About Us
Kin Canada – the Association of Kinsmen, Kinette and Kin clubs is proud to be an all-Canadian service organization made up of outstanding community volunteers. From coast to coast, members are enhancing quality of life in their communities by promoting service, fellowship, positive values and national pride. The Association boasts a proud 94-year history dedicated to fostering life-long friendships while 'Serving the Community's Greatest Need.'
Membership – more than 6,800 members belong to 466 Kinsmen, Kinette and Kin clubs from coast to coast. Kinsmen clubs are predominantly male only, while Kinette clubs are predominantly female only. Kin clubs have mixed membership of men and women.
Clubs undertake a wide variety of local fundraising and service projects. Each club operates autonomously when determining how it fundraises and distributes those funds within the local community.
More than $1 billion raised – Every year, Kin clubs contribute millions of dollars to Canadian communities. In fact, Kin members have proudly contributed more than $1 billion to Canadian communities since their Association was founded in 1920.
History – The Association was founded by Harold (Hal) Rogers on Feb. 20, 1920 in Hamilton, Ont. Rogers was 21 and, after returning from the trenches of the First World War, he missed the companionship of the men he had served with. Looking to join a club of sorts, Rogers decided to join Rotary, but his application was rejected because it was Rotary's policy not to admit two members from the same business establishment (his father, with whom Rogers worked, was already a member). As a result of this rejection, Rogers and a small group of men gathered for a dinner meeting and became the first Kinsmen club; the Kinsmen Club of Hamilton.
Association's National Headquarters – Located at 1920 Hal Rogers Dr., in Cambridge, Ont., about 100 km west of Toronto on Hwy. 401. Nine full time staff provide administrative services to 466 Kinsmen, Kinette and Kin clubs. The chief executive officer is Executive Director Grant Ferron.
History of the K-W Kinsmen
The Kitchener-Waterloo Kinsmen have over 65 years of history “Serving the Community’s Greatest Need” in the Kitchener-Waterloo area.
The K-W Kinsmen recognized the need for assistance to the developmentally delayed early on. As a result we started the Kinsmen TV Auction in 1955, to help raise funds for K-W Habilitation Services. The auction which broadcasts on CTV Southwestern Ontario is the longest running TV show of its kind in North America. Items are all donated from local businesses and corporations and have helped the K-W Kinsmen to help this community in a wide variety of ways.
We also raise funds in the community by running a Charity Bingo at Kitchener Charities Bingo hall, and specifically for Cystic Fibrosis through our annual BBQ/Car Wash held every May.
Since the club was chartered K-W Kinsmen have contributed to our community and provided leadership training and education to our members through many projects and fundraisers. Every Christmas our club, along with the K-W Kinettes, delivers Christmas Baskets to 8 needy families in our community. We visit our local mall & shop individually for each family, wrap all the presents, and deliver the baskets just in time for Christmas. Each year a $300.00 bursary is awarded to a student from all the local K-W high schools to a student who is going on to a post-secondary education and has shown leadership in their schools.
Our club also reaches out to our your local community through many service projects, including: Adopt-A-Road program, float drivers for the annual Oktoberfest parade, BBQ’s for Suddaby School & Meadowlane Public School (to name a few) Our involvement in these projects allow you to get to work with other club members, community leaders and the community at large.
Are you a community minded individual who is looking to make a connection with other like-minded members of our community? Do you want to have fun & fellowship. We invite you to join us to find out what Kin is about. Contact our club @ kwkinsmen@gmail.com today!