We are creating an archive of historical documents for the club and we have the minutes of the first meeting. The inaugural meeting was about 51 years ago on February 10, 1972. It was held in the library of Stuart Wood School starting at 8:15 pm. Over 60 people attended. Many of our current club members will know or remember the individuals who started the club.

Nonie Embleton chaired the first part of the meeting and welcomed everyone on behalf of Elton Anderson, Executive Secretary of the BC Federation of Naturalists. Mr. Anderson urged the formation of a new club in Kamloops. Geoff Bodman gave a brief history of events leading to this first meeting. Mr. Bodman mentioned that he and two others conducted Christmas bird counts and 1967 and 1968. He also stated that he worked for ten years toward getting Stum Lake (Northwest of Williams Lake) protected as a breeding sanctuary for pelicans. [This area is now White Pelican Provincial Park, https://bcparks.ca/white-pelican-park/]

The first officers elected were Alan Kemp, President; Stu Nanson, Vice President; Mrs. John Stewart (Domini), Treasurer; Joe Hunka, Secretary; and Directors Blair Smith, Geoff Bodman, and Kay Bawtree. Resource was John Weinard and Honorary President Len Marchand. Geoff Bodman was the first club representative to the Federation of BC Naturalists.

David Williams from Cariboo College presented a slide show on local plants. Meetings were set for the first Thursday of each month in the library and smoking was not permitted. Annual membership fee was set at $4.00 for single, $5.00 for family, $1.00 for students. It was noted that $.50 of each membership is remitted to the BC Federation of Naturalists. Paid memberships for the year were 39. David Williams moved that the name of the club be Kamloops Naturalist Club. It was seconded by Murphy Shewchuk and carried. Alex Phillips moved for adjournment.

Trudy Frisk later became Vice President and signed the registration to become a Society. The first club committees were the Constitution Committee, the Conservation Projects Committee, and Field Trips Committee. Subsequent Directors in the 1980s included Wayne Erickson, Muriel McLaren, Bruce Bosdet, Rick Howie, and Kathleen Barlow. Other club members included Ruth Vidal, Stewart Nanson, Jack and Barbara Gregson, Gertrude Tennant, Dave Nelson, Bob Cyca, Mrs. Rickie Fleming, Gordon Malin, John McLean, Neville Edwards, and Bill Huxley.

There were numerous other early naturalist pioneers who contributed greatly to the success of the club in its formative years. Some of these were Joan Best, Jo Chipperfield, Mary Eccleston, Margaret Graham, Maxine Grass, Willie Haras, Wayne Jennings, Dave Low, Eric and Lois McAlary, Karen McLaren, Pat Petley, Andy Raniseth, Ralph and Clara Ritcey, Syd Roberts, Jack and Iris Robinson, Ken Taylor, Alan and Francis Vyse, and Karen Willies. If you remember others you would like to recognize, you can leave a comment below.

Other clubs established about the same time included the North Okanagan Naturalist Club (Vernon), Shuswap Naturalist Club (Salmon Arm), Central Okanagan Naturalist Club (Kelowna), and South Okanagan Naturalist Club (Penticton). All of these clubs are active today.