by PAUL RAYNER

Two of the community service groups in Boissevain will be celebrating this spring. For one, it will be a look at the past and a glimpse to the future. For the other, it is all about new beginnings.

The Boissevain Lions Club will be celebrating 50 years in the community on Friday, April 13. The actual date for the club receiving its charter is January 15, 1957, but according to celebration chair Helen Latimer, there were different reasons for holding the event back to the spring.

“We usually hold annual celebrations in February,” Latimer explained, “but when we started to plan, we find there are too many people away at that time. April is a bit of a down time, hockey is done and ball hasn’t started yet. Everybody is back from their holidays down south.”

As well, District Governor Roger Poirier is from Flin Flon, and requested the event, which he will attend, be at the same time as others in the region he will be attending. It is close to Wawanesa’s who are also celebrating their 50th, so it works well.

Latimer said the event will include Lion Melanie Beard giving a toast to the charter members and to the future and entertainment from Dorothy Hicks. A past international director, Maynard Rucks from Minnesota will be on hand to speak, and awards will be given out. As well, the local Lions themselves will bringing back some old time routines from the days they held their travel cavalcades.

“It is entertainment the Lions did years and years ago. It always got a few laughs.”

The Boissevain Lions club has a lot of history in fact. Since their start in 1957, they have been involved in any number of community initiatives, some for a long period of time. For example, in their first year, they sponsored the first seniors’ Christmas party, which still goes on today.

In 1959, they started the long running cavalcades, to promote their bingo and car raffle. Latimer said they would pick a theme and travel with their entertainment to different communities, doing short shows to remind people they were holding the bingo, which for a time, was a major part of the Turtle Derby Saturday evening.

They were instrumental in getting the Boissevain Arena built, pledging $20,000 in 1960, and $30,000 more over the years. More donations to other major projects followed - $12,500 to the curling rink, $10,000 to construct the swimming pool, $10,000 to the Association to the Handicapped seniors residence, and $3600 to Tiny Turtle Daycare among them. They twice sponsored the Up with People youth troupe, and twice paired with the UCT to host regional games – one summer, one winter. Improvements to ball diamonds, uniforms for the high school band, collecting used eyeglasses, chartering clubs in Pierson, Deloraine and LaRiviere – the list is endless.

A placemat has been made for use in the celebration, which lists some of these achievements. Latimer said they went through old minutes to find highlights and stresses those used are only some of the work the Lions Club has been involved in in the community.

“There is a lot more we could have put on it, we just highlighted the last 50 years.”

Other Lions clubs have been invited to the celebration of 50 years, and Latimer feels it should be a fun evening. It is important to remember that Miles Phillips is the last of the chartering members still going strong in Boissevain, although Latimer said Del Pringle is still involved in a club in Brandon. She feels celebrating 50 years is important.

“Fifty years is significant,” she explained, “I think it is a milestone in the community to have a club last this long. There has been a considerable amount of money put back into the community. This is a way to recognize past members who had the foresight to start this club. It is important because of 50 years of service to the community and fellowship in the community.”

 

New Kinette Club

For the Kinette Club, May 5 will be a new beginning. The first Kinette Club in Boissevain for more than a decade, it was sponsored by the local Kinsmen. According to charter chairperson Brandt Bessant, the Kinsmen made a motion to pursue it in December. Although they will not receive their charter until May, the Kinettes have been meeting since January. Bessant said this is normal operating procedure.

“It is part of how you constitute a club,” he explained. “You have to learn how to function, learn Kin history. This is what the sponsoring club helps with. People also have to understand if this is something they want to do. There has to be a commitment before you charter.”

At present, there are 16 members, one over the charter minimum. Bessant said the recruitment is continuing successfully.

“It is consistently gaining momentum. They meet, have fun, and they bring in more people. It is always a growing process.”

What might have helped is the end of the old strictures for Kinette membership. At one time, a Kinette had to be married to a Kinsman. As Bessant stated, that is long gone, and like the old Kin age structures limiting regular membership to those under 40, it opens up membership to all and sundry.

The Kinette, although sponsored by the Kinsmen, will be completely autonomous. As Bessant explained, however, the basic Kin concept will be the same.

“The Kin tag line is ‘serving the community’s greatest need’. They will do fund-raisers, have work parties. They have to choose what they want to help with.”

At the same time, there are hopes the two clubs in Boissevain will be able to work together – either with each other’s projects when the instigator club is short of person-power or for bigger ones they start together they would not consider doing alone.

At the May 5 charter night, they will be having a dinner and dance in the Legion.  Dignitaries will be invited to participate, both from within Kin and without. Bessant says the chartering of a new Kin club is significant. In their district, District 2 (Manitoba, NW Ontario and Nunavut), it is the second new club this year. Previously, there had not been a new one for ten years.

“People don’t realize how big this is,” Bessant explained. “This is a big deal. I feel the Kinsmen Club in Boissevain is serving the community’s greatest need by chartering a new club in Boissevain.”