2011 - 2012 Executive

President:	Bruce Olmsted
Vice President:	Sam Primerano
Secretary:	Matt Bauman
Treasurer:	Doug Wood
Risk Manager:	Rob Willard
Directors:	Lincoln Fry Denton Eaglesham Dale W

 The Kinsmen Club of High River

The following is reprinted from the book "Galaxy of Gold" which is a history of the District Four Clubs in existence when it was written in 1979. It is when our Club was a mere babe, but had a voracious appetite for community service and having fun.

If there are any District Four Clubs out there that would like a copy of "Galaxy of Gold", we have some extra copies available.

It wasn't long after the birth of the Kinsmen Club of High River that signs began to flash the precosiousness of this new Kin family member. According to official sources, the parents of the new babe were "scheming, conniving culprits" who worked things out in the darkness of Ellis' Men's Wear change room. It was their plan to introduce vice to High River under the guise of the Kinsmen Club. After the first official formation meeting was held at the home of a prospective member, the club opted for more sinister surroundings and thereafter met in the "biffy" at the Memorial Center. It is said that President Doug Ellis, "mounted on his ivory throne kept most things under the lid....but was a master at fluffing through everything". Once this group of men definitely started the charter ball rolling, they changed the locale of their meetings to the more elegant surroundings of the Maple Gardens Restaurant. A few more members were attracted and the club embarked on its first project. The proceeds from the town Christmas Card were donated to the High River Nursery School.

The Club was officially chartered on January 11, 1976 by the Kinsmen Club of Calgary and the Club members barely had time to recuperate from the night's festivities before they had to organize the Skate-a-thon. It was a financial success, netting the club $6,000. Other fundraisers in the charter year were club's participation in Calgary's TV Bingo and Stampede car raffle. The club built a "Big Toys" playgroud with government funds, donated $150 for figure skating trophies, and sponsored a student to work with High River Senior Citizens.

Fellowship was a big winner that year. A mini curling spiel held one Sunday afternoon coaxed participants with prizes of hair blowers and electric curling irons . The club participated in a Zone bonspiel and was entertained by a contingent of Foothills Kin who traveled to the community from Calgary. Kinsmen children were treated to an Easter party complete with Easter Bunny Rick Ellis. A short month later the club decorated and entered a float in the Little Britches Rodeo parade. A variation of the Travelling Boot was introduced to High River to increase Kin fellowship. A 100-pound oil well drill bit, colored and transformed into the Kin Bit, to this day must change its residence every two weeks or be the cause of Kin hordes plundering, looting pillaging and doing other nasty things. Near the end of the year a number of Kin couples attended the Lethbridge District Convention and made quite an impression.

The 1976-1977 year saw more activity in both service projects and fundraisers. The $2,100 raised on a raffle for a trip for two to Barbados were used to purchase a television set for the hospital's children's ward, with the remainder put into a trust account for the purchase of hospital room furniture. The Kinsmen helped other service clubs plant trees in the community that year. The Skate-a-thon proceeds, $4,000 , went to the erection of an outdoor ice rink, the Rec-Plex and other service projects. The Christmas Card proceeds went to the Salvation Army. Kingo Bingo raised $2,000; the Kin food booth at the Little Britches Rodeo netted $1,500; the food booth at the World Chuckwagon finals raised a total of $1,800 and the harvest ball dance r4ealized a profit of $700. The Club also received a little extra cash when it won a $ 500 raffle. The club donated $200 to the Kinsmen Telethon for Geriatrics and $100 to the Newfoundland National Disaster Fund. A car rally was held, as well as a Halloween party for the children.

Fall Council in Fort St, John was well attended, the club organized a new members' school in December, and the year ended on a high note with the formation of an auxiliary to the Kinsmen. The Kinettes were chartered on the Kinsmen Anniversary Night and since that time have lent the men a hand in all their activities.

Soon after charter the girls helped the guys sponsor a very successful Skat-a-thon, which is now an annual event, and in April held their first annual Dessert Bridge party which was very well attended. During the summer the girls helped the guys operate the Kin Kitchen during the chuckwagon finals in High River in August; and organize and serve buffet luncheon for approximately 200 people at the Kin annual lottery ticket raffle and dance in October.

The Kinettes have canvassed for the Arthritis Society, and held box socials and bake sales with the proceeds going to cystic fibrosis research.

The second annual World Chuckwagon Finals started the 1977-'78 Kin year off, but the Kin food booth collected only around $800 because of heavy rains that put a damper on the event. The Harvest Ball, Christmas Card and Skate-a-thon were held and raised over $8,000. Kingo Bingo netted the club $2,700 and the Little Britches Rodeo food booth collected $1,500. The annual Sportsman's Dinner was initiated and cleared $1,400 and profits from the gigantic garage sale totaled $2,300.

In this year the club started work on its Kinsmen Participark; donated a sprinting machine to the Girl Guides and gave $1,400 to Cystic Fibrosis in Alberta. The Salvation Army received funds as did the hospital and the High River Crisis Center.

The big project that year was the Rec-Plex. After committing itself to a donation of $50,000 toward the Rec-Plex, the club checked the bank tally and found itself a few dollars short. In order to guarantee the donation, the members each agreed to sign a personal note for $2,500. Fortunately, the club membership increased substantially and the fundraisers held were more successful than had been anticipated and the guarantee was subsequently dropped to $1,250. Another project which took more than a few hours of time was the Kin Karriage. This carriage is used in summer to transport senior citizens throughout the town and is driven and managed by club members.

For the Kinsmen of High River the social highlight of the year was meeting Hal Rogers at the World Council President's Banquet. Other social activities included Kin Kampout, which was a huge success, and a Kinette sponsored Men's night out. The ladies also entertained the Kin families with an Easter and a Halloween party.

Foothills City was visited by High River Kin during Fall Council; Vauxhaul hosted curling, Didsbury a crib tournament, and Strathmore hosted the Spring Zone Meeting. Kinsmen also made a trip to Three Hills.

In 1978 - 1979 the Kinsmen food booth at the World Chuckwagon finals, the Hillbilly Hop, the Christmas Card, Skate-a-thon, and the Sportsman's Dinner earned a total of $18,000, the majority of which will go to the High River Rec-Plex. The rest of the funds will go to various service projects the club supports.

This club has participated in Zone sports and has shown its athletic superiority by making off with Zone curling awards in 1977 and 1978 and Zone Golf awards in 1977; the golf Sandbagger award in 1978 and the Bullshippers District Award in 1978. Other awards, including the Boake Efficiency and the National Expansion in 1977 and 1978; and Zone Public Speaking in 1979 show that High River is one club that intends to make its mark in the Zone, District and National world of Kinsmenship.