Portrait of a presidency
EFMA celebrates 50 successful years of leadership By Jillian Mitchell
For Art Whistler, 197273 association president, relationships encompass the essence of the group.
Wilf Pelly, who joined the association in 1970 under his boss’s encouragement, was president in ’74 and confirms that high emphasis was given to fun and fellowship, among traditional association goals.
Camaraderie was a draw for Alan Scott to join the association in 1966, and he proudly adopted the role of the association’s 13th president in 1975.
Past-president Art Vanidour became involved in SPOA long before it became an official association, thanks to the encouragement of colleague Jim Thorpe, who became association treasurer.
The ‘80s proved eventful for the association, as past-president of ‘81 Ron Mason confirms, particularly in that the professionalism of the association had strengthened.
An association is built by people, and
essence of the group. A formative mem-
people are built by their memories. Here
ber of the then School Plant Officials
Following Whistler as the ‘74 presi-
to celebrate the Educational Facility
Association (SPOA), Whistler attended
dent was Wilf Pelly of School District 24
Managers Association of B.C.’s (EFMA)
the inaugural association meeting at
(Kamloops), who joined the association
Vancouver’s Blue Boy Hotel in 1964, and
in 1970 under his boss’s encouragement.
from that very first meeting until his re-
As Pelly confirms, high emphasis was
tirement from the Coquitlam School
given to fun and fellowship, among tra-
Board in 1988, he was consistently met
ditional association goals.
50th anniversary are the past presidents with the story of the association, as they tell it. For Art Whistler, 1972-73 association president, relationships encompass the
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Ops Talk • Spring 2014
with good fun and fellowship.
ministries."
“It’s always great fun,” he says of his
Proof-positive, the executive and fel-
SPOA involvement. “I always consid-
low members enjoyed a tranquil evening
ered fun as a major part of the program.
boat cruise in Burrard Inlet and Indian
People liked to go to our conferences
Arm during the ‘73 SPOA conference.
to learn and have fun. That seemed to
As Whistler shares, this was back when
round-out the conference for me.”
the annual conference travelled around
Throughout the years, the associa-
the province – a means he found valu-
tion has continually remained abreast
able: “There are advantages in having
of industry changes, and member input
annual conferences in different cities,”
was always welcome, particularly in the
says Whistler, "especially in Victoria,
planning stages of each annual confer-
where the delegates would have an op-
ence. As Pelly adds, the questionnaire
portunity to lobby departments in the
distributed to each conference attendee
