From Boyle Street to Belize, Edmonton West Rotary has a sixty year history of applying its members' unique skills and talents to the challenges that face our community, our city and our world. Join us!
Meeting: chair, Duane; music, Jerome; grace, Steve
Attendance/Guest: 23 including Bart West, guest of Bill
Gift Cards: purchase from Rob Dunseith; profits help our club pay for projects
Doug MacDougall: Lloyd Robertson reminded Doug that the Canadian Maple Leaf Flag is 50 years old this year. Doug related the events pertaining to the Rotary Club of Edmonton West on the 9th anniversary of the club's charter in Rotary International and the approval of the new flag by Canada's parliament in 1964. Doug was president of Edmonton West Rotary that year. He got support from fellow club members with military backgrounds to honour both the club and the new flag. RAF Squadron Leader (retired) Bill Young and his wife Grace (currently an honourary member of our club) obtained an Edmonton made flag to be presented to the club at the anniversary dinner. Ed Boyd, who rose from private to Major with the Loyal Edmonton Regiment (steel plate in his head courtesy of Battle of Ortona,Italy) and retired RCMP officer Jack Livingstone acted as honour guard as the flag was presented. The flag disappeared after several meetings, no one knows who took it, flag has 13 points on the maple leaf instead of 9 on the official version.
Royal Canadian Air Cadet Squadron 395: Danny Chow advised that the squadron would celebrate the 12th annual Griffon Coin Parade on March 25. All club members were invited.
Fireside: Darrel Ripley announced a fireside and meal to be held April 12 between 3 and 7 pm; location to be advised; all members and spouses are invited.
Happy Bucks: Mike Ryan for being named as a member of the Lieutenant Governor of Alberta's Council on Mental Health and acting as a panelist at the Chateau Lacombe on drug treatment; Dan Graham for skiing downhill and not breaking any bones; Steve in celebration of a lady friend in Leduc on her 104th birthday; Jim Spalding on a 91 year old female ski buddy still skiing Jasper; Chris on his Hawaii vacation where residents commented on more moisture than normal and Dave Turner on the fact that that moisture brought out the mosquitos in Kona.
50/50: Mike Ryan and Joe did not match cards
Guest Speaker: Jerome introduced Bill Buckham, former commanding office of RCAF Namao. Bill was in command in 1986 when the tornado invaded Edmonton and Bill, to his credit, phoned the mayor to offer help. He retired as a Brigadier.
Bill's talk was on the air force's contribution to Griesbach Village - the RCAF Commemorative Park at Griesbach. Guest Bart West,together with Bill, is part of the society that is funding this project. The army and navy have completed their parks. The RCAF plans to enhance the portion to the western edge of the Griesbach area by concentrating on military aircraft. The histories of Edmonton and the air force are entwined. They had a very busy joint venture for many years. Now there is only 408 Helicopter Squadron in the Edmonton area. The plan is to allow village residents and visitors to be able to learn about air force history in Edmonton. There will be 13 street names showing a person relationship. Two examples are Squadron Leader Peter Blatchford (son of the former mayor) and Flight Lieutenant Bob Morgan. Part of the air force motto is "AD ASTRA" meaning to the stars. This name is applied to the principal plaza in the air force park. There will be 5 story boards made from monument quality granite and an NFP chip will be installed to allow visitors to link to more data electronically.
Mosaics of aircraft will be displayed in the plazas. They include Mosquito (418 Squadron) honour all fighters, Griffon (408 Squadron) honour all helicopters, Spitfire, Hercules Freighter, Avro Aero (designed for RCAF even though only 7 test aircraft were produced). Roundel Lake will be in the centre, the main plaza will have a mini runway, and visitors will look up to a statute 35 feet high honouring the Snow Birds in their Tudor jets..
Two Mexicans are stuck in the desert after crossing into the United States , wandering aimlessly and starving. They are about to just lie down and wait for death, when all of a sudden Luis says: "Hey Pepe, do you smell what I smell. Ees bacon, I theenk." "Is, Luis, eet sure smell like bacon." With renewed hope, they struggle up the next sand dune,& there, in the distance, is a tree loaded with bacon. There's raw bacon, there's fried bacon, back bacon, double smoked bacon, every imaginable kind of cured pork. "Pepe, Pepe, we ees saved! Ees a bacon tree!" "Luis, maybe ees a meerage? We ees in the desert don't forget." "Pepe, since when deed you ever hear of a meerage that smell like bacon? Ees no meerage, ees a bacon tree!" With that, Luis staggers towards the tree. He gets to within 5 yards, Pepe crawling close behind, when suddenly a machine gun opens up, and Luis drops like a wet sock. Mortally wounded, he warns Pepe with his dying breath: "Pepe, go back man, you was right, ees not a bacon tree!" "Luis, Luis miamigo, what ees it?" "Pepe ees not a bacon tree. Ees...
