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megram - Index

megram - 55NovOttawa - Index

Fad toys are fine,
but a planned gift
can help dreams come true.
Do you hear that jing-jing-jingling?
That’s the sound of the cash registers,
far and wide, ringing up yuletide
season sales. Tis the season to
go shopping and, each and every
year, we enthusiastically tromp off
to the shops and malls in search of
that special something – or those
special somethings – to let people
know we care.
At this time of year, November
and December, retailers turn over
goods at a dizzying pace and consumer
spending hovers in the tens
the billions – annually accounting
for a hefty chunk of sales.
It’s good for business, healthy
Each of us begins life with a blank sheet
of paper. Well, it’s more like a book of blank
pages. As we go through the days and years,
we write our story through our thoughts and
actions.
Some of us live long enough to have a
book of many pages . . . and some live for only
a few pages. Some have many chapters denoting
a variety of interests and involvements;
others have only half a dozen or so.
for the economy and, if you’re not
unfortunate enough to get an ugly
tie or a kitschy widget, it can be a
fun and joyful time for both the
recipients and the givers.
As Bing croons about dreaming
of a white Christmas, sparkly lights
twinkle and wee ones giggle while
pressing the buttons on singing
Santas, we head out by the hordes,
lists in hand and hope in our hearts.
The aim is pretty simple: We
want to make people happy.
The big ticket items – cars, furniture,
electronics, appliances,
deluxe jewellery and pricey adult
toys – tend to get snapped up in
November/December 2008 • 45 • Fifty-Five Plus Magazine
November and in the early days of
December, except in the cases of
the impulse shoppers, who like to
leave their picking and choosing
right to the very end.
For some of us, the treasure
hunt takes on the outsized, epic
proportions of a local search for the
holy grail. Remember, back in the
early 1980s, when Cabbage Patch
Kids were all the rage? They were a
ho ho hot-ticket item one particular
year. In fact, several thousand
people started a near riot at a
department store in the southern
United States. People were practically
mobbing stores and, at various
Your Chapter on Philanthropy
As you write your life’s story through
your deliberations and deeds, will there be a
chapter devoted to philanthropy? And will it
include gifts to Saint Paul University?
My hope is that your book of life will
include many wonderful thoughts and experiences
regarding your association with Saint
Paul University, and that your chapter on philanthropy
will include something like “My
Bequest to Saint Paul University: What I Gave
and Why.”
Or perhaps your philanthropy chapter
will have a section on “My Gift of Life
Insurance to Saint Paul University: Ensuring
the Future of Saint Paul.”
Perhaps another section might be “The
Day I Discovered Endowments and Why I
Established One in My Spouse’s Name.”
There are lots of possibilities for filling a
chapter on giving. There are so many wonderful
and deserving causes to consider. I hope
that when you write your chapter on philanthropy
you will include Saint Paul University
among your favourite causes.
Your will is a great place to start your
chapter on philanthropy.
Don’t have a will? Don’t know where to
start? Or do you have a will but hadn’t
thought about a bequest to Saint Paul
University?
Just give me a call and we can begin with
a simple conversation to address some of the
these concerns. All discussions will be confidential
and without obligation.
As Director, Alumni and Development,
part of my job is to help people as they consider
their acts of philanthropy. I would be happy
to visit with you and listen to your hopes and
dreams for your chapter on philanthropy . . .
and, as a “good editor,” guide you in finding
just the right way to express your support for
Saint Paul University.
Daniel G. Clapin, ACFRE
Director, Alumni and Development
223 Main, Ottawa, ON K1S 1C4
Telephone: 613-236-1393, ext. 2257
Telephone (toll-free): 1-800-637-6859
Fax 613-782-3033
E-mail: dclapin@ustpaul.ca