In honour of National Volunteer Week which was celebrated the last week of April, I wish to acknowledge our new Board of Directors:

Doug Walker, President (Cambium Leadership)
Gordon Benn, Vice President (Pearlman Lindholm)
Sheila Henn, Treasurer (Paterson Henn Chartered Professional Accountants)
Tara Keeping, Secretary (Tiger Lily Events)
John Treleaven, Past President (The Treleaven Consulting Group)
Dan Adair, Director (Island Savings, a division of First West Credit Union)
James Bogusz, Director (Victoria Airport Authority)
Andrew Bradley, Director (Itty Bitty Sign Shop)
Art Finlayson, Director (Finlayson Bonet Architecture)
Richard Flader, Director (Flader Chartered Accountant)
Joe Jansen, Director (Wilson’s Transportation)
Reg Mooney, Director (Penta Resources Group/Lifetime Member)
Doug Wedman, Director (Chamber of Commerce Group Insurance Plan)

At our AGM, in addition to welcoming new directors, we also said goodbye to three special people: Ginny Alger (Horizon Power) who had been a board member for more than 20 years and former Presidents Craig Norris (Victoria International Marina) and Ian Brown (Tower Kitchens and Millwork) retired from their board positions.

It is estimated that there are more than 12.7 million volunteers in Canada. Our organization has benefited from many generous people who have served as board members and others who have counselled visitors in our Information Centre. Without our volunteers’ generous gifts of time and expertise, we would not be able to operate – the positive impact on our organization cannot be overstated. We are fortunate on the Saanich Peninsula to have a large cadre of dedicated volunteers and the economic benefit to our community is considerable.

Perhaps less well recognized are the benefits of volunteering derived by the actual volunteers. Volunteering provides opportunities to make new friends and contacts and increase your social skills. It has been shown that volunteering has significant benefits to people’s overall psychological well-being. It can relieve stress, boost your self-confidence and endorphins and provide a sense of purpose. Volunteering can also have positive effects for those looking to advance their career. You might meet people who offer valuable advice or who introduce you to an exciting employment opportunity. You could learn useful new skills and build upon the skills you already have. Volunteering can be a great strategy for meeting new friends with whom you share interests. You might discover a new passion. It can be a very fulfilling, rewarding, enriching experience.

“Remember that the happiest people are not those getting more, but those giving more.”

― H. Jackson Brown Jr.

Denny Warner,
Executive Director, Saanich Peninsula Chamber of Commerce