The Memorial Society of BC, incorporated October 12, 1956, is a non-profit and volunteer driven Society. Fifty-five people who met in a church hall in Vancouver initiated it, and its current membership of 207,000 makes it the largest memorial society in North America.

Purposes of the Memorial Society

• To assist members in advance of death for the disposition of their remains;
• To assist and support the bereaved in making death arrangements;
• To promote environmentally sound arrangements for disposal of remains;
• To ensure the availability of affordable funeral arrangements through written contracts with selected funeral services providers and to monitor the practices and performance of funeral services providers;
• To engage in educational and public awareness programs in support of these purposes;
• To promote the continuance of a dynamic and responsible society.

The Memorial Society’s vision and persistent work on behalf of its members has meant that BC has the lowest cost of funerals in North America. Staff and Society volunteers assist members to prepare final arrangements in advance, keep records of members’ wishes, and help members to cope when a death occurs in a family. The lifetime membership fee of $30 enables the membership access to its contracted prices with its providers and the services of the Society’s staff and office resources.

About the Memorial Society

• Directors and employees have no vested interest in goods or services provided by the funeral industry
• Directors and employees are not employed by the funeral industry
• Directors and employees do not receive commissions on referrals made to the funeral industry
• The Memorial Society neither makes nor initiates calls to arrange a home visit to update members’ information. (This is an unethical tactic used to open the door to illegal sales of funeral goods and services.)
• The Memorial Society of British Columbia is not owned by a multi-national funeral corporation.

In the future, the Memorial Society intends to broaden its involvement by engaging the larger society to examine cultural, ethical and environmental issues concerning funeral practices.

Contact

Nicole Renwick, Executive Director

Memorial Society of British Columbia

205 – 640  West Broadway

Vancouver BC  V5Z 1G4

Phone:604-733-7705 or 1-888-816-5902

Fax:    604-733-7730 or 1-888-816-5903

e-mail. nicole@memsoc.org

Christmas, associated with the birth of Christ and the celebration of the nativity, also falls at the same time of year as pagan festivals and traditions dating before the birth of Christ.

This year Winter Solstice will occur on December 21^st at 4:04 am PST. To our ancestors, the shortest day marked the lowest ebb of the year, but it also marked the day when the sun was reborn, gradually growing in strength to the Midsummer Solstice. Many ancient monuments are aligned with the winter sunrise on the 21st of December. The most famous is Newgrange in Ireland, where a finger of sunlight shines along the dark entrance through a narrow aperture above the monument’s entrance.

The Yule festival at the winter solstice was celebrated by pagan Germanic peoples and lasted for twelve days which became the traditional Twelve Days of Christmas. The origin of the word Yule originates from the Anglo Saxon word for sun and light, most likely regarding the rebirth of the sun from the shortest day. Fires or candles were kindled to burn through the twelve days that marked the festivities. Another fire tradition was that of the Yule log, lit from the remains of last years log at sunset on the 25th of December.

Many of the symbols of Christmas echo its aspect of rebirth and hope in darkness. For example, holly was thought to be important because it retains its greenery right through the winter months, and as such is a symbol of summer life in the winter starkness.

Reflecting on 2008, it has been marked by financial and political adversity and instability, but also with signs of hope for the future.

We are wishing you renewal of spirit, hope and joy during the holidays and in 2009.

Presentation to: North Vancouver/Sunshine Coast Chapter, CGA Association of BC
Location: Cheers Restaurant, 125 East 2nd Street, North Vancouver, BC