COLUMN: Carillon Flashback October 21. 1992 – Steinbach Kinsmen Club calls it quits after 40 years

A steady decline in membership over the past decade was making it more and more difficult to carry out community projects and fundraising, so the Steinbach Kinsmen Club has decided to wind down operations after more than four decades of community service.

The organization of the Steinbach Kinsmen Club was spearheaded by George Derksen, of Derksen Printers, who became the first president of a 16-member club in January of 1951.

Over the years, the Kinsmen have been involved in a variety of major community projects, starting with the connection of waterworks to Bethesda Hospital in the 1950s, to the construction and operation of a Steinbach swimming pool for nearly 20 years. Other well-known Steinbach Kinsmen projects include the Kindale Occupational Centre and Kinsmen Day Nursery.

For many years, the Kinsmen operated the concession booth at the Steinbach Arena in the winter and an outdoor swimming pool on Elmdale Drive in the summer months. The Club was also active in the annual delivery of Christmas hampers.

The Steinbach Kinsmen were also involved in raising money for Cystic Fibrosis research, the Kindale Occupational Centre, Kin Manor, Bethesda Hospital, Kinsmen Day Nursery, Fernwood Place, Backstage and the Canadian Association for Community Living.

Announcing the decision to dissolve the Steinbach Kinsmen Club, the organization took the opportunity to offer a final thanks to the community for 40 years of support.

In July of last year, Steinbach Kinsmen president Kerry Snead and the six-member club, decided to make one last-ditch effort to revive the dwindling membership.

The Manitoba Telephone System construction manager had been club president for two years and a member of the club for eight. He said the membership had slowly been declining over the years, but the enthusiasm of Kinsmen and the support of the community were as strong as ever.

It was difficult to run projects like the annual apple sales in October or telephone book deliveries in the spring with so few bodies, Snead said. The club was financially healthy and still in a position to donate a fair amount of money to local charities.

The latest donation to Bethesda Hospital, for example, involved a $6,500 contribution from the Steinbach Kinettes to supply a $15,000 operating room monitor.

The Kinsmen have also set aside $5,000 to help the Steinbach Fire Department purchase a command vehicle, Snead added.

Grants for 1989-90 included funds for Serving Seniors, minor hockey, a mall-walking program, support of St John’s Ambulance and the Cystic Fibrosis Association, as well as Christmas hampers for area needy families.

Steinbach Kinsmen Club averaged between 18-20 members for many years and about 14 are needed to maintain official status at the district level.

The Kinsmen president felt that though there were always people available whenever help was needed, but many seem to be too busy to make the commitment to join the service club.

Members Gerry Shore at Fairway Ford, Cal Pritchard at the Royal Bank, Greg Schipper at Loewen Windows, self-employed welder and mechanic John Shore, and Ray Barkman at Penner Chev all indicated they would like to take another shot at keeping the Steinbach club afloat.

The situation was re-evaluated at Christmastime last year, and the decision was made to wrap things up in October of 1992.