Kinsmen Report: May 2017

Greeting everyone from the Bible Hill Kinsmen!

May is nearly gone, and what a busy month it’s been for our club. Most of our attention went toward the 2nd Annual Colchester Book Fair. Held at the Truro Mall this year, the response from the community in the lead up to the event was overwhelming. Thank you to everyone who donated items. It was interesting to have books sold by weight instead of individual prices, but overall it made for some fantastic deals and a lot of happy book lovers! We were blown away by the lineup before the doors opened on the first day of the sale, and once again say thank you to everyone who stopped in.

Proceeds are going to the Colchester East Hants VON and other Kinsmen initiatives. We’ll release information on the donation to the local VON very soon.

The Kinsmen Club of Bible Hill was honoured this past month to have a visit from Kin Canada National President James Doerr. A few of our members showed him around the area, pointing out some of the projects Kinsmen have contributed to over the years as well as local landmarks.

As a part of that visit, Truro Mayor Bill Mills joined Mr. Doerr and a handful of our members for the official unveiling of a sign in Victoria Park, recognizing the long history Kinsmen have in developments there. Currently, our club is in the middle of a five-year, $25,000 commitment for playground upgrades.

The play area was built by Kinsmen in 1952 with swings and other equipment. Modern facilities, such as the swimming pool, were built in 1959 with the support of a number of local groups. The Dr. Jim Vibert Trail, dedicated after the prominent Truro surgeon, was established by the Kinsmen in the 1970s.

More recently, the playground and baseball diamond saw major upgrades in 1994 and 2000, when washrooms and new playground equipment was installed. That work was partly funded by the Truro Kinsmen. A joint effort between the Kinsmen and the town led to the addition of the water spray park.

We’re looking at wrapping up our Kin year at the end of June, with a new executive elected ready to lead the way once our meetings resume in September. The club holds meetings on the first and third Thursday of the month, from September to June, at 7:30 p.m. at the Douglas Street Recreation Centre. If you’re interested in joining us for a meeting, or would like more information, email president@biblehillkinsmen.ca.

James Faulkner is a member of the Bible Hill Kinsmen.

2nd Annual Colchester Book Fair a Huge Success

The 2nd Annual Colchester Book Fair has come and gone, and what an amazing two days!

The lineup was huge last Friday in preparation for the first day of the sale, with people packing the sale location in the Truro Mall to load up on reading material. We were open for just three hours that night, but you kept all of us busy trying to restock the tables, as well as processing the sales.

Saturday, as the second day of the sale last year, was a much slower pace but no less steady. Sales were brisk, and our club members saw more than a few people return to see what else they could find. Things picked up again at 2 p.m. that day as the bag sale closed out the final two hours of the book fair. There were so many more books this year, meaning the deals just got even better.

We’re crunching the numbers, and will soon announce the donation we’ll be making to the Colchester East Hants VON. The remaining books are going to the Colchester Community Workshops.

Thank you to everyone who made a donation, whether it was time or something for the sale, to the Truro Mall for the space, and to everyone who stopped in to pick up a book or two (or a dozen). We’re just putting a cap on this year’s sale, but already can’t wait for next year!

Book Fair Update

Hey everyone! We’re less than a week away from the 2nd Annual Colchester Book Fair at the Truro Mall, and the Kinsmen Club of Bible Hill is incredibly excited to open the doors on Friday and Saturday for all of you.

The response to our request for donations has been overwhelming. We’re still sorting through everything. With that in mind, this is a reminder that the cutoff for donations is Thursday.

The drop-off locations are Masstown Market, Sobeys on Prince St and Robie St in Truro, Shur Gain Feeds ‘n Needs, Fundy Appliance in Bible Hill, and the Truro Farmer’s Market. You can also drop books off at the Truro Mall, as there’s a red drop-off box in front of where the sale will be held.

The book fair is Friday, May 12th from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. and Saturday, May 13th from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.

See you soon!

National President Visit

Kin Canada National President James Doerr (front, fifth from left) is joined by members of the Kinsmen Club of Bible Hill at a meeting on May 4th.

Kin Canada National President James Doerr visited the Truro area on Thursday. After being shown some of the local sights by Kinsmen members, President Doerr attended a general meeting of the Kinsmen Club of Bible Hill.

A number of Kin from other areas, including Deputy Governors Al MacQuarrie and Ardith Cameron, also attended a meet and greet with President Doerr before the night’s meeting.

Victoria Park Kinsmen Playground Sign Unveiled

Left to right: Kinsmen Mark Thibedeau, Andrew St. Coeur, Quinn McCarthy, Truro Mayor Bill Mills, Kin Canada National President James Doerr, Kinsmen John Spears, Dave Gillis, Club President Peter Taylor (Photo: James Faulkner)

A sign was recently installed to recognize the Victoria Park Kinsmen Playground. Truro Mayor Bill Mills and Kin Canada National President James Doerr were on hand with a number of Kinsmen for an official unveiling on Thursday.

The Kinsmen Club of Bible Hill is in the middle of a five-year, $25,000 commitment for playground upgrades in Victoria Park. Kinsmen, both the club in Bible Hill and Truro before them, have long supported the park.

The play area was built in 1952 with swings and other equipment. Modern facilities, such as the swimming pool, were built in 1959 with the support of a number of local groups. The Dr. Jim Vibert Trail, dedicated after the prominent Truro surgeon, was established by the Kinsmen in the 1970s.

More recently, the playground and baseball diamond saw major upgrades in 1994 and 2000, when washrooms and new playground equipment was installed. That work was partly funded by the Truro Kinsmen. A joint effort between the Kinsmen and the town led to the addition of the water spray park.

It’s just one way the Kinsmen Club of Bible Hill is able to fulfill its motto of “Serving the Community’s Greatest Need”.