Back in the 1980s, a group of Kingston Rotarians built their first playground structure at Lord Strathcona Public School. A design was purchased, and the basic ingredients of fun - a climber, slide, and swing set - were built. In those days, the safety rules were much more relaxed than they are today. The project was managed by Alan Wale, a Rotarian and contractor, who recruited a team of Rotarians to help. Then in 2005, I had a chance meeting with John Garvin, a member of th

In 2002, Rotarian John Boone took to heart the message delivered to the Rotary Club of Kingston by Dr. Mustard, a McMaster University professor who authored a report to the Ontario government on the benefits of Early Childhood programs. Dr. Mustard made it clear how important it was to give children a head start on their schooling. John and his committee were dedicated to developing programs in Kingston that reflected the full intent of this early childhood report. The commit

Rotary projects that require members to pitch in and help with some physical labour are called sweat-equity projects. These are near and dear to the hearts of Rotarians who want to make a difference through community service. While many organizations asking for help need funds alone, Rotarians also seek out worthy projects where we can become involved in person with ideas, muscle power and tools. The best example of a local sweat-equity project is Rotary Park. The Kingston-Fr

We know it now as the Kiwanis Music Festival, but it didn’t start that way; Rotarians hosted the first music festival in Kingston in 1950. Warren Black, as chair of the New Projects Committee, and Dr. George Maybee (non-Rotarian) attended a conference in Niagara Falls on how to organize music festivals in Canada. They returned enthused and at the August 15, 1949 club assembly, the club endorsed the project and Ray McPhee became its first chair. Virtually the entire club membe