1. Louise Gardiner was happy to relate her family Remembrance Day dinner at which her 8 year old grandson recited the poem "in Flanders Field" by heart for the family.
 

2. Paul Rostrup was impressed with the Membership Summit he attended in Cambridge on the weekend and having had the opportunity to visit his nine month old grand daughter in Toronto.

 

Those members who attended the 7080 District training session.

Q: Where is the Zone 24 Conference being held in 2019?

Ans: In Niagara Falls on Sept. 19 - 21.

1.President Richard spoke about the Habourtown Sound Christmas Concert on Sunday Nov. 25, 2018 to assist with the "End Polio Now" campaign. Tickets can now be purchased online as of Nov. 8th.

 

2. Neil Swayze updated the members on the progress of the Online Auction. We presently have 140 items of which 127 have been bid on. The total retail value is $26,133 of which the bidding has shown a 52% return on the retail value to give us $13,544 so far. We have reached our target of ten sponsorships thanks to members Dave Chatson, Hubert Singh, Karen Redman, Bill Proctor, Jim Phillips and his wife donating $250 each. It was decided by the committee to extend sponsorship status to those companies that donated $1,000 to the auction which includes Len's Mills, Swanson's Home Hardware and Electric Cycle. Al Way's company, National Self Storage,also received sponsorship status for his generous offer of the use of a storage locker last year and this year for the auction. With only 6 days left for the auction , we encourage members; their families, friends and/or colleagues to visit the site that has over 1000 items up for sale.

The committee will need help with the distribution of items on Saturday, Nov. 24th from 8:30 am to 5:00 pm at the National Self Storage location at 171 Webster Rd., Kitchener. If you can help out either in the morning or afternoon; please email Gary Parker or Neil to set up a time. Shifts are 2 to 3 hours and you will be helping bring items from the locker to the front to give to customers.

Lastly, please collect any signs that you have put out on Sunday Nov. 18 after the auction closes on Saturday. Please bring to out next meeting on Nov. 19th as we wish to reuse them next year.

 

3. Jim Brown informed the members that KidsAbility has a "Sounds of Christmas" musical celebration planned for Nov. 23 & 24 and Nov. 30 & Dec.1 at the WMB church at 245 Lexington Rd. Waterloo. Tickets can be ordered by contacting the Box Office: 519  502-8390 or Online: ticketscene.ca or KidsAbility Foundation office.

 

4. Dave Chatson reminded members to circle Dec. 3 as the date for our Christmas Social. Location and further information will be coming out soon.

John Webster, Lew Ford and Ernie Ginsler all had their numbers draw but no one drew the jack.

Howard Pell introduced our guest speaker for the meeting Tara Gutscher, the regional manager of Canadian Blood Services. Tara comes to the job from a marketing background for the Toronto Blue Jays. She has two sons who are very much involved in sports so they keep her busy.

Her topic, 'As a Form of Remembering"; she spoke of the partnership of Blood Services and the Red Cross has with the National Defense Department and the impact it has on soldiers and their families since World War I and II. To illustrate this connection; she showed a video of one family of a Canadian soldier injured in Afganistan by an IED. Darren Fitzpatrick was seriously injured by an IED and only by the use of blood transfusions was he able to hang on long enough for his parents to be flown over to Germany to see him in the hospital before he succumbed to his wounds. As a tribute to their son; they have donated blood in his memory to honour him ever since. Since W.W.II; Blood Services has given 890,000 donations to the military.

Locally, the 11th Field Artillery Regiment (Guelph) and the 31st Combat Engineers annually give blood to support their efforts. On a personal note, member Howard Pell related his story of how he came to be a donor. When his mother passed away 10 years ago; she received blood transfusions that made it possible for his family to say their final farewells. It convinced him to start donating. Now he has reached a milestone of 50 donations this month and he asked any members who would like to join him at the blood clinic at 94 Bridgeport Rd. on Tuesday, Nov. 13th from 11 to 7. He is trying to get 50 donations this week. Louise Gardiner will join Howard as her husband, Graham, also received blood transfusions when he had his lung transplant last year.

Howard thanked Tara for her visit and presented her with our certificate for immunizing 100 children against polio.

 

Closing Remarks & Reminders