Here's to sad endings and new beginnings....
Meet Alex. If you’re at all involved in or with Dad Club London, you already know him.
The boyish charm. The dark rim glasses. The complete lack of facial hair. The creativity and artistic abilities. This guy’s got it all!
This complete package of a man randomly emerged out of the shadows two and a half years ago by simply dipping his toes into the water and getting involved in DCL. He quickly cannon-balled head first into everything that this mystical and magical group does.
Alex was instrumental in figuring out how lost we were in the areas of graphic design, website, and merchandising, He reached out and offered his assistance in taking us from zeroes to heroes.
We quickly found a spot for Alex on our Board of Directors. He catapulted his way to the role of Vice President with his unique blend of humor, creativity, and wisdom beyond his prepubescent appearing face.
Whether its making sure that our branding is tighter than your sweatpants after Thanksgiving Dinner, providing the voice of reason in our late-night behind the scenes planning marathons, or strutting his stuff in fresh threads alongside Sav in the Community Living London “Night of Heroes” fashion show, Alex has always been there when we need him.
He’s been instrumental in planning and executing live events such as Dadcathlon and our annual golf tournament. Behind the scenes, he kept the giant squeaky wheels of this volunteer led and privately funded non-profit organization running to perfection.
We all know as dads that no matter what happens, life goes on. Diapers turn into superhero undies. Crawling to walking and pre-school to big kid school. Our free time is finite and if we blink twice, we miss a ton with our families and personal lives.
The time has come for Alex to move on. He’s now coaching youth sports, continuing to flourish in his career as a Graphic Designer and Salesperson at Source Teamworks, keeping busy with his three kids, and now building a dream home alongside his lovely wife Ashley.
We appreciate everything he has done for us, and we will sincerely miss him. If you’re sipping a cup of joe or frosty libation while reading this, tip it and pour some out for a terrific Vice President and a true friend. But then make sure you clean it up and don’t burn yourself. That stuff stains.
As part of this transition, we opened up a posting for new board members. The response was PHENOMENAL. Many dads with unique talents and perspectives on fatherhood and community in our region stepped forward to throw their hat in the ring. Every one of them willing to take on some very busy, sometimes thankless, but always gratifying volunteering. It was clear that our efforts are paying off, and we quickly became the kid at your high school with the key to the “dads benz” and a credit card linked to his account. EVERYONE wants to be a part of what we do, and we are lucky to have your support.
After much debate and multiple rounds of voting, we were able to narrow our applicant pool down to three successful new board members, as we are adding two new and an alternate:
Firstly, we would like to welcome back Ryan Blake! Ryan is a past board member who had to step away and focus his time and attention on his personal life. He did incredible work for us during his first stint on our board, and we were happy to welcome him (and his rugged good looks) back with open arms. Thanks for leaving and returning on such excellent terms, Ryan! Keep an eye out for him this fall at our basketball league and hopefully lots of events for dads and teens.
Secondly, we are proud to announce Mike Wammes as a new board member. Mike has been a Dad Club London member for just shy of three years now, and has until recently been incredibly busy with a full time job, a pre-schooler, a new baby, AND also working on his Master’s Degree in Social Work through the University of Windsor. What a stud! With graduation on the horizon and a superhero for a wife, Mike was able to find the time required to lend his skills to help create an even more supportive and welcoming environment for dads across our region.
Bonus fun fact: MIke is our FOURTH dad to join our Board of Directors who is 6’5” or taller. A regular old forest in that boardroom, I tell you! WELCOME, MIKE!
Finally, we are proud to announce Chris Kiss as our third new board member. Our bylaws are set up for an odd number of board members and an alternate to ensure that we are always able to reach quorum and consensus and the best use of our time in plotting the course for our organization and its governance.
Since joining Dad Club London about 18 months ago, Chris has been involved and offering help wherever needed. Chris can be found at almost every single event, often with his son Luca and daughter Saige in tow. He’s as friendly as they come, and excellent at meeting, greeting, and engaging new members. He hosts events as a volunteer on a regular basis, and getting involved with our board of directors was a natural next step.
Alex, we will miss you and thank you for your selfless service!
Ryan, Mike and Chris - welcome! Let’s continue to pursue excellence together! #DCLforthekids
Yours in fatherhood,
Jeremy McCall
Aka the Dadfather