|
Shawqi Rashad
1992 The Immigrant Services Society celebrated this year
Its 20th anniversary on Oct. 24th, 1992. Side picture shows ISS
President Shawqi Rashad, with Honorable Kim Campbell,
Federal Justice Minister, during the official opening of the
Terminal Avenue Facility.
1994 CA of the Year
When Shawqi Rashad’s wife joined him in Vancouver from Lebanon in 1969, they had one child and another “ on the road”, with only enough money to last a week. “ If I couldn’t find a jog by Saturday, I didn’t know what I would do”. Shawqi recalls. He left Lebanon behind to look for a better life, originally arriving in Montreal. “ The last thing on my mind was becoming an accountant”, he says. The Canadian officials in Lebanon painted a rosy picture of his prospects. “ With four languages and a university degree, you’ll have no trouble finding a good job”, they told him. Shawqi remembers, “ I expected to find six employers fighting over me as I walked down the steps from the plane, instead I found six feet of snow in Montreal!” He traveled by train to Vancouver, having decided to settle there because it reminded him of his home, with the mountains and sea. After taking the job selling life insurance for several months, Shawqi realized, “ this was not my cup of tea, so I left”. It was pretty tough nut to crack being new with no contacts.” It was at this time he found himself in the hospital expecting a second child, and no job. He decided to become a CA and began a door knocking routine, calling on firms from 8:30am until noon everyday with an hour for lunch, then back at it from one to five. On Thursday he landed an interview with Frederick Graham and Company on West Broadway, who told him they would call him that day. Half an hour later he got the call offering him the job.
“ That was the longest half hour of my life”, Shawqi remembers. The rest, as they say “ is history”. Recently promoted to CEO of Edelweiss Credit Union, where he has held a variety of positions since 1976. Shawqi enjoys a spacious office surrounded by testimonials of his community involvement. His children, Suzanne and Michael are grown up with careers of their own and he and his wife, Anneliese own a comfortable house in Burnaby. However he remembers his humble roots, and he challenges facing a landed immigrant to Canada. That promoted him to become involved first with the Lebanese Club, then the Vancouver Multicultural Society, then ultimately 15 years of involvement including three terms as president of the Immigrant Services Society of B.C. Shawqi is our third CA of the year. He was chosen for his volunteer contribution to his community, which spans more than 20 years, and in particular his commitment to organizations, which provide services to landed immigrants and refugees. One of Shawqi’s first achievements was to help found a catholic church with an Arabic speaking priest, the Saint George Melkite Catholic Church. “ We found a priest and a church to lease, which we still have today”, he says. The Vancouver Multicultural Society needed support- a place to meet and a newsletter for its members. Shawqi helped put these things in place. He is proud of the growth of the Immigrant Services Society of BC, and the services it offers. ISS celebrated its 20-year anniversary in 1993. “ We were the first organization to offer settlement services to immigrants settling in BC. We provide housing for government-sponsored refugees, in a building we now own on Drake St. called “Welcome Home”. We also have a host program, where families make new immigrants feel welcome, and show them around Vancouver and introduce them to the customs and services here. We expanded to providing skills training courses specially designed for immigrants, after completing their training”. Asked what motivates him to continue his work, Shawqi replies, “ It is gratifying to see the smiles on the faces of people as they receive their diplomas after completing a training program”. Shawqi explains, “ Many new Canadians aren’t looking for financial support as much as moral support, encouragement. One of the their greatest needs is to feel that they have a future in Canada”. A board member for 15 of the 20 years of the Society’s existence, Shawqi, has been its president three times. The ISS is the largest organization for immigrants in BC, with an annual budget of five million dollars. As a result of his involvement with ISS, Shawqi was asked to become a board member of Mount Saint Joseph Hospital, a publicly funded hospital with multi-cultural focus offering such services as multicultural staff for patients with difficulty with English. The hospital entered into a partnership agreement with Vancouver Children’s Hospital. “ The Children’s hospital provides kitchen, even with a wok to cook Oriental meals”. Shawqi is also a member of the Canadian Club, which promotes the spirit of Canada and sponsors the Citizenship Court. He is also a member and past president of the Burnaby Multicultural Society and a member of the German Canadian Business Club. Several times a year he speaks at Canadian Citizenship Ceremony. How does he juggle everything? “An understanding wife”, Shawqi says, “ It would’ve been hard to do all these things, spending time at meetings on evenings and weekends without the support of my wife”. His advice to new immigrants, “ Be committed to making Canada your home. So many people have one leg in each country;
You must decide where you want to make your home. You need to realize that for 10 doors which a Canadian knocks on, you will have to be prepared to knock on 50- but that 49th door will open if you’re determined and committed”.
1998 Edelweiss CEO Honored by Peers
Edelweiss Credit Union CEO and President, Shawqi Rashad, has been made a Fellow of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of BC and we congratulate him on this highly regarded honour.
There is a series of steps involved in being made a fellow. First, another GA must make a recommendation to a special committee. The nomination is reviewed and based on several criteria; community involvement, involvement in the GA institute, and support of the profession as a whole.
Once all of the criteria have been reviewed and adjudicated, the committee decides on whom to confer the lifetime designation of Fellow (FCA), the highest honour the institute bestows on members.
Mr. Rashad is currently an active member of the Lebanese Canadian Society of BC, Immigrant Services Society of BC, Providence Health Care, United Way, German Canadian Business Association, Swiss Canadian Chamber of Commerce and German Canadian Chamber of Commerce.
Edelweiss Credit Union has benefited from the contributions made by Mr.Rashad over his 22 year tenure with us, and we area proud to announce this well-earned honor.
|
