Kinette Club of Edmonton History
Prior to 1939, the wives of the Kinsmen Club of Edmonton, who had been getting together and helping the Kinsmen do service work, decided it was time to get recognized for who they were. In June of 1939 the Edmonton club was chartered with 12 members. Being one of the first female Kin clubs in Canada, we called ourselves Kinsmenettes. In 1940 national adopted the name Kinettes, and that is how the Kinette Club of Edmonton came to be known.
Open membership was adopted at our National Convention in Calgary in 1988. What this meant was it was no longer mandatory to have a Kinsmen spouse to be a member of a Kinette club. This was a milestone for the Kinettes! We could now welcome more women with like mind and commitment to share our goals.
K-Ettes
K-Ettes are an important part of our history. Before voting on abolishing the upper age limit, active Kinettes could join their local K-Ette Club at the age of 45. Our members can now be active for as long as they choose and attend meetings of both clubs.
The Edmonton K-ettes, also known as The K-40 Ladies Club, is alive and well with a current membership of 63 members. They meet five times a year on the first Tuesday of alternating months from October to June. Their meetings are mostly social but they like to organize a Christmas project for a local women's shelter each year. It's a wonderful way of keeping in touch with KIN friends.