Material Type

Mixed Media

Date Range

1950-2001

Physical Description

approximately 157 cm of manuscript material 1 VHS videocassette tape 7 books

Physical Condition

Excellent

History Biographical

The Lethbridge Rotary Club was sponsored by the Calgary Rotary Club in early 1918. On 15 May 1918 Charter Number 415 was presented to the 18 founding members of the Rotary Club of Lethbridge. The first president was John B. Wilkie, Unfortunately Mr. Wilkie died on 10 November 1918, a victim of the influenza pandemic. He was succeeded by the vice president, Arthur G. Baalim. Other founding officers were secretary Harold Long and treasurer Gerald Bletcher. The first community service work undertaken by the members was assisting in the operation of the ambulance and first aid station during the Lethbridge and District Exhibition. The first fund raising event was a lecture presented by Dr. Beland on his experiences as a prisoner of war in Germany during World War 1. Among the activities undertaken by the Rotary Club in connection with the war effort were the effort by members to meet every serviceman returning home to Lethbridge by train and convey them and their families to their houses, as well as a contribution of $500 toward construction of a Cenotaph. In addition, a Victory Loan campaign and parade was organized by the Rotary Club in 1918. On 11 November 1919, the first anniversary of the end of World War 1, the club hosted 15 boys whose fathers were killed during the war to a chicken supper and night at the movies. The 1920s saw various projects taken up by the Rotary Club. One was the delivery of Christmas hampers for the Lethbridge Nursing Mission, an annual project that went on for more than 35 years. The club also began its clothing drives for needy people on 26 November 1921, collecting over 1000 parcels of clothing. The drives continued throughout the 1920s and 1930s. Minstrel shows, musical comedies and other similar theatrical productions became popular among the members as fundraisers for local causes. Each Christmas Day members of the Rotary Club went to the local hospitals to entertain patients there, a project that was extended to prisoners in jail as well. The Rotary Club financed construction of a beach and playground in Henderson Lake Park that was officially opened on 16 June 1926. As the 1920s ended, the club sponsored the formation of a new Rotary Club in Cardston, Alberta and launched its first annual Hobby Fair. The 1930s saw the Rotary Club continue its fundraising and community support projects, most of which were begun in the 1920s. One of those projects was Apple Day, which continued to be a steady fundraiser for the club. During World War 2 from 1939 to 1945, the Rotary Club participated in the Victory Loan and War Bond drives and sponsored trophies for the service clubs who raised the most money. Club members also welcomed men and women serving as part of the British Commonwealth Air Training Plan into their homes for supper and social evenings. The club also provided risoners of war in Camp 133 at Lethbridge with items to make their confinement more bearable. A War Saving Stamp campaign was instituted in the city’s schools. In a ten month period from June 1942 to March 1943, $13,000 worth of stamps were sold. In the years following World War 2, the Rotary Club, continued some of its successful existing projects such as tree planting in Lethbridge parks, and started some new ones as well. The Rotary Carol Festival, begun as a Christmas event in 1946, still continues. The proceeds of the Carol Festival go to the United Nations Childrens Fund (UNICEF). Other fundraising efforts included raffles for gold bars and cruise vacations, Grey Cup and Super Bowl football pools, chicken barbeques and most recently, Lobsterfest. The club has funded hospitals on the island of St. Lucia, mobile eye care clinics in India and international student exchange programs. In Lethbridge and southern Alberta, the Rotary Club of Lethbridge has provided scholarships and academic awards to local high school students as well as support for the Boys and Girls Clubs, Habitat for Humanity, Lethbridge Public Library, Lethbridge College and the University of Lethbridge. Today, there are three Rotary Clubs in Lethbridge: Downtown, Lethbridge East and Sunrise. Membership in the Downtown club is currently over 120, and the club meets every Monday at 12:15 pm.

Language

English

Acquisition Source

Rotary Club of Lethbridge Box 452 Lethbridge, Alberta T1J 3Z2

Scope and Content

The Lethbridge Rotary Club fonds consists of correspondence, financial and membership records, newsletters, program and project materials, and photographs pertaining to the club's operations and activities. The fonds is arranged alphabetically by subject, in chronological order.

Access Restrictions

Public Access

Accession No.

20031002000

Collection

Archive

Less detail