St. Marys Kinette member Terri Iredale receives prestigious life membership

The St. Marys Kinettes planned the life membership ceremony for club member Terri Iredale to recognize her commitment and the effort she has shown towards Kin for many years.

By Wendy Lamond

A member of the Kinette Club of St. Marys was honoured with the prestigious life membership at a special ceremony April 19, right at the start of National Volunteer Week.

Terri Iredale, who has belonged to the St. Marys club since 1998, was recognized on Sunday at a surprise ceremony by her family, friends, Kin peers and the Kin Association. A life membership award is presented to someone who has shown exceptional service, dedication and commitment to the club and is the highest honour that the Kin Association can bestow on someone. It is given to a person who has made a significant contribution to their community and goes above and beyond for the greater good of Kin.

“You are a role model in every sense of the word,” Kin national president Patrick Bowers said. “You lead by example, you listen with intention, you support others with general care and you have helped countless members grow in confidence and ability, and you have strengthened every team, committee and every club you have touched. This life membership is not just a recognition of what you have done, it is a recognition of who you are.”

Bowers presented a life membership plaque to Iredale, governor Tracy Spalding presented Iredale with her life membership badge and her life membership pin was presented to her by her daughter, Sidney, and grandson, Bentley.

Organizers of the event were Nancy Riddell, Sandie Vanderschot, Sherri Barber, Kim Anderka and Joanna Campbell. The Kinettes started planning the program back in February because they all strongly believed the award was truly merited.

“As Chairperson of the life membership committee, it was truly an honour to help present Terri Iredale with her life membership on Sunday,” said Riddell, the committee chair. “Terri is an exceptionally dedicated Kinette who has given so much of herself at every level of the Kin organization. Celebrating her service and commitment was a very special moment for all of us.”

The program included messages from various zone representatives, Kin members Iredale has worked with over the years, close friends and local dignitaries. Regardless of who was speaking, the message about Iredale was the same; everyone expressed the award was very well deserved.

Iredale’s Kin resume is chock full of roles within the club, and at the district and national level. She is a very respected role model and those who spoke said she was a helpful, leading force in the overall strength and growth of Kin members, helping them become better versions of themselves.

Iredale has received many accolades throughout her Kin career. She has served as club president at least three times, she’s been recognized through the town’s the Strong As Stone volunteer recognition program, she is a bulletin award winner, she served as deputy governor at the district level as well as district risk manager, treasurer and vice governor. At the national level, Iredale held the national risk management role, national education role, and she served as national vice president, national president and past president.

The amount of respect that she has earned was evident in the attendance at her life membership ceremony, as well as in the many congratulatory messages she received from all over.

“Thank you from the bottom of my heart for putting on today, showing up today and supporting me today,” Iredale said at the end of the ceremony. “It is important in today’s world that we have people that still want to give back to our community and both the St. Marys Kinsmen and Kinettes are devoted to our community and continue to grow, and that is extremely important.”