Recently, I sat down with Roy Wren, vice president of the Sechelt Seniors Activity Centre, to better understand his role and what motivates him to be so involved in the community:
E: What do you and Kamala Harris have in common?
Roy: I have no idea.
You’re both sitting vice presidents of important institutions! (He regarded this a compliment.)
Vice president, that’s a big role. What does it involve? I like the members to know who I am so I try and get out there to meet everyone. The members, volunteers, staff. If you’re coming for a morning activity, chances are I will connect with you.
Ah, so it’s like that show Cheers, where you walk through the door and hear a resounding “Rooooy!”
Why do you invest so much time at the centre? It’s my way of leading by example. I enjoy the people. I enjoy what we are building here. As a retiree, it gives me something worthwhile to do every day. Being an adult educator for 30 years, and being a people person, this makes me feel like I’m contributing to my community.
How much of a commitment is involved? I am usually in about three times per week for a few hours at a time. Really, though, there can be as little or much commitment as a person wants.
It’s called the Seniors Activity Centre. What age do you have to be to become involved? There is no age limit to participate. Members of all ages are welcome. I mean $6 for top notch yoga? That’s an amazing deal; so we have a wide range of participants.
The only restriction, according to our constitution, is members need to be over 50 to vote at the AGM and (biannual) general meeting coming up Oct. 19.
Why are volunteers such an important part of the SSAC? The only way the centre can offer such affordable pricing for our members is if enough volunteers step up. We’re talking as little as $6 for a homemade meal. And we have the ‘Button’ program for folks who can’t even afford that.
What can you say about the present board of directors? This is a hard-working group who, together with volunteers and staff, are responsible for looking after the wellbeing of the centre. It’s also a new board with myself being one of the rare exceptions of someone with past B.O.D. experience here.
What would be your message to someone who is considering being a volunteer? Don’t hesitate. Why not come in and give it a try? You’ll receive a friendly welcome, be well trained, get fed and you can never have enough good people. And we really do have a lot of great people around here.
