixed-gender clubs “Kin” or “Kinsmen & Kinette” clubs in 1994, they kept their original name.
Despite what it may imply, Holmes assures that anybody and everybody is welcome to join them, and that they would be more than happy to adjust the club’s official name when the time comes.
Being part of service clubs not only offers an opportunity to bridge the “gap” between generations, but by having different ages within them, even more ideas, skills and knowledge can be put toward helping the community, he says.
“Your age only identifies what you can do where there is physical work involved. But in terms of ideas, and looking at what is important, and what needs to be done and how we can do it, you need to use all the skills that are available,” says Holmes.
If you’re interested in joining the Kinsmen Club of Ladner-Tsawwassen, email [email protected], and to stay in the loop about what they’re up to, check out their Facebook page.
