The first thing Patricia Pelton says when she sits down is, “I don’t want this to be all about me, I work as a team.”
It was that kind of selflessness and dedication that earned the Cochranite the YMCA Fellowship of Honour award from Gov.-Gen. David Johnston earlier this year.
“I was absolutely thrilled … it’s a great honour,” Pelton said.
Volunteering with the YMCA for “many, many years” Pelton explained how she grew up in a small community in Saskatchewan where her parents instilled in her an importance of giving back to your community.
“It is your social responsibility to give back … it only enhances your life and is an important aspect of mental health,” the mother of two said.
Working in health care administration, Pelton discussed how she balanced her work, volunteer and home life while being able to give back to the 166-year-old charity.
Through the years, she chaired the YMCA’s Stakeholder Committee when she lived in Wood Buffalo, served as a vice-chair when she lived in Calgary and volunteered as the director of the YMCA Canada National Board in 2000 and started her chapter as an influential ambassador for the Canadian YMCA on a national and global scale.
With a love for the organization, its “inclusiveness” and “values,” Pelton said she was more than happy to represent the organization and all it does for Canadian families.
It was during Pelton’s time as a director for the National board that in a little more than a decade the Cochranite was given opportunities to travel and represent the Canadian YMCA at a number of international forums including the World Council of YMCAs meeting in South Africa in 2006.
While Pelton officially retired from the National board in 2011, she continued to work as a chair of the World Alliance and Image and Impact Task Force requiring to travel to speak to YMCAs around the world.
“I really try to live it to lead it,” Pelton said over coffee.
“You have to live a thoughtful life.”
Pelton said to best juggle life, work and volunteering, it is important to live with balance and moderation – making sure to take care of yourself with diet, exercise and socializing.
“And getting out in nature – there is no better place than Cochrane,” Pelton said.
Nominated as an “incredible mentor” and described as an inspiring leader with “an immense knowledge who is continually learning,” Pelton now joins the ranks of the 111 individuals who have received the award since 1981.
“She is always exploring opportunities, usually for the betterment of someone else,” a friend submitted for Pelton’s nomination.
The award showcases leaders who have passed on a legacy of caring from one generation to the next and have inspired civil responsibility in others.
“Aristotle said, ‘the meaning of life is to do good’ and this organization does good,” Pelton said.
