at a young age; first in search of the university experience, and then later in pursuit of career opportunities. Many years have now passed, but every time my thoughts drift back to my youth spent on Prince Edward Island , it remains clear to me that Central Lot 16 will always be home. This remains true despite the fact that life has recendy led my parents to Summerside , my brother to Truro , and I have found myself on a whirlwind tour of many locations throughout this country, with the most recent stop being here in Ottawa. In my case, the challenges of life in large cities, and even foreign countries from time to time, had to be faced based on lessons I learned as a young boy during the formative years I spent on the Island. So, in that context, where does the Central Lot 16 United Church fit in? To me, life is about building upon a series of lessons learned. In my experience, I couldn't have had a better start¬ ing point, having come from a great community and a fine large family steeped in the famous P.E.I , traditions of good neighbourliness, honesty, hard work, rock-solid family val¬ ues, and good old-fashioned, down- to- earth common sense. I can assure you that, in a military career, these virtues have come to my rescue in some challenging scenarios both at home and abroad. As in any great community, the Church in Central Lot 16 stands as the collective community bench¬ mark against which one can measure pending decisions for their correctness. As a member of this church as a boy, I learned the lessons of the Bible like all other kids. However, where this Church differs from many as far as I am concerned, is with regard to its broader community role. This Church is truly the centerpiece of the community in many ways. For instance, I learned a great deal about teamwork there as a result of the Church's extraneous linkage to sporting events such as hockey and softball. To be truthful, I still play both at the age of forty and plan to do so for as long as I can. I believe that these activities have stuck with me because of the early sense of fellowship that I enjoyed from the begin¬ ning. To be precise, it was not the actual sport really, although that was an enjoyable activity on its own. Rather, 209 Church Reflections