Voice of the Turtle September 2012 Board Election Special

If you have any questions please contact Tim Readman, SRABC Executive Director

 Thank you for your nominations o Over the last few months members of Stroke Recovery Association of BC have sent in nominations for people to be on our Board of Directors.

 No elections are needed this year o Because all nominations are unopposed we will not be holding elections this time. o The new Board Members will officially take their positions at the AGM on Saturday October 27th (SEE OFFICIAL NOTICE OF MEETING ON PAGE 5 )

 Here is the list of people that were nominated: o Penny Swales - Northern Region o Ben Sullivan - Island Region o Atul Gahdia - Director-at-Large o Casey Crawford - Director-at-Large (Casey was appointed as Board President after Dan Kennedy relocated to Montreal) o Calvin Lee - Director-at-Large (Calvin was appointed as Board Treasurer after Marc Montrichard relocated to Toronto) o Victoria Yang - Director-at-Large

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 Here is the list of people that are continuing for the second year of their term: o Mary Joan Giffin - Interior Region o Greg McKinstry - Vancouver Region o Ann Wreford - Director-at-Large (Secretary) o Kate Keetch - Director-at-Large

 We had no nominations from the following regions: o Fraser (Abbotsford, Langley, Maple Ridge/Pitt Meadows, Surrey, Coquitlam, Port Coquitlam) o Mainland (Delta, White Rock, Richmond, North, Burnaby South)

 The following Board Directors are leaving in October having completed their terms. We thank them for their generous donation of time and talent. o Gail Bellward, VP o Allan Thackray, Legal counsel  Also: o Dan Kennedy, our President, left us in June when he relocated to Montreal. Casey Crawford was appointed as President when Dan left. o Marc Montrichard, Treasurer, resigned in September after relocating to Toronto

 Here are the biographies of the new Directors: (Biographies for all current board members are on our website under ‘Who We Are) Ben Sullivan has been a member of the Comox Valley Stroke Recovery Group for 2.5 years, and the support and education he has received have been a huge part of his on-going recovery. Ben feels that his experience within the organisation and his unique personal history combine to make him a qualified candidate to sit on the Provincial Board of SRABC. Having suffered a stroke in 2008 at the age of 38, he has faced a different set of challenges due to his age, than those of older stroke survivors; from the impact of a stroke within the family, coping with a reduced income and the stresses felt by many caregivers especially within a family dynamic. I addition to his personal experience Ben has a wealth of volunteer and professional experience. Ben has worked for the last 7 years, first full time and now part time as a community support worker. Additionally Ben spent 6 years as a volunteer on the Comox Valley suicide prevention hotline. Each position demonstrated his ability to support and work with those experiencing significant physical and mental challenges. Ben was a member of the L’Arche Comox Valley for 2 years. Ben was part of a team that promoted and strengthened supported living for adults with mental delays. These examples combined with Ben’s ability to relate to his fellow stroke survivors has left him feeling confident about his potential role to support and help grow the provincial Association as it moves forward.

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Calvin Lee My grandmother had a stroke in her old age, and I have seen how a stroke can affect a patient’s speech and paralyze the body. I believe SRABC has a worthy and noble cause in helping stroke patients recover. Accounting Experience: I can bring to the Board expertise in accounting. I am a Chartered Accountant living in Vancouver, and I work for Fairholm & Company, Chartered Accountants, a CA firm that specializes in charities and non-profit organizations auditing and consulting in Greater Vancouver. I can offer a strong financial background in a not-for-profit organization such as Stroke Recovery Association of BC, as well as an extensive network of Chartered Accountants and other professionals. I have been involved in volunteer work all my life - at my church, at local community centers, as well as the Chartered Accountants Institute where I organize events for CA's. As a Chartered Accountant I am familiar in charity compliance with Canada Revenue Agency (including the T3010 charity return), fund accounting, board governance, internal controls, and have dealt with many Audit Committees and Boards of Directors of charities over my 5 years’ experience as an accountant that specializes in not-for- profit organizations. I am well-respected in the Chartered Accountants community as well as church community. Experience on Committees: I am the Chairman of the Young CA Forum Committee for 2012- 2013. The Young CA Forum organizes educational and social events for CA’s. As the Chairman, I set meeting dates and agendas then chair the Committee meetings. I am acquainted with the CEO and President, and work with senior staff at the Chartered Accountants Institute. In the past, I have served as President of planning committees for various youth camps, liaising with external parties such as venue booking, transportation booking, and working with a vice- president and 5 sub-committee leaders. Experience with Seniors and Community Work: I hold a Bachelor of Science degree from UBC. I have considered careers in medicine, physiotherapy, or pharmacy before embarking onto a career in accounting. I have volunteered for many years at hospitals and senior homes. I volunteered at Holy Family Hospital (a member of Providence Health Care in Vancouver to which St. Paul and St. Vincent Hospitals belong) in their physiotherapy department. My father, who holds a Master of Social Work degree, has been a psychiatric social worker at Riverview Hospital for over 20 years. I have played piano at senior homes such as Villa Cathay Care Home and S.U.C.C.E.S.S. I have also volunteered at Killarney Community Center for 5 years - since 2007 - filing income taxes for seniors and low income families, as a volunteer for the Canada Revenue Agency’s “Community Volunteer Income Tax Program”. Experience in Education: I am involved in the Chartered Accountants' School of Business through marking of exams, and writing exam questions and solutions. I also have over 10 years of teaching experience as a private piano and music theory teacher.

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Victoria Yang is a Senior Manager, Enterprise Planning & Account Management at ICBC. She has extensive experience in strategic project planning and delivery, business transformation and product management in both private and public sectors. Born and raised in a Chinese family; Victoria has studied in Mainland China, Hong Kong, Japan, Montreal, Vancouver, and Vienna and is fluent in four different languages. She has a Masters of Science degree from McGill University and a MBA degree from UBC. Beyond her academic and professional achievements, Victoria has worked closely within the community as well. Her volunteer experience includes time with Disabled Children's Foundation of China, retirement homes in China and Montreal, hospitals in Montreal and church shelters. Victoria has also raised corporate funding for YMCA Corporate Challenges and Ride to Conquer Cancer. Victoria is currently a Board Member at Oak Counseling Services Society. Victoria and her family supported her grandmother who survived a severe stroke, subsequently being paralyzed and lost speech for 24 years. She knows how a drastic life-changing event it can be for stroke survivors and families; and how essential a support system is required afterwards. When she discovered the SRABC via Vantage Point, the Association's commitment of "assisting stroke survivors and their caregivers to improve their overall quality of life, and its vision of "every stroke survivor in BC has respect, inclusion, and support in their home community" really spoke to her. Through her visits to the SRABC’s Shaughnessy and West Vancouver branches, she witnessed how much important good community support meant to the members. She was touched by the passion and dedication of the volunteers and the organizers. Victoria is confident that the Association will continue to bring positive results to stroke survivors and their caregivers Victoria’s Goals 1. Increase SRABC brand awareness and influence; 2. Improve existing operation efficiency; and 3. Broaden SRABC influence to a more diverse membership mix Victoria is determined to work with the rest of the Board to strengthen governance and implement policy where it makes sense to achieving the above goal. She will also work with the Executive Director and the Board in setting the proper strategic direction to make SRABC a better association for stroke survivors to meet their needs. Her action plan includes association partnerships, annual projects for fundraising and continuous improvement.

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Stroke Recovery Association of

OFFICIAL NOTICE OF MEETING

To be held on

October 27th 2012 at 10:30am

Room #5 (2nd Floor)

Creekside Community Centre, #1 Athletes Way

Vancouver, British Columbia

Registration: 10:30-11:00 am (including refreshments)

Annual General Meeting: 11:00 am Sharp

Phyllis Delaney Life After Stroke Awards Luncheon: 12:30 pm, please see page 12 for details

More details will be sent to your branch on September 24, 2012

For those unable to attend in person there is a proxy voting system available. Forms will be sent to every branch with details of the day’s events.

Coordinators Session: 9am-12pm - details will be sent out to Coordinators nearer to the date

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Branch News Highlights Please send your Branch News items to [email protected]. Thank you so much to everyone who submitted photos! You can see all of them online here: http://ow.ly/d9NUE

Kamloops Branch The Kamloops Stroke Recovery Branch has had many accomplishments since June, both as a group and individually. We held our first Fundraiser, Dinner and Dance that was a huge success on Friday, June 8th at the Colombo Lodge. Our group went on its Annual River Boat Adventure in July and met throughout the summer to learn, experience and have fun. There are some pictures of the event at http://ow.ly/d9NUE I would like to recognize that individual members of the Kamloops Branch have had personal accomplishments (out of respect and privacy names will not be published). One member took part in both the Vancouver Sun Run and the Kamloops Boogie the Bridge Run, three other members are now licensed to drive again, and most importantly all members and caregivers are making strides in living life to its fullest and overcoming the challenges they are faced with on a daily basis. I am grateful to be the Program Coordinator for a phenomenal group of Stroke Survivors and Caregivers. Knowing that our Thursday meetings are something that everyone looks forward to being a part of each week is a great feeling. Health and Happiness to all Branches. Shona Cox, Kamloops Branch Coordinator

Kelowna Pennies add up! Years ago, as a fundraiser, our aim was to collect a mile of pennies, which took 9 ½ years. We continued and have almost reached half of our second mile. We have raised more than $1400.

Vernon Branch On June 28, we had our Strides for Strokes at Polson Park. We walked around the entire park with our Vernon Branch t-shirts to raise awareness about strokes. This was followed by a picnic and a birthday cake for all our members. We were delighted with the weather and we had a good turn-out with a reporter from the paper taking some pictures and inserting an article in the local newspaper. There are some pictures of the event at http://ow.ly/d9NUE On July 12, we had a visit to Planet Bee and learned all about the fascinating history of bees and then we had a picnic lunch at one of our member’s houses. On July 26, we had a Country and Western Day for the branch with everyone wearing their finest country and western outfits. We even had mini-lassos to try and capture the condiment holders! Lots of fun for everyone Brenda Paul, Vernon Branch Coordinator

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Vanderhoof Branch On Monday June 18, 2012, seven stroke survivors, with volunteers and family members went on the ‘Strides for Strokes’ walkathon to raise money for Vanderhoof Stroke Recovery Group. We wound up with coffee and visiting after. There are some pictures of the event at http://ow.ly/d9NUE Luella Novak, Vanderhoof Branch Coordinator

Comox Branch Comox Valley Group met once during the summer for a most enjoyable potluck barbeque at the home of members Curtis and Jill. Before lunch we played ladder golf on the lawn with a lot of the balls going into the garden. We need a lot more practice! We meet again the first week in September. Jenny Gohl, Comox Branch Coordinator

Oceanside Branch On August 10, Oceanside Stroke Recovery members were treated to a wonderful potluck garden party at the home of Terry Mobberley and Dr. Marnie Finstad. The setting was marvellous, with lovely gardens and a grassy field leading down to the ocean. Nurse Colleen Halliday had prepared delicious appetizers and the weather was bright and sunny with a gentle cool breeze. Terry had arranged for his neighbour, Occupational Therapist Holly Carnagie Letcher, to conduct a laughter therapy session, which our members thoroughly enjoyed. Holly also invited our members to go to her property where she had a labyrinth. We enjoyed walking the labyrinth, a wonderful health and wellness tool, used for meditation and reflection on our life experiences and goals. The lane down the hill to the beach was laden with blackberries and Terry provided containers for everyone who wanted to pick some to take home. The food was delicious and there was an excellent variety. Good friends, good food, lovely weather and a beautiful setting ensured that the potluck picnic was a great success and we would like to thank Terry, Marnie and Colleen for their gracious hospitality. On August 12, our members participated in the Annual Bike for Your Life Tour as volunteers for parking, registration, and at checkpoint stands. There were well over 300 riders. This organization raises money for our branch and for "Cops for Cancer" as well. Karma Coffee also sells coffee on site to help raise funds. Participants were generous with their individual donations and the Bike for Your Life Committee sends us a donation cheque each fall. We have suspended our Friday therapy meetings for the month of August, but continue to meet on Tuesday mornings for coffee socials at Coombs Country Market. Kathleen Falvai, Oceanside Branch Coordinator

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Victoria Branch What a busy spring in Victoria starting off with Valentine’s Day then Easter! We had a very special birthday for our member Betty who turned 90. In June we had our annual picnic and once again had perfect weather. Thanks to our volunteers it was a great fun. We had for lovely lunch outings during July. There are photos at http://ow.ly/d9NUE Our year did end on a sad note; a long- time member passed away in July and will be greatly missed.

North Shore Branch I was sure our members were Broadway bound after their incredible performance of ‘Sentimental Journey’, our first ever musical, on May 12th at the Legion in North Vancouver. Enos Choy and Melody Owen, our music therapists, spent numerous hours developing the program, and rehearsing with 26 of our members. It was a memorable and touching experience as several stroke survivors had speaking parts, song solos or a dance presentation. Based on the extremely positive results there may be another musical in our future! Ray East put together a wonderful video that captures the true joy and fun we all experienced. Sue Chalmers and Enos’ dad contributed a number of photos as well. If you would like to view the video of our musical, go to: http://vimeo.com/42672119 To view a photo slideshow: https://picasaweb.google.com/lh/sredir?uname=enoschoy&target=ALBUM&id=574377121932 8037601&authkey=Gv1sRgCLaMteWdv7n0Og&feat=email Gail Snelling – North Shore Branch Coordinator

Shaughnessy Branch We have had a good Spring/Summer session at Shaughnessy Branch with some new places for outings. In April we went to the Museum of Anthropology at UBC. We had a guided tour of this amazing facility followed by lunch in the cafe. Another visit is planned for October. In June we took a Day Cruise with BC Ferries from Tsawassen to Swartz Bay. We enjoyed the buffet lunch on the way over and, without getting off the ship, a scenic journey home. Seniors travel free and, as a group of people with disabilities, the younger ones travelled for half price. Check out the BC Ferry web site for info regarding a disabled status card for travel any day at half price including a companion. We also had the Paws Squad visit for a demo on dog agility. We are lucky to have members and their family who entertained us through the year with music and song. The Branch was closed for August and will return on September 4th for another interesting Fall Session. Our speech & exercise programs are still performing well and we hope to add more 1-1 sessions with the iPad

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and computer. We also hope to add weight training and yoga to the exercises. We are always striving to meet the needs of all our members with a varied program. Peggy Kane and Kathy Parmley, Shaughnessy Branch Coordinators

Powell River We have had a very busy June. We decided to raise money on our walk for a speech pathologist. We do not have one available in the town and have to have one come from Comox. I feel this is very important to citizens of Powell River. We’ll see how far it goes! On June 12th we held our Strides for Strokes event. We went to a very wheelchair accessible United Church Hall so we could be near mainstream level walking quite visible to all. We had a lady with bag pipes pipe us around the block – it was great even though there were clouds and a light drizzle. We raised over $3200 to our delight. Highest pledge $750 - total top five pledges $1835. We were very successful. On June 19th we took all members to the Golf Club for lunch. We needed two buses and drivers but we found them! We had a great lunch and fun time. We were closed in July and August for official meetings, but coffee hour continued on the waterfront deck of the Brown’s home each Tuesday at 10am. The members enjoy visiting with each other.

Abbotsford Branch On June 7th 2012, Abbotsford Stroke Recovery, Fraser Health and the Abbotsford Recreation Dept hosted invited guests on a tour to see the STart program in action. We were honored to have Michael de Jong, BC Minister of Health and MLA for Abbotsford West rearrange his busy schedule just to be there for this exciting day. Among the invited guests was Abbotsford Mayor Bruce Banman and Rhonda Veldhoen, Director, Neurology Division Medicine Program, Kathy Doull Regional Planner for Rehab, Joy Parson, Project Leader for Rehab along with Clinical Practice Chiefs from the Hospital, Jerry Stanger, Director Home Health, Jillian Stow SRABC Regional Coordinator for Fraser Region, and of course our Executive Director Tim Readman. All were impressed with the program and spent time interacting with group members. This was a very successful event and we were really able to showcase what a supported Stroke Recovery group can look like and we hope this will be a model that can be duplicated throughout the Province someday in the future. The Minister of Health presented me with the royal proclamation of June as Canadian Stroke Month. STart stands for Stroke Assessment, Rehabilitation & Transitions. The program goal is to generate sustained improvements within the health care system and the community for the benefit of people affected by stroke. STart was developed in joint partnership with Medicine, Rehabilitation and Home Health, as well as SRABC - Abbotsford Branch, and Abbotsford

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Recreation Centre. In the STart clinic, clients are seen for outpatient rehabilitation services by an interdisciplinary team made up of Occupational Therapy, Physiotherapy, Social Work and Speech-Language Pathology. Service delivery may be individual and/or group treatment, including education and support as needed. As clients progress through the clinic they work with the team to transition into the SRABC - Abbotsford Branch. Here they receive ongoing health education, support and further transition towards graduated programs at local community recreation centres. Fraser Health Authority is interested in developing similar programs in other locations and is planning to keep the program in Abbotsford going. Photos are at http://ow.ly/d9NUE Marilyn Piticco, Branch Coordinator

Coquitlam Branch Wow, after the dismal spring, the summer weather sure perked up and so did we! The Coquitlam branch had outings to Blue Mountain Park for Chinese food, fish and chips at Rocky Point Park, a picnic at Belcarra Park and a hot dog lunch at Dogwood Pavilion. However our biggest trip was to the Dr. Sun Yat Sen Gardens and the Floata restaurant in Vancouver. Our member John Lee’s father Pin Lee is a gardener and one of the initial designers of the Dr. Sun Yat Sen gardens. His love of gardening got us headed downtown for a wonderful day in Chinatown. Our last outing of the season is to the New Westminster Quay in early September. Let’s hope the summer weather continues well into the autumn. Margaret Hansen, Coquitlam Branch Coordinator

Surrey Branch We held an ‘Adaptive Bowling Tournament and Lunch Fundraiser’ on July 21, 2012 which was a great success! Participants included stroke survivors and their families, friends, caregivers and volunteers with special participation by Howe Sound Rehabilitation Services. It was sponsored by Sun Life Financial Plans, Inocencia Minierva, Amit Kumar of Life Skills Therapy, Tim Readman, Susan Walker, Bibi Mohamed and Stephen Leong. Our fabulous volunteer photographers were Brian Noval and Roy Minierva. Our dynamic volunteers really worked hard to make this event a huge success and we earned a total of $845 – thank you very much to everyone who made this event happen! Pictures of the event are at http://ow.ly/d9NUE. For those who want a copy of the pictures of the event, just please submit your blank CDs to me or Hanee Alcover. Fey Villacampa, Surrey Branch Coordinator

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Delta Branch The Delf Wine merchants of Ladner hosted a wine tasting evening. Thanks to the generosity of Anne Herringer, fitness trainer for our branch, for organizing this wonderful event. Volunteers helped with the food preparation and presentation. The Delf Group also generously offered a donation connected to the sale of wine, with all donated proceeds going to the Delta branch of Stroke Recovery B.C In addition donations made by guests (about 100) earned a ticket on a raffle for a variety of baskets. Thanks to all concerned for this much welcomed funding for our stroke recovery programs. Our 16th annual pot luck garden party was held in Gordon and Barb Wright's back garden on Tuesday, August 21, 2012. Everyone brought prepared food to share with others and fortunately the weather cooperated by staying dry. A feature of the day was a presentation made to the branch of $9, 601.72 from the Delf Wine Importers from the wine tasting party described above. Photos are at http://ow.ly/d9NUE Karel Ley, President, Delta Branch

White Rock South Surrey Stroke Branch White Rock/South Surrey Stroke Recovery held a High Tea Raffle Fundraiser in early summer and raised $ 735. Volunteers Barbara and Pauline had the idea, planned the event and made the tickets, sold them, and prepared the food. We are truly grateful for members like these. The raffle winner was Robin Waine of North Vancouver and 3 of her friends, Trixie, Sandy and Barbara. They were served a lovely High Tea in South Surrey on July 19th at the home of Barbara Coghlan. It was a beautiful sunny day and the winners were greeted by Gayl Hutchison, the Branch Coordinator and Muriel Dove , our club's oldest and dearest stroke survivor and volunteer, along with Pauline Swain, a volunteer and spouse of a stroke survivor. Everyone went to great efforts to dress for the occasion with elegant hats and lovely outfits. Muriel looked especially lovely wearing a vintage blue tulle lace hat that was over 50 years old along with a coordinating skirt and blouse. Tea was served along with delicious finger sandwiches and scones with cream and strawberry jam, as well as many lovely sweets fit for a Queen. It was a delightful afternoon for everyone. Thank you for your wonderful support for this great cause. There are some pictures of the event at http://ow.ly/d9NUE. On a sad note; a long- time member passed away in July and will be greatly missed.

Gayl Hutchinson, White Rock South Surrey Branch Coordinator and Barbara Coghlan, Member, White Rock South Surrey Branch

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New SRABC Brochure: Understanding Aphasia We have created a new brochure to help people understand what aphasia is and how it affects people’s ability to communicate. You can find a copy on our website at www.strokerecoverybc.ca under the ‘Aphasia (speech)’ tab. In the brochure you’ll find information on:  What is Aphasia?  What Causes Aphasia and Who Gets It?  How Long Does Aphasia Last?  Where Can We Go For Help?  Communication Tips for Family and Friends  Helpful Links for Aphasia

Events 2012 Phyllis Delaney Life after Stroke Award Nominations The awards will be presented at a special luncheon to be held at the SRABC 2012 AGM on Saturday October 27th, details to follow. The Phyllis Delaney Life After Stroke Awards are given to people whose courage, determination and achievement deserves public recognition, as a testament to Phyllis's achievements. They recognise individuals who have overcome adversity following a stroke, and caregivers who have provided support to those affected by stroke. The award winners are: Outstanding Achievement Award - Sandra Davenport- Oceanside Branch For a stroke survivor who has overcome exceptional circumstances and has either  Shown special courage in overcoming physical, communication or emotional problems; or  Made a special contribution to their community as a public figure or a volunteer. Caregivers Award - Diana Abbot- Saanich Branch For an individual who has assisted a stroke survivor by providing emotional support and personal care. Volunteer of the Year Award - Catherine (Kitty) Warner- Victoria Branch For an individual who has provided exceptional volunteer service to the Stroke Recovery Association or one of the Stroke Recovery Groups. Award for Achievement in the Arts or Sport - Rosemarie Hurst- Delta Branch and Clyde Nakashima- Coquitlam Branch For a stroke survivor who has shown exceptional artistic talent in the visual or performing arts or who has attained success in a sporting endeavour.

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