Oyen Briefs: Kinsmen Club: Its Early Roots
By Bernie Krewski
A series of events in Oyen during 1958 offer insights into the science of demography (“demos” – people; “graphia” – description). Put simply, the dynamics of populations – fertility, mortality, and migration.
Although it might appear to be coincidental, the inauguration of the Legion and the Kinsmen, and the opening of the arena after four years of wheat storage, occurred within a few months of each other. These agencies immediately became an indispensable and integral anchor in the growth of the Oyen community. They were “born at the right time,” to paraphrase the title of Doug Owram’s fine book, “Born at the Right Time: A History of the Baby Boom Generation” (1996). Noteworthy is that Professor Owram was one of my son’s teachers, not mine.
To provide a few examples of these inter-generational dynamics. Local farmers at this time frequently migrated to towns and cities and managed their farms remotely. Enrollment at the Acadia Valley school, for instance, had skyrocketed - two hundred registrations in September 1957. The wounds of WWII by then had sufficiently healed so that its horrendous casualties could be memorialized by veterans and others – honourably, respectfully, and peaceably.
Twenty-one avid residents met on January 9, 1958, and decided to establish a local branch of the Kinsmen Club - a community-based service organization. “Kin” is an old English word meaning family, birth, and child. They moved quickly.
A charter night was set for February 20. The initial executive consisted of Bob Conlin - president; vice-president – Bill Torrence; secretary – Glen Knause; treasurer – John Lijdsman; registrar – Bob Shields; directors – Ivan Scory, Jack Russell, and Joe Ferguson. They established a broad social network - representatives from Hanna, Banff, Drumheller, Didsbury, Three Hills, Calgary, and Kindersley were expected to attend the initiation event.
Their formative gathering held at the Parish Hall on First Avenue included fifty Kinsmen from District 4 and members of the Oyen Village Council and Chamber of Commerce. The Charter was presented by Bud Bourke of Red Deer, Governor of the District. It was received by president Bob Conlin. Officers were installed by District Deputy Governor Bob Finnerty of Hanna, whose parents Alphonse and Mary, were pioneer settlers south of here.
These were listed as Charter Members: Bob Conlin, Doug Berg, Art Desorcey, Andy McCrindall, Glen Knaus, John Lijdsman, John Russell (RCMP), Jerry Goozee (RCMP), Joe Ferguson, Bill Torrance, Lorne Halbauer, Erling Berg, Bob Shields, (Dr.) Jim McCracken, Ken Moir, Elwood Petrick, and Roman Walker.
The Club’s first community project was to sponsor an indoor carnival on March 14 at the newly opened arena. Their spouses, future Kinettes, undoubtedly played a key role in making this happen!
In early May, the Kinettes selected its founding executive: president – Pat Knaus, vice president – Ruby Ferguson, secretary – Joyce Torrance, and treasurer – Mary Lou Lijdsman.
The impact of such initiatives, greatly solidifying this community I would contend, is extensively documented in Oyen’s history books and later copies of the Echo. They helped to erase many disturbing memories of the Depression and the recent war in Europe.
Addendum: My sincere apologies to Yvonne Jones, Evelyn Mills, and her family for omitting Evelyn’s name as a founding member of the Legion’s Women’s Auxiliary, as reported on this page last week. She was sergeant-at-arms as indicated in Many Trails Crossed Here, vol. 1, p. 346.