When nobody profits and it helps everybody

This week I met a former soldier who is living in Nova Scotia. And he and a few others have formed a group to support each other and to serve people in need. And he and the folks with The Strayboar Project are interested in doing something that seems unheard of these days.

Episode Transcript

(00:01):
More than a few times I reachedout to the people from the Taxpayers Federation
over the years. Around twenty eleven, as a youngish reporter in Halifax,
I went to the launch event forthe Nova Scotia chapter. It was a
big media event and it was raisingissues about the pension plan that was in
place for Nova Scotia MLAs, andthe group labeled them as gold plated and
unfair for the province and the taxpayers, and it did bring public attention to

(00:23):
the issue. Outrage was their politicalcurrency and it did payoff dividends in the
end. Now, online publications don'thave the same challenges as other forms of
media. Newspapers have white space orblank space on the page that needs to
be filled. Live television and radiohave dead air that they have to find
content for. And groups like theCanadian Taxpayers Federation, the Fraser Institute and

(00:44):
others, no, they can usuallyget uptake on those issues if they send
enough news releases and they're available ifthey're called on for comment. Now,
I've liked the people I've spoken withover the years with those groups, and
that's another tactic to help them reachmore eyes and ears they find compelling articulate
and convincing spokespeople who are good atstorytelling. Now, the people with the
think tanks are great at blasting youwith information that you may not have been

(01:07):
exposed to, and it does makeyou think. But they don't always give
really good answers about themselves, asin who's behind the group and how are
they funded? Now, motivation isa difficult thing to know, sometimes hard
to figure out why people do thethings they do in life in general,
and if there's an agenda or abig plan that's seldom transparent. We all
live three lives. The ones weshow to everyone, the ones we show

(01:30):
to are close friends and family,and of course the ones that only we
know. And it's impossible to getinside of someone's head to really know what
it is they're up to. Andthat's not always a negative. Now,
I met someone this week with agroup called the Stray Boar Project. Comedian
Ron James introduced us and we hada chat about a fundraiser that's coming up
at the Luniberg Opera House and Maytwentieth. Now, this is a group

(01:51):
of veterans who decided they want tocontinue serving people, but not for any
political or tactical agenda. They havea plan to purchase a vehicle and Germany
that'll be sent to Ukraine to beused as an ambulance. And they're also
working to help rebuild orphanages that havebeen destroyed by the violence over the last
year. And Seth as two partnersin this project, Royce Roberts and Jim

(02:12):
Funk, and he shared a storyabout how some former military members are being
hired in these places where there's ongoingfighting. In fact, he says it's
a very well paying opportunity that someof these soldiers are signing up for.
How lucrative. Well, how abouttwelve hundred dollars a day. That's a
lot for a retired soldier. It'sa lot for any of us. But
they're using their time and their talentsand their resources for good. Now.

(02:35):
The quote that's stuck with me isfrom Royce. They have a plan where
nobody profits, but it helps everybody. Nobody profits, but it helps everybody.
And it comes from a duty toserve, but not with violence but
compassion. And this fundraiser in Luneberglater this month will have Ron James making
a laugh as they help kids andfamilies who didn't sign up for a war.

(02:58):
I'm Sheldon McCloud for Saltwire