January – June:  In January, I started a Secret Pal Club with some of the Sunday school students and volunteers from the congregation.  I had planned a picnic on Sunday, April 1st so that the participants could meet and see how many people we managed to “fool”.  Some of the matches were very successful, with participants writing to each other weekly and putting their letters into a basket in the Narthex with only the secret pal's name on the envelope. 

The weather was not cooperative on April 1st, so we just had a cake after church with coffee, and most of the secret pals were able to meet and talk with one another.  I received a lot of positive feedback from both the “oldies” and the students.

We lost a few teachers and students to other interests in the new year so I made the decision to have intergenerational services on special weekends and made up plastic bags with activities and treats for the children that attended church during these services; this gave the few remaining teachers more of a break to enjoy time away from teaching (mostly their own children).

I also tried on Father’s day (the last day of Sunday school) to have an activity at the back of the church during the sermon time for the students, so that they would have a gift to present to their dads at the end of the service.  We ended the Sunday School year with a time of games and fun at our picnic, and the children ran races, threw fresh eggs and tried to catch them, and had the fun of breaking open a Piñata tied to the old oak tree.  Unfortunately, the weather did not cooperate, and most of the congregation sat inside the church and missed most of the fun and games outside.

I would like to thank Julie Murakami, Diana Pascuzzi, and Diane Sherlock for teaching the whole year and Valerie and Emily Stainton for their help with the Christmas Pageant.  I also would like to thank the Church Board for giving me a chance to be an employee of the church for ten months, and at the conclusion of my term by giving me a lovely orchid and a supper at the home of the Shephards.


                            In God’s Service,

                            Judi Rhodes


September – December:   Church school started in September with the “Whole People of God” curriculum.  Teachers, Julie Murakami, Diana Pascuzzi and Walter Huber each taught on a 3-week rotation.  Their enthusiastic teaching was to as many as 12 children (ages 4 – 12) and as few as 3 per Sunday. 

There was an intergenerational service in October, and a wonderful Christmas Pageant, “The Time Machine,” featuring our children and our youth (ages 12 – 17) was presented during Advent.  Nineteen children and youth took part and Dr. Dan and the choir were the supporting cast!  It was a very heartwarming presentation, climaxing with the singing of Carol Grolman’s “Do We Really Believe?”.  A special thank you to Lorne Lariviere for building our time machine!  The kids loved it (so did Dr. Dan)! 

The Santa Claus Parade in early December, with the snow and wind blowing and a fabulous float, built by Gary Caldwell, Bert Ionson, Don Behrner, Harvey Halvorson and Lorne Lariviere, was another Church school highlight.  10 Squamish United Church adults, children and youth braved the elements and we won a 3rd prize ribbon!  A good time was had by all! In the new year, Diane Sherlock will join our teaching volunteers. We are currently working without a Church School co-ordinator (thank you Judi for serving as co-ordinator during the previous 10 months); we appreciate all the volunteer hours that are given. Hopefully in 2008-9 we will have a co-ordinator!


    Respectfully submitted,
   
Grace Halvorson,
Board Representative