News Article

Faculty member honoured with Kinsmen life membership


10/4/2004 12:04:09 PM


October 4, 2004 - Gary Elliott, a 15-year member of the Stephenville Kinsmen Club, got the surprise of his life on Saturday evening when he was inducted as a life member of the club - the most prestigious award given out by the organization.

Since the club was founded in Stephenville in 1961, this is the second time only for a member to be installed as a life member. The first was Harvey Bulgin in 1996.

Dwight Hatcher, the Kinsmen’s Zone 7 deputy governor from Corner Brook, was on hand to make the presentation to Elliott and praised him for his hard work and dedication to the organization. The life membership pin that goes along with the award, was pinned on Elliott by his wife Donna.

Also accompanying the award were two framed letters of congratulations, a provincial one signed by Premier Danny Williams; and a federal letter signed by Prime Minister Paul Martin.

During his years with the organization, Elliott served a three-year stint, from 1994 to 1997, as president of the local club and has served in all other capacities throughout the years. He has also chaired many projects during his decade and a half with the local club.

He just completed a three-year appointment with the Hal Rogers Foundation, a national scholarship funding group named after the founder of Kinsmen who started the organization in 1920. Each year the foundation awards 50 scholarships of $1,000 to deserving candidates.

“I feel proud to say I was part of that and had the opportunity to work with people on a national level, as well as the many things I have done on a local level,” Elliott said.
Elliott said he was both elated and surprised with the achievement, especially since it is only the second for the local club and knowing the requirements to receive the award, it was a real honour.

“The only way to get this award is to be recognized by your peers in your local club and meeting the requirements as set out nationally, which makes it that much more of a distinction,” Elliott said. “Once you become a volunteer in the community, you are not necessarily just a part of a club, you are a volunteer in your heart and it never leaves you.”

Thinking back on some of the successes in community volunteering throughout the years, he said he was very proud to serve on the Kindale Public Library committee, chaired the board of directors of the Jack and Jill Nursery School and served on the local search and rescue team for several years.

“Every bit of it was a reward in itself,” he said.

Elliott said the Stephenville Kinsmen Club is a strong organization with 15 members and one in which he is very proud to be a member. He expressed appreciation to his fellow members for honouring him with this award and to his wife for supporting him in all his volunteer endeavours.

Elliott is a faculty member of the College of the North Atlantic headquarters in Stephenville.

-Reprinted with permission from The Western Star