Hinton council tops for fraternalism

By RENATO GANDIA
WCR Staff Writer
Hinton

"It is great that the work the council has done has been recognized by the state," Grand Knight Roman Peter Hawryluk told the WCR.

Not only did council recruit more new members, it also signed up many new insurance members in the past year.

The council has ongoing fraternal activities, successful memorial services, family get-togethers and collaborates with the crisis centre in town.

Through their fundraisers the K of C of Hinton work with the Hinton Crisis Centre, the only pro-life organization in this end of the province.

The crisis centre has been in operation for four years. "What they have done for the community is unreal," Hawryluk said.

Stories of the young mothers, who accessed help from the centre, continue to inspire the council's involvement.

"To me personally, winning an award isn't much of a goal. It's the byproduct of what we do." - Colin Spencer

The centre, which was started by a Catholic lawyer and a non-Catholic doctor with strong Christian background, provides clothes, carriages, strollers, and many other accessories and has started a program for young people to promote sexual abstinence.

The lawyer, Jim Johnson, has since become a member of the council.

With its 85 members, Hinton Council continues to do works of charity in the community. They also appropriate some money for a bursary for students of the Gerard Redwood Community Catholic High School.

It's getting tougher to recruit new members because of the population of the town which is not as big as a city's population. But "were still going," said Hawryluk, who will move to Victoria in the summer to care for his elderly father-in-law.

Colin Spencer, the council's treasurer, told the WCR that the "council was dormant for a number of years." He became a member in 1981 when they were revitalizing it.

But the council has been active since then. As part of their community activities, they joined Terry Fox in his campaign to raise funds for cancer research years ago.

"Winning the best fraternal council I think is a great compliment to the council. We worked together as a council and did the best we can. To me personally, winning an award isn't much of a goal. It's the byproduct of what we do."

Copyright © 1998, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009 -- Western Catholic Reporter