“Please come and help.”
That is the message Hollis Hodson will deliver next week when the Residents Association of Strawberry Vale, Marigold and Glanford (RASVMG) will hold its annual general meeting Wednesday at the Horseshoe Club of Victoria, starting at 7 p.m.
The meeting will hear from Saanich’s chief administrative officer Paul Thorkelsson and invite members to participate on the board.
“We need to engage people who are in their 20s, their 30s, even their 40s,” said Hodson, president of the association.
Incorporated in April 2011, the association is one of 18 community associations in the municipality, which “provide valuable input to council and Saanich staff on items such as land use and planning proposals,” according to Saanich’s website.
This status makes community associations important transmission points between the public-at-large, elected officials and other groups, including private enterprise, not-for-profit agencies and other members of society. They also help organize community events like Music in Park among others.
Hodson, who has been living in the Marigold area since 1992, said her work with the community association has been very rewarding.
The issues that face the association across its three areas such as the McKenzie interchange and rural-urban issues are interesting and offer opportunities to learn more about their governance and their neighbourhoods, she said.
That said, the association needs help if it wants to fulfill its mandate.
The current board members do everything they can do to balance their professional and personal lives with their volunteer efforts, and would appreciate any help that interested parties can offer, said Hodson, who is not only president but also association secretary.
Local youth looking for volunteer hours are especially welcome, she said.
“This is a great way to learn about your community,” she said.