Volunteers

Back Row: Mike Street (2000), Jean Stollard (2000), Doug McCallum (2001), Barry Cherriere (2003). Front Row: Norm Ralston (2001), Lois Evans (2002), Hazel Broker (2002), Bob Elstone (2003). Absent from photo: Barb McKean (2001).
The club benefits from the dedication of numerous volunteers. Whether they are hike leaders, study group coordinators, directors on the board, committee members, Falcon-watch participants, volunteer drivers or help with the maintenance of our nature sanctuaries and youth programmes, the work our volunteers have done over the long history of the HNC have made it the strong club that it is today.
Please consider being a volunteer for your club and contact (905-632-4358).
HNC Volunteers of the Year
The Club initiated a new tradition at its October 2000 Annual General Meeting and Member's Night. The Board decided that each year we would honour a few Club members "whose actions as volunteers exemplify the volunteer spirit that enables our Club to carry on as many activities as we do." These volunteers would be named "Volunteers of the Year" and have their names added to an Honour roll which would hopefully inspire all of us to assist with some aspect of the activities that make up the Hamilton Naturalists' Club.
Congratulations to our VOY Award Winners
2011: Frank Morley and Paul Attack
2010: (Audrey Gamble and John Merriman team) and Brian McHattie
2009: Shirley Klement and Louise Unitt further details
2008: Elizabeth LeWarne and Warren Beacham further details

Elizabeth LeWarne (left) & Jim Stollard

Warren Beacham (left) & Paul Attack
2007: Rob Dobos and Mike Rowlands

Rob Dobos (left) & Cheryl Edgecombe

Mike Rowlands (left) & Arlene McCaw

Ken Hall presents Hazel Broker with 2002 Volunteer of the Year Award
2006: Betty Blashill and Cheryl Edgecombe
2005: Don McLean and Jocelyn Neysmith
2004: Bob Curry and Glenn Barrett further details
2003: Barry Cherriere and Bob Elstone further details
2002: Hazel Broker and Lois Evans further details
2001: Barb McKean and Doug McCallum further details
2000: Norm Ralston , Jean Stollard and Mike Street further details
VOY Plaques
In 2002, plaques were created to present to Volunteer of the Year recipients. John Sedgwick, husband of Club member Maria Sedgwick, volunteered to design and build the large plaque that will be used by the Club to display the names of past recipients of the HNC Volunteer of the Year Award. This plaque will be kept in the Club display case at the Hamilton Conservation Authority headquarters in Dundas Valley.
In addition to having their names engraved on the large plaque, individual winners will have smaller plaques to take home with them.Club member Bob Crockford, President of Valley City Manufacturing Company Limited in Dundas volunteered to design and build the plaques which individual 'Volunteers of the Year' will receive. John Sedgwick created the Club duck logo using the marquetry technique, and this was inset into the plaque built by Bob and his co-workers at Valley City Manufacturing.

John Sedgwick is an incredible artist in the woodworking technique called marquetry, which he used to create this plaque. All the colours that are found in the beautiful picture on the plaque are natural wood colours (not stained or painted) from various different species of trees (the species can be found on the back of the plaque).

Club member Bob Crockford, President of Valley City Manufacturing Company Limited in Dundas volunteered to design and build the plaques which individual 'Volunteers of the Year' will receive.
Volunteer Opportunites
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Your Knowledge and Experience are Needed on the HNC Board
The Board of Directors manages the activities, finances and the operation of the Club for the mutual benefit of its members. An active and concerned board, backed by the support and participation of the membership is vital to the effective operation and continuation of the Club.
We are looking for interested individuals who share a love of preserving our environment and natural spaces and want to help make this Club run smoothly. The Board is action oriented; conducts time limited meetings; fiscally accountable & responsible; makes decisions by consensus & inclusion and provides mentorship & ongoing support to new board members. We meet weekday evenings, 10 times per year, Sept. to June, rotating our meetings amongst various directors homes. As we handle our issues, we learn a lot about nature and environmental issues in Hamilton/Burlington and vicinity and have a good time doing it.
We want to hear from anyone who may be interested in joining the HNC Board in future. The next election of a new Board of Directors takes place at our Annual General Meeting in October 2012. There will likely be positions available to new directors at that time.
To seek further information or to volunteer, please contact Past President Bill Lamond at 519-756-9546 or at bill-lamond@hotmail.com for more info.
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