Individual Awards
The Claude Edwards Leadership Award: Shawna Murphy — Branch advocacy liaison and communications officer, Saskatoon & Area Branch
Shawna joined the Association just before she retired in 2022, and in 2023, took on the role of the branch advocacy liaison and continues in her role as the branch communications officer.
She initiated the creation of the Branch Advocacy Committee, bringing in new volunteers and using their expertise effectively. She coordinated and led their efforts through the 2024 Saskatchewan election. She put countless hours on the committee projects where her efforts resulted in the branch initiating and negotiating a new partnership with the Saskatoon Council on Aging, which has double our membership, to jointly hold an election town all attended by registered provincial political parties (including the minister of seniors and official position critic), local CTV news and over 100 members of the public. Our Association was recognized as a joint sponsor on all prior advertising and invitations for the event, signage at the town hall and by a moderator.
Shawna led the development of a partnership with the Saskatoon Council on Aging. That partnership increased awareness of our Association.
Collaboration Award: Jim Lystar — Military liaison volunteer, London Branch.
Jim Joined the Association in 2000 and became the military liaison volunteer in 2017. His mission was to increase the membership in the branch and the Association.
Jim presented at the local CAF SCAN sessions, actively promoting the Association at local legions, developed handouts and arranged for Ontario regional branches to share in Esprit de Corps adverts, with the last one having 7 the Association’s national office involved to enable a very prominent ad, potentially benefitting branches nationally.
What Jim has done already benefits other branches directly, but they could also do similar local in-person efforts, especially with local CAF bases and legions.
Volunteerism Award: Terry Gunnlaugson — Past president, Western Manitoba Branch.
Terry has held many volunteer positions with the Association from 2010 to the present. He has been the branch president, vice president, past president and now friend of the board.
From volunteering in high school and college to founding a chapter in Winnipeg for the Certified General Accounts (and becoming the vice president) to being elected as steward in the Professional Institute of the Public Service and serving as a director on the national board of the CS Group of Canada, Terry held pivotal roles in the organizations that he volunteered with.
Terry has been volunteering more than 50 years. He made it his mission to volunteer and share his expertise and has consistently accepted and held leadership roles and contributed to meaningful endeavours throughout the years. And, for 49 years, Terry served with the Wheat City Lions Club in multiple roles. He also raised funds to purchase and supply vans to ensure CNIB clients in Western Manitoba had access to transportation. As a result, The Wheat City Lions have supported CNIB and Vision Loss Rehabilitation with vehicles for 47 years.
Branch Excellence Awards
The North Nova Branch is the recipient of the Small Branch Excellence Award. During the federal and provincial elections, the branch hosted both a meet-and-greet and a town hall with the candidates seeking election. The Nova Scotia government called a snap election (six weeks), and the North Nova branch was the only Nova Scotia Branch able to pull together a very successful town hall. They opened it to members and the public. It gave people a chance to meet the candidates, ask questions and hear what they got to say. This was well attended and garnered a new member from it.
One way this small branch stands out is their motto, which is, “You ask the questions and if we don’t have the answer, we’ll find it or someone who does.” This branch continues to fight for the rights of all federal retired pensioners and campaigns to help increase membership growth and attendance at local meetings. Results of their recruiting initiative garnered ten new members for 2024.
The Ottawa Branch is the recipient of the Branch Excellence Award with Employees. In 2024, the Ottawa Branch increased its webinar programming to more than one webinar a week, reaching over 4.8K participants. They share their webinar invitations with four neighbouring branches (the Outaouais, Cornwall, Ottawa Valley and Algonquin Valley Branches). The branch offered Thrive in Retirement, a national, bilingual, hybrid event. In 2024, the branch grew by 743 net members.
The Branch has its own volunteer recognition awards program and hosts a volunteer recognition event annually. All recipients are showcased on the branch’s website, and the awards are made publicly at their online annual general meeting (AGM) and publicized in their fall branch report. The branch appointed a new branch advocacy program officer, who is leading their efforts to advocate for the Association’s priorities, including retirement income security, a national seniors’ strategy, veteran well-being and pharmacare.
Please join us in congratulating the 2025 Volunteer Recognition award recipients and nominees. We thank you for all that you do for our fellow volunteers, our branches, our Association, our communities, and our members!