Chapter 6 - DECADE SIX 1980 - 1989

The decade of the 80s can aptly be described as a decade of transition and experimentation.

For example, in September 1981, the Club changed its regular meeting venue from the Chateau Laurier, where it had been meeting for over 30 years, to the Radisson Hotel on Kent Street. And, at the end of the decade, the Club began meeting at the Café de la promenade on the Sparks Street Mall. At the end of March 1988, the Club succumbed to the competition from the "Big Halls" and ceased operating an independent bingo at Lakeside Gardens, moving to the multi-bingo operation on Coldry Avenue. The Club even took a short stint at running two bingos but that venture died after about a month, the result of meager returns and limited manpower.

Like all service organizations, the Ottawa Kinsmen Club had difficulty attracting and retaining new members. In spite of regular campaign drives and "Bring a Buddy Nights" the Club ended the decade with under 30 active members, down from 61 at the beginning of the decade. Only four active members appearing on the Club Roster at the beginning of the 80s where still members when the decade ended.

With the reduction in members came the realization by the mid-eighty's that the Club could no longer support the myriad of service projects and fund raisers that it had in the past nor a governance structure consisting of an 11 member executive and 38 committees. By the end of the 80s, the executive was reduced to 7 members and the committee structure limited to fundraisers as well as service and welfare.

In spite of declining numbers, the Club shared the Association's distinction of raising more dollars per member than any other service club in the world. In that regard, the Club continued with its weekly Bingo and Nevada, its major fundraisers, the fall Oysterfest, and the Rideau Canal Skate-A-Thon. The Club was also a strong supporter of Cystic Fibrosis (CF), the Association's National Service Project, through the annual bubble drives, the CF Radio-thon, Zeller's Moon Walk and as a founding member of the Ottawa Roughriders 65 Roses Sports Club. Notably, the Ottawa Club was instrumental in obtaining the Association's acceptance of Ottawa-based Operation Go Home as a National Awareness Project. The Club also continued with "pure service projects" including its Fall and Spring Drives for seniors and the quarterly service bingos for such organizations as the CNIB and St. Vincent de Paul's. In 1981, the Club provided significant support to the Summer Special Olympics that was held in Ottawa that year.

The Club also experimented with several other fund raising activities such as Lobsterfest in the early 80s, the Remote Control Air Show, the Country Music Jamboree (a great general account project), the Hot Air Balloon Fest, the Cabbage Patch Birthday Party, the Santa Stocking Project at the Bayshore Shopping Centre and the Tulip Twirl

Funds raised were used to make significant contributions to: the Good Companions Senior Centre's building fund through the completion of a $50,000 pledge in 1981 as well as annual $5,000 donations; Operation Go Home; the Ottawa Boys and Girls Club ($5,000 annually), the Kinsmen Harriers ($3,000 annually although support was discontinued in the mid-eighty's); the Crystal Bay School ($4,000 annually) and Christie Lake Boys Camp and Camp Minwassin ($1,000 annually for camperships). The Club also made smaller donations to: the Snow Suit Fund, Big Brothers, Amethyst Women's Addiction Centre, the Youville Centre, the Alzheimer Society, the Christmas Exchange, CHEO, Ronald MacDonald House, Project Upstream, Up with People, Multiple Sclerosis, Wheel Chair Sports, the Ottawa Distress Centre and the Riverside Hospital's Palliative Care Unit.

Some other notable service endeavors included the purchase of a $7,000 wheelchair for quadriplegic Guy Laroque in 1983 and support for the Rick Hansen's Man in Motion World Tour in 1987.

Some unique and highly visible Public Relations activities included: leading a District project to enter a float in the 1988 Grey Cup parade with Kinsmen Founder Hal Rodgers as the engineer; and, a spring fantasy contests in 1987 and 1988.

The Club also continued its support at the Zone, District and National levels of the Association by: co-hosting the 1981 National Convention and hosting the 1986 District Convention and 1987 Zone Conference. Ottawa Kin also continued their leadership role beyond the Club level with the election of two District Governors and four Deputy Governors during the eighties and by fielding a candidate for National Vice President in 1981.

On the social front, the Club continued to offer a wide range of fellowship activity for both members and their families including: an annual campout, the President's BBQ, traveling boot parties, the Kids' Christmas Party, the President's Christmas Party, the Past President's New Year's Eve Party and the Kids' Winter Carnival not to mention significant member representation at Zone and District Interclubs, as well as Zone, District and National Conventions.

Finally, the K-40 and K-ette Auxiliaries, formed in 1979 continued to thrive and to support the Club's activities. The Kinette Club of Ottawa, formed in 1939, as arguably the first Kinette auxiliary in the Association, became an independent Club in 1988 following the passage of a resolution at the national Convention in Calgary that year.

All in all, the 80's was a decade of change for Ottawa Kin but, in spite of diminishing numbers, the Ottawa Kinsmen Club continued to serve the community's greatest need.

Presidents - Decade Six

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