Photo: Mrs. Titcombe-Volet and former hockey player Yvan Cournoyer at the Booth Centre men’s dinner.

I first started to work for the Quebec Salvation Army’s public relations department in 1967. The director offered me an interesting job and I agreed to join the Salvation Army’s team. The job basically consisted of translating letters sent to generous donors from English into French.

Each letter had to be typed individually using a typewriter. I spent most of my time typing the same letter over and over. Because of the monotonous work and the somber atmosphere, after only a few months on the job, I quit. I decided never to work again for The Salvation Army, let alone for the public relations department.

Some 25 years later, I broke my promise and went back to DHQ. After having held different positions, notably as director of l’Abri d’espoir for nearly six years, I returned to the public relations department. My colleagues, friends and relatives were convinced that I was the ideal person for the job. On the contrary, I thought that I had not the character or the necessary skills.

Before jumping into this new venture, I read the job description in order to better understand the tasks that awaited me. I searched here and there, trying to find a meaning to this new job. What is the mission of the public relations department? These two quotations summarize well this mission:

• "The mission of the public relations department consists in inspiring confidence, so that the public interest is taken into consideration while setting up institutional strategies and developing efficient communication programs which encourage understanding and mutual acceptance. It is very difficult to do business when the public opinion is against you." (Les relations publiques dans une société en mouvance, p.9)

• "The public relations officer feels constantly obliged to offer information to two groups simultaneously, so as his or her actions serve the mutual interests of the public and of the organization he or she represents." (Paul Dumont-Frenette)

To find meaning to what we are doing is one thing, but in practice, it is something else. What can we do when we have a feeling that we cannot accomplish the required tasks? Personally, I can summarize it in three stages, not necessary in declining order:

1. To acknowledge my shortcomings and my lack of training, and try to improve.
2. To surround myself with competent people (often more skilled than me) and let them do their work.
3. To expect that the Lord will always accompany me, as he promised.

When I listen to the complaint of an outraged donor, when I discuss our programs with a reporter who has absolutely no interest and when all the doors seem closed and I cannot find the right words, I always remember Psalms 46:10: "Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth". My strength is in Christ.

We don’t know what the future holds for us. Only God does. But for 2007, we have established some priorities:

1. To increase the visibility of The Salvation Army, especially among the French speaking population.
2. To develop better relationships with the Francophone media.
3. To organize media events in all the ministry units of The Salvation Army in Quebec.

And I trust that with God’s help, we will succeed.

by Givette Titcombe-Volet
Divisional Director for Public Relations & Development, Quebec