Lois Arnesen crowned Knights of Columbus Citizen of the Year
By Nelson Daily Staff
Bruce Halstead may have said it best during his address at the 2012 Knights of Columbus Citizen of the Year Banquet.
“The newspaper got it right, Lois Arnesen is a — Super Citizen,” the 2011 winner told the crowd Saturday evening at the St. Joseph gymnasium holding up a copy of the local tab that used the headline on its front page story expounding Arnesen’s years of volunteerism.
And with that one of the greatest volunteers in the history of Nelson was officially crowned the 2012 Knights of Columbus Citizen.
“I’m just to thankful to accept this award,” Arnesen told the crowd during her acceptance speech.
Arnesen became the 49th recipient of the a Knights of Columbus award, an honour that started in 1964 when Red Cross Blood Donor Clinic volunteer Helen Morris was first named as the prestigious winner.
The evening began with the traditional parade into the gymnasium by the Knights’ honour guard.
Following an excellent spaghetti feed, speaker after speaker came to the podium to trumpet the years of volunteering by the 85-year-old mother of three.
BC Southern Interior MP Alex Atamanenko, Nelson/Creston MLA Michelle Mungall and Nelson City Councilor Robyn Cherbo all praised the dedication of the University Women’s Club longtime member.
Doroothy Fraser spoke of days when Arnesen was a drum major that led numerous parades in the Heritage City before longtime friend and Welcome Wagon co-worker Francis Welwood told the audience about the many families the Nelson native graciously welcomed to the Queen City of the Kootenays.
Then is was up to Arnesen’s son John, a Vancouver Lawyer, to speak about his mother’s dedication before the 2012 winner took her turn in front of the crowd talking about her years in the University Women’s Club, United Church, Touchstones Museum, Overture Concert Society, West Kootenay Music Festival as well as Tagging on Baker Street and helping with the War Effort the second World War.
Arnesen joins the likes of Halstead, Alan Ramsden, Al Craft, her Welcome Wagon colleague Frances Welwood, inaugural winner Helen Morris and 2011 winner Bill McDonnell as recipients of one of Nelson’s highest honours.
