Are you Board?

Our annual fund raising banquet is coming up and we and the board have been working hard on the details! If you want to attend the banquet, it's filling up fast but check out our website http://www.reginarescuemission.org or give me a call at 543-0011. I have connections and I can get you in!

We held a board meeting a couple of weeks ago. We only meet four times per year and there is a lot of behind the scenes work involved before actual board meeting night. It went oh so well. We have such a great board. We were able to get them all business cards. But here's what the cards won't tell you:

Harold Lutzer, Chairman,
Executive Director of Canadian Revivial Fellowship (CRF) for 30 years, brother of the prolific author and speaker, Irwin Lutzer, of Moody Bible Church in Chicago. Harold is now semi-retired and serving as the Director of Development of CRF.

Pray for him as he is recovering from a heart attack and his wife, Charlene went into the hospital last week. Charlene serves as the Chaplain of WARRM, the Women's Auxillery of Regina RESCUE Mission.

Harold and I meet for breakfast several times a year. He is my mentor and confidante and I appreciate his real life, Biblically sound wisdom.

Alan Jacobson, Vice-Chairman,
Crown Counsel with the Saskatchewan government, daddy to six growing children, and husband of Sally, Communications Coordinator of WARRM. Alan served for a time under Len & Doris Klassen, Founding Directors of New Life Mission in Kamloops, BC. Ken also got his start working for Len & Doris in Kamloops one summer.

When Len found out Ken and I were moving to Regina to start a RESCUE Mission, he told us about Alan. He said to call him up and say, "Are you going to be a lawyer or a liar?" Well, that must have been some inside joke but we were grateful Alan said yes!

We have relied on his knowledge in all things legal including reading reams of technical contracts written in that foreign language called Legalese. Alan is also Vice Chairman, and Ken and I have enjoyed getting to know him on this level. Like when we got together with him for an early breakfast before our last meeting to plan the agenda. I must admit, I was a little nervous, but it subsided when he came into Humpty's looking like a drowned rat in a business suit, from riding his bike in the downpour of that day!

Dave Gorrie, Secretary,
Dave is a Child Psychologist with the Regina School Board. His wife teaches elementary school. What a fun combination! They just attended their daughters grad from a fine arts school in New Brunswick. I wonder what it would have been like growing up Gorrie?!

Lionel Popescu was a man who was instrumental in assisting us in the founding of Regina RESCUE Mission. Before he passed away, he found two board members to replace him. One was Dave. I knew that if he was recommended by Lionel, he would be quality.

Dave always asks how we are doing personally. He always has a word of encouragement or empathy for Ken and I. He has also been good in encouraging our staff in continuing our program and services, leading them with confidence in the ways we can help the children that stay with us. He takes an interest in risk management and his imput into the business of the board is valuable because of it. (Much of the board's role is to assess and avoid risk.)

Brian Hardy, Treasurer,Brian works hard for us. Hm... "Works hard Hardy." Well, he's probably heard that before. His latest feat is finding table sponsors for 8 tables at our Love Your Neighbour Fund Raising Banquet! (Click on "Are you Board" to find out more.) Brian & Roberta know how to get others to give generously, and also give generously themselves.

Brian's background is in banking, having retired as the Vice President of TD Canada Trust Southern Saskatchewan Banks. I think he retired in order to serve on our board, but I'm not sure. He looks after making sense of audit reports and anything financial. We finally broke down and granted him signing authority. =) We are so grateful to have him as our financial advisor and friend.

Dave Pahl,
Dave works on an important floor of TransGas. That's SaskEnergy. I called him with a concern about a power line the other day and that was very embarrassing. Anyway, Dave also works for us. He volunteers one evening per week as an Evening Supervisor. (Pretty much the staff on duty.) So, if you want to meet him, stop by on Tuesday night. You'll find him visiting the guys, making devilled eggs, or maybe fixing a toilet.

Dave also founded our Men's Informal Service Club: MiSC, as it is affectionaly known around here. It's still in it's infancy stages but we've had one VERY successful work bee and hope to have another one or two this summer! Dave's wife, Diane, volunteers as an Adopt-A-Mom with our ladies, and is a member of WARRM.

On the board, Dave is a go-getter. He likes to get down to business and isn't afraid to try new things. He also is responsible for having several tables sponsored for our upcoming banquet. One in particular has caused quite the fuss: In-Line Pigging Solutions! I definately want to sit at that table.

Doug Gold,
We have always had a Realtor on our board. It seems to be an important role for an ever expanding Mission who's director is a visionary! Doug understands that one of our core values is Expansion, and he works very closely with Ken in land and building acquisition. Between the two of them I'm sure every vacant building in downtown Regina has been explored! He has a good sense of administration and is the Board Representative on our Shelter Committee.

Doug's wife, Marg, is a member of WARRM and provider of the best Butterhorns you ever had to all important occasions! Doug is an asset to our staff as he has assisted them in home buying.

Gareth Dillistone,
Gareth was asked to serve on the board for his marketing imput. He is a Video Journalist on the A-Team (Mr. T look out!) with CTV and is very well connected around the city. (Imagine, a personal interview with the Prime Minister?!) You'd be amazed who's phone numbers he has on his cell phone!

After making sure the news gets filmed, he usually rushes into the board meeting at the last minute and fills up with goodies for his dinner. His latest board contribution has been working with me to find a speaker for our fund raising banquet (Yay, Tara Robinson!) I'm sure I'll be blogging more about this later!

Gareth has helped to raise our profile in the community and amongst politicians and others he happens to be hobnobbing with. He hobnobs at home with Patti and the kids, who are homeschooled by the amazing Patti.

Murray Hack,
Our newest and youngest member of the board. I had a brainstorm at the last convention I was at. I needed our board to represent all ages of the spectrum. A large portion of our staff are in their twenties, so I wanted a twenty-something person who was up-and-coming in the business community that would represent them at the board level.

Murray had already established a heart for the homeless as he was a regular weekly Evening Supervisor. Now, he actually works an entire eight hour shift every Saturday. When he found out we had no staff available for that shift, he graciously agreed to give up his Saturday to cover.

Murray is working towards completing his P Eng. (not sure what that is but he's an Engineer of some sort...) and is perhaps one of the youngest Managers in SaskTel. Murray understands that it takes money to raise money, and although he grew up driving tractors, (my apologies to the country people reading this--which is half my staff and my own husband) he has a keen business sense and has been "citified."

Murray is dating our LifeChange Program Director. I won't give away her name since she told me it was not "bloggable" material. So, anyone who's made it to the end of this is now privy to the excitement we've all been sharing around here!

Stay tuned for tomorrow's Banquet Blog!