Stepping down as MPRC President
In keeping with the theme of the End of Things in 2012, as of February, I am officially stepping down as President of the Montreal Pagan Resource Centre after six years of service.
I know it’s a bit cliché to say, but this really was not an easy decision to make. There was strong resistance at first, borne of pride and no small part of stubbornness (comes with the territory or being Taurus, I’m told), but after taking into consideration certain events and (I hesitate to say it) omens, I had to admit it was the perfect time to step away and let a new person take the reigns.
I’m proud to say that the MPRC has been at the forefront of many events and initiatives in the pagan community in the past 10 years (already!). We’ve helped organize rituals, Sabbat Events (like the Witches Ball), conferences, workshops, and many invited speakers to visit our fair city. We’ve even been able to help promote the idea of a Pagan Resource Centre in other communities, inspiring them to rise to the challenges in their own regions. It’s been an honor and a privilege to work with all these volunteers to take those dreams from the ether and make them into realities that many were able to experience and grow from.
But what the MPRC needs now is new blood, and we’re lucky to have a few new people in our ranks already lending us their new ideas, passion, and commitment to providing guidance and information for not only our pagan community, but the pagan-curious in our city. Even as we speak, the MPRC Board is voting in new people into the various Board positions and roles to ensure that the MPRC continues to move forward. Whoever manages to win the presidency of the MPRC has my full support and encouragement.
Of course, I will continue to help the MPRC as best as I can. There are more events in the works and we hope that our community will continue to support us in those endeavors, which in turn, helps build a stronger community.
Investing in that strong community was always something that I strove to achieve in my time as President. I still believe strongly that it is important to provide information and opportunities to our fellow pagans so that we all can learn, experience, and grow. You can only learn so much about your own spirituality from a book or the Internet, but the real knowledge lies in building relationship with your friends, family, community, and the Gods, and until you get out of that chair and go out there to discover this with all of your senses, you are really missing out on the full range of what this world has to offer. Don’t wait until you’re ready to take a risk.
If you have not visited the MPRC or attended an MPRC event yet, I encourage you to do so! The MPRC is always looking for new volunteers to help out, even on a part-time and on-call basis, so if you have some time to invest in our community, I encourage you to do so.
As for me, I’ll still be kicking around and doing what I can to contribute to building our community, both locally and abroad. I hope to see you there. May the Gods continue to bless your path.
–
Hobbes
All comments are welcome.
