President Danny started the meeting with a ring of the Rotary bell and a toast to The Queen, Canada and Rotary.

 

Attendance: 17 (Including 1 guest) 

 

P.P. Basil Dias introduced his guest Dorothy Evans, P.P of Markham Sunrise.  

 

 

 

- David announced that the he had been contacted by the Rotary Club in Trinidad, who will be joining us for a joint meeting on December 1, 2021. He said, they meet on the same day and time as our club and that either club will share a link to the joint meeting. David said that they would like to talk about things like the donations our club has made to theirs in the past and possibly discuss future collaborations. 

 

- President Danny announced that him and Rocco moved the club equipment from the storage to the new location the Gerd availed for our meetings.  He reminded members that in the near future, we will be going to that new venue for in-person meetings and implored everyone to start thinking about the switch from virtual to in-person meetings. He mentioned that he would do hybrid meetings but strongly encouraged members to attend in person. Peter added that he would bring the rest of the equipment that he has to the venue.

 

- Arthur asked for four more volunteers to help deliver mittens to schools. Barry, Basil, Dave, David, Frank, Peter, Danny signed up. He said he would be at the parking lot near the Beer Store at AginCourt (where we had the bottle drive) at 3 O’clock on Saturday for members to pick up the delivery batches.

 

 

 

Danny again introduced the program, guiding members on the moments of silence to observe during the presentation.

 

Gordon opened the program by reading about the history and importance of Remembrance Day. Alan then read a copy of a letter written by a soldier in the field back in 1944 before Frank played “Christmas in the Trenches”, a song written by John McCutcheon, and one of his favourites of all times. Frank explained the events  around the song - on the Christmas Eve of 1914 and asked members to put themselves in those trenches as they listened to the emotional song.

 

Danny then read the poem “The Band played Waltzing Matilda” a story told by an old veteran of the Australian armed forces.  First, he gave it context by telling the story of the British, Anzac, French and Russian Soldiers attack on the Ottoman empire at Gallipoli in 1916, where 188,000 people on both sides were killed or wounded. There after, Danny played a Canadian Armed Forces Remembrance Day Video before sharing another story, “The Green Fields of France.”

 

Peter recited the famous Flanders Field Poem by veteran Canadian doctor John McCrae, about Flanders field, a major battle ground during the First World War, in 1814-1918, where more than a million soldiers from more than 50 countries were wounded, killed or went missing in action.

 

Basil then recited the Remembrance Day “They shall not grow old,” before the sounding of the “Last Post”

All members observed a moment of silence. The “Rouse” was sounded, another moment of silence crowned the remembrance program session.

 

To see the full program please follow this link:  https://www.dropbox.com/s/hwfl1fgufd2mmyd/2021%20remembrance%20day.mp4?dl=0

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Sgt-at-Arms David requested everyone to share about Remembrance Day. Members agreed to have those willing to share randomly.

 

Peter: He shared about his father, who was in the Canadian Military and served in the World War 1. Peter said his father  fortunately came back home for a period of time on a stretcher. He would go on to become a commanding officer of a regiment in Windsor before going overseas again to serve. Peter’s father eventually returned to Canada safe, in the training fields in Saskatchewan. His father’s involvement in both the wars is a sound memory for Peter even though he was a young boy then. Peter said he feels for so many who have their fathers and mothers and others overseas in various conflicts in which Canada has and is serving. He said they deserve our praise.

 

Frank: Shared why the song “Christmas in the trenches” means a lot to him. He said back in the day he used to have a number of veteran friends. He specifically talked about Steve, who survived a tank that killed the rest of his crew. Frank recalled Steve weeping every time he played “Christmas in the Trenches”, even though Steve never talked about his war experience until much later. Frank said the song makes him cry every time he hears it because it always made Steve cry.

 

Danny: Shared about his uncle, his father’s older brother who was in the Royal Navy who served and had a terrible time during the war that by the time he came home he was like a living ‘skeleton’.   Danny also shared about his father in law who was a tank driver in North Africa and lost lost two crews, surviving at both strikes.

 

Gordon: He thanked Danny for the great presentation and shared a brief story his dad told him about a when he was in the Royal Artillery and got temporarily blinded by a flash light that got him hospitalized, and that when he returned, his Sergeant didn’t condole with him, he just told him off.

 

President Danny then ended the meeting.