PAGE 8, WEDNESDAY, DEC4MBER 10, 1975, WHITBY FREE PRESS Kiwanis Club marks 20years of service by BRIAN WINTER Staff Writer This week is one of special significance to the Kiwanis Club of Whitby, for it marks the 20th anniversary of the night the club received its charter and began its service work in the town. On Dec. 8, 1955 the 48 charter members of theWhitby Kiwanis Club met at the Club Bayvjew at Byron Street and Highway 401, where they were presented with their charter and regalia by mem- bers of Kiwanis Clubs from the surrounding area. The Club Bayview is gone, (burned down in 1964).Lbut the Kiwanis Club lives on. Five charter members, Ron Deeth, Harry Simpson, Stu Beaton, Brick Evans and Jack Town, are still active mem- bers, after 20 years. The Oshawa Downtown Club, the only Kiwanis Club in that city at the time, spon- sored the formation of the Whitby Kiwanis Club, and a charter was obtained in October 1955. When the club was form- ed, the president was Willard Dodd, an insurance agent, Harry Simpson was secretary, and Bob Cawker, Brick Evans and Warren Mowat were direc- tors. The then mayor Harry Jermyn was the guest speaker on the charter night. The Whitby Kiwanis Club first met at the Spruce Villa Hotel, and later at the Royal Hotel and Coach House Restaurant before settling down in the Centennial Building in 1968. During its 20-year history the Whitby Kiwanis Club has made some notable contribu- tions to the community. One of its pioneering ven- tures, which was recorded in Hansard at the Ontario Legis- lature, was a remotivation program at the Whitby Psychi- atric Hospital, then known as the Ontario Hospital. "We were the first club that took an- active part in working with the mentally ~1T7, recalls Mr. Evans. In May 1959, two staff members cf the hospital learned about remotivatibn of long-term patients from a hospital in Philadelphia, and the Whitby Hospital asked the Kiwanis Club to help put a program into practice. Under the leadership of Dr. John Davies, who was then a member of the club, the Kiwanis began making visits to one of the men's wards in the hospital, meeting the patients, talking with them and getting them motivated with sing-songs, a rhythm band, and summer softball games. At Christmas time, the Kiwanis Club provided the patients with the first Christmas tree that many had seen in years. Throughout the years, the Kiwanis Club made regular visits to the wards, provided radios and phonographs for the patients, and made sugges- tions for decorations, lighting, drapes for the windows and painting for the walls, which were acted upon by the staff. The Kiwanis progran at the Whitby hospital recived high praise from Dr. Matthew B. Dymond who was then minister of health for Ontario. Another notable- occasion for the Kiwanis Club occured in the fail of 1972 when Team Canada, under coach Harry Sinden of the former World Champion Whitby Dunlops, defeated the Russians in the world hockey championship. Kiwanis past-president Jan Koke conceived the idea of taking the penalty box door from the Whitby arena, then being demolished and sending it to Mr. Sinden as a greeting card of congratulations from the club. All the Kiwanis members signed the card aj1. painted "Sinden's Sin Bin" across the back of the door, for Mr. Sinden had been a frequent visitor to the penalty box when he played in the arena for the Dunnies. The Sinden's Sin Bin gim- mick received wide publicity on television and in the press, but the club was unable to deliver the giant-size card to him by boat across Lake Ontario to his home in Rochester because of bad weather. The penalty box door was eventually presented to the Whitby Historical Society. Community fund-raising projects by the Kiwanis Club have been numerous. From 1956 to 1960 the club held an annual ice carnival at the Whitby arena, featuring a broomball garne between the Kiwanis and Kinsmen Clubs, demonstrations by the Rotary figure skaters, and pee-wee hockey games. There was a scrap drive, and auction sale in the old arena one year, vwhere tne Kiwanis members were such zealous sdlesmen that when one visiting lady put down her cane for a moment, a club member sold it beore Brick Evans, the 1961 president of the Whitby Kiwanis Club, and current president Charlie Cyr hold the original charter for the club, dated Oct. 19, 1955. The club held its charter night 20 years ago in December 1955, and has conducted numerous community service projects since then. The Kiwanis Club is the third oldest service club in Whitby, and its current project is the development of Heydenshore Park. - Free Press Photo she could find it again, says Mr. Evans. In 1957 the Kiwanis Club was called upon to provide a chicken barbeque for 15,000 people at the official opening of the Ralston Purina factory in Whitby. The members started at 4 a.m. to dig a 300-foot pit and roast 6,000 chickens to be served at noon. The first community pro- jects undertaken by the Whitby Kiwanis Club were the driving of retarded child- ren to a school in Ajax, and the donation of a bus to the Ajax-Whitby Rétarded Chil- dren's Association. In addition, the club has for many years sponsored hockey, lacrosse, soccer and baseball teanis, and when the County Town Carnival began, the members set up an annual soap box derby. The Kiwanis Club provides Christmas baskets for needy families, bursaries for gradua- ting students in the town's three high schools, and numerous special financial do- nations such as $500 to the Oshawa General Hospital building tund in 1960, and. gave money to the Gannon fire fund to assist a family whose home was burned about 15 years ago. For many years the Kiwanis Club members have conducted the Canadian Can- cer Society fund-raising drive in Whitby and assisted in the old community chest cam- paigns of the 1950s and early 1960's. In 1967 when the renova- tion of the old court house as a community centre was the town's Centennial project, the Kiwanis Club supplied the flood lights and dome lights, and after the Gold Room was established in the building in 1971, the club painted the walls and provided drapes and tables. Since the building of Hey- denshore Pavillion in 1971, the club has made th development of Heydenshore Park its latest project. in 1972 a patio was built south of the pavillion, trees were planted, and outdoor lights installed. In 1975 the first of three outdoor picnic shelters was built by the club members in Heydenshore Park Much of the money for these projects has been pro- vided by the club's geranium sale held in May each year to coincide with mother's day Since Heydenshore Pavil- lion opened, the club has held a brbeque and dance there at County Town Carni- .val time, also a fund-raising project and a service- to the community. Kiwanis projects through- out the club's 20 years have been numerous, including everything from providLig a television set to Fairview Lodge, to driving senior citi- zens to church on Sundays. The club is continuing its work in the community this year, under the direction of President Charlie Cyr, and meets, every Thursday night in the Gold Room at the Centennial Building. * Speakers address the club on various topics of interest at every second meeting, and there are numerous directors' meetings to plan activities for for the year. With a record of 20 years of service to the town of Whitby, the Kiwanis are the town's third oldest service club, and are looking forward to increasing their member- ship in 1976. Come in andfeast youreyes "W' on our collection of Christmas gifts. For everybody on your list. Selection? Value? You'll have to see it to believe it. MERCANTILE DEPARTMENT STORE Ladies', Men's and Children's Wear gift certificates - any denomination EXTRA LARGE MEN'S SIZES MINOR ALTERATIONS FREE 321 BROCK ST. S. 668-3468 WHITBY PLAZA