Club History

 

The Right Honourable John George Diefenbaker was Canada's 13th prime minister. He was prime minister from June 21, 1957 until April 22, 1963. Our club had the honour to host Diefenbaker on April 27, 1977. It was certainly one of our most prestigious guest in the history of our club.

• 1966-67 - Ray Heston-Cook
• 1967-68 - Ken Smith
• 1968-69 - Ken Robinson
• 1969-70 - Ron Andress
• 1970-71 - Roy Sneddon
• 1971-72 - Roy Holloway
• 1972-73 - Bob Flurey
• 1973-74 - Bernie Breen
• 1974-75 - Bill McCreery
• 1975-76 - Gerry Roney
• 1976-77 - Gord Mylks
• 1977-78 - Ben Baker
• 1978-79 - Bill Murray
• 1979-80 - Don Mowatt
• 1980-81 - Ken Jeffery
• 1981-82 - John MacKay
• 1982-83 - Fred Schomberger
• 1983-84 - Lorne Wilson
• 1984-85 - Bud Cross
• 1985-86 - Fred Richmond
• 1986-87 - Jim Harkness
• 1987-88 - Joe Vickers
• 1988-89 - Larry Forster
• 1989-90 - Frank Murphy
• 1990-91 - Howard Bradfield
• 1991-92 - Clay Elston
• 1992-93 - Ian Fraser
• 1993-94 - John Richards
• 1994-95 - Bill Worthy
• 1995-96 - Jim Reid
• 1996-97 - Dave Farrow
• 1997-98 - Tom Duffus
• 1998-99 - Russ Phin
• 1999-2000 - Bob Chippier
• 2000-01 - Ken Casey
• 2001-02 - Bill Bosworth
• 2002-03 - Joan Patterson
• 2003-04 - Dorma Grant
• 2004-05 - Barbara Borjal
• 2005-06 - Bill Murray
• 2006-07 - Heather Ford
• 2007-08 - Roni Fortune
• 2008-09 - Paul Charbonneau
• 2009-10 - Wayne Spalding
• 2010-11 - Anthony Johnson
• 2011-12 - Jitka Satori
• 2012-13 - Murray Matheson
• 2013-14 - Ana Maria Fonseca
• 2014-15 - John Mirski
• 2015-16 - Paul Charbonneau
• 2016-17 - Michael Moore
• 2017-18 - Zulfikar Hemani
• 2018-19 - Aggie Haydock
• 2019-20 - Aggie Haydock
• 2020-21 - Daniel Geleyn
• 2021-22 - Daniel Geleyn
• 2022-23 - Peter Morrin

The First 30 Years - 1966-1996

A Brief History of the

Rotary Club of Kingston-Frontenac

Celebrating Thirty Years of "Service Above Self’

Chartered May 4, 1966

May 29, 1996

FOREWORD

To help commemorate this special event we have compiled this very brief history of the Club and supplemented it with a few selected pictures and mementos from Club activities over the years.

It is impossible however, to condense thirty years of Club history into a few written pages and a few pictures without having to omit so many of the things that represent the true character of the Club and its contribution to both the world and local communities. May that character and spirit of "Service Above Self" shine forth in our celebration this evening.

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

On behalf of myself and the Kingston-Frontenac Rotary Club I would like to thank all the Club members who helped in so many ways in the compilation of this historical record. Their assistance in providing archival records, and adding personal comments on the early days of the Club were of immeasurable value in my attempt to capture the "spirit" of the Club over the years. Special thanks to Bryan Smith of DuPont Canada Inc. and to fellow Rotarian Gord Lindsay for helping with the formatting and the laser printing.

Charter Members, Joe Watts, Roy Ford, Bernie Breen and early Past-President Roy Holloway also provided assistance in reviewing the drafts and adding personal comments which did so much to make my task not only possible but also very enjoyable. However, I must assume sole responsibility for any errors or omissions which may have occurred in my attempts to condense thirty years of history into such an abbreviated document.

Clay Elston

Club Historian May 1996

THE FOUNDING OF THE

KINGSTON-FRONTENAC ROTARY CLUB

In the middle sixties, Rotarians from District 7040 and the Kingston Rotary Club realized that the time was ripe to expand the outreach of Rotary in the greater Kingston Area. They felt that a new Club, meeting in the evening, would be a logical extension to the activities of Rotary in this area. Strongly supporting this expansion of Rotary to Kingston Township were District Governor Doug Warner, Kingston Rotary Club President Bruce Jackson and Kingston Club member Bill Westlake. On our display board this evening we have the original letter that Doug Warner wrote to Bill Westlake in January 1966 regarding the new Club. An excerpt from this letter is given below since it expresses so very nicely the enthusiasm that Doug felt at this happy event.

".....Congratulations you old salesman I knew you would come through! It must have given you a wonderful thrill and I know the majority of your members will be most thrilled with the outcome.

I have just mailed Bruce a set of forms regarding the "Territorial Limits" that you and your secretary, Robert Hamilton must complete, sign and send to R.I.

Please extend my hearty congratulations to the men in your new Club......"

Rotarian Bill Westlake, of the Kingston Rotary Club, was indeed . the prime mover in the formation of the Kingston-Frontenac Rotary Club and through his efforts a select group of twenty five, new "Rotarians" were recruited to form the nucleus of the club. In the preliminary organizational meetings, Ray Heston Cook, a Kingston Township dentist was elected President and Ken Smith was elected Vice-President. Royd Sneddon was Secretary, Jack Bailey was Treasurer, and the first Club Directors were Ken Robinson, Jerry Stevens, Roy Ford, Neil Chamberlain and Bernie Breen.

The new Kingston-Frontenac Rotarians held their first "official" meeting on February 23, 1966. On March 23rd, 1966 the first issue of the Club Bulletin made its appearance and the Club had chosen the then "fashionable" Prokops Steak House on Bath Road as their weekly meeting place. A copy of the first Club Bulletin is on our display board this evening.

The fledgling Club held its official Charter Night on Wednesday, May 4, 1966 in a gala event at the La Salle Hotel (now the La Salle Mews) on Bagot Street. A copy of the Program for the Charter Presentation is on the Display Board and this program also gives the names of the Charter Members of the Club.

Of the original Charter Members from thirty years ago, three are still residing in the Kingston Area and continue to play a very active and guiding role in the Club today. Currently, this select group of Kingston-Frontenac Rotarians is composed of Bernie Breen, Roy Ford, and Joe Watts.

Charlie Mooney, another Charter Member, just recently passed away and it is our deep regret that Charlie is not present to celebrate this anniversary with us.

When Prokop's was closed a few years later the Club moved to the Cataraqui Golf Club for a short period but were again forced to move when that building was damaged by fire. Cataraqui was followed by short stays at the Kingston Yacht Club, the Amherstview Golf Club, the La Salle Motel, and then a fairly long stint at "Our Place" on Bath Road (subsequently Zorba's and now Amorela's) until Our Place decided to limit their restaurant services and we happily moved to our present location at the Ambassador in the early 80's.

The Club Archives include some pictures and other mementos of the early Club meetings and the many social and fund raising activities, which from the beginning, were the hallmark of the Club and led to a very close fellowship between the members. The fact that the Club met in the evening, when the members were only too happy to relax after a busy day at work was probably the main catalyst which allowed the members to stay after the "official" Club meeting was over, get to know each other on a more personal basis, have an extra pint of ale or engage in a spirited game of cards. There are few Clubs in Rotary which can equal the good fellowship which was the hallmark of the early days of the Kingston-Frontenac Club and which continues as a Club tradition today.

From the original 25 charter members, the Club prospered and by the late 1970's had about fifty seven active members, Due to business transfers and retirements the Club experienced a drop of membership in the mid-eighties and early nineties but we are now in a more active growth period and we currently have about forty four members. In 1995 we finally gave up our all male status when the first of our four women members were inducted into the Club. It was a move long overdue and it has done much to strengthen the club and our ability to serve the true objects of Rotary.

AVENUES OF SERVICE

Over the course of its history the Kingston-Frontenac Rotary Club has had an important and far-reaching impact on the life of our local community and in countries around the world.

It is not our intention in this short Club history to list all the individual projects undertaken in the last thirty years but rather to discuss only broad areas where our Club has been active.

COMMUNITY SERVICE

Community Service has traditionally been one of the principal avenues of service for the Kingston-Frontenac Rotary Club and it has spanned many diverse areas.

One of the main, on-going community projects over the last 28 years has been our strong support for seniors at the Fairmount Home. In addition to our monthly entertainment program, mentioned below, we have also donated about $35,000 for a number of capital projects. These have included a well appointed hot tub area with special facilities for the disabled, a bus for the handicapped and two large gazebo's for the outdoor park area of the Home.

Another extremely rewarding involvement at Fairmount has been the musical concerts and bingos which we sponsor at the Home on a monthly basis. This provides one of the main areas of entertainment for the residents. In addition to the monthly concerts, the Club also hosts the annual Fairmount Christmas Party where a Club member plays the role of Santa Claus and the Club provides a personal gift for all the residents. Prime movers in this area over the years have been Eric Truman, Joe Watts, Charlie Mooney and Joe Vickers. Eric has long carried the main organizational role in this very successful program and deserves recognition for a job well done! It is hoped that this fine program will be continued in the years to come.

Our aid to the handicapped and underprivileged over the years has also given the club a strong sense of purpose in the community. A very successful community event in the late 60's and early 70's was the annual Fishing Derby for mentally challenged children. For this event the fish "took over" the swimming pool at Roy Ford's Green Acres Motel. It was always very well received and the kids enjoyed it immensely. Our display table tonight includes a Whig Standard report on this project and a picture of the fishermen and hosts in action.

Among other capital projects which were community and youth oriented were the grants the Club made in the late 1960's and early 1970's to help with fund raising for the building of "Centre 70" at the corner of Days and Front Rds. In March 1973, another grant was made to Kingston Township in order to equip the kitchen at their new Cataraqui Community Centre. These grants were followed a few years later by others which provided funds for installation of timing clocks (about $15,000) at Centre 70 and at the Ernestown arena. Our archives also tell of the major grant we made for a physiotherapist education project at K.G.H., and of a major grant to St. Mary's of the Lake Hospital to help with the equipping of their Minor Surgery room. .

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The Centre '70 project was highlighted in July of 1970 when the Club sponsored a gala picnic at the Kingston Airport. It was called a "Thank You Day" to honour all the residents of the Township for their support in fund raising for the new recreation centre, now called Centre '70. It was a day long festivity and featured a wide range of activities from sky diving to marching bands- with hot dogs and soft drinks for only 5 cents each! The Whig Standard article about the picnic and a picture of the event are also on our display table.

A more recent, and particularly moving experience was the aid -our Club was able to give to a teenage boy of very limited financial means who had a severe dental and jaw problem. Our Club arranged with an orthodontist (for $6000) to correct his dental and appearance problems and in this way we were able to change the course of this young man's life. When he spoke to our Club after the surgery all the members felt great pride in this small humanitarian gesture which meant so much to him and his family.

On our display board we included a copy of the program for the Oldtimers' Hockey game the Club sponsored in 1970 for the Centre 70 project and the Church Athletic League. We have put tabs on two pages which you should find especially interesting- a message from Ron Andress, the Club president that year and a note about the Club's own hockey player, Joe Watts.

In 1977, an International Plowing Match was held in the Kingston area and again the Club was front and centre in the eyes and hearts of local residents when the Club volunteered to operate a refreshment booth. Due to the incessant rains the grounds were a sea of mud - but I understand the refreshment booth was a welcome haven where the foot weary visitors could get a welcome smile, and a joke or two about the weather as well as nourishment for the body.

On an annual basis the Club has provided monetary awards for deserving students in the Township High Schools and also support local students in Rotary District programs such as Adventures in Citizenship and RYLA (Rotary Youth Leadership Award). These programs fall into the Vocational Service area and are discussed in further detail in that section.

One of our most satisfying projects over the years has been our contribution to the establishment of Rotary Park. This major project was initiated in the late 1970's when through the efforts of the Club members we were able to transform a vacant piece of land in the Township into a park which will be a lasting source of enjoyment to the residents not only of the Township but to all the people of the greater Kingston area. This project focused the activities of the Club for a number of years and involved not only lengthy negotiations with Government agencies and a heavy financial commitment of our limited resources but also the sweat and hard physical effort of all the Club members in clearing the land of surplus trees and bushes, building the graveled walkways, laying the sod and clearing the beach area of accumulated debris etc. Since the land was our "private" property during the several years of the planning and construction period we also were able to have a pint of ale and many hours of good fellowship without running afoul of government liquor laws!

Although all the Club members contributed to the success of the venture, special mention should be made of the efforts of Martin Reid, Joe Watts, Bliss Kelly and Ken Jeffery. Martin was one of the driving forces behind the Club undertaking and completing the project and a plaque in his honour is set in the fireplace of the Park pavilion. Joe Watts was Park Project Chairman throughout the planning and construction phases and acted as an "on site" foreman during the construction itself. Bliss Kelly was his right hand man and he and Joe were on site for countless hours during the construction period in order to ensure that things were proceeding on schedule.

Ken Jeffery was also a key player in the Rotary Park project. When Ken Jeffery became Club President in 1980 the Park was at the critical "fish or cut bait" stage. Through Ken's strong leadership, final details were ironed out, interim financing was arranged with Don Mowatt's help and Joe Watts was authorized to proceed full tilt with the final site preparation and construction phases of the project. Such items included design and construction of the pavilion, ordering and installation of the play equipment etc. Ken never asked the members to do anything he wasn't prepared to do himself - so he personally laid a lot of sod!

The official opening was held on June 18, 1981, and was indeed a gala affair! Thanks to Club member Tony Doherty, it was highlighted by the presence of Wintario, who held one of their weekly draws in the Park. It was an enthusiastic crowd of dignitaries and area residents who knew they had a fine new park even if they weren't lucky enough to become millionaires in the bargain. To add to the festivities the Club had set up a beer tent for the adults and provided hot dogs, hamburgers, ice cream and other goodies for the children. The sweet smell of success was in the air that day and long into the evening! Some pictorial mementos of this historic occasion are on the display board.

In the years immediately following the opening, Rotary Park was the site of annual community picnics hosted by the Club. A highlight of the picnics was the Bathtub races in which local dignitaries and guests from out of town raced their high speed tubs around the designated course in Collins Bay. Flora Macdonald was almost convinced to give up her day job and take up boat racing! Scenes from some of these races are also included on the display board.

In total, the Club successfully raised about $125,000 for the completion of Rotary Park. These funds included those directly contributed from the Club as well as matching grants from agencies such as Wintario.

During these years the Club was also involved fairly extensively in a number of other community related activities. Pancake breakfasts were the order of the day and in 1980 the Club sponsored a float in the Xmas parade with the Gadabout choir onboard.

Cooperating with other organizations to raise money for charity has also been a facet of our community involvement over the years. The Club has made strong commitments every year to such events as the Easter Seal Telethon and the

Salvation Army Blitz Night and their Xmas Kettle fund raiser. Although a number of Rotary Clubs in the area participated in the annual Easter Seal Telethon, the Kingston-Frontenac Club played a key role thanks to the dedicated efforts of a number of Club members. Bernie Breen for example, served in the very important role of Chairman of the Corporate Donations Committee in 1983. Bud Cross was our long-standing member on the Telethon organizing committee and with the help of many other volunteers from the ranks of our Club the team always did a superb job. Each year, our share of the moneys raised has been donated to Camp Merrywood, a camp for crippled children in the Kingston area. .

In our youth support activities the Club also played a key role in providing major organizational funds for Kairos, a local educational and support group dedicated to helping young people escape from the downward spiral of drug abuse. Former Club member Herb Weber was a major player in this program. .

In 1991 the Township of Kingston awarded the Kingston-Frontenac Rotary Club a Civic Award for "Outstanding Contribution to the Community"

INTERNATIONAL AND ROTARY SERVICE

Although the Club's main avenue of service has traditionally been community oriented, especially toward seniors and youth, there has also been a strong commitment to International and Rotary Service.

In 1971, Royd Sneddon and Roy Holloway headed a high spirited Club delegation to the District Convention in Lake Placid and with much hoopla and fanfare made a successful bid to act as hosts for the 1973 District Convention. The Convention was held on Queens' campus and Past-President Ken Robinson was

Conference Chairman. Over 400 Rotarians and spouses attended the Conference and the event was a great success. The following is an excerpt from the District Governor's letter to the Club following the Convention and was addressed to Bernie Breen who was then Club President.

"The Album of Remembrance which was presented to me by Past-President Ken, on behalf of the Committee will always remind me of the finest Conference I have ever had the opportunity to attend - thanks to the Kingston Frontenac Rotary Club. All of you will always be my very warm and cherished friends."

In 1988, when Allan Wale of the Kingston Rotary Club was District Governor, Kingston was again the site of the District Conference. Although the Kingston Club was the official host on this occasion, our Club played strong supporting roles on the organizing and working committees.

International has involved four main avenues of service. The first is the direct Club support of various projects in the third world.

A classic example was our on going support over many years of Father Petrin's mission in India. Every year he would write the Club a letter and fill us in on his situation. Other activities in the third world and in developing countries included our donation to a community in Ghana to give them the capital resources to build a well. Through initiatives of this type we were able to triple the capital grant by matching donations from Rotary International and CIDA (Canadian International Development Agency). Other projects of this type include our assistance in building a library in Columbia, in digging a community well and supporting services for a village in Columbia and in assisting in the construction of a water purification system in Harre, Zimbabwe. In this area of service, "Mr. Rotary", Joe Vickers was very active and dedicated. He served on International Service committees at the District level for a number of years and made a strong contribution in this and related areas.

More recently, Gord Lindsay has grasped the torch and has been instrumental in spearheading Club projects for providing beds to a needy hospital in Jamaica and for arranging for a large shipment of children's books to needy children in that area. Gord is also a multiple winner of the Rotarian of the Year Award, having achieved this honour in 1988 and again in 1994.

In a somewhat grander scale we take pride in the fact that we were a strong contributor to the Rotary International Program of "Polio Plus" which raised several hundred million dollars to fund the immunization of children against polio in less developed countries around the world. This world-wide program has been a great success and something which all Rotarians are justly proud. Our Club contributed $18,000 to this initiative and received commendation from the District for our strong support.

The second avenue of International Service supported strongly by our Club has been in the area of Rotary Ambassadorial Fellowships. Joe Vickers was active in this area for many years, served on District Selection Committees and personally hosted a number of foreign students studying in the Kingston area. Like Joe Vickers, Fred Richmond has also been very active in this area of service for a number of years and serves currently as our Club representative on the District Selection Committee. Each year, our District sends at least one, and often two or three university students abroad for study and during that time many foreign students have studied in Canada at various District universities. Many of these students have chosen Queen's University in Kingston as their place of study so that our Club has had the privilege of meeting these students on a personal basis during their stay in Kingston. Fred Richmond has personally hosted two of these students while they were studying at Queen's. Both Joe and Fred deserve a sincere commendation for their dedication to this important area of Rotary service. In addition, Fred also maintains his record of perfect attendance at weekly Rotary meetings, is a Paul Harris Fellow and has received the Rotarian of the Year Award in 1987 and again in 1990. Well done Fred!

Group Study Exchange can be considered the third area of International Service and over the years our Club, in cooperation with the other Rotary Clubs in Kingston, have been hosts for a number of Group Study Groups. This chance to share our city, our Rotary Club meetings and our homes with young business people from other parts of the world has indeed been very rewarding and does much to strengthen our appreciation of the "global village" and the awards to be realized by the sharing of talents on a world-wide basis.

Our fourth avenue of International Service is the Student Exchange Program and our Club is preeminent in our District for our commitment to this area of service. Our direct involvement in the Student Exchange Program got underway in the late eighties under the Presidency of Larry Forster. A nucleus of dedicated members, Larry Forster, Joe Watts, Joe Vickers, Jim Harkness, Jack Chong, Fred Richmond, Gerry Brake and Arnie Chestnut were some of the key participants in the program and with strong Club support we have sent about eight students abroad and received an equal number in Kingston. In 1991 Jack Chong received our Rotarian of the Year Award for his outstanding contribution in this area. This exchange program has been an extremely rewarding one for the Club and one in which we take great pride. Each year, our exchange student becomes an adopted son/daughter not only to the host families but to other members as well. It is a special occasion for everyone on the nights that our exchange student shares a Rotary meeting with us and we get to know them personally. It is hoped that other members will continue the tradition of serving as host families and we will be able to continue the program in the years to come.

In addition to the Student Exchange Program mentioned above, several Club members have actively participated in the District sponsored Summer Student Exchange. In this program, groups of students from various countries spent their summers in Canada as hosts of various families in the District. Roy Holloway, Don David and Howard Bradfield were key contributors in this avenue of service.

VOCATIONAL SERVICE

Although Vocational Service has not been a major thrust in our Club we have maintained a continuing commitment in this area.

We have for a number of years maintained scholarships at the local high schools in order to reward academic and overall excellence in student achievement and in recent years the number and value of these awards have been increased. A Club member traditionally attends the awards ceremony at each school in order to meet the award winner and to extend our congratulations on their achievement. These awards are very well received by both the teaching staff and the students. Over the years we have also participated in Careers Day at the local high schools.

In recent years a number of District and national programs for student development have been developed and our Club has participated in a number of these programs. The Rotary Youth Leadership Award (RYLA), held at various District sites for a week each spring has been very well received and hearing our candidate report to our Club about their week of leadership training is always very inspiring.

Other programs that we have been sending a local student to are Adventures in Citizenship and Adventures in Technology. These programs, held in Ottawa, present an excellent opportunity to see how government and technology actually work and to meet other students from across the country and to share discussions with them.

CLUB SERVICE

Although Club Service is involved in almost every aspect of Club activities it is probably most recognized for four things, membership development, Club programs and special events, and the publication of the Rota Teller. The writing and publication of the Club bulletin, The Rota Teller, is a separate entity within the broad framework of Club Service and merits special mention. Editing the Rota Teller is a very time consuming, "labour of love" which represents the extremely critical bond which holds the members together and keeps us informed of Club activities. Major contributions in this area were made by Gerry Roney, Fred Schonberger, Larry Forster, Bud Cross, Bill Murray, Fred Richmond, Lou Orbane, Gord Mylks, Gord Lindsay and our current editor, Don Hart. Without the exceptional contributions and talents of the many full and part-time Rota Teller Editors throughout the years our Club would not exist. These dedicated Bulletin Editors deserve our most heartfelt appreciation for a job well done.

Membership development has already been referred to under the earlier section of Club history and we are currently "on a roll" with respect to increasing the number of active club members, both men and women. We have every reason to believe that we will again raise Club membership to the fifty - sixty member level in the not too distant future.

Over the years our Club has worked hard to make our programs both interesting and informative and the overall mix of guest speakers has been excellent. We get a chance to hear people from all walks of life give us the inside track on matters of community and national interest. In the early days of the Club they had the pleasure to hear that great orator, John Diefenbaker address a special meeting of the Club. No matter what your political persuasion, old John had the ability to keep you entertained.

Entertainment does not always come from outside however. Over the years, our Sergeants-At-Arms have contributed greatly to the overall good spirit of the Club. In the category of being highly dedicated Rotarians and having a great sense of humour we have two long-service nominees for Oscars, Roy Holloway and Bill Murray. You have made it fun guys! Bill also sets a record for his service to the Club, having achieved the Rotarian of The Year award no fewer than four times.

Another dependable source of entertainment over the years has been our Club sing song. Eric Truman and charter member, Joe Watts along with the ad hoc K-F Choir have been the main source of our musical frivolity and it always makes the evening a bit more fun when they are on deck.

As mentioned earlier, a dedication to Rotary, good fellowship and a predilection for high jinks were always the hallmarks of the Club. Over the years, the installation of the new President and his Directors at the end of June has always been a time of great merriment as well as a time of reflection over the accomplishments of the past year and plans for the future. Traditionally, the "out with the old and in with the new" celebration has been orchestrated by the Past Presidents and it has taken as many different forms as there are past presidents. It is always entertaining and hilarious although some years must take an "Oscar" for originality, humor and careful planning. Apparently, in 1971, when Roy Holloway was inducted as President, and Royd Sneddon was being "disposed of" they had a mini parade, starting at their meeting place at Prokops, and then proceeding to the neighboring Frontenac Mall where they made a grand loop before returning to Prokops. There was a marching pipe band no less, with good old incoming President Roy and outgoing President Royd sitting in the back seat of a convertible amidst a bevy of pretty young women. Some fellows have all the luck!

On our display board there is a picture of esteemed President Roy in the convertible - but regretfully it is impossible to capture on film the spontaneity of the moment and the good natured heckling of his fellow Rotarians. We don't have the space to relate the details of the other 29 inductions but if you want a good laugh some time ask a Past President about his coming and going from Presidential life!

In the special events department, the Kingston-Frontenac Rotary Club has traditionally been second to none. From the founding days of the Club the social and entertainment pattern was soon established and the Club bulletins over the years make reference to the good times enjoyed at the various Club functions. In the summerime, the early Club bulletins refer to the fun and good fellowship enjoyed by the members and their partners at the annual golf tournament, the annual joint barbecue with the Alexandria Bay Club at the Rift Camp, and Club barbecues at Rotary Park and at various members homes or on some of the islands in the area. For many years, a highlight of the summer season was the barbecue Ken and Jean Smith's cottage at Buck Lake.

From the earliest days of the Club, entries in the Club Bulletin during the winter season refer to many annual events enjoyed by members and their partners.

In large measure, most of these events have been carried on, although sometimes in somewhat modified form. These differences sometimes reflect changes in the attitudes and interests of the Club members themselves and in other instances they also reflect changes in society as a whole. In the 60's, 70's and 80's dancing to a live orchestra was the "in thing" to do when you wanted to have a real bash and a rollicking good time and the Club enjoyed it to the hilt. In the golden days of the CFL the Grey Cup game was always an occasion for the members and their partners to get together for a great afternoon.

WAYS AND MEANS

One of the first challenges of the fledgling Kingston-Frontenac Rotary Club was to develop sources of income in order to meet their Rotary obligations to the community and abroad.

The sale of Rotary Peanuts, Xmas bouquets, raffle tickets and sponsorship of special events was soon supplemented by the novel idea. of a "Strike it Rich" night in 1971. The latter idea, the brainchild of Past-President Ken Robinson, turned out to be a winner and it still remains as a major source of Club funds.

In 1979-80, at the time of our Rotary Park project the Club had a significant debt to retire but this obligation was eased very considerably when the Ways and Means Director, Don Harrison got us a spot on the newly opened Bingo Palace on Gardiners Road. Like the Strike it Rich venture this turned out to be a winner and continues to this day as a very good source of income.

In recent years, thanks to Lorne Wilson's cooperation, the Club has been able to sell Nevada tickets at his Rendezvous Coffee Houses and Oscar's Delis and this has provided us with a further source of funds.

The years to come will provide further challenges in fund raising but with the dedicated efforts of all Club members we have every reason to be confident that we will meet and expand our ongoing commitments to all the Rotary Avenues of Service.

ERLE ALLAN TRUST FUND

THE KINGSTON-FRONTENAC ROTARY ANNES

From the founding of the Kingston-Frontenac Rotary Club until the late 80's the wives of the Club members played a very important role as members of the Kingston-Frontenac Rotary Annes. The Rotary Annes supported and extended the community outreach and the social aspects of the Club in many very important ways. Their own meetings were held monthly and provided them an opportunity to plan their charitable activities and to get to know each other on a more personal basis.

Over the years their dedicated efforts provided significant contributions to a very wide variety of community and other projects. Examples of some of their projects were the annual Salvation Army Christmas Baskets, donations to Interval House, Hospice Kingston, The Food Bank, Palliative Care, Hemophilia Program, Gifts for Fairmount, the Adult Literacy Program, and the decorating of a sitting room at the KGH Blood Clinic.

The Rotary Annes also organized Xmas concerts and social events etc. both in support of their own projects and in conjunction with the Club activities. One of their major fund raising projects was the compilation and publishing of "Rotary Annes Favourite Recipes" during the presidency of Betty Jeffery in 1981. This attractive and popular book was lavishly illustrated with artistic designs by former Club member the late Fred Schonberger. Proceeds of this project were donated to help finance Rotaty Park.

The support given to the Club and to the community by the Rotary Annes is greatly missed and they should be justifiably proud of their many projects over the years. To help fill this void and keep partners as fully involved in Rotary as possible the Club has further increased the number of Club events where partners are invited to join the members in the evening's program.

The Last 25 Years - 1996-2021

A Brief History of the

Rotary Club of Kingston-Frontenac

Celebrating the next Twenty-FiveYears of "Service Above Self’

Chartered May 4, 1966

May 6, 2021

FOREWORD

The history project began in late 2020 as the world was deep into Covid 19 and I had moved from Kingston to Toronto. felt that the 30 year history compiled by the late Clay Elston needed to be updated especially in view of the Kingston Rotary Club Centennial Celebration starting July 1st, 2020 and ending July 1st, 2021.

My intent was to follow the format of the initial history and add 25 years of activity so that it would not be lost. Articles written for The Kingston Whig Standard have been most helpful and Bulletins and Rota Tellers supplied by Gord Lindsay, Jim Reid and Fred Richmond have provided a deeper reflection into the workings of the club. Additional discussions with other club members as well as senators Bernie Breen, Gord Lindsay, Jim Reid, Jack Chong, Russ Phin, Heather Ford and Fred Richmond proved very valuable for accuracy and completeness.

General History

Our club is guided by the Rotary Motto 'Service Above Self' which was finally adopted by Rotary International in 2010 after many revisions in 1950, 1989 and 2004.

We continue to recognize the 4 Objects of Rotary; The 4 Way Test and the Rotarian Code of Conduct as we focus on the 7 Causes we support.

In researching the history project it became evident the success of the club has always been a robust, involved and dedicated membership which provided leadership to the many fund raising and service projects in the community.

Since 1996 the Kingston Frontenac Club has seen the Kingston Waterfront Club started in July 2011 as a satellite to the Kingston Cataraqui Club and became a full fledged club in 2015.

In addition the Rotaract Queen's Club was developed by the Kingston Club in 1993 as well as the Rotaract Community Club in 2020.

All 4 Kingston clubs continue to work with the two Rotaract clubs as well as Rotary area clubs in Napanee and Gananoque.

Over the 56 years there have been 52 presidents (8 are still active in the club) .

Joan Patterson 2002-'03 was the first woman president and was followed by 7 other women.

4 members have served 2 terms as president: Bill Murray, Paul Charbonneau, Aggie Haydock and

Daniel Geleyn. It is noteworthy that Larry Foster and Zully Hemani also served as presidents in other Rotary clubs.

Kingston-Frontenac List of Club Senators

Member                                  Years of Service in 2021                         Club President

Bernie Breen*                                          55                                                    73-74

Gord Lindsay                                          44                                                       -

Fred Richmond**                                   42                                                      85-86

Jack Chong                                             36                                                      -

Jim Reid                                                   34                                                      95-96

Russ Phin                                                 28                                                      98-99

Heather Ford                                           26                                                       06-07

* Charter Member, 1966

** Perfect Attendance

The following are a few dates noteworthy for the club.

2007 August : Rotary Anns celebrate their 80^th anniversary

2008 From 1990 - 2008 Bulletin Editor Gord Lindsay added editorials on club excellence that helped Guide the club

2010 June: Rotary International Conference held in Montreal

2017 August : In 2017 the Kingston Frontenac Senators were celebrated.

Bill Murray, former president '78-'79 and brother-in-law of Bernie Breen left the club after

40 years of membership and great service.

Zully Hemani president of the club organized WORLD PARTNERSHIP WALK in Kingston for the Aga Khan Foundation and raised $21,000.

2018 Joan Patterson leaves the club to go to B.C. after 21 years in Rotary (19 with KF) and Paul Harris Fellowship Awards (5)

2020 December: The club celebrates Tony Doherty' s 90^th birthday via Zoom singing 'Happy Birthday "

2021 January 6: U.S. Congress attacked by mob.

April: Holger Knaack Rotary International President commented " Rotary' s leadership is united in stating that Rotary does not tolerate speech or behaviour that promotes bias, discrimination, prejudice , or hatred because of age, ethnicity, race , colour, abilities, religion, socio-economic status, culture , sex, sexual orientation , or gender identity . There is no place within Rotary for racism, homophobia, transphobia, sexism, classism or ageism. We do not believe that this is a political stance and we do believe that we should openly discuss these issues within our organization."

In 1988 Rotary International voted to allow women into Rotary. Seven year s later in November 1994 the first women joined our club: Cynthia Ormsby, Kim Bridgeman , Jennifer Browne and Diana Davies. Seven years late r in 2002-3 Joan Patterson became the first woman president of the club. Since that date 7 more women have become president and women now make up 40% of club membership.

In 1917-18 Dr. Pidgeon from Winnipeg was the first Canadian president of Rotary International.

In 2022, July 1^st Jennifer Jones from Windsor-Roseland Rotary Club in Windsor, Ontario will become the first woman to become President of Rotary International - also a Canadian.

In June 2000 Fred Richmond received the new Rotary International Award for outstanding service in the 4 Avenues of Service .

In October, 2005 an inaugural mile long walking path (THE EXTRA MILE) in the heart of Washington, D.C. honouring the actions and service of famous Americans who have transformed the nation and the world. The re were 33 inductees including Paul Harris , founder of Rotary. This was celebrated by President George Bush Jr.

The  Bronze  Medallion reads " Inspired  by  the  Simple  Idea  of  Combining   Fellowship  and  Service  Paul  Harris pioneered  the  service club movement with the  founding  of  Rotary  International .   Rotary  fulfilled  his dream of a worldwide organization of business and   professional   people serving their communities   and   promoting international understanding .   Rotary continues to expand global horizons through its educational programs and offers hope through its humanitarian efforts and public health campaigns - service above self "

Our member, Jim Reid continues to successfully guide James Reid Limit ed, a Kingston tradition into 6 generations of ownership while continuing to financially support many local charities. In 2008 Jim was made Lieutenant Colonel of The 214 Electronic Warfare Regiment in Kingston. In 2012 he received t he Queen' s Diamond Jubilee Medal for his work in the Regiment . In 2015 he was made Honourary Colonel.

Club Committees

Community Service

Legacy Projects

Over the last 25 years Kingston Frontenac has supported or contributed to support for 4 signature or legacy projects: Rotary Park; Fairmount Home; Hospice Kingston and Cataraqui Conservation Project .

Rotary Park

In 2004 three Kingston clubs combined, led by Fred Richmond to organize and upgrade facilities in the Park to commemorate the 2005 Rotary Centennial celebration. On August 25^th ,   2004 a large Rotary plaque was unveiled during a barbeque and was upgraded at the Rotary Park entrance and commemorated in the presence of many government dignitaries with Perry Bamji as chair of the Centenary Committee. We added two new swings designed for physically challenged children, repainted all playground equipment, added new park benches and tables on concrete pads (gifts from Rotarians), 3 wheelchairs, accessible picnic tables (each from the three Rotary clubs), pathway widened and paved for better accessibility and a refreshed Totem Pole. Overgrown brush was removed and replenished and improved signage was made. It should be noted that benches already in the park were dedicated for Erle Allan and Martin Reid.

More recently there are two Kingston Rotary Centennial projects that will be enjoyed in Rotary Park. A

156 square foot Rotary Centennial Butterfly Garden has been constructed to attract Monarch butterflies. Planting will take place in spring 2021 to encourage butterfly population growth and preservation of native plant species. Rotary Park will also be the home for 21 trees that will be planted in a circle by local Rotarians.

Fairmount Home

In 1968 the K-F began its association with Fairmount Home and in 2018 celebrated its 50^th Anniversary.

Roger Candy Park (behind Fairmount Home). Improvements were made, driven by Don Hart and Gord Lindsay.

In April 2006 the club committed $15,000. to the FH Capital Fund (from Kingston-Frontenac Club and Earl Allan Trust Fund (EATF)). In June 2006 our club won the Ontario Volunteer Service Award as nominated by Fairmount Home for+he Aged.

The original '3 Amigos' that supported the FH Bingo and social event functions were Gord Lindsay, Clay Elston and Don Hart. They were replaced more recently by Murray Matheson, John Mirski and Don Taylor.

Hospice Kingston

A fundraising project to support the palliative care (10 beds) hospice began in 2005 and raised $11,500,000 . for their 44 hospices in Ontario. Kingston-Frontenac Rotary club donated over $100,000. from 2018 to 2020.

Cataraqui Conservation Project

In 2005 CRCA purchased a portion of the wetland and in 2007 Bernie Breen led a group to raise $1,000.000. towards the acquisition of a 1,000 acre piece of land of the Bayview Wetland. This wetland was part of an estate of W.J. Henderson. Bernie suggested that the club commit to $25,000. which was comprised of $12,500. from the club and $12,500. from EATF. Subsequently our club acted to replace the boardwalk.

Centennial Project

The Centennial Project celebrates the 100^th anniversary of the Kingston Rotary Club (1921-2021) and was celebrated by all Kingston clubs under the banner of 100 Years of Rotary in Kingston. The planning started in October of 2017 and celebrations ran from July l5t, 2020 to July pt 2021. A proclamation for the year of Rotary (see club website) was made by Kingston Mayor, Bryan Paterson .

55 articles were written by the 4 Kingston Rotary clubs to outline the history of Rotary in Kingston and the work of all the clubs and was published by The Whig Standard as 'Weekly Reflections' and later in 2021 available as a book. In addition on April l5t, 2021 a presentation plaque was dedicated and erected at The Blue Martini, the former site of the Hotel Frontenac to commemorate the first meeting of the Kingston Club in May 1921.

In addition all 4 Kingston Rotary clubs and 2 Rotaract clubs came together in 2021 to work closely with KEYS Job Centre to support newcomers to Kingston.

Community Service Projects

Our club and EATF have supported in 2009 $10,000. for physio equipment at KGH. Also in 2021 $5,000. for food preparation and storage for Lionhearts.

In the late '80s when Gord Lindsay was Community Service Director the club arranged financial support to have dentists and a dental surgeon completely transform a local youth's deformed jaw to provide a handsome young man's face.

The club has always supported partners who service the charitable food need in Kingston. Prior to Covid 19 our John Evans in support of Paul Elsley of the Kingston club supported Isthmus -  a food sharing project supplying food directly to 4 schools and 200 students. When Covid 19 hit in March 2021 the focus shifted to delivering meals directly to the same children but in their homes due to school lockdown and the focus for online learning.

In November 1998 in its 10^th year a 10 day Festival of Trees was held to raise funds for those in need of medical treatment at the 3 Kingston hospitals. 1400 local volunteers were mustered as well as busloads of help from New York state and Eastern Ontario. This was Kingston's largest food raising event at the time.

Two ploughing matches were held in 1977 and 1998 as fund raising events. Who knows what the future holds? in 2015 we donated $5,000. to Junior Achievement for their youth work.

The club has provided more recently under Don Taylor financial support to the following groups: Loving Hands - St. Vincent de Paul - Council on Aging -Almost Home - -Tree of Hope - Martha's Table Helen Tufts Nursery School - Help for Fi nn. -4  Paws -

We also provide support to the RKY (Rotary-Kiwanis-YMCA) Camp. In 2017 a $2.5 million restoration project including a new dining hall was started and to be completed in 2021. Our club has participated in the Rotary Centennial Project to upgrade the  waterfront.  In 2019 the  camp housed 733 young campers from the Kingston area.  In 2019 there was a multi year project to replace old cabins and upgrade infrastructure

We also supplied volunteer support to: Salvation Army - Blood Drives - Habitat Building Days - Craft Fairs and the Robinson Garden Food Project (supplying food to Food Security Kingston).

In May of 2000 Joan Patterson raised $16,000. for Kingston Literacy with a spelling bee contest.

Not all ideas materialize into projects. As an example Dave Farrow in 2000 suggested the creation of a retirement residence for seniors in Kingston to be called Rotary House or Rotary Place. He was just a little ahead of the times as retirement living facilities improved in the following years.

The KF club continues to build partnerships in Kingston not only advertising on our website and social media but also with agencies we support with financial and sweat equity help.

Ways and Means

The Ways and Means Committee is charged with developing sources of income and meeting community needs.

Kingston theatre has a long history dating back to 1952 but Domino theatre started in 2012.  At that time the club started a Cabaret Night of food and entertainment which yielded $8-12,000. per year to the club under the leadership of Murray Matheson. The Night had to be cancelled in 2020 due to Covid 19 but hopefully can resume in 2021.

Our first Bingo was in October 1980 to help us meet our debt obligation arising from developing Rotary Park.

In August 2007 OLG tested out a new Bingo concept in Kingston and since that time with the help of many of our members has been a good source of revenue to support out local charities. During the Covid period with gaming shut down the government support to our club continued in return for our charity work updates to them. We look forward to getting back to normal activity and supporting their volunteer requirements. In 2020 the name was changed from Treasure Chest Bingo to Play, Gaming and Entertainment.

2023 will be the 60^th anniversary of the very successful partnership between Queens pt year Engineering frosh students and Kingston Rotary Club's selling nuts door to door. In the past few years our club led by John Mirski has supported successful nut drives in the community that yielded $5 - 8,000. per year for our club. Although much effort was made online during Covid, promotion  became  difficult  and we look forward to interact  with the student  body  and committee as soon as possible.

In co-operation with MaxSoldOnlineAuctioneers, Anne Desgagnes in 2019 with the help of many volunteers including Daniel and Sharon Geleyn, Russ Phin, John Mirski and her husband Trevor Dagilis (a former Kingston Rotary club member who in March of 2021 joined our club) raised $5,000. In 2020 during Covid Anne led four auctions and brought in

$24,000.

In 2013 the Cash Calendar was started at the Napa nee club and our club assisted in sales. Later production was taken over by the Kingston club with the help of 5 local Rotary clubs. In 2020 in spite of Covid, Kingston Frontenac sold 240 calendars yielding $2,400.

The 50/50 Draw combined with the Card Draw continued from 1996 as a financial support for club administration and charities. During Covid in 2020-'21 online draws were held on Zoom and contributed much needed funds to the club, once face to face meetings resume the 50/50 again will be a steady source of revenue to subsidize our fellowship .

It should be noted that in September 2007 Tony Doherty was the biggest winner ever of 50/50 and pocketed $2,056..

In 2008 Jack Chong and others organized very successful golf tournaments recognized for their excellent barbeque steaks (apres golf).

In 2017 Gord Lindsay produced two books and over the last few years has generously donated some of the royalties to the club.

Erle Allan was a charter member of Kingston Frontenac and started the ERLE ALLAN TRUST FUND with $20,000. In 1974. The fund grew both from other  donations  and from the amalgamation  of  another fund of $250,000.   In 2000 organized by Jack Chong. In the last few years the Fund has supported many projects through Rotary and beyond such as:

2011 - $75,000 - Fairmont Home (Rotary Hall)

2013 - $30,000 - Cataraqui Conservation Authority - Foot Bridge

2014 - $10,000 - Joe's Mill - Musical instruments lending library

2015 - $5,000 - Partners in Mission Food Bank

2016 - $100,000 - HOSPICE KINGSTON - Capital Project

2018 - $20,000 - St. Lawrence College - Capital Project

2018 - $20,000 - St.Lawrence College - Bursary

Youth and Vocational Services

Youth Service (New Generations of Youth) was officially added by Rotary International as the 5^th Area of Service in 2010.

In 2021 Rotary International President Holger Knaack stated "There is no difference between Rotary Clubs and Rotaract Clubs except perhaps age. We are equals and should build a future together". At the present time there are two Rotaract Clubs in Kingston, the Queen's Rotaract Club founded in 1993 and the Kingston Rotaract Community Club founded in 2020. Both were endorsed by the Kingston Rotary Club and we support both Rotaract Clubs by helping with their yearly fundraising events as well as mentoring to their members through webinars and assisting them with their meetings and organizations. Thanks to Daniel Geleyn and John Mirski.

In November of 2021 the 50^th anniversary of Interact was held and in November 2022 a 60^th anniversary will be held. In 2017 the  club under Zully Hermani tried unsuccessfully to  introduce Interact program at Odessa and Sydenham high schools. During Covid, schools were shut down and no further progress was made. With the continued vigour of our Youth Committee efforts and hopefully with schools fully open in 2021-22 more progress can be made to implement Interact programs. A new program called Earlyact will be formally announced shortly by Rotary to aim at elementary schools (under age 12).

We continue to support 5 high schools every year each with a $500. Scholarship.

From 2018 - 2020 the RYLA Conference was held in Kingston and we were very active in its organization with a barbeque being held in Rotary Park. In 2021 RYLA will celebrate its 50^th Anniversary and the conference will be held in Montreal via Zoom.

In March 2000 the club supported the refurbishing of the gym at the Boys and Girls Club as part of the Millenium project under Bob Chippier and supported by all Kingston clubs. In mid 2000 Roni Fortune led us in a clean up of the Garden Construction effort in the Band G back yard.

We have supported St. Lawrence College with several bursaries of $500. per bursary yearly over the last 20 years with assistance from then College Associate Dean Russ Phin.

We have also supported the Rotary Adventure Program for secondary students (environmental/history/hi tech/citizenship and leadership). The club has been very active in international youth exchange programs. Many of our members Jack Chong, Joan Patterson, Donna Grant, Gary and Aggie Haydock, Murray Matheson, Jennifer Patelli, Trevor Dagilis, Fred Richmond, Anne Desgagnés, Mark Henley and many others hosted students from New Zealand,

San Salvador, Japan, Finland, Taiwan, Slovakia, France, Columbia, Zimbabwe, South Africa, Brazil, Costa Rica, Ecuador and Australia. Both students and sponsors reported very memorable experiences. Since 1985 an equal number of outbound students have explored the world.

In addition in 2016 there was a Study Exchange Group from Paraguay and Argentina for 25-40 year olds and a couple of other groups from France.

Rotex International is an official Rotary group that facilitates Rotary exchange students (inbound and outbound) worldwide with North American Centre in Denver, Colorado and holds a convention each year.

We also support :

Kingston Youth Shelter

Kairos

Youth Diversion (supported by Kingston Club grant)

Big Brothers and Big Sisters

The Youth Mental Health Project which is a Centennial Project with Limestone Board of Education PASKITS (PAS stands for panic - anxiety - stress support)

Vocational Service - Supplying career information to schools, recognizing local heroes, supporting ROTARACT and INTERACT and initiating Rotary projects with young people

We support F.A.R. (Rotary Facilitator of Alumni) which focuses on Kingston high school graduates of the Pathway to Education program (working in North Kingston in economically poor and disadvantaged areas)

In 1999 Gord Lindsay arranged books to be sent from Kingston to go to University of Technology in Kingston, Jamaica.

In July 2007 the Volvo Youth Sailing World ISAF Championships was supported by our club and guests were housed St. Lawrence College (Russ Phin). In August 2009 the Canada Youth Conference was held.

We continue to support Camp Merrywood under Easter Seals, Ontario. Due to the cost the TELETHON was discontinued by Rotary Kingston but Rotary Kingston club continues to provide leadership and is supported by all Rotary clubs with individual donations to assist disadvantaged and disabled kids. We salute the 2016-17 work done by our members Wayne Spaulding, Roni Fortune and Don Hart to support Easter Seals.

Club Service

Kingston Frontenac Club is a part of District 7040 and from 1999 to the present overall membership declined from 2425 to 1630. Membership in our club has remained steady between 20 and 30 members and presently stands at 30 members. It should be noted that we reached our highest membership level of 55 in 2004 during our largest community project at Rotary Park. We hope to add 3-5 new members in the  next year.  Dues have remained steady over the years as well as meal cost and during Covid many members donated their dinner cost to the club.

Over the years many members have contributed their time, skills and expertise to make the club stronger. In 1999 Bill Bosworth then President of the club campaigned for 20 new members and in 2006 Gord Lindsay then editor of The Bulletin encouraged members to document their meetings and be more professional. In 2010 new member drives were spearheaded by Jim Reid and Joan Patterson. The key to success they emphasized was to remind - remind - remind all members.

New members are the lifeblood of the club and in spite of Covid, in 2021 Daniel Geleyn and Fred Richmond were happy to welcome into the club new members Josie Brady, Trevor Dagilis and Randy Beck all of whom who no doubt will provide future leadership.

Over the years the location of our meetings changed from Travelodge (Ambassador) to LaSalle (Travel Hotel), Aunt Lucy's and Trial venues at Canadian Legion Hall (Montreal Street), Cataraqui Golf Club, Queen's University Club and finally to Smitty ' s. In March 2020 when the World Pandemic was declared we switched to zoom meetings. We all look forward to resuming face to face meetings in the near future.

Over the years communications were successfully driven by Gord Lindsay who for more than 15 years was editor of The Rota Teller . This was interrupted in 2020-21 by Covid and Zoom meetings. Bulletins have been somewhat replaced by periodic Presidential summaries and social media updates. In June 1999 Gord Lindsay sent out a first Rota Teller in PDF format.  Up until that time all communication had been by snail mail. In March 2000 a Kingston Frontenac web page was up and running under 'webwords.com/rotary'. In August 2005 Tom Addison introduced a new Kingston Frontenac website called 'KFrotary.org'. For 2007-8 the club awarded Gord Lindsay (The Best Damn Bulletin Award) for outstanding reporting and quality presentation over 15 years as editor.

In 2017 Murray Matheson started the Club Facebook account and as well today we have twitter and lnstagram plus many useful Rotary websites such as 'KFrotary.org' - 'Rotaryinkingston.cool' -

'Kingstonrotarycentennial.com' -  'Rotary7040.com' -  'Rotary.org' and 'my.rotary.org.'  Thanks to Daniel Geleyn and Josie Grady for their work on improving communications.

The Sargeant at Arms role within the club was very active over the last 25 years but was interrupted by Covid. Many fines were levied for devilish fun but always in the support of the club's work.

In the year 2000 members were honoured by the club for their overseas service as volunteers:

Mal Laidlaw - Sierre Leone

Gord Lindsay - CESO and Rotary International (Jamaica)

Dorma Grant - Community Worker and Teacher in Manilla, Phillipines

Since then other members have served in overseas projects:

Gary Haydock - Tanzania

Daniel Geleyn - Tanzania

Joined of course by Peter Morrin who has made many trips to Tanzania and Kenya

In August 2002 Bill Murray presented the GMAC Golf Trophy for the club golf tournament and was competed for over many years. Don Hart and Ron Jeffrey were very active participants.

In 2012 the Bi-Centennial at Fort Henry was celebrated and Murray Matheson addressed the club.

Presently under John Mirski we continue to have excellent speakers from government, community and other Rotary clubs and from our own members. In the first 30 years Prime Minister John Diefenbaker stood out from the rest and in the next 25 year history the 2005 address of Wilf Wilkerson, a Canadian from Trenton, Ontario was memorable. He addressed the club as vice president of Rotary International and trustee of The Rotary Foundation and later became the first Canadian president of Rotary International. During his year as President he would travel to 51 countries.

In 2002 and 2005 the Kingston Frontenac club was awarded The Best Bulletin Award for the District 7040 and was accepted by our editor Gord Lindsay.

December 2006 Bernie Breen and Roy Ford were presented with their charter member pins.

September 2011 Rotary Clubs of Kingston joined forces at the annual CFB Kingston Garrison for the Information-Leisure­ Education Exposition at the KMCSC Fieldhouse. A booth manned by Rotary club members promoted Rotary to new Rotarians including Rotaract and Interact. Organizer for the event was Cheryl Haydock with help at the booth from Paul Charbonneau, Heather Ford and Murray Matheson.

In 2015 Jim Reid was appointed Business Person of the year by the Kingston Chamber of Commerce.

The club continues to be known as the 'fun' club and always celebrates by program and costume special days like Christmas party, Valentine's Day, St. Patrick's Day and Halloween. In 2003 Gord Lindsay wrote an 'aide' English tribute to outgoing president Joan Patterson and all her assistant s. In May of 2006 the Company of the Cogged Wheel celebrated the club's 40^th anniversary with a marvelous editorial by Gord Lindsay. In 2008 on the occasion of Paul Charboneau being inducted as president, Gord articulated the 'Custom of the Company of the Cogged Wheel'. This included Queen Joan the Magnificent (Joan Patterson), Fredrikius of Richmond (Fred Richmond), James the Furniture Merchant (Jim Reid) and Gordonius the Scribe (Gord Lindsay).

As well at the 2014 Christmas Party at the Renaissance event Murray Matheson who was dubbed 'Kingston Frontenac Poet Par Excellence' captured the party in 16 stanzas which remain in our historical records. (see club website)

In August 2009 Jim Reid won the 50/50 and bought drinks for all.

In 2021

March: Mike Moore took the lead in Kingston to organize volunteers to help with the Covid 19 Vaccination program at the lNVISTA Centre Immunization Clinic and has had many volunteers from our club.

May: The Great Lakes Watershed Clean Up started by one Rotary Club in Michigan to clean up the Detroit River spread to their district then to many other districts and clubs along the Great Lakes Waterway System and is now recognized as part of the great environment efforts in the world by Rotary. It was well supported by members of our club and led by Marie Claire Van de Merwe.

November: Fred Richmond will have 42 years of perfect attendance .

The club continues to present excellent speakers via Zoom at our meetings from government, industry, other Rotary clubs and within our membership.

Of the original charter members of 1966 only Bernie Breen remains and continues to attend most meetings and always offers sage guidance.

In spite of Covid 19 restrictions our club managed to have a few outdoor fun activities in 2021 including skating parties, cross country skiing and biking excursions.

International

Overseas Projects

In 2015 - Peter Morrin organized support for Tanzania

1. Desks and textbooks for village school on the island of Ukerewe on Lake Victoria.
2. Rainwater collection system to promote basic hygiene

Murutunguru Community Capitol Centre was refurbished for meetings and storage with local help and our members Peter Morrin, Gary Haydock and Daniel Geleyn.

To help eradicate poverty on the island

1. Develop an alternative crop
2. Family based chicken production
3. Community based financial organization to provide capital for small businesses

Sponsored a rabbit farming project in co-operation with local Rotary club. The goal was to introduce rabbit farming in local schools in order to introduce the students to animal husbandry while providing a stream of income with this alternative food source.

We supported a community garden to the community to introduce the local population to alternative plants and technology. Plans for water sanitation, hygiene and menstrual health projects in schools with help of Rotary clubs are also under development. Most of our club's annual international service budget of $12,000. Is being directed to these projects.

It is worthy to note that a commemorative plaque was installed at the Kabuhinzi Capital School In Tanzania holding the name of Kingston Frontenac Rotary Club.

Rotary Foundation

Our club continues to support the Rotary Foundation District Grants and Global Grants. In 2018 the Rotary Foundation Walk under Murray Matheson and John Mirski raised $13,500. (including a $3,000. Sponsor) with 65 walkers.

In 2002 Fred Richmond reported the world was 99% polio free and in '21 he added that it was now 99.9% free and only a few cases remain in Pakistan and Afghanistan.

In the last 20 years our club has supported approximately 15 Ambassadorial Scholars. We have had 74 applicants with applications from RMC,, Queen's and St. Lawrence College. In 1 year of the only 3 submissions we received all 3 received a scholarship out of the 5 available to the district. In particular one went to a student who is presently a senior executive officer with a major Canadian bank.

We continue to support the Rotary Foundation by contributions from club dues and from members' contribution to the Annual Fund and the Endowment Fund. These funds go to The Foundation through Paul Harris Fellowship Awards - a program started in 1957 acknowledging individuals (Rotarians and non- Rotarians) for their exceptional community volunteer contribution. The club has 73 Paul Harris fellows who have given over $162,000. and 4 benefactors.

2001 - June : Fred Richmond wins the Rotary International Award 4 Pillars of Service for his outstanding efforts.

2002 - November: Jim Reid gets 11 club members to donate $100. per year for 10 years to The Foundation .

2005 - March: Rotary International celebrates 100 Year Anniversary .

            November: Fred Richmond is named ADG.

2007 - Rotary Canada celebrates 100^th Year Anniversary.

2008 - January : Fred Richmond became a benefactor with his gift to Rotary Foundation.

In June of 2019 Anne Desgagnés and Trevor Dagilis following a trip to the Rotary International Convention in Hamburg , Germany heard that contributions to the POLIO NOW Matching Gift Program with the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation were short of funds. On returning home they offered their own matching gift challenge up to $500 . and encouraged many members of our club including the Kingston club to donate. The result was over $3,100. was raised from the Kingston-Frontenac club alone and probably a similar amount from the Kingston club. Thank you to Anne and Trevor for stepping up.

Concluding Remarks

My credo is Honour the Past, Work the Present and Create the Future or as Fred Richmond said to our club on May 5^th 2021 'Better to know where you came from -to know where you are going'.

I hope this history of the Kingston-Frontenac Club will encourage today's members to prepare for an even brighter future to come.

In the last 25 years we have mourned the loss of many of our members including co-founders Joe Watts and Roy Ford. Their great contribution to the club will not be forgotten.

Thank you for the opportunity during Covid 19 isolation to record the club history. I hope it will be added to over the years and that it will provide pride for existing members and attract and engage new members.

Enjoy!

Tom Sanderson 

May 6^th , 2021