Brenda Hurst was recognized for a lifetime of promoting dancing and RSCDS. She was a founder of RSCDS Montreal and an invaluable supporter and key member of the Board of RSCDS Toronto.

For four years she was Secretary of the Toronto Association. Brenda usually helps at the sign-in table at monthly dances – most recently selling 50-50 lottery tickets to support Dancing in the Park. Brenda researched ways of fundraising, and worked to get our first lottery license. She has danced with the Demo Pool since it started, and also danced faithfully with Hillcrest, Glenview, Trinity, and Erin Mills.

To her colleagues on the Board, she was more than a secretary. Always a voice for fairness, she is hard-working, enthusiastic and amazingly well-organized. She has a knack of cutting through to the heart of a matter, of coming up with another point of view. Often we’d all say, ‘‘You’re right, let’s do that.’’

Brenda is a strong supporter of beginners and newcomers at association dances and she pushed for ways to make sure they got a friendly face to dance with, but she also wanted to ensure that seasoned dancers got to enjoy the challenge of more complicated dances. She cares about recognizing the many wonderful people in Toronto who have worked to promote Scottish Country Dancing. When someone proposed an nominée for Scroll Of Honour, Brenda helped to assemble and edit the information.

Brenda danced with the first Montreal class when it started in 1955, and was a founding member of the Montreal Branch when it was formed in 1958. She served as Branch Chair in 1987/88. She moved to Ottawa in 1989 and danced there until moving to Toronto. Over the years, Brenda has kept in touch with the other branches and joined them in major annual dances.

So, lots of dancers in Eastern Canada have a big Thank you! to pass on to Brenda Hurst for her passion for dancing and her ability at Board and committee work. Thanks Brenda.