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The Kiwanis Club of the Kawarthas was created in 1970 and resulted from a merger of the Kiwanis Club of South Peterborough and the Kiwanis Club of North Peterborough. Both clubs had been experiencing a decline in membership and it was felt that the two clubs should be merged into one. The Kiwanis Club of South Peterborough was chartered in 1955. It’s first President was Doug Manning. The Kiwanis Club of North Peterborough was chartered in 1958 and it’s first President was Albert Goloska. From inception the South Club held their meetings in a room at the Memorial Center. The North Club started meeting at the Kawartha Golf & Country Club and the Kawartha Club continued at that location until December 2006. At merger time it was decided that the new Club would assume the charter of the South Club and surrender the charter of the North Club. This enabled the Kiwanis Club of the Kawarthas to celebrate their 50th Charter anniversary in late 2004. The late George McLeod was the first President of the merged Club. The George C. McLeod Memorial Award was donated to the Kiwanis Music Festival in his memory for annual presentation.
Charter night for the Kiwanis Club of North Peterborough was held at the Memorial Centre. The District Governor and the mayor were in attendance. There were 34 charter members. A project that started with the North Club and continued on for many years was the driving of handicapped people to the YMCA pool for water therapy. In 1967 a sports timer was purchased for the Northcrest Community Centre. A foster child was sponsored in South Korea. A Key Club was sponsored at Adam Scott Collegiate. In 1964 the Roy Fairburn Memorial Award trophy was donated by member George Gatfield and his wife Gwen for “Kiwanian of the year”. This followed Roy Fairburn’s untimely death. He was an outstanding member and hard working fundraiser
The North Club raised money mostly through the sale of licorice all sorts, nuts and Halloween candies and each year cooked and served pancakes at the Peterborough Exhibition, the Aunt Jemima Mix supplied by our Quaker employee members. Some other projects of the current Club and it’s predecessors include providing Riverview Zoo movies, funding of Riverview Handicap Washroom, purchase Hospital Playground equipment, sponsorship of Canada Day Parade, co-sponsorship of a Peterborough Air Show, participation in P.A.R.D. but the longest ongoing project to this day is the Riverview Park and Zoo refreshment booth which was built and expanded by the members and continues under their management. It is by far our most successful ongoing fund raising Project.
The major fund raising project of the South Club was the annual SportsmanShow which was a multi-day event held at the Memorial Centre. During the Peterborough Exhibition they sponsored "Elsie the Borden Cow". In 1964 the South Club handled the parking at the International Ploughing Match. In 1967 they organized the Centennial Parade. Cedric Banks joined the South Club in their charter year 1955 later becoming a member of the Kawartha Club and in 2005 celebrated 50 years in Kiwanis as a member of the Oshawa Westmount Club when he was suitably honoured.
In 1974 Roy Harding, then a member of this Club, spear headed the creation of and sponsorship of the Kiwanis Club of Scott's Plains of Peterborough, initially intended for retired people.
This Club including it's two preceeding Clubs has been home to seven District Lieutenant Governors: Harold Anstey,Cedric Banks, Tom Cook, Ron Reid, Clare Grady, Zita Fitzgerald and most recently Loreen Cruikshank (2005-2006)
One of the charter members of the Kiwanis Club of North Peterborough was Ronald Payne and in 1984 he was made an honorary life member, the only Club Kiwanian to be so honoured. During his time as a member he served as Bulletin Editor, Secretary and President and was always a hard-working and enthusiastic member. He died in May 2005.
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We are the smallest of three Kiwanis clubs in Peterborough and, as a result, have a more informal meeting format, and fewer member obligations. We do expect members to come out to our breakfast meetings on a regular basis and to "pitch in" when a project is underway
The Wednesday morning breakfast meetings are for fun, fellowship and topical speakers, a good way to start the day. The actual business of the club is the responsibility of the Board of Directors who meet once a month
Our membership consists of men and women who can only be defined as nulti-aged, multi-denominational and multi-cultural, and we would welcome more of the same.
On November 29th, 2004, The Kiwanis Club of the Kawarthas celebrated its 50th Anniversary
Currently we support the following:
The children's playground at Riverview Park and Zoo
Salvation Army and Hope Valley children's summer camps
Mother Goose program for infants and toddlers
The Salvation Army Hamper program
Children's Water Festival at the Riverview Park & Zoo
Sleeping Children Around the World charity
Co-sponsor of the Liftlock Aktion club
Multiple Sclerosis Society
Kiwanis Scholarships for High School Graduates