When I was a public relations student, Barbara Sheffield, APR, CPRS Fellow, and Life Member, visited our class and talked about CPRS Toronto — a professional organization that was working hard to enhance the reputation of the industry I had just decided to enter. In her short presentation she inspired me by showing me a clear career path: joining CPRS, continuing my professional development and, after five years in the field, achieving accreditation in public relations. Needless to say, I joined CPRS Toronto immediately and went to my first event feeling both nervousness and excitement.

I have been a Public Relations practitioner my entire career and have attended many events and conferences hosted by various organizations over the years, but I still remember my first CPRS Toronto event.

What struck me was the sense of community in the room and a genuine interest of members in supporting one another. Years later, I learned my involvement and accreditation by CPRS was a factor in my acceptance to graduate school in the US – this community extends past our borders.

For many students and new members, our annual Open House was their first CPRS Toronto event providing an opportunity for them, as well as long-time members, to meet this year’s board at PJ O’Brien pub. I don’t know if it was the luck of the Irish, but the event sold out days before and by all accounts, people had fun networking and hearing about our plans for the coming programming year.

Thanks to our volunteers Sarah MacKinnon and Chi Chi Egbo, our intern Sarah MacKenzie Smith, and our Secretariat Lois Marsh for helping to plan the Open House and to Sears Canada for their generous donation of the evening’s door prize. This was our first networking event of the season – look forward to more in the coming months.

As a member of CPRS Toronto you have made an investment in your career. Take advantage of all that we offer, some of which is highlighted in this newsletter. And with all investments, the more you put into it the higher the returns. You have a role in your experience with this organization. Don’t sit on the sidelines. I encourage you to get involved.

Each year, the Toronto society presents the Doris Whiteside Award (biography below) to a graduating student at each of
the community colleges which offer public relations courses recognized by CPRS Toronto.

This year’s recipients are:

Seneca College – Elena Dvoirin

Humber College – Trevor Speechly

Centennial College – Hannah Sunderani

BIOGRAPHY

DORIS WHITESIDE 

 Doris began her public relations career in the 1960’s as a part-time secretary with the Girl Guides of Canada.  While there she met Ruth Hammond who sparked Doris’s interest in public relations. 

From the Girl Guides, Doris joined Hilda Wilson at Investor Relations.  Subsequent career moves took her to Berger and Associates and the Metro Toronto and Ontario Lung Associations where she acted as Director, Public Relations.  There, Doris implemented many strategic public relations programs. 

Doris’s many public relations accomplishments included a successful strategy that allowed chiropractors to achieve professional status in Ontario.  And she was one of the first public relations practitioners to bring the concepts of public relations to not-for-profit organizations.  She pioneered the concept of joint sponsorship programs between not-for-profit organizations and corporate sponsors.  Doris also developed the Lung Association’s first public relations manual and provided training programs for volunteers and staff. 

Doris began CPRS’s first speakers bureau in the 1970’s and was a member of the Board of Directors.  She was always an advocate for raising the profile and status of public relations practitioners. 

Doris gladly gave advice to anyone interested in public relations.  She taught public relations and enjoyed various workshops. 

Doris died in 1989.

The arrival at the 18^th hole for golfers always comes with mixed feelings. We are pleased that the round is almost over because, as in most sporting activities, tiredness sets in and you’re glad to call it a day. But if you love the game, it’s also lamentable because something you enjoy doing is coming to an end.

After two years as president of CPRS Toronto, I enter this last period of my term in the same way. I have enjoyed serving as your president, and, like a good golf round, there is much more to be done to continue improving on our game and finding ways to help members in their chosen craft as PR practitioners. I hope you agree that the current board has had accomplishments over the past two years that have been of benefit to you.  The effort will continue under the board that is slated to be elected at our Annual General Meeting (AGM), which takes place on Tuesday, May 28^th at the Toronto Region Board of Trade offices.

I want to thank the board members of this year and last year for their commitment to providing you with occasions for professional development, sharing sessions and networking opportunities among other events and member benefits that have been put in place. They have been great to work with, and I appreciate their support in focusing on making CPRS Toronto a society that members feel can help them perform their chosen careers with improved skills and competencies. I will be recapping the achievements they have attained during the annual meeting.

There are two major upcoming events worthy of your attention.  The first is the CPRS Toronto AGM to which I have already referred.  Our guest speaker will be Jamison Steeve, former principal secretary to Premier Dalton McGuinty, who will share experiences and insights gained through his work in Dalton McGuinty’s office over two political terms.

The second is the national CPRS conference taking place in the national capital region.  Compelling speakers have been secured which, coupled with several workshop opportunities, will surely be an educational and networking experience that will be beneficial for all who attend. With Ottawa-Gatineau being so close to Toronto, I hope to see many of you there. I trust you will find it an event that will provide a substantial return on the time you invest to participate.

My work on the board isn’t finished.  Duties await me as past president, and so I now need to take my final approach shot over the creek that flows between me and the 18^th green so that I can get on with those very duties.

I hope you’ve enjoyed our round together, and I will see you at the 19^th hole (a common term golfers use to describe the clubhouse grill room), that is the AGM, where we can enjoy some much desired food and beverages to properly complete our round.

If we miss you there, I’m sure we’ll see each other at one of the many upcoming CPRS Toronto events that begin again in the fall.

Bye for now.