Passionate about the Owen Sound "Y"

As a person who has spent my childhood, adulthood and now elderhood in this city, I have a long positive, personal history with the Owen Sound Family "Y". It started with teentown dances held weekly when I was in the eighth grade at Ryerson School. It was during the early fifties dance craze era and I loved the darkened second floor all purpose room turned magically into a den of excitement every Friday night. Somehow I found myself on the teen town executive and was sponsored by the Y’s Mens club to attend a Y  leadership camp at Geneva Park. From that experience I was asked to give a talk about “Being a Leader" to the club.

So it came to be that I volunteered to lead, Neighbourhood ”Y” clubs, swimming instruction classes and First Aid classes and to Life Guard. Friendly Fred Gamble, the executive director at the time, made being in charge of the “Y” look like a wonderful career and I dreamed of setting a goal to attend Sir George Williams College to become a “Y” professional.

Even though I fell short of fulfilling that goal, I married and raised four children all to be “Y” leaders. They started young when I led movement education, on to Y nursery school, swimming classes, swim team, Y leadercore, Life guarding, Day camp instructors and counselors at Presqu'ile Camp. And during those years I continued volunteering as an Aquafit instructor and onto Nursery School executive, to the Y board doing special projects and becoming President in 1976-77.

I marvel when I realize the continuous learning experiences the “Y” has offered me:, fundraising, public speaking, promotions, and how to lead a meeting, to name a few. I will always appreciate this and as I continue to attend Aquafit classes (as a participant, not a leader this time) these wonderful memories  bubble up.

And now, with all the excitement of the New Rec Centre dream getting closer I want to passionately pledge my support to this project. As I sat through the public budget meeting on Monday night and witnessed the new crop of youth leaders pleading with the "city fathers" to BELIEVE in this facility becoming an economic driver for the future of Owen Sound and area, I was motivated to do all I can to help with making this happen. I’ll join the fundraising team, to help the city, the “Y” and the community find many creative approaches to getting this "Dream" built.