Kindness Club
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The Kindness Club is a
humane education Humane education is broadly defined as education that nurtures compassion and respect for living beingsUnti, B. & DeRosa, B. (2003). Humane education: Past, present, and future. In D. J. Salem & A. N. Rowam (Eds.), ''The State of the Animals II: ...
organization. It was founded by Aida Flemming in
Fredericton, New Brunswick Fredericton (; ) is the capital city of the Provinces and territories of Canada, Canadian province of New Brunswick. The city is situated in the west-central portion of the province along the Saint John River (Bay of Fundy), Saint John River, ...
, in 1959.


Origin and growth

In 1957 Aida Flemming, the wife of New Brunswick
premier Premier is a title for the head of government in central governments, state governments and local governments of some countries. A second in command to a premier is designated as a deputy premier. A premier will normally be a head of govern ...
Hugh John Flemming, sponsored a children's essay contest in Carleton County, New Brunswick on the topic: "What is being done now for the protection of animals and what more could be done?" Encouraged by the response, she launched the Kindness Club in 1959 with an article in the magazine ''Atlantic Advocate'' proposing a club for children between the ages of 5 and 13. The organization was based on the principle of reverence for life, the ethical concept developed by
Albert Schweitzer Ludwig Philipp Albert Schweitzer (; 14 January 1875 – 4 September 1965) was a German and French polymath from Alsace. He was a theologian, organist, musicologist, writer, humanitarian, philosopher, and physician. As a Lutheran minister, ...
, and when the club grew into an international organization Schweitzer accepted Flemming's invitation to act as its honorary president. By 1962 branches had been established in the United States, New Zealand and England. Members pledged "to be kind to animals (as well as people) and to speak and act in defense of all helpless creatures". An early member of the Kindness Club was the environmental activist
Paul Watson Paul Franklin Watson (born December 2, 1950) is a Canadian-American environmental, conservation and animal rights activist, who founded the Sea Shepherd Conservation Society, an anti-poaching and direct action group focused on marine conserva ...
, who has credited the club with teaching him to "respect and defend animals". The
Humane Society of the United States Humane World for Animals, formerly the Humane Society of the United States (HSUS) and Humane Society International (HSI), is a global nonprofit organization that focuses on animal welfare and opposes animal-related cruelties of national scop ...
took on the responsibility for clubs in the United States while the World Federation for the Protection of Animals in Switzerland oversaw the other international chapters. By 1984, the club's 25th anniversary year, it had chapters in 22 countries.


In the 21st century

In 2009, the Kindness Club's 50th anniversary year, most of its members were in Canada. Continuing to base itself on Schweitzer's reverence for life philosophy, the club promotes
humane education Humane education is broadly defined as education that nurtures compassion and respect for living beingsUnti, B. & DeRosa, B. (2003). Humane education: Past, present, and future. In D. J. Salem & A. N. Rowam (Eds.), ''The State of the Animals II: ...
for children and contributes to local initiatives including subsidized spay/neuter programs and donations of pet food to food banks. The Kindness Club in Canada is administered by the Kindness Club Foundation Inc., which was incorporated in New Brunswick in 1963. The foundation is a
registered charity A charitable organization or charity is an organization whose primary objectives are philanthropy and social well-being (e.g. educational, Religion, religious or other activities serving the public interest or common good). The legal definitio ...
whose mandate in 2016 was "supporting charitable organizations carrying out humane education."


References

{{Reflist, 2 Animal welfare organizations based in Canada Humane education Organizations established in 1959