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Kootenay Teen First Recipient of Commissionaires BC Bursary
Frank Richter, Commissionaires BC Board Member presenting
Joshua Norman with his $1000 bursary
Presentation at Selkirk College in Nelson
Nelson, BC, 13 June 2011 - Seventeen year old Joshua Norman of Fruitvale is the first recipient of Commissionaires BC $1,000 bursary. The teen’s desire to pursue a trade is what set his application apart and led the committee to select him.
Joshua Norman is the youngest of a family of eight children. His mother, Belle, is a commissionaire employed as a Bylaw Enforcement Officer in the South Kootenay area. Frank Richter, member of the Board of Governors of Commissionaires BC presented Joshua with the award at a small ceremony at Selkirk College on 13 June 2011.
The teen needed funding for the second year (2012) of his four-year Millwright apprenticeship program, so Joshua spoke with his Selkirk counsellor who suggested he look into whether his parents’ employers offered bursaries.
Belle, Joshua’s mother, discovered the Charlie Brown Memorial Bursary on the Commissionaires’ intranet site, and Joshua applied. “I didn’t think I would get it, but I knew it was the first year Commissionaires was awarding this bursary, so I hoped it meant there wouldn’t be as much competition,” says Joshua.
There were seven excellent submissions, and the committee had a tough time deciding. Joshua’s letter focused on his desire to become a Millwright, explaining that he knew that there weren’t enough young people going into trades, and that there would be a skill gap in the near future.
Charles Monteith “Charlie” Brown was Commissionaires BC longest serving commissionaire. “Charlie Brown, was always looking to the future. When making the decision, we tried to put ourselves in Charlie’s place and think about what he would have wanted,” says Elaine Fisher, member of the Charlie Brown Bursary selection committee and board member. “What struck us in Joshua’s application was that he was pursuing a trade. He knew that baby boomers were getting ready to retire, and that there was a real need for young people to fill these positions. This forward thinking was something that we felt would have really resonated with Charlie, and it seemed like the perfect fit.” Joshua was the only one applying for trade school.
What made Joshua choose the Millwright trade? “I thought back to all the great times I had working with my dad on old trucks in our garage - there’s something about mechanics I really like. I like working with my hands, and kind of enjoy getting dirty”, says Joshua. “The program at Selkirk is great and turning out to be everything I hoped it would be. I wasn’t sure how I would feel about it at first but I am really enjoying it.”
Belle was surprised and excited when she got the call from Commissionaires with the good news. “Everything just fell into place, it was really amazing. To be the first year recipient is an extreme privilege, and we are really honoured. And $1,000 is a lot of money for a young student,” says Belle.
In order to cut down on his commute time, Joshua has been living away from home for the first time in Castlegar with his girlfriend’s aunt and uncle. He car pools with a friend to Selkirk College in Nelson during the week, and goes home to Fruitvale on the weekends. Seventeen and on his own for the first time, Joshua explains, “It was kind of hard on my parents at first, but I have to say I’m kind of enjoying it. I get to see them every weekend, so it’s working out.”
Commissionaires BC chose to honour the spirit and the legacy of their longest serving commissionaire Charles Monteith “Charlie” Brown by creating a permanent fund in his memory. Charlie served Commissionaires BC with pride for 45 years and seven months, only retiring when he found he became less sprightly, at the ripe old age of 83. The purpose of the Charlie Brown Memorial Bursary is to provide an opportunity for a member of the immediate family or a direct descendent of a commissionaire or honorary commissionaire, to further their development in either an academic or practical field. Charlie would be proud to know he was continuing to help a member of Commissionaires family to better themselves.
About Commissionaires BC
Commissionaires BC is British Columbia’s largest security organization, with a team of more than 1,600 professionals covering more territory in BC than any other security company. Commissionaires is an independent, self-supporting, not-for-profit organization. By operating in this manner, the company is able to fulfill its mandate of providing meaningful work to former members of the Canadian Forces and RCMP. The organization also hires individuals without military or police experience.
Services include: security guarding, enforcement, identification services, training and security consulting. Commissionaires in BC protect air and sea-ports, border crossings and government facilities. They work in educational facilities, commercial enterprises and residential complexes. More information at www.commissionaires.bc.ca.
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