History of the Kingston Lions Club
The Kingston Lions Club, located in the beautiful Annapolis Valley area of Nova Scotia, was chartered on March 6th 1961, under the sponsorship of the Middleton and Kentville Lions Clubs. Charter membership was 19 Lions under the leadership of then President Lion Reg Boates.
That first meeting was held at the Sherwood Inn in Kingston. During the next few months the club sponsored a Little League Team at a cost of $75. At the same time the club accepted responsibility, from the Middleton Lions 
Club, for administering the Crippled Childrens Fund in the Kingston area. In April, 1962 the club held its first bingo at the Legion Hall with prizes donated to the club. A grand total of $228.18 was raised. At this time they were also involved with the Kingston Steer Barbeque, sponsored Air Cadets, canvassed for Blood Donor Clinics,and sponsored an Apple Blossom Princess and Princess Tea. Unique fundraising campaigns involved selling chocolate, light bulbs and flowers, and delivering phone books. The Kingston Lions Club also placed floats in local parades and records indicate they won 'best float' numerous times.
In April 1967 the We
lton warehouse became available to purchase as a clubhouse. The building was purchased for $4500 and involved an expenditure of an additional $30 000 in repairs and renovations before it was ready for use. The first meeting in the new premises took place on April 23, 1968. In the late 1970's the club purchased the ice plant for the Kingston Arena and which was paid for in less than a year.
In 1983 catering started on a regular basis. Catered events included, but were not limited to, weddings, Christmas parties, barbeques, receptions of all kinds, and monthly dinners for the public. Also in this year the hall was rented to the "Little Toots" Nursery School and this continued for twenty years. The club also paid for the Lawn Bowling Green at Paragon Golf and Country Club. In 1984 and 1985 an extension was added to the south side of the building. This area of the building now includes bingo sales, ladies washroom and the bar. A ramp was also constructed on the east end of the building to make it wheelchair accessible.
1990 saw the construction of a moblie BBQ which further assisted the club's catering capability. In 1995 the kitchen in the hall was expanded to the west to include a larger cooking area, pot cleaning area and storage space. This expansion allowed the members to provide a better catering service to the community.
Over the past fifty years the Kingston Lions Club has raised in excess of $2,000,000 in support of community needs. Fundraising functions such as noon luncheons, yard sales and raffles have enabled the club to contribute to many worthwhile programs. Locally we support Chrsitmas Mommies and Daddies, Christmas Hampers, the Food Bank, schools and school programs, Valley hospitals, hospital shuttle service, fire departments, and nursing homes, just to name a few. The club also provides aid to those less fortunate in our community in many ways to improve their quality of life. Provincially the Kingston Lions Club support Soldiers Memorial Hospital, Valley Regional, the IWK and the QE11. We also provide support for Disaster Relief, District Eye Projects, Children's Wish Foundation, Canadian Blood Services, and youth camps for young people dealing with diabetes and cancer. Nationally and Internationally we support the Canadian Cancer Society, Heart and Stroke Foundation, guide dogs (for blind, autism, etc.) and disaster relief programs.
Over the years the Club has grown to its current membership of 63 Lions and because we know the community needs our support, we hope the future will allow us to grow and become an even stronger advocate for its citizens .
Recognizing Our Past
The Kingston Lions Club is proud to serve our community and recognize the contribution that
members have made for the past five decades. To that end, a monument was placed on land adjacent to Pargon Golf and Country Club as a permanent recognition of our
dispite the fact they can no longer be with us, their contribution has allowed our service to the community to grow.
Kingston Lionettes Club 1968 - 2008
The Lionettes had their first meeting on February 21, 1968 in the home of Charter Member Lorraine Hines with twelve Charter Members attending. The purpose of the Lionettes was for the development of friendships and to provide financial support for the Lions Club. To be eligible for membersip you had to be the wife of a Lion member in good standng. The minutes of the first meeting set a $5.00 yearly fee and a monthly 23 cent donation from members. The meetings were held the fourth Thursday each month in the 'Lions Den'. Their first project was the purchase of dishes for the Lions Club.
The Linettes have provided valuable equipmenrt for the hall kitchen. In addition to dishes, they have provided two comercial dishwashers, a comercial propane stove, two fridges, and coffee and tea urns. Along with stocking and running the kitchen for events, the Lionettes shared the mortgage on the hall extension with the Lions Club.
The Lionettes have also contributed thousands of dollars to local schools for the purchase of playground equipment, musical instruments, computers and for art programs and to Soldiers Memorial Hospital, Western Kings Memorial Hospital and Valley Regonal Hospital for furnishings and medical equipment. They have provided financial support for two seeing eye dogs, a helping aid dog, Breast Cancer Research, the Diabetic Association, CNIB, Chrysalis House, Canadian Cancer Society, Big Brothers Big Sisters, the Heart and Stroke Foundation, Food Bank, Christmas Mommies and Daddies, IWK, Red Cross Society, VON, Children's Wish Foundation, Valley Care Line and two $500 bursaries annually to West Kings highschool grads.
