OUR WONDERFUL BOARD MEMBERS
Do you love volunteering? Love giving back to your community? Or love making new friends? Joining our Seba Seniors Board is the answer. We’re looking for two amazing people to join us.
Hear what our current board members have to say about joining the Seba Seniors Board, why they do what they do and maybe you’ll be next to join our team!
Past President – Gene McMullen
Construction volunteer, AV tech, social media coordinator, Past President and more…meet our current Technology Director, Gene McMullen.
Gene joined the Seba Seniors to give back to the community and carry on the work done by the founders of the Seba Seniors. His parents Archie and Ressa were charter (founding) members of the Seba Seniors. They had been summer residents of Seba Beach for about 28 years and in 1964 made Seba Beach their home. Through them, he got to know many of the other charter members of the Seba Seniors. In 1976, he bought his cottage, and since 1999 Sharon and him have made Seba Beach their home. Lots of great memories for their Brady Bunch of 6 kids and 13 grandkids. They are hoping some of their 4 great-grandkids will also have good memories of Seba.
At the moment, he is the Past President and acting Technology Director. He was involved in helping complete the upgrade of the Melmoth Lounge, Audio Visual system in the May Hall, upgrade and an addition to the Thrift Shop, Seba Seniors website, and online presence with Facebook and a monthly newsletter. He is proud to have been involved in presenting the Talking Circles and the ongoing efforts of improving the Seba Seniors relationship with our Indigenous neighbors
He has now been volunteering on the Board since May of 2018. That’s six years!
What surprises him…”The commitment of fellow board members and other volunteers that make the Seba Seniors a vibrant resource for the Seba Beach community.”
Vice President-Ingrid Butler-Sieben
Ingrid has lived in Seba Beach full time for almost four years with her husband Gerald and her two dogs.
She has enjoyed visiting the Senior Centre for many years and has been able to join some activities, which has led to friendships with board members and then an offer to join the board one year ago as vice-president.
Ingrid still has a demanding full time job but is willing to help when and where she can, which is what we appreciate.
In her own words: “Last year, I became Vice President and have become engaged with supporting the activities of the Centre, managing rentals and insurance matters and other items that come up. The past year has been challenging for our organization, with many activities and things to discuss, but together the board has come together and we’ve done an excellent job. The Seba Beach Senior Golden Age Club is vital to this area and I’m pleased to help where I can.”
Programs – Diane Lucas
Diane moved out to Seba Beach 4 & a half years ago. One reason she started to volunteer at Seba Seniors was to make connections and meet people who lived here.
To start, she sorted clothes then moved to sorting linens including table clothes, sheets, towels, etc. Eventually sorting linens became her main job.
Overtime, Diane began to flex her creativity to build the Christmas displays and other seasonal displays at the front of the Thrift Shop. If you like the displays at the Thrift Shop, let Diane know! A team of people called the Cut Ups gather usually monthly to cut up donated cotton articles of clothing that are not suitable for resale in our Thrift Shop. Oil & gas companies love these rags, and guess who organizes the rag cutting parties: Diane!
If that’s not enough, Diane joined the Seba Seniors board at last year’s AGM as our Program Director for identifying and implementing programs for our Seba Seniors and the Community: examples include Mens Shed, Fitness Fun, the Glam Fest, etc.
In her own words: “I was surprised at how active the Senior Seniors Centre is. It really is the most happening place in town. If people are looking for something to do, this is the place. Beyond that she says she is having so much fun working with the other volunteers who are so great. Everyone is so helpful whether they are volunteers or not. When I ask for help I always get it. Hard to go wrong hanging out at the Seba Seniors!”
Thrift Shop – Lynn Berg
Once retired Lynn decided to make her permanent home at Seba. She knew very few year-round residents, had some time on her hands so began to look for a volunteer opportunity. She started as a thrift shop volunteer and saw involvement in the seniors group as an opportunity to help get some things going in the community year-round.
Currently Lynn is a co-manager of the Thrift Shop, while her board position is as a representative for the Thrift Shop. She’s been on the board for over 15 years and has held several positions including Social, Programs and President.
In her own words: “As two of our long-time board members are leaving, I look forward to seeing new faces and new ideas. I’m surprised at how long I have been involved on the board. Obviously I have enjoyed my experience for I’ve met lots of new people, learned new skills, and have developed a deep connection to the Seba Beach Community, especially to its seniors. I’m very proud to have played a part in how successful the Seba Seniors have been in supporting community needs, and providing a safe, welcoming gathering place for fun, learning and activities.”
President – Cathie Duchesne
Seba Seniors have supported the Seba Beach Quilters group for about 18 years. Originally, Cathie was a member of the Quilters and began meeting once a week for a day of quilting. She was grateful to have a wonderful venue at Seba Seniors with everything she needed. As is the case with so many Seba Board members, she was newly retired in addition to being a beginner quilter.
In her own words: “I really enjoyed the company of these talented and supportive women. The Fibre Arts group took me to a new territory a few years later. It was 2012 when I was approached by Seba Seniors to join the Board to chair the social committee. Shortly before the Covid years, the Board created a Program Director’s position which I took on. In 2023 I was elected President. I admire that Seba Seniors is managed by an operating board – with no full-time staff and completely run by volunteers. In addition, the organization does not rely on grants or government funding. The Thrift Shop provides the base funding for our organization! Self-sufficiency is rare for non-profit charities!”
WHY VOLUNTEERING IS SO GOOD FOR US!
- Helping Your Community: Volunteering lets you make a positive difference in your community and you can help support local causes.
- Personal Development: It helps you learn new skills, gain experience, and build confidence, all things that are so important as we age!
- Making Friends: Volunteering introduces you to new people and helps you make new friends in your community.
- Boosting Mood: Helping others makes you feel good and give you a sense of purpose.
