Once again BWS hosted one of the most fun parties of the season. Each year Santa takes the opportunity to honour (i.e. roast) selected volunteers in the organization. Read further to hear enlightening stories about our volunteers and the work that they do.
Pam: At her finest!
This is the second year that Pam has played the role of Santa. We can’t imagine anyone else stepping into those (stream sampling) boots! Thanks for all the laughs and all your Treasurer’s accounting that keeps us in line throughout the year!
Also, Thank You Santa for sharing your priceless notes to be integrated in this message.
Marie: guaranteed to be glowing stream-side!
This year Marie stepped up and took over the role of stream sampling lead for the Royston Pod. She runs the sampling with admirable diligence and attention to detail. She has set schedules and led so many sampling days that she can do calibration in her sleep!
Dear reader: If you live in the Royston area, we hope to recruit more sampling folk to spread the workload. It is a great opportunity for comradery with folk who love being out in the woods stream side.
Bill: padded for any eventuality loading refundable pallets.
With his Engineering background, there is a very interesting array of problems that Bill tackles for us. A ramp to load mega bags of glass refundables onto a truck was one of those challenges–and not a small challenge! The pallet jack hydraulically lifts the 1073 lb bag 6 inches off the ground and the ‘operator’ maneuvers the load to align the tiny little wheels on the center line of the ramp. The tricky part is that the operator backs up the ramp in front of the load. Yup, Bill’s the one between 1073 lbs on wheels and the back wall of a truck! Let’s just say this became the making of one of our safety protocols!
Lise: always ensuring we get the message.
As Secretary, Lise diligently makes sure we have the information we need in a timely manner. Given the amazing growth of BWS, this is no small challenge. Next year our files, data, photos, protocols, etc. will be moved onto a secure shared drive. Who knew we would get so big, so fast, that file management for all the different committees, sampling pods, data sources, and work groups would be critical to efficient functioning. Lise can’t wait 😉
Jeanette: “Oh Santa, I’m going to tell tales on you, just wait!”
Jeanette is someone we count on for her calm ability to multitask. Among this year’s activities, Jeanette has been a stream monitor leader; BWS meeting participant; refundable sorter and load pick-up volunteer; artistic designer for the outreach table and the jeopardy game; grant writer; participant with outreach and youth media project.
Best of all, Jeanette is unflappable–not once loosing her cool when inevitable and often-entertaining “stuff happens.”
Mark: “Is this REALLY what they think it do?”
Mark is our version of Indiana Jones! Using his geology expertise, Mark and colleagues at UVic and VIU are most comfortable out in the elements, using hands-on technology to conduct resistivity sounding and obtain data for ArcGIS mapping. Mark is passionate about geology, especially as it helps to find water underground! Seriously, do you know anyone else who spends hours pouring over the multitude of maps (topo, geologic, back country) so he can venture out tackling the slopes, valleys and cliffs in search of the Holy Grail – Aquifers!
Lynne: “OMG! What tale is Santa going to tell?”
Lynne is Vice-President and Communications Director. Santa’s tale was of Lynne’s trial-and-error efforts to learn Word Press and figure out how to construct our website.
She has stepped up and volunteered to be Vice President for BWS as well as being a first contact person for many of our new members. She helps out with refundables and is adamant that she is queen of the filthy bags. She has also taken on many tasks that require totally unanticipated professional expertise–despite an initial belief that none of her expertise had any relevance to the work of BWS.
Dave: “So this is what they call “special” recognition!”
Dave was this year’s winner of the Twisted Staff Gage Award, or ‘All Around BWS’er’ award, given to the volunteer who has demonstrated diligence, flexibility, generosity, and above all, amazing good humour throughout the year!
This year Dave has participated in more stream samplings than absolutely anyone and for those he didn’t attend he was the standby guy! He has sorted cans, glass containers, plastic bottles, milk and juice jugs all the while entertaining us with the worst jokes ever! He has pushed Bill and Helmuth up the refundable van ramp countless times. He has volunteered for 6-PPDQ duty. If there is a job that needs doing, he makes himself available!
In case you are wondering: the trophy was build from a rather well worn staff gauge recovered from one of our streams. Thank you Helmut for the creative construction.
So to all …, a very special holiday season. See you in the new year!
What are great time with great people! Thank you for posting this event.