BOYLE – A beloved community organization is at risk of shutting down after it was unable to elect a treasurer to maintain compliance with provincial regulations.
The Boyle Women’s Healthcare Auxiliary has been a longstanding force behind the village’s hospital, providing equipment, support, and fundraising for the undermanned facility.
Now, with the club facing a shortage of volunteers, the ladies behind the scenes are asking for some new blood.
“The group has been instrumental in aiding our healthcare facility in numerous ways, from equipment to donations and raising awareness,” said Mayor Colin Derko.
“They’ve worked right alongside all of the staff, and they’ve been overutilized and under-recognized.”
The auxiliary is looking for a new treasurer, a required role for any volunteer organization. The club meets nine times a year — once a month with no meetings in July, August, or December — and meetings are held at the hospital at 10 a.m. In a Facebook post, the club said it is also looking for a new vice-president.
“There’s a natural progression with the so-called ‘Changing of the Guard.’ The people that are in all these different organizations are at the point where they want to step away and have some time to themselves,” said Derko.
Most recently, the auxiliary raised the money for a portable CPR machine, which can help nurses at the small hospital manage emergency situations better. Other projects include an ultrasound machine, electric beds, emergency stretchers, an ECG machine and much more in its 23 years of operations.
“A lot of people that work and live in our community don’t even realize how many different volunteer groups we have, so I think it’s going to be a matter of awareness for our council to get more people involved and let them know what is going on,” said Derko.
Interested volunteers can contact Belinda Hague or Mary Proskie. A current criminal record check is required. More information can be found on the Village of Boyle’s Alertable app.
The auxiliary couldn’t be reached for comment before press time.
