Who We Are

“ It is better to build boys than mend men”
Cosmopolitans are an international organization, spanning Mexico, United States and Canada. Originally started in Oklahoma in 1919, it came to Canada in 1927, and our Prince Albert Club chartered in April 1939.
Our motto “ It is better to build boys than mend men” took hold immediately with one of our members, Ned Hadley donating a few acres of land at Christopher Lake for a boys summer camp. Under the care of the Cosmos, the camp saw over 1500 underprivileged boys enjoy a summer at the lake during its 20-year life span.
Our Federation, Western Canada- gave almost $80,000 a year to Diabetes and over $270,000 to community programs.
The Cosmopolitan Clubs support many worthwhile community projects as well. Our International President a year ago asked the Clubs to total their financial donations to Diabetes Research and the amount they give to their communities. Donating was something that each Club did on their own and the information was never combined with the other Clubs in the Federations. It was a real eye opener. Our Federation, Western Canada- gave almost $80,000 a year to Diabetes and over $270,000 to community programs. That’s $350,000 a year! That is incredible given the size of our membership of 300 Cosmos! Internationally we gave almost a million dollars to needy causes. That total is just the money and does not include the physical work, the labour that we provide as well. Think of the benefits to our Communities.
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"...having fun with friends – that’s what Cosmopolitan is all about!"
Being a Cosmo does not mean all work and fund raising and no play. Who would want to belong to an organization like that? We are mostly retired and work is a thing of the past. So we have conventions! Three a year. In the fall we get together at one of the Western Canadian Clubs and have a curling bonspiel, some food, lots of fun and a business meeting. In the spring we do it again without the curling, instead including some sightseeing and a full session of business meeting and in midsummer we gather internationally to wind up the year and plan for the coming one.
Our Club has its turn as we host the Western Canada conventions regularly with the activities in town and on occasion in Waskesiu. You can imagine the effect the National Park site in the northern forest has on Cosmos from the prairies.
So why do we join Cosmopolitan and stay with them for so long you may ask? Well it is a chance to give back to our community. It is the projects where we work shoulder to shoulder, building sheds, decks, and painting cabins at the lake for campers where we get the most satisfaction. The fun and fellowship of working together- that is why we joined and that is what keeps us together.
You may think that belonging to a Service Club means hard work and fundraising, and in a small way it is, but it’s helping our Community – big time. And having fun with friends – that’s what Cosmopolitan is all about!