I’d like to dedicate this month’s message to a key element of our community’s wellbeing – culture. Culture sounds like a lofty concept, but it can be more readily described as the way we live our lives and, in this case, how we aspire to live in our community. One might think that all this is pretty obvious and intuitive; but it does seem we need some prompting and direction at times. The direction can take the form of a code of ethics or conduct. I’ve seen this displayed in my life in several forms.
The first occurred when our daughter attended Sir Winston Churchill High School. This school, a point of pride for our community, has a large and diverse student and teacher body. I was most impressed when our daughter came home with a handout called “Winston’s Way” which outlined the code of conduct under which the students were expected to participate. The content was excellent, and we posted it on our fridge door. It’s no surprise that Winston Churchill has an excellent reputation as leading educational institute.
The second encounter with a code of conduct occurred during a trip to Toronto. I was travelling on the subway and noticed that the Toronto Transit Commission had posted a code titled “The TTC Way”. With the size and diversity of ridership, use of a code of conduct makes sense.
All of the above and more has led to the creation of a code of conduct called “The ECA Way”. Developed by the previous board and endorsed by the current board, The ECA Way is now one of our foundation building blocks along with our mandate, bylaws, ECA Vision 2022 and supporting strategy. The key elements of The ECA Way can be summarized as follows:
a) Accountability
- Each member is expected to be accountable for their actions and contribute to results and outputs of the organization.
b) Communication
- Communication must take place in an open and transparent manner.
c) Honesty
- Each member is expected to exhibit honesty and transparency in all actions and activities.
d) Respect
- All members are encouraged to develop sensitivities towards each other’s beliefs, values and cultural practises.
e) Safety
- Each member has the right to a safe, friendly environment, free from physical and emotional harassment.
- f) Freedom
- Each member is entitled to freedom of expression provided that it does not demean other members or compromise the principles of the organization.
A more detailed version of The ECA Way is available on our website or in hard copy at the Edgemont Community Centre office. Although it provides direction and is of value to your board and its operation, many of the principles can be applied to our community living in general. We are all proud of our Edgemont spirit in its many manifestations. The ECA Way is an excellent means to sustain and strengthen it. Perhaps you might even hang a copy of The ECA Way on your fridge door for reference!
