Chopping for Peace
Dave and I have many conversations about world peace and what one couple can do to work towards that goal. It’s a huge undertaking, isn’t it? It’s daunting when you really think about it. Where to start? Dave has always thought in the global sense and I’ve always concentrated on family and community. That’s probably why we make a good team.
Since Dave doesn’t have many hobbies, other than reading voraciously, and doesn’t enjoy traditional exercising, he wondered what he could do to stay in shape and enjoy the outdoors. He grew up in the country and as soon as he was old enough to help, he would go out with his Dad and brothers to chop wood, looking for trees that the wind had blown over. He has fond memories of working side by side with his family.
One day I said to Dave ‘Why don’t you ask Terry, the tree faller whether there are some elderly people on Pender that could use your help in chopping up those large rounds that Terry leaves for them? You’d do a great service for the community, get exercise and do something you really enjoy!”
That was the start of a rather remarkable journey.
Three years later, he has chopped wood for many people on Pender, young and old, working or retired, rich or not, it doesn’t matter. He will chop for whoever asks. And he does it all for free, for exercise, for doing good for a community that does good for each other. And now he’s joined by other like minded folks who make up the chopping team.
Dave and the wood chopping team had great success raising money for Jane McIntosh, who is volunteering to work on the Africa Mercy Ship for two years. What happened was quite amazing! People donated their time, their trucks, their trailers, their trees, their organizational skills in order to help Jane. The community pulled together to make sure this remarkable and well liked Pender Islander can realize her dream of working with the poor.
The team is not only accomplishing good things on Pender, they’re having so much fun they have taken on other projects. The Ptarmigan Music Society has been offering programs in the gulf islands for 20 years. Under the direction of Patrick Smith, this organization brings people of all ages together, using music and art as tools for healing.
Click here to learn more about Ptarmigan and see why our intrepid woodchopping team is supporting it.
Dragonfly Day Care has profited by the woodchopping team as has the Pender Transition Group. The guys are out there 2 or 3 days a week bucking, chopping and delivering and having a great time.
In a small corner of the world, peace is happening. One cord of wood at a time. So although Dave thinks globally, he’s working locally, knowing that peace starts at home, in our own neighbourhoods, in our own community. Then it can’t help but spread throughout the world.
Read Aqua Magazine’s article The Woodchopper, Enlightening the World, One Chord At a Time, written by Hans Tammemagi.
*Many thanks to Hans for the photos of Dave
