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2013 Holiday Party

Last week the Simcoe County Young Professionals Association celebrated the holiday season with our annual Christmas party at Donaleigh’s. The weather probably curbed some of the turn-out, but for those of us that fought through the snow and wind to make it there, we had a great time! The atmosphere in the private downstairs room was great, and the food at Donaleigh’s is always fantastic. If you weren’t there, you missed out!

In addition, we collected $265 in gift certificates for Youth Haven Barrie – that’s fantastic! Youth Haven Barrie even wrote us a note (read it here!) to say thanks! Way to go, SCYPA!

2013 SCYPA Award Winners

Last Thursday, on November 21st, the Simcoe County Young Professionals Association held our annual awards evening at Michael & Marion’s. 30-40 people attended the social event, including the Mayor of Barrie, Jeff Lehman, who was in attendance to speak to the group. We had a fantastic evening as we were bombarded with a plethora of appetizers and food (courtesy of Michael & Marion’s).

The first award handed out was the Young Entrepreneur of Year Award, sponsored by Kristian Robillard of Sunlife Financial. The nominees were Lee Whitaker, Michael Holmberg and Sara Walton, with the winner being Michael Holmberg. In addition to helping several not-for-profit organizations in the city and serving as Event Co-ordinator on the SCYPA Board, Michael runs his own accounting business: Holmberg Accounting Chartered Accountant. With a client-first focus to an approachable working style, Michael provides all involved with the best opportunity to find success. Congratulations Michael!

The second award presented was the Community Involvement by a Young Professional, sponsored by the Planned Giving Counsel of Simcoe County. The nominees were Tim L. Walker and Rosanna Trapani, with the winner being Tim L. Walker.  Tim is a great contributor to the Barrie community.  He gives back in many forms and spends a great deal of his time volunteering.  In addition to being nominated to the position of chair of SCYPA, Tim also volunteers in kids ministry at Connexus Community Church and has participated in several fundraising events for causes like Prostate Cancer and Big Brothers Big Sisters, raising the most money for the PSA Challenge (prostate cancer) and the Big Brothers Big Sisters Bowl for Kids Sake.  Congratulations Tim!

The final award presented was the Young Professional of the Year Award, sponsored by Anthem Mortgage Group. The nominees were Sarah Hahn, Graydon Ebert, Cesia Green, Krisitian Robillard and David Thompson. The voting was so close, we actually had a tie!  The co-winners of the 2013 SCYPA Young Professional of the Year Award are Sarah Hahn & Krisitian Robillard.  Sarah has recently been called to the Ontario Bar and is working hard to grow her municipal litigation practice. Despite her busy work schedule, she participates in many community endeavours. She is on the Board of SCYPA and Youth Haven Barrie. This year she took part in Simcoe County fundraisers such as the Rotary Fun Run and the Orillia Dragon Boat races.  Kristian represents what a Young Professional should be. He is always present throughout the YP community, meeting people, making connections and helping new members learn about the Barrie Business/networking communities.  Congratulations Sarah & Krisitian!

Thanks to everyone who nominated and voted on the awards, thanks to Michael & Marion’s for hosting, and thanks to the award sponsors! It was a fantastic evening – a fitting way to celebrate some of the outstanding young professionals in Simcoe County.

2014 Bowl for Kids Sake Bowling Event

Simcoe County Young Professionals Association’s involvement with “Bowl for Kids Sake” 2014 was a great success!

The Chay Today Business Bowl to support Big Brothers Big Sisters on March 17th brought in over $5,000 for the charity with SCYPA raising the most money for the third year in a row. SCYPA’s bowling captain and chair Tim L. Walker also received recognition for being the top individual fundraiser. The SCYPA team raised over $1,400 this year!

SCYPA is proud to support various community endeavours and fundraising campaigns in Simcoe County. If you are interested in becoming involved with Big Brothers Big Sisters, please contact your local agency or call Big Brothers Big Sisters of Canada at 1-800-263-9133.

 

2014 SCYPA Cooking Class – Sign Up Now!

Always considered one of the best events of the year, the Simcoe County Young Professionals Association is excited to announce tickets are now on sale for our 2014 cooking class at Liberty North with Chef Rich.

On Tuesday, April 15th, 2014 at 6pm, join us as we learn to make (then eat!) the following menu with Chef Rich:

  1. Homemade Gravlax
  2. Steak Tartare
  3. Seared Ahi Tuna
  4. Goat Cheese Brule

The cost is only $35/person (and only $20 for SCYPA Members!). There will also be a cash bar available. Purchase your tickets here: http://cookingclass2014.brownpapertickets.com

Tickets must be purchased in advance (by April 8th!), and are expected to sell out as we only have a limited number of seats available this year.

2nd Annual Youth Haven Dodgeball Tournament

Youth Haven LogoLast year 7 teams battled it out for the title of champion, and in the process raised $2,500 for Youth Haven. This year their goal is to have 20 teams compete and help them raise $10,000 to help their youth with continued access to programs that will help them achieve confidence, independence, and success.

When: May 3rd, 2014 @ 8:30am
Where: Eastview Secondary School, 421 Grove St. E., Barrie, ON

Youth Haven Barrie is looking for any support they can get from their community partners: Sponsors, Prize Donations & Teams are all requested. If you are interested in sponsoring or registering a team please contact Kurtis Maxim for more information.

Phone: 705-726-0231 or 705-331-1251
Email: [email protected]

Applications Now Being Accepted for the SCYPA Board

SCYPA has the following Board positions to fill for the 2015 – 2016 term:

Anyone may apply to be a member of the Board, but the elected individuals are required to be paid SCYPA members for their term. Applications may be submitted via email to [email protected] and the list of nominees will be announced in mid-November. Each paying member will have one vote and voting will close just before the Annual Awards Night on November 20th. If you have any questions about this process or have questions about the Board, contact Tim L. Walker at [email protected] or Sarah Hahn at [email protected].

Please consider nominating someone or running for a Board position if you or the person you are nominating possess the following qualities:

  • Enthusiastic
  • Able to think strategically and innovatively
  • Always exemplifies personal integrity
  • Demonstrates leadership capabilities
  • Availability to attend Board meetings and SCYPA events
  • Demonstrates an energetic ability to accomplish organization objectives, namely the four pillars of SCYPA: community involvement, professional development, business networking and social events

 

Treasurer: The Treasurer handles the day-to-day banking affairs of the organization. You must keep track of sources of payment for membership and events which may be by cheque, cash, PayPal or through BrownPaperTickets. The balance of these accounts and notable transactions are to be reported at board meetings. You are required to attend the monthly board meetings which are generally held on the second Tuesday of each month from 6:00pm – 7:30pm. You are also required to attend the monthly social events which are usually held on the third Thursday of each month.

Secretary: The Secretary is responsible for note-taking during board meetings and distributing these notes to the other board members. Additionally, this person shall draft a summary of all SCYPA events to outline the attendance and any notable aspects of the occasion. You are required to attend the monthly board meetings which are generally held on the second Tuesday of each month from 6:00pm – 7:30pm. You are also required to attend the monthly social events which are usually held on the third Thursday of each month.

Events Coordinator: The Events Coordinator is the contact-person for arranging our great social, educational and special events. Event locations will be discussed during board meetings and you will be responsible for contacting the venue and reserving space, as well as negotiating fees and details of the event. You will work with the Marketing Coordinator to assist in drafting notifications of events. You are required to attend the monthly board meetings which are generally held on the second Tuesday of each month from 6:00pm – 7:30pm. You are also required to attend the monthly social events which are usually held on the third Thursday of each month.

Marketing Coordinator: The Marketing Coordinator is responsible for promoting and advertising SCYPA and its events. Part of this responsibility includes updating and responding to inquiries on our social media accounts as well as drafting emails that go out to our members and updating the website. This person will take pictures during events and work with the Secretary to make postings describing these occasions. You are required to attend the monthly board meetings which are generally held on the second Tuesday of each month from 6:00pm – 7:30pm. You are also required to attend the monthly social events which are usually held on the third Thursday of each month.

Director of Membership: The Director of Membership is responsible for keeping track of our membership list, promoting membership and for welcoming new members. This person will send out notices when past members have not renewed their membership and will be in charge of sending out standard letters to promote membership in the community. Additionally you will be in charge of coordinating membership benefits which include member-only discounts at local establishments. You are required to attend the monthly board meetings which are generally held on the second Tuesday of each month from 6:00pm – 7:30pm. You are also required to attend the monthly social events which are usually held on the third Thursday of each month.

Vice-Chair: The Vice-Chair position is essentially a 6-year commitment to the Board. This member will sit for 2 years as Vice-Chair; 2 years as Chair; and 2 years as Past-Chair. As Vice-Chair you will assist the Board as required, such as filling in for missing members and occasional attendance at provincial young professional committee meetings. As Chair, you will reign supreme over SCYPA and be responsible for the day-to-day happenings. You will also be responsible for liaising with other local and provincial organizations and partners as well as local charities. As Past-Chair, you will able to sit back and impart knowledge on the rest of the Board while they do the heavy-lifting. For all 3 of these terms, you are required to attend the monthly board meetings which are generally held on the second Tuesday of each month from 6:00pm – 7:30pm. You are also required to attend the monthly social events which are usually held on the third Thursday of each month.

 

If you are interested in any of these positions, please email [email protected] with your name, the position you’re interested in, your resume, and a short write-up as to why you’d like to be considered for the position. If you have any questions, please email our current chair, Tim L. Walker, at [email protected].

August Social at Kenzington Burger Bar

For the final Simcoe County Young Professionals Association social of the summer, we’re heading over to Kenzington Burger Bar at 40 Dunlop Street East.  Join us on Thursday, August 21st (the 3rd Thursday of the month – see a trend??!) at 6pm for networking, drinks, and amazing food.

Drop by a little before 6pm if you’d like to eat dinner (their burgers are AMAZING!), or come a little after 6 for snacks and drinks (sorry, folks, you’ve gotta pay your own way this time!). Members and non-members are more-than-welcome to join us.

Bowl for Kids Sake – Join the SCYPA Team!

Bowl for Kids Sake is Big Brothers Big Sisters’ premier fund-raising event where people get together and have a fun time bowling in support of Big Brother Big Sister mentoring programs. Research shows that children who have been mentored have higher self-esteem and are more likely to stay in school – empowering them to succeed, give back and realize their true potential.

Help support the mentoring programs for Big Brothers Big Sisters of Barrie & District by joining one of two SCYPA teams for the Chay Today Business Bowl on March 17th, 2014 at 4pm (Bowlerama Barrie).  We are very proud to have been among the top fundraisers the past FOUR years and hope that you will help us both bowl and raise money again this year.

Bowling will be FREE, but participants will be asked to raise a minimum of $30 in pledges.  If you are interested in joining the SCYPA team, please sign up here. If you’d like to make a donation to the SCYPA team or a member of our team, you can do so here!

Buy Your Tickets for the Thanksgiving 2014 Cooking Class

Our annual cooking class is one of the best events of the year. We held the 2014 SCYPA cooking class back in April, and it was such a great event, we decided to do another one before the end of the year!

On Thursday, October 9th, 2014, join the Simcoe County Young Professionals Association as we learn the in’s and out’s of putting together a Thanksgiving dinner.  Chef Rich from Liberty North will be teaching us how to debone a turkey, and we’ll get to make (and sample!) the following menu:

  • Homemade Turkey Gravy
  • Homemade Cranberry Sauce
  • Traditional Bead Stuffing
  • Creamy whipped Yukon gold potatoes
  • Roasted Maple pecan squash

The cost is only $40/person (paid SCYPA members can get their tickets HALF OFF – for only $20!!).  If you’d like to become a SCYPA member, please visit www.scypa.ca/membership.  To reserve your seat and purchase tickets to the cooking class, visit scypacooking2014.bpt.me.  Tickets will sell out quickly, so be sure to pick up your tickets today!