A Timmins woman has been named national president of one of Canada’s best-known service club organizations.
Kin Canada announced this week that Erin Thomson of the Kinette Club of Timmins has been installed as the 99th National President of Kin Canada, which oversees more than 460 Kinsmen and Kinette Clubs across the country.
This happened at the recent Kin National Convention in Sarnia, Ontario, said a news release from that organization.
Thomson was born and raised in Porcupine and comes from an extended family of Kin in Northern Ontario, said the release.
Joining the Kinette Club of Timmins in 2001 was only natural after growing up as a Kin Kid and seeing her late mother (Carol Thomson), father (Fred Thomson), and aunt and uncle (Heather and Paul Laverdiere) highly involved in Serving the Community’s Greatest Need. Interestingly enough, Erin was born while her mother was the President of the Kinette Club of Timmins in 1974 and she often says she was “born into Kin and born to do this job”.
Outside of Kin, Erin is a Community Chiropractor with Practice Families in Iroquois Falls and South Porcupine and is the Founder/Organizer of Timmins Empty Bowls (which has sold out every year since its inception seven years ago). She is honoured to be married to her best friend and partner in crime, Pete Henry, who is a proud member of the Timmins Kinsmen Club.
Described by her fellow Kin as “a vocal cheerleader, an unbiased confidante, an unwavering optimist and a humble leader” Erin has made countless contributions to Kin Canada and to Canadian communities. Erin served as a Director on Kin Canada’s National Board (NBOD) from 2015 to 2017 before being elected as National Vice President for the 2017/18 year. Prior to that, Erin served in many leadership roles at all levels of the Association and received the Maple Leaf Award of Distinction and the GEM Award to recognize her knowledge of the Association and her member recruitment efforts. Erin has expanded the reach of her club by leading new events and is in an advocate for Cystic Fibrosis Canada (CFC), a long-time partner of Kin Canada. In support of CFC, Erin organized a fundraising walk and a CF Ride for the Breath of Life in Northeastern Ontario and she is currently working to bring a CF Chapter to Timmins.
It’s not uncommon to hear Erin say “be unstoppable” as she beams with what a fellow Kin describes as “a smile as big as the world”.
When asked about her focus for her term as National President, Erin explains that “an integral part of the BeUnstoppable vision is to harness the power of enthusiastic initiative and creativity—to truly live possibility thinking. She hopes to inspire her fellow Kin to see the possibilities in every situation and to put their passion into action for change in their communities. She plans to “continue to build members up in a way that encourages individual growth and initiative, by valuing their input, and giving everyone a stake in the outcome”.
Erin’s father often says that “Kin gets into your blood and then it takes up residence in your heart”; it is the impact of the heart and the Kin spirit that pumps through it that fuels Erin to work tirelessly to give, strive, learn, grow, and serve. Kin Canada is sure to BeUnstoppable in 2018/19 with possibility thinking and National President Erin Thomson’s leadership.