Ann Spencer-Arscott /’99 The fundraiser By Helen Jardine FOR ANN SPENCER-ARSCOTT,50,director oftheBermudaRedCross,thebestpartofher jobis“knowingyouaremakingadifferencein people’slives.” AndwhenSaltushelpedraisemoneyforrelief effortsinHaiti,shewasexcitedstudentswereable toshareinthatfeeling.“ThestudentsofSaltushave alwaysbeengeneroustocharitiesontheIsland,” Spencer-Arscottsays.“Peopleoftenforgetthatlots of$2donationsaddupquickly.” WhentheRedCrosslearnedofHaiti’searthquake,Spencer-Arscottsaysitimmediately launchedanappealtothepeopleofBermuda. Inlessthanthreemonths,itraisedmorethan $1million.Saltusaloneraisedalmost$16,000. “IbelievethepeopleofBermudareactedso generouslytothissituationbecausetheyarefellow islanders,”shesays.“Somanyfundraisingactivities tookplace—bakesales,dance-a-thons,booksales, moneyinlieuofbirthdaypresents,grubdays.” AsRedCrossdirectorsince1999,herprimary responsibilitiesincludemarketingandfundraising, liaisingwiththeBritishRedCrossuKofficeand othernationalsocieties,aswellaswritingproposals, businessplansandbudgets. Spencer-ArscottattendedBHS,graduatingfrom bothschools’sharedSGY(thencalled‘SeniorYear’) in1977.AlongwithLabour&Immigration permanentsecretaryDerrick Binns,shereceivedan OutstandingStudentAward.Later,sheattended BryantCollege(nowuniversity),inSmithfield,RI andgraduatedin1981,gainingherMaster’sdegree inManagement&HumanResourcedevelopment atWebsteruniversityontheuSBaseinBermuda. HerfirstsummerjobwaswithAmericanInternational,wheresheworkedforsevensummersand somewinterbreaks.Thebiggestlessonshelearned fromyouthwastheimportanceof“givingback.” “Iwasa[KingEdwardVIIMemorialHospital] CandyStriper,secretaryfortheIOdEKitchener Chapter,andvolunteeredatschoolfunctions,”she explains.“Although Ithinkthelessonwentdeeper thanthat—itwasaboutnotalwaysthinkingabout S A LT U S M A G A Z I N E yourselfandthatthereareotherslessfortunatethan youwhoneedassistance.” Spencer-ArscottbecameactiveintheSaltus communityin1996,whenhereldestsonenrolledat Cavendish.Sincethen,shehasvolunteeredinmany capacities—classmother,classmotherassistant, readingparent,bakesalesassistant,andSummer Soireecommitteemember. Spencer-Arscott’sbestcareeradvicefortoday’s Saltusstudents?Getinvolvedinsomethingyoulike todo,somethingyoufeelpassionateabout.“Itisn’t alwaysaboutthemoney—it’salsoaboutbeing happywithinyourself,”shesays. Spencer-Arscotthasbeenmarriedtohusband Robinfor19yearsandhastwosons,Andrew,18, andRyan,14,astepson,Steven,38,aswellastwo granddaughters,Madison,4,andEmily,1. ShejoinedtheRedCrossin1992asAdministrator,agreeingtowork20hoursaweek,withsome flexibility,asshewasanewmother.“Iwasthefirst paidstaffmember,andovertheyearswehave increasedournumberstofourfull-timeandtwo part-timestaff.Wealsohavealmost150volunteers, whohelprunourprogrammesandservices.” ‘It isn’t always about the money —it’s also about being happy within yourself’ 35 CHARLES ANDERSON