On Saturday members of the Pictou County Y Service Club were joined by youth leadership members as they collected donations outside the Aberdeen Sobeys for the Pictou County Food Bank.
The Y Service Club followed up the donation with a $1,000 cash donation on Monday to the food bank.
It’s just one example of the kind of work the club is currently doing and has done since starting in Pictou County 46 years ago.
As much good as the club is able to do now, President Murray Dunbar and Secretary Sandy Reynolds believe they’d be able to do even more with more members. That’s why they’ve embarked on a campaign to increase the membership in the service organization over the next two years.
Like many service clubs, Reynolds said their numbers have been stagnant in recent years, but they hope that by spreading word about the club and the causes they’re involved in they can help rejuvenate it and continue to find ways to help both at home and abroad.
Y Service clubs trace their roots to the international association that was formed in Toledo, Ohio, in 1922. The first club that was chartered outside of the U.S. was in Sydney, N.S., in 1923. Today, Y Service Clubs can be found in more than 70 countries around the world. The local Y’s Men and Y’s Menettes held their first official meeting on March 29, 1972, at the former Norfolk Hotel. At the time the Pictou County YMCA was still new. Grace and Graham Burrill, who moved to the area from Sydney, are credited with spearheading the efforts to form the clubs. Throughout the years, the club took up various fundraising initiatives, Dunbar said, from selling fruit cakes to Christmas trees. They even worked the front desk at the YMCA when needed.
The purpose of the club focuses on those less fortunate in the community and to assist them in a way to make a better world for all. Their motto is “To acknowledge the duty that accompanies every right.”
The Y Service Club puts 90 per cent of its funds which are raised primarily through community gifts to local causes.
In Pictou County the club has helped with various programs such as the YMCA Strong Kids campaign, Bikes for Kids, Shepherd’s Lunchroom, and Pictou County Indoor Baseball/Softball Skills Camp for Youth.
With the other 10 per cent of their funds, they help out with international initiatives such as the Roll Back Malaria program which has been recognized by the United Nations for its work to help areas with issues related to Malaria disease.
Dunbar was a Charter Member of the club in Pictou County and believes there are many benefits to being part of the club.
“Fellowship of members is one of the things. The other is it gives members an opportunity to be leaders, to help with organizational skills, public speaking or whatever.”
There are many roles within the organization, you can take on, he said.
“We like to see people doing good in the community.”
Reynolds has been a member for about 48 years now and one of the aspects he appreciates most is the fellowship.
He moved to Pictou County from Sydney about a year and a half ago, and said that knowing people through the Y Service Club organization made the transition easier.
People interested in joining the club can find out more by emailing [email protected] or by phoning the YMCA at 902-752-0202.