It's always the case: if you want something done, ask somebody who is busy. Take Marilynne Grant for example. She is an elder at Knox, Oakville, Ont., and she also sits on the executive of of the Oakville May Court Club, which is celebrating its 50th anniversary. The club's 200 members raised $65,000 last year for a variety of different projects. One of the most popular is a puppet project that visits schools, teaching various life lessons, and a lunch box program that delivers food items to 11 schools in the Oakville area. They also support local groups working with disabled adults, cancer patients and people living with HIV, run a scholarship program which gave $20,000 to 21 students last year, and organize several annual fundraisers that support various community initiatives. “I've made so many close friends,” Grant told the Record. “And you work really hard to raise money and give it back to your community.”
Sheila Gillies, an elder at Knox, St. Catharines, is a 10-year member of that city's May Court Club and incoming vice president of the national association. The St. Catharines club is celebrating 70 years of service this year. Its 175 members give a total of 5,000 hours of community service each year and helped raise more than $34,000 between 2005 and 2006.
“I believe in investing in the lives of people and organizations around me to enrich the fabric of the community,” said Gillies. “Fundraising together for a common goal is fun, and knowing that we can make a difference in the lives of others gives a sense of accomplishment.”
The Association of May Court Clubs of Canada is a women's service club that traces its roots to 1898 when Lady Aberdeen, wife of Governor General of Canada Lord Aberdeen, made a challenge to Canadian women to serve their communities, using their gifts and skills to help those less fortunate. Lady Aberdeen also founded the Victorian Order of Nurses and was a stanch Presbyterian. May Courts is looking to start new chapters across Canada and find more members.
There are currently nine clubs in Ontario including Barrie, Brockville, Chatham, Kitchener-Waterloo, London, Oakville, Ottawa, St. Catharines and Windsor.
Visit www.maycourtclubsofcanada.org to learn more. – AM
