Harold A. Rogers
Encyclopedia
Harold Allin Rogers, OC
, OBE
(January 3, 1899 – September 15, 1994) was the founder of Kin Canada
. He is known by Kinsmen and Kinettes as Founder Hal.
to work for his father when he was appointed manager of the Standard Sanitary Co. Ltd. Soon after the move, in March 1916, at the age of 17, he enlisted with the 173rd Argyle and Sutherland Battalion. After further training in England, and anxious to get to the front lines, he transferred to the 54th Kootenay Battalion. He fought at Vimy Ridge, Lens
, Hill 70 and Ypres
, where his leadership skills in the field led to his promotion to the rank of corporal and a recommendation for a commission. Before it could be acted upon, he was gassed at the Paschendaele front (Ypres) and wounded at the Amiens
front. After hospitalization in England, he returned home to Hamilton in January 1919.
where his father was a member. Because a once fundamental rule of the Rotarians was to only have one member from each employment classification and as he worked as a salesman in the plumbing industry for his father, his application was rejected.
, which named him the first recipient of the Lamp of Learning Award in 1950. The Lamp of Learning is awarded annually to a non-teacher who has contributed to the furtherance of education in the Province of Ontario.
In 1994, The Hal Rogers Endowment the Fund was established in his honour to fund bursaries to post-secondary students. By 2007, 564 awards of $1000 each had been presented.
Rogers was made an Officer of the Order of the British Empire
in 1948 to recognise his efforts as the chairman of Kinsmen's Milk for Britain wartime project which raised about C$
2.7 million and sent 50 million quart
s of milk to Britain.
In 1978, Rogers was appointed an Officer of the Order of Canada
in recognition of his years of community service and founding of Kin Canada.
The Ontario Heritage Trust
erected a plaque at his birthplace in London, Ontario.
In 2004, he was voted number 22 on the list of The Greatest Canadian
a program televised by the CBC
.
Order of Canada
The Order of Canada is a Canadian national order, admission into which is, within the system of orders, decorations, and medals of Canada, the second highest honour for merit...
, OBE
Order of the British Empire
The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is an order of chivalry established on 4 June 1917 by George V of the United Kingdom. The Order comprises five classes in civil and military divisions...
(January 3, 1899 – September 15, 1994) was the founder of Kin Canada
Kin Canada
Kin Canada is a secular Canadian non-profit service organization that promotes service, fellowship, positive values, and national pride....
. He is known by Kinsmen and Kinettes as Founder Hal.
Early life
Harold Allin Rogers was born in London, Ont. on January 3, 1899. Rogers moved to Hamilton, OntarioHamilton, Ontario
Hamilton is a port city in the Canadian province of Ontario. Conceived by George Hamilton when he purchased the Durand farm shortly after the War of 1812, Hamilton has become the centre of a densely populated and industrialized region at the west end of Lake Ontario known as the Golden Horseshoe...
to work for his father when he was appointed manager of the Standard Sanitary Co. Ltd. Soon after the move, in March 1916, at the age of 17, he enlisted with the 173rd Argyle and Sutherland Battalion. After further training in England, and anxious to get to the front lines, he transferred to the 54th Kootenay Battalion. He fought at Vimy Ridge, Lens
Lens, Pas-de-Calais
Lens is a commune in the Pas-de-Calais department in northern France. It is one of France's large Picarde cities along with Lille, Valenciennes, Amiens, Roubaix, Tourcoing, Arras, and Douai.-Metropolitan area:...
, Hill 70 and Ypres
Ypres
Ypres is a Belgian municipality located in the Flemish province of West Flanders. The municipality comprises the city of Ypres and the villages of Boezinge, Brielen, Dikkebus, Elverdinge, Hollebeke, Sint-Jan, Vlamertinge, Voormezele, Zillebeke, and Zuidschote...
, where his leadership skills in the field led to his promotion to the rank of corporal and a recommendation for a commission. Before it could be acted upon, he was gassed at the Paschendaele front (Ypres) and wounded at the Amiens
Amiens
Amiens is a city and commune in northern France, north of Paris and south-west of Lille. It is the capital of the Somme department in Picardy...
front. After hospitalization in England, he returned home to Hamilton in January 1919.
Kin Canada
Missing the camaraderie of army life, Rogers decided to join the local Rotary ClubRotary International
Rotary International is an organization of service clubs known as Rotary Clubs located all over the world. The stated purpose of the organization is to bring together business and professional leaders to provide humanitarian service, encourage high ethical standards in all vocations, and help...
where his father was a member. Because a once fundamental rule of the Rotarians was to only have one member from each employment classification and as he worked as a salesman in the plumbing industry for his father, his application was rejected.
Education
Rogers dedication to the concept of education is evidenced in his many years as a trustee on the Forest Hill Board of Education and was recognised by the Ontario Secondary School Teachers' FederationOntario Secondary School Teachers' Federation
The Ontario Secondary School Teachers' Federation is a trade union which represents 60,000 members across Ontario, Canada.Founded in 1919, its membership includes public high school teachers, occasional teachers, teaching assistants, psychoeducational consultants, social workers, child and youth...
, which named him the first recipient of the Lamp of Learning Award in 1950. The Lamp of Learning is awarded annually to a non-teacher who has contributed to the furtherance of education in the Province of Ontario.
In 1994, The Hal Rogers Endowment the Fund was established in his honour to fund bursaries to post-secondary students. By 2007, 564 awards of $1000 each had been presented.
Recognition
Rogers died on September 15, 1994 at the age of 95.Rogers was made an Officer of the Order of the British Empire
Order of the British Empire
The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is an order of chivalry established on 4 June 1917 by George V of the United Kingdom. The Order comprises five classes in civil and military divisions...
in 1948 to recognise his efforts as the chairman of Kinsmen's Milk for Britain wartime project which raised about C$
Canadian dollar
The Canadian dollar is the currency of Canada. As of 2007, the Canadian dollar is the 7th most traded currency in the world. It is abbreviated with the dollar sign $, or C$ to distinguish it from other dollar-denominated currencies...
2.7 million and sent 50 million quart
Quart
The quart is a unit of volume equal to a quarter of a gallon, two pints, or four cups. Since gallons of various sizes have historically been in use, quarts of various sizes have also existed; see gallon for further discussion. Three of these kinds of quarts remain in current use, all approximately...
s of milk to Britain.
In 1978, Rogers was appointed an Officer of the Order of Canada
Order of Canada
The Order of Canada is a Canadian national order, admission into which is, within the system of orders, decorations, and medals of Canada, the second highest honour for merit...
in recognition of his years of community service and founding of Kin Canada.
The Ontario Heritage Trust
Ontario Heritage Trust
The Ontario Heritage Trust is a non-profit agency of the Ontario Ministry of Tourism and Culture, responsible for protecting, preserving and promoting the built, natural and cultural heritage of Canada's most populous province. It was initially known as the Archaeological and Historic Sites Board...
erected a plaque at his birthplace in London, Ontario.
In 2004, he was voted number 22 on the list of The Greatest Canadian
The Greatest Canadian
Officially launched on April 5, 2004, The Greatest Canadian was a television program series by the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation to determine who is considered to be the greatest Canadian of all time, at least among those who watched and participated in the program...
a program televised by the CBC
Canadian Broadcasting Corporation
The Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, commonly known as CBC and officially as CBC/Radio-Canada, is a Canadian crown corporation that serves as the national public radio and television broadcaster...
.
See also
- Kin CanadaKin CanadaKin Canada is a secular Canadian non-profit service organization that promotes service, fellowship, positive values, and national pride....
- TelemiracleTelemiracleTelemiracle is a telethon organized by the Kinsmen and Kinettes in Saskatchewan, Canada for the benefit of the Kinsmen Telemiracle Foundation. Initially broadcast on both CTV and CBC affiliates in Saskatchewan, it is now broadcast, commercial-free, exclusively on the province's CTV affiliates...