Harold A . Rogers 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 . Early life . Harold Allin Rogers was born in London , Ont . on January 3 , 1899 . Rogers moved to Hamilton , Ontario 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 . Kin Canada . Missing the camaraderie of army life , Rogers decided to join the local Rotary Club 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 ' Federation , 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 . Plaque . The Ontario Heritage Trust erected a plaque at his birthplace in London , Ontario . " The founder of Kinsmen & Kinette Clubs of Canada was born and raised at 324 Dundas Street , directly across from the armouries . Seeking the camaraderie he had experienced in the army during the First World War , " Hal " Rogers began the first Kinsmen Club in Hamilton in 1920 . Under his guidance other clubs soon formed , each dedicated to " serving the community ' s greatest need " . Ongoing contributions from women prompted the formation of the Kinettes in 1942 . During the Second World War , Rogers chaired the " Milk for Britain " campaign , the first of the clubs ' many national projects . By visiting clubs across Canada throughout his life , he inspired countless young Canadians to serve their communities . " Recognition . Rogers died on September 15 , 1994 at the age of 95 . Rogers was made an Officer of the Order of the British Empire in 1946 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 . In 2004 , he was voted number 22 on the list of The Greatest Canadian a program televised by the CBC .