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Canadian Women’s Club of Chicago Newsletter
September 2008
PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE
Welcome Back, Ladies!
I hope you all had a wonderful summer, and enjoyed the less-humid-than-usual
Chicago summer. I had the pleasure of two trips to Canada this summer, one west
and one east, and was reminded of what lovely weather they can have in the
summer (we won’t think about winter – here or there - yet). Unfortunately I was
in Toronto the day of our Ravinia outing in August – I was very sorry to miss
it, but I hope those who attended enjoyed the music and the company.
Amongst the other pleasures this summer with a Canadian angle: the long
anticipated wedding on the wonderful comic strip “For Better or For Worse”, a
Canadian institution. I almost feel like they are members of my own family. (If
you don’t get the Tribune, or want to read the whole storyline in order, check
out www.fbofw.com and click on “strip fix”). And of course who could watch the
Olympics without missing the wonderful coverage of the CBC, and wondering how
the Canadian athletes were doing? How thrilling, though, to think that the
Olympic flag will next be raised in Vancouver at the upcoming 2010 Winter
Olympics. Maybe we’ll make a club outing to Whistler to take in some events!
As I begin my year as president, I want to share with you my “mission” for the
club this year. I want us to focus on:
FRIENDS – meeting new ones and getting to know old ones better
FUN – having a good time at all CWC events
FAIRNESS – treating all members, hostesses, speakers, etc with the respect we
all deserve.
I hope you’ll all help me with this mission!
There have been a couple of changes to the Board since the elections in June.
Norah Johnson has agreed to be Philanthropy chair and Elsa Bruining will replace
Joy Dudgeon taking care of our Canadian Christmas Tree. I know they’ll be
valuable members of our “team”.
Our enthusiastic Programme/Hospitality committee has set up a great schedule of
luncheons for this year. See the schedule later in this newsletter. I hope to
see many of you at all of these luncheons.
- Michelle Gillis, President
Newsletter Deadline
The deadline for submitting articles to be included in the October newsletter is
September 24, 2008. All articles should be emailed to Jan Dengis. Please put CWC
on the subject line. Any questions, please call Jan.
MEMBER NEWS
(This year we’d like to fill out this section with more details about what
our members are up to, but we need everyone’s help. If you are aware of any
“milestones” in your life or other members’ lives, please send them to Sunshine
Chair. For example: anniversaries, birth of children or grandchildren,
marriages, illness or injury, recuperation, major accomplishment. Please make
sure the person involved wants the information shared with the general
membership – we don’t want to violate anyone’s privacy.)
Our own Susanna Doolin is an active contributor to the new and improved Canadian
Club of Chicago newsletter, the “Maple Moose”. See her feature article, “Still a
Chill” on the front page of the summer 2008 edition. If you’re not a Canadian
Club member, you can request to be on their online mailing list on their
website.
Birthday wishes for September go to: Marie-Esther Saint Victor, Louise
L'Heureux-Gilliberti, Corina Smith, Ruth Coad Johnston, Carol Kopf, Patricia
(Patti) Willian, Shirley B, Kathy Pringle, Joy Dudgeon, Marlene C,
Jennifer Zuriekat, Allison Taylor Deglomine and Anne Sullivan Scatchell.
Mary Ellen Crowe reports that her broken ankle is healing nicely.
It is with great sadness that we report the death of Michael Peter Martens, age
56, son of Vivi and Hugo Martens. Several club members attended a memorial
service that was held on Saturday, August 16th, at Trinity Lutheran Church,
Evanston. Memorial contributions can be made to the American Cancer Society, 820
Davis St. #400, Evanston, IL. The complete notice and online guest book is
located here:
http://www.legacy.com/chicagotribune/Obituaries.asp?Page=LifeStory&PersonID=115467274
Membership Report
It is now the end of August and only a few weeks before the new CWC season
starts. So far 45 members have renewed their membership. Those members who have
not yet renewed have been sent reminders. Please note that there is now a
section for you to indicate whether or not you agree to have photos of yourself
and/or names included on the website. The photos are taken at club events.
The deadline for you to be included in this year's directory (which will be
available in October), and to stay on the mailing list is September 17th, 2008.
Note that this is earlier than last year. Please take the time to fill in the
green form and to enclose a check, which can be sent by mail or in person at the
September meeting.
- Janet Walker, 2008-09 Membership Chair
MARK YOUR CALENDAR
CWC 2008—09 Schedule
Directories will be distributed at the October meeting but in the meantime you
can add the dates below to your calendars. The following list of events has been
planned by the Programme Committee for 2008-09:
Sept. 17 - Potluck Lunch, at the home of Robin Allison
Oct. 15 - Marc T. Boucher, Quebec Government Representative for the Midwest, at
the home of Bev Paonessa
Nov. 19 - Wine Tasting, at Cafe Pyrenees, Libertyville
Dec. 10 - Holiday Party, at the home of Patti Willian
Jan. 21 - Canadian Auction, at the home of Beth van den Berg
Feb. 18 - Speakers relating to women's health issues
Mar. 18 - Lunch and play, at the Marriott Lincolnshire
Apr. 15 - Oak Park, Restaurant lunch TBA, optional Frank Lloyd Wright
House tour to follow at 1:00
May 20 - Lunch at the Canadian Consul General’s home, with our hosts
Georges Rioux and Sharon Gray, Chicago
June 10 - TBA
Book Club
Our first book of the new season is SISTERS OF THE WILDERNESS by Charlotte Gray.
The story of these two gentlewomen who became icons of the Canadian imagination,
as they struggled in our harsh and primitive environment, is known to many. But
not until this double biography has so much been revealed about those sisters
who founded a literary tradition in Canada. We are a fun group and everyone is
welcome. Join us on October 8th @ 10:30 at Phyllis J's house for a light lunch and
a lively discussion. Call Jan Dengis if you’d like to attend.
Attention All Walking
Enthusiasts
On Tuesday, September 23 Susanna Doolin will lead a walking tour of Grant Park.
Grant Park is Chicago’s principal downtown park located between Michigan Avenue
and Lake Michigan. It is full of beautiful gardens, hidden pathways, historic
monuments, a series of bridges that span across the City’s railway tracks and
fabulous city views. You will discover the beauty, charm and history of Grant
Park just as Susanna has through her many walks in this area over a twenty-five
year period. So come and enjoy this unique experience. It will be fun!!
Those wishing to join should be able to walk for at least an-hour-and-a-half to
two hours. There will be one or two sit-down breaks along the way. Concession
stands and washrooms will be available. Please be prepared and wear comfortable
walking shoes and a hat and/or sunscreen. Also avoid bringing a purse – a fanny
pack or sling bag would be more appropriate. There are water fountains along the
route, but feel free to bring your own water bottle. And don’t forget to bring
your camera!!
We will meet at the “Bean” in Millennium Park at 10:00 a.m. and award ourselves
afterwards with lunch at the Park Grill. Parking is available at Millennium
Park.
If you have any questions and/or would like to participate please call or email
Susanna Doolin.
Canadian Club Calendar
Sep. 7, 2008, 6:00 PM - 10:30 PM Toronto Blue Jays @ Chicago White Sox: Join
your Canadian Club members at this fun event!
Oct. 13, 2008 Canadian Thanksgiving Dinner at the Metropolitan Club, the 67th
floor of the Sears Tower. Details to follow.
Nov. 23, 2008, 11:00 AM - 3:00 PM Grey Cup @ O'Tooles: Watch the Grey Cup with
fellow Canadians at O'Tooles!
To find out more about these events search the website
www.canadianclubofchicago.org
Area Concerts with a
Canadian Flavour
Those of you who don’t regularly check the calendar on the CWC website might
have missed
seeing that the Canadian Brass, April Verch, Bryan Adams, and The Guess Who
played concerts in August in this area. Tom and I went to see April Verch at a
free outdoor concert in Long Grove this past weekend. She’s a Juno nominated
fiddler from Ontario…our toes are still tapping.
Coming up in September are
Great Big Sea, Blue Rodeo, Gordon Lightfoot, and Celine Dion, amongst others.
Check the calendar on www.cwcchicago.com
for further details.
- Paula Buns, Publicity Chair
CLUB NEWS
RSVP’s- Can’t live
with them, can’t plan programmes without them.
Moving forward and planning this year’s meetings we want to remind everyone that
the request for an RSVP is not solely a courtesy. Our group is of substantial
enough size that in order to plan for food and to properly set up for the
meeting, it is a necessity to have an accurate number of attendees.
We as a committee feel that there is a need to be flexible, and will do so when
the situation merits it. The policy of a “yes” being a commitment to pay was
adopted due to no-shows. It has been successful and will continue to be the
policy. We ask that you always contact the committee member listed for the RSVP.
If the meeting is held at a private home, please do not call the hostess
regarding attendance questions since she is already doing enough by inviting us
into her home! We look forward to seeing all of you at upcoming meetings!
- Your Programme and Hospitality Committee - Anne Rizzolo, Mirella Caputo and
Robin Allison
Website
Next time you’re on your computer, check out the CWC website (www.cwcchicago.com).
Tom is doing a fabulous job creating an attractive and very informative
site, which represents our club so well. On the calendar you’ll find many area
events with a Canadian Connection, and he’s even added a page in French!
The Canadian Club of Chicago has also updated their website, and for those of
you into social networking they have a Facebook page! Both can be accessed
from the links page of our website.
CWC at Ravinia
For those of you who missed
it, CWC’s annual social event at Ravinia on August 3rd was lots of fun!
About 14 members and guests enjoyed hearing the Chicago Symphony Orchestra play
“The Best of Broadway” while our “Mountie” stood guard. The weather was perfect,
the sangria and food were great, and even Tom was singing along towards the end.
Vivi’s sister Marlene was there along with Beth’s friend Jen, who was down
visiting from Canada. A great time was had by all!
- Paula Buns, Social Co-Chair
LET THE GAMES BEGIN!
“The most important thing in the Olympic Games
is not winning but taking part; the essential thing
in life is not conquering but fighting well.”
- Quote by Pierre de Coubertin (1863-1937), French educator and thinker, who was
the principal organizer of the modern Olympic Games. Montreal’s Olympic Stadium
is located at 4549 Pierre de Coubertin Ave.
On Friday, August 8, 2008 China welcomed the world to the XXIX Summer Olympic
games. The opening ceremony commenced at precisely 8:08 p.m. local time to
coincide with the Chinese tradition that equates the number 8 with good
fortune/good luck. Along with the other millions of viewers from around the
world, I sat transfixed to the television watching the spectacular event unfold.
No other host country had ever before exhibited such a jaw-dropping display of
pageantry and electrifying pyrotechnics as China did this year. When the
athletic teams started to stream into Beijing’s stadium, nicknamed the “Bird’s
Nest”, I instinctively moved to the edge of my seat poised to witness the
various teams as they paraded before the cameras. I was of course anxious to see
Team Canada. They finally entered the stadium at number 63. Decked out in
eco-friendly organic cotton of red and white and enthusiastically waving at the
crowd, the young Canadian hopefuls beamed in the spotlight as they proudly
represented their country, and I was proud for them.
Gold medal contender, Adam van Koeverden, from Oakville, Ontario, led Canada’s
Olympic team into the arena carrying the red maple leaf flag. The champion
kayaker was one of 331 Canadian athletes taking part in this year’s Summer
Olympics. “It was amazing. I could go through every adjective I know: amazing,
incredible, exciting, awesome – it still doesn’t do it justice,” van Koeverden
said of the opening ceremony extravaganza. Softball player Alison Bradley added:
“The coolest part was hearing everyone in the tunnel singing ‘O Canada.’ I had
chills as I walked into the stadium.”
And then the days of competition got under way, but unfortunately, for us
Canadians, Canada endured a very slow start. In fact, I was beginning to wonder
when they would put some numbers on the scoreboard. Each morning I checked the
newspaper and then the internet for the medal count and for six days it was
stuck at zero. Finally, after seven days of being out of medal contention, the
drought ended. Freestyle wrestler Carol Huynh, daughter of immigrants from
Vietnam, won Canada’s first gold medal on Saturday, August 16th. When asked
about her tears on the medal podium as O Canada was played, she poignantly
stated, “I was just thinking how proud I am to be Canadian.”
Canada’s dramatic second week turnaround continued and for the next four days
Canadian athletes ascended to the podium to be presented with their medals. By
August 20th they had racked up a total of 13 medals, surpassing the country’s
medal count of 12 in Athens four years ago. “I’m very proud of the whole
Canadian team,” said Sylvie Bernier, the Canadian chef de mission. “We knew we
were doing well, we knew we were right on track. We’ve been saying that (the)
whole first week. We knew the progression was there.”
For the first time in Canadian Olympic history Canadian athletes will receive
cash for medals. A gold will be worth $20,000, a silver $15,000 and a bronze
$10,000. The Canadian Olympic Committee announced last November that it would
offer incentives for medals through its Athletes Excellence Fund. “We’ve come to
this level for the pure love and joy of the sport. Anything above that is a
bonus. But I think it’s excellent for the next generation of athletes that we
would have this kind of incentive program,” stated Jane Rumball, a native of
Fredericton, New Brunswick who is on the Canadian rowing team.
While Canada surpassed its own medal count from previous Olympics it was still
far and away behind the efforts of the US, China, Australia and Great Britain.
US swimmer Michael Phelps will have more gold medals to his credit than the
whole Canadian team. With the end in sight Canada had three gold medals,
including one for Equestrian Jumping by Eric Lamaze of Schomberg, Ontario who
captured the show-jumping title and gave Canada its first-ever individual
equestrian gold. His victory capped off a remarkable turnabout for the 40-year
old who had been suspended for drugs at the 1996 Atlanta games and at the 2000
Sydney games. His drug offence was later overturned and he was able to return to
his sport. “When you give people chances and allow them to learn from their
mistake, great things happen,” Lamaze told the CBC prior to the medal ceremony.
As the Olympics drew to a close the big question was: Who would carry the flag
for Canada in the closing ceremony? Who had earned this prestigious honour?
There were certainly a lot of worthy candidates:
- Karen Cockburn won her third medal in trampoline at this her third Olympic
games.
- Alexandre Despatie earned silver in diving after enduring an injury plagued
year.
- Kyle Hamilton was a member of the rowing eight men’s team that won gold.
- Emilie Haymans won silver in diving in three consecutive games.
- Carol Huynh won the first gold medal in wrestling.
- Eric Lamaze won gold in equestrian and silver as part of the equestrian team.
- Ian Miller won his first medal in equestrian in his ninth Olympic attempt.
- Priscilla Lopes-Schliep won a bronze and was Canada’s first track medal winner
since 1996.
In the end it was 27-year old Karen Cockburn who received the honour to be
Canada’s flag-bearer at the closing ceremony. Along with the silver medal Karen
won in trampoline in Beijing, she had also won silver from the 2004 games in
Athens and a bronze from the 2000 games in Sydney. “It’s such an honour to be
able to represent Canada three times at the Games,” said the Toronto native.
“The Olympics are just magical. For me this will probably be my last Olympics.
So carrying the flag . . . it’s just a great way to end these Olympics.”
The Summer Olympics came to a close in Beijing on Sunday, August 24th much the
same way they started with a blast of fireworks, spectacular pageantry and
athletes and spectators alike celebrating the joy of sport. Canada ended the
XXIX Olympic Games with a total of 18 medals overall, its third best showing at
a Summer Olympics. The final medal tally was 3 gold, 9 silver and 6 bronze.
Perhaps Prime Minister Stephen Harper expressed it best when he congratulated
Canada’s medal winners by saying: “Each day, our athletes exhibit dignity,
respect, and dedication to their sport and to their country. Their commitment to
excellence and to achieving the Olympic dream truly makes them great sport
ambassadors for Canada.”
- Susanna Doolin August 2008
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