Updated 9 Oct, 2018

October 2018

Happy Halloween!

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY:

"An apple a day will keep anyone away... If you throw it hard enough."

OTTAWA REUNION:

Thank you ladies for sending in your $50 deposits so quickly. For ladies who may still want to attend but are not yet registered, please send your deposit when your register. The final date for the rest of the fee ($200) is due by March 1, 2019.

This is the situation with the hotel rooms:

June 6, 2019 - The Marriott hotel has no more rooms available on this date at the group rate. As well, they are almost fully booked with regard to rooms at the regular rate. We have tried to renegotiate the contract to add rooms at the group rate to June 6. Unfortunately the hotel management is unable to accommodate us. If you are hoping to get a hotel room for June 6, you may wish to do so now.

June 7 and 8 - There are less than 20 rooms still available at the group rate. We only have a certain number blocked off. If you have not reserved your hotel room, you may wish to do it now. You can always cancel if necessary. Once these rooms for the 7th and 8th are gone, there may be no more rooms available. Again, we cannot renegociate the contract.

If you have a reservation at the group rate for June 6, which you need to cancel, would you please let us know first? We have started a waiting list for our members who want that night. Thank you for your help and understanding.

For updated Reunion 14 information, click here.

To access the Reunion 14 Registration page click on the Reunion 14 Registration button on our webpage or to go directly to the registration form, click here.

The list of Reunion 14 Attendees is available from the email version of the newsletter only in keeping with the privacy act. The list will be updated as the names are submitted. For more information, contact us here.

MESSAGE FROM EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE:

Hello Ladies!

We are pleased to say that the interest in the polo shirts and vests is positive and we have already sold 22 polo shirts and 24 vests. If you are interested in purchasing a polo shirt and/or vest and want to see pictures, please email us here.

Great news, ladies!

New ID Card for Veterans. For all of you out there who completed your basic course, you may want to read the following story if you haven't seen it in the news yet.

The key point is, "All releasing Candian Armed Forces members will receive the card. Beginning in December, veterans released between April 1, 2016 and September 2018 can apply for the card. Next summer, all eligible veterans released before February 2016 can apply for a card. All Canadian Armed Forces members who completed basic training and were honourably released are eligible to receive the card. The old Record of Service card was only available to veterans with 10 years or more service."

"We can not differentiate between somebody who has 10 years of service, 20 years of service, or three years of service. We need to just honour that decision that somebody has made, Sajjan said."

https://ipolitics.ca/2018/09/11/government-releases-new-id-card-for-veterans/

STAMP COLLECTING:

To see details about the preparation of the stamps themselves, click here.

We donate these stamps to Oxfam Canada. To find out more about Oxfam click here.

WOMEN IN THE NEWS:

Shirley was quoted in Light Magazine:

Shirley Duff served with the RCAF for 21 years and was posted in France. She was 29 when she signed on . Her memory of Remembrance Day is always being on parade - marching and marching and marching and then going to a church service. "Soldiers who didn't want ot go to church had to sit in the lobby," she remembers.

Article by Jack Taylor - http://lightmagazine.ca/2015/11/remembering-lest-we-forget/

I don't know how many people are aware that Shirley Duff just turned 90 in August. Click here to see Shirley.

YOUR STORIES AND REMINISCENCES:

Boot camp experiences:

Hello Ladies... Maybe this little story will be of interest ... I vividly recall, back in 1960, during Basic Training at RCAF Stn. St. Jean, one weekend, we were stuck in Barracks and rather bored. A truckload of mattresses had been delivered, and were lined up in piles against the wall of our wide hallway awaiting new Recruits. Having little to do, I thought it would be 'funny' if we placed them in front of the door of our Corporal's Room where her and our Sargent were in watching some Sports Game on TV. So, with no resistance, I summoned a bunch of 'the Girls' to help stack the mattresses up to the top of the Cpl's door frame, thinking how 'surprised' they'd be when they opened the door to find a solid wall of 'stuffing'. From inside, they heard the commotion, and opened up just as we were finishing. Big surprise indeed! They panicked! Feeling absolutely trapped in that little room, they screamed and hollered, and pushed and pushed to try and make that 'wall' tumble, but of course due to the weight and size, it would not move. Suddenly realizing how frightened and threatened they felt, we quickly grabbed the mattresses one-by-one, yanking them away from that door. Once we'd revealed ourselves by opening the 'air-space', we were chastised and charged with the so-called assault and assigned 'extra duties' over the weeks that followed. It's a wonder our punishment for this 'foolishness' was not more severe! To this day, I still regret that 'dumb idea' and the trauma I caused by that absent-minded 'prank'... and I often wonder if anyone else on Course 6040 remembers that infamous incident at St. Jean? I learned an important lesson that day, and vowed never again to play 'stupid tricks' on anyone. Marie Bergot

Has anyone got any stories from when they were shipped overseas?

If you would like to share an experience with us, contact us here to share your stories even if it's just a paragraph. We look forward to hearing from you!

REQUESTS AND COMMENTS:

Shirley Gill would like to know: Is there anyone or are there members who collect Campbell Soup Labels? I have several and can get more if there is anyone who could use them. You can contact her at shirley.gee@sympatico.ca.

UPCOMING LOCAL LUNCHEONS EVENTS FOR MEMBERS:

MONTHLY LUNCHEONS:

Dartmouth/Halifax, NS

The Halifax/Dartmouth Ex-Airwomen's group will meet at La Cucina Cafe Pizzeria and Spaghetti House in Dartmouth Crossing, (near the theatres), 151 Hector Gate, Wednesday October 31 at 1pm. The luncheons are held at different locations to support the local community. If you are interested in coming to our monthly luncheons or want more information, please contact Dot Kern via email: dorothyk5944@gmail.com .

Kingston, NS

The Kingston, NS RCAF Airwomen's group will meet on Wednesday, October 24, at The Driftwood Restaurant, (the old Fire Hall), Main Street, Berwick, NS at 12 noon. We change locations each time as we like to support the various businesses in this small community. We welcome newcomers. If you would like to join us please contact Pauline at hughpd.ryan@ns.sympatico.ca.

Calgary, AB

The Calgary Airwomen's group meet every second Wednesday of the month from September through to June at #265 Legion on Kensington Road NW. The next luncheon is on October 10 at 10:30am, with some arriving a little earlier. Changes in Calgary - Edith McMinn in the new President. Anyone interested to join us for lunches - Welcome! - We also wecome Ex-Army and Ex-Navy ladies. I can be reached at edithmcm@shaw.ca or 403-242-2417.

Edmonton, AB

The luncheons are usually held on the second Thursday of each month. The next one is October 11, at Tony Roma's in the Westmount Shopping Centre.

There is also a business meeting every fourth Sunday, (except June, July and August), at the Edmonton Air Museum, 11410 Kingsway Avenue, at 1:30 pm. The next meeting is on October 28. There is coffee and goodies. There are two ladies who bring something to eat at each meeting. At the same time we celebrate birthdays if there happens to be one the month we meet.

If any Airwomen, retired, active or in the reserves, wishes to join us or become a member, please contact Isabelle (Issy) McLean, President at 780-722-0014

London, ON

The Airwomen in London, ON, meet for lunch every 4th Friday, next one is October 26, at 427 London Wing of the RCAF Association located at Crumlin Road opposite the London Airport, except July, August and December. If you would like to join us please contact Marilyn Chalk at almar1@rogers.com.

OCCASIONAL LUNCHEONS:

Comox, BC

The annual Comox Valley Airwomen's pot luck will be held at Branch 160 Comox Legion on October 21, at 2:oo pm. Bring your favourite potluck dish and join us. A fun part of the afternoon is a re-gift exchange. Bring a wrapped item that you no longer use and be entered for the draw. For more information contact jan.fra@shaw.ca.

Kingston and Trenton, ON

Our next luncheon will take place on November 3, 2018 at 1pm. We will meet at the Mandarin Restaurant in the Frontenac Mall at 1300 Bath Road in Kingston, ON. The luncheons are not held at regular intervals but if anyone wants to be added to the list you can email Shirley. Click shirleymacintyre16@gmail.com.

Click here to let us know if you want to invite airwomen to your local luncheon/meeting/event.

If you want to start a luncheon somewhere, let us know. We can put it in the newsletter to let the ladies in the area know about it and you can get in touch with each other to set it up. Remember this organization was started with a couple of friends getting together for lunch.

Any luncheon updates will be posted on the Calendar and in the online version of the current newsletter. To check out the calendar on our website. Click here.

OTHER EVENTS:

For more information on all these and more, check out our Events page here.

Do you know of any upcoming annual events happening in your community this fall?

If you know of any noteworthy events or exhibits in your area you think might be of interest, please let us know by contacting us here.

LAST POST:

As the members of the committee update the nominal roll, we are discovering that some of our colleagues may have died several years ago. They are included in our monthly newsletters so that we may honour them.

Last Name	First Name	Maiden Name	Date of Death	Age	City	Prov
Keeton	Rosina Lilian "Rose"	Staples	5 Apr, 2018	86	Exeter	ON

If you have a notification of a member who has died, please let us know here so that we can honour them with an entry in our Last Post. Thank you.

BIRTHDAYS:

A “Very Happy Birthday” to our October Birthday ladies. Click here for the listing.

YOUR COMMITTEE:

Tracey Everett - Chair

Leah Mosher - Vice-Chair/Liaison/Ottawa Contact

Claire Williams - Treasurer

Jackie Sparrow - Webmaster and data base coordinator