When I started, I had come in with a short history with another chapter from Alberta (Little Divide Search and Rescue), so I was some what familiar with what SSAR would be about. However, the areas that the two chapters cover are very different. Saskatoon is a much more urban environment whereas LDSAR was northern Alberta forests and parks. The Urban environment and challenges are very different from the wilderness ones and the missing person's cases can vary. We are also in an area where there is a heavy presence of RCMP and city police, so the need for a volunteer group to help in every single missing persons case is very low. Unknown to most people - we do not search for any person for any reason unless we are activated by the RCMP or EMO which means that for all the cases we are not activated there is a reason. Regardless, since I started I have been on two searches and I can only see our activations increasing as our presence and capabilities become more known.
Our group considers ourselves to be unpaid professionals. The amount of training, whether it be technical, theoretical, or experiential, exceeds many other chapters. Our members are enthusiastic individuals who have put in countless hours and effort to continually develop our level of professionalism and the chapter's presence within our community. Beyond that, many of us have become great friends.
The reason why I felt compelled to write about this group today was that I left our meeting last night feeling very grateful for this group of friends. I found an organization that I feel very connected to not only in what the purpose of the organization is, but in the group of people involved. I consider these individuals to be my friends. Although we most often see each other when it is SAR related, many of us share common interests and have found other ways to be together outside of the group. Each individual brings such a unique talent or personality to the group, and using outside opportunities to spend time together helps us all get to know each other a little better.
The same could be said of the board I am treasurer for with Park Heights Creative Preschool. I have met a great group of MOMs who I absolutely love to visit with. Although time is so very valuable - I know that as our children age and may find themselves in the same activities and school programs - we will keep in touch and have made a connection for life.
So the point of all this rambling is not to tell you about the groups I am involved with in great detail...but to share with you have they have enriched my life. Volunteering is a time consuming, energy sapping pursuit that can be the most rewarding, enriching thing you will ever do in your life. Finding the right group, the right purpose, and the right people makes all the effort and time spent worth it. My husband does not understand my need to be involved and to give so much of my time and energy, but I firmly believe it is because he has not found that one thing that he himself would be willing to give all that he could for. I am so very grateful for these groups, and the people involved in them. They provide a place to develop my skills and interests, to experience new things, to meet new people, and to give back to our community. Although there are many other groups I have an interest in, I am glad I have committed myself to the ones I have chosen.
And most importantly - I am grateful for my new friends and for that reason alone the time and energy spent volunteering is worth every penny.
R
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