Congratulations to Rev. Glen Horst on receiving the Canadian Association of Spiritual Care (CASC) Award of Excellence for Pastoral Practice in Education! The award was presented on April 21, 2012 at the CASC annual conference in Sydney Nova Scotia.
Rev. Glen Horst has touched countless lives throughout his 22 year career as a spiritual advisor and educator in long term care, always regarding the end of life as a time full of spiritual opportunity and need. He has helped patients and families find their spiritual depths and mentored students, health care workers, community spiritual leaders and volunteer caregivers. His research has encouraged changes in the way nursing homes manage the transitions surrounding the deaths of residents.
CASC Citation:
Glen began as a Training Supervisor in London, ON, in 1977. He was certified as a Teaching Supervisor in CPE in 1980, and was instrumental in the education and ongoing development of many of the spiritual care practitioners currently active in Manitoba. For twenty-two years he was the Coordinator of Spiritual Care at Riverview Health Centre in Winnipeg, and established the CPE residency program there. His gentle challenges are well known – many of us are familiar with the moment when Glen sits back and strokes his beard before offering his wisdom – and his thoughtful encouragement is always appreciated.
CASC has also been the beneficiary of Glen’s generosity and wisdom. He has been active on the regional Executive over the years. In the 1980’s he was Secretary and then Chair of the National Standards Commission’s Accreditation Committee. In the 1990’s he was Chair of the Standards Commission, and as such, a member of the Board. He represented our Association on the National Health Organizations Committee of the Canadian Council on Health Services Accreditation (CCHSA) and was part of the task force that created the Standards of Spiritual and Religious Care for Health Services in Canada in 2000. He has also served as chair of the Judicial Committee. In between all this, he also found time to complete his Doctor of Ministry, focusing on building community in the long-term care context by developing both welcoming rituals for new residents and grieving rituals after the death of a resident.
Although Glen has retired from active supervision, he continues to facilitate the online Ethics Education Module. He supports Hospice Palliative Care by offering his knowledge and writing skill with the Canadian Virtual Hospice.
Well loved by all who have had the privilege of working with him, Glen was serenaded at the awards banquet by his Manitoba colleagues. We are pleased to share the original composition outlining Glen’s accomplishments (to the tune of I Met a Bear) with you..
Song for Glen Horst
The other day x2
Glen supervised x2
A bunch of us x2
To be with those who dies x2
The other day Glen supervised
A bunch of us to be with those who dies.
Many are the gifts x2
That he did share x2
So that all of us x2
Could learn how to care x2
Many are the gifts that he did share
So that all of us could learn how to care
Like mighty mouse x2
You led the call x2
To bless the rooms x2
And honor all x2
Like mighty mouse you led the call
To bless the rooms and honor all.
Like Popeye too x2
You are the one x2
Who sets the pace x2
And gets things done x2
Like Popeye too, you are the one
Who sets the pace and gets things done.
As spiderman x2
Glen crawls the web x2
The hospice King's x2 Still at the bed x2
As spiderman Glen crawls the web,
The hospice king's still at the bed.
Like superman x2
You led the fight x2
With ethics first x2
We learned what's right x2
Like Superman you led the fight,
With ethics first we learned what's right.
He's not quite God x2
But we've been blessed x2
So proud of you x2
You are the best x2
He's not quite God but we've been blessed
So proud of you, you are the best.