December (Holiday) Message

Dec 21, 2017

For many of us, winter’s start is marked by the celebration of Christmas. For some, Christmas Eve is the important time, or it’s Christmas Day, or Epiphany, or a Ukrainian Christmas. For others it’s celebrating Hanukkah, the Festival of Lights. Regardless of the tradition, it is a time with family and friends.

When Handel wrote the Messiah in 1748, he wrote it for Easter. Christmas was not a public holiday in Britain until the middle of the 19th Century. Clement Clarke Moore’s iconic poem, “Twas the Night Before Christmas” was published in New York City in 1823. Charles Dickens gets credit for raising Christmas’ popularity with his 1843 story “A Christmas Carol.” Irving Berlin’s “White Christmas” was written in 1942 (The Guinness Book of Records claims Bing Crosby’s 1949 version is the biggest selling single of all time.) Robert L May’s and Johnny Mark’s “Rudolf the Red-Nosed Reindeer” was released in 1949. This is a time of celebration, inclusion, and a time of hope and renewal for everyone. We may have changed how we acknowledge and participate in this Season, but the essence of its message remains the same.

As Canadians, we are fortunate to live in a country that is not ravaged by famine, pestilence or war. We are fortunate to live in a culture that recognizes some of us need help to meet the challenges of life, and that the responsibility to help is shared among all of us. We are fortunate to live in a society that respects diversity. We are fortunate to be part of an organization that has been giving back to our community for nearly 80 years, making our waterways safer and more enjoyable for all. We are fortunate to have an almost 80 year culture of committed volunteers. Their dedication and participation have given us a tradition that helps us remain grounded in our core values while we continue to evolve and adapt to successfully meet the challenges of today and build for the future.

You may be fortunate to be able share this Holiday Season with friends and family. However you participate, I wish everyone the Very Best of all this Holiday Season has to offer. I also extend Best Wishes to all for a successful and rewarding New Year. I am looking forward to helping make 2018 a banner year for CPS-ECP as we celebrate our 80th Year. We will continue to ensure that boaters all across this Country will be able to rely on CPS-ECP to provide another eight decades of bringing boaters home safely.

Chuck Beall, AP
Chief Commander
CPS-ECP