Dear Editor,
A week before the Citizen of the Year was due to be announced, I came into our shared kitchen greeted by the smell of blueberry pancakes and a lively debate over potential nominees: How can there be only one citizen of the year, and what does it take to truly qualify one nominee over another?
Living in a small community is a new experience for me. I moved to Bowen for my summer position at the Bowen Island Museum and Archives, and have found that the short distance across Howe Sound translates to a startling cultural difference from Mainland to island life.
In the city, even when community engagement is recognized, it often hangs unnoticed on the periphery. Volunteer work is too often pursued for the wrong reasons: a required number of hours dictated by a school program, a young person trying to boost their CV, a city-dweller struggling to find meaning in life beyond the mundane demands of a desk job. It is something that people often fit into their lives, instead of integrating it into their way of life. On the island, the community relies on the initiative and support of its members, and it is integral to the Island’s culture.
I had the recent privilege to speak to Lois Meyers-Carter, who received the Citizen of the Year Award with her husband Ross in 2007. In her words, the Citizen of the Year needs to be understood as a “representative of all those who also volunteered their time.”
“The person who gets the award is really a symbol,” Lois says, “and that person represents all those people that contribute.”
Many people actually submitted nominations for groups, not individuals, who dedicate so much of their time to community service. The recent fire at Hood Point calls the volunteer firefighters to mind, but the Caring Circle, BIRD, Garden Club, and many others have given hours of time and care. “Stick with the individual as a representative of all efforts,” Lois advised. There are so many groups, and the award should be given with the understanding that this one award is really a sum of many.
Lois spoke from her experience petitioning for the public library on Bowen. While it was a lengthy “step-by-step process,” she says, “I don’t remember the steps but I remember how long it took and how many people it took.” She humbly insists that it was through “a long list of efforts” and “the power and concern of the Friends of the Library” that truly provided the project’s impetus.
“Bowen Island has been so lucky to have volunteers do so many things,” Lois says, “and they get no reward.” So many important projects can be traced back to volunteers or exceptional individuals on the island, including toll-free phone service, a larger gym at the school, and public transportation. Lois also reminds us that the Archives consistently relies on members of the community – not only as we continue to build our history, but as we reflect back on archival material and reach out when in need of clarification.
Part of the importance of the award is asking questions. The Citizen of the Year causes an annual stir, wherein people begin to contemplate and discuss the many individuals that they value in their community and why they are so valued. When the votes are in and the name is announced, this should not close off the discussion. It is an award that recognizes only one, among so many islanders, who go above and beyond to serve their community.
Sincerely,
Kathryn Ney
N.B. We have recently received news that Lois has broken her hip and is in hospital recovering from surgery. On behalf of the Bowen Island Museum and community, we would like to wish her a speedy recovery.
