Curtis Memorial Fund to benefit BC’s young parliamentarians
The Association of Former MLAs of British Columbia has established a Memorial Fund to honour the late Hugh Curtis.
The former Minister of Finance and active Association member is well remembered for his outstanding contributions to the people of British Columbia at the municipal and provincial levels of government. Members of the Association have experienced Hugh’s dedication and hard work in keeping the Association alive and thriving.
Grants from the Memorial Fund will acknowledge Hugh’s interest in youth and his commitment to the British Columbia Youth Parliament (BCYP). The Fund will provide opportunities for wider participation in the Youth Parliament’s annual sessions in the Parliament Buildings in Victoria by helping to defray travel and accommodation expenses for two youth who live outside the Greater Victoria area.
The selection will be done by the Youth Parliament’s Committee on Elections which will pass on the information to the Association each year, in time for an announcement to the Association’s members at their AGM. Every effort will be made to give the award full publicity by publishing the names of the recipients of the grant in Orders of the Day. The Youth Parliament has also agreed to publish the information on its webpage and in its Sessional Journal.
The Hugh Curtis Memorial Fund is hosted by The Victoria Foundation. Victoria’s nearly 80 year old philanthropic organization granted more than $11.8 million to registered charities in 2014. Guided by its motto – “Connecting people who care with causes that matter®” – the Foundation has deep roots in the community and through its donors and grantees has touched the lives of thousands of British Columbians for the better.
Foundation CEO Sandra Richardson says: “The Victoria Foundation is privileged to be a partner with the Association of Former MLAs of British Columbia in the establishment of this fund in memory of Hugh Curtis. The tremendous contributions of Hugh Curtis will be remembered and honoured each year through the grant supporting youth participating in the Youth Parliament who aspire to follow his example.”
The Association of Former MLAs of BC has donated seed money of $4,000 to get the fund started at the Foundation. Now members of the Association are growing the fund. It must reach a minimum of $10,000 before grants can be awarded.
BCYP is a youth service organization dedicated to fulfilling its motto, “Youth Serving Youth.” Each year, 95 individuals, ages 16 to 21, from around the province meet in the Legislative Buildings and debate legislation that outlines projects that will then be run throughout the year. In addition, Private Members Resolutions are introduced giving members the ability to debate any issue they choose to, while still participating in a practical lesson on the parliamentary process.