Microsoft Word - March Probus newsletter 2016.docxNewsletter March
2016
Meetings are held on the second Monday of each month at 10 am The
Uplands Golf Club – 3300 Cadboro Bay Road –
followed by Luncheon (optional) at the Club Restaurant. Annual
membership dues are $50, normally payable in April of each
year.
PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE Renovations and Renewal. These are words we are
all familiar with. The Golf Club has gone through this and the
place is looking pretty good. New Carpets, New Chairs, New Paint.
That may have cost us a little adjustment, first no meeting in
January and then "Thanks to the Brysons" we had a good meeting at
Goward House in February. That was such a little upheaval in our
lives. Lately I have been thinking of the Syrian Refugees who have
been driven from their homeland, survived in refugee camps for
years waiting to start a new life with hope for their children and
a chance to become citizens of another country. Some of you have
gone through a war torn world and some of us have never felt that
pain. At our Church we now have our Refugee Family and it is
wonderful to see them on Sunday morning. The boys 17 and 10 are
both in school and Mom and Dad are also in ESL classes. What a
brave and courageous move for this family to make. We hope and pray
that the ceasefire in Syria will hold and the Renewal of the
Country can start, not only in the buildings, but in the hearts and
minds of all humanity. Graham Howard, President.
UPCOMING PROGRAMS Mar. 14 The History of Bamberton By Maureen
Alexander - a retired teacher,
research consultant and founder of the Bamberton Historical
Society, the Mill Bay/Malahat Historical Society and the Seeds and
Salt Theatre Co. Maureen is also the director the Mill Bay/Malahat
Museum.
This presentation will include a 35 minute video: ‘One Man’s Dream,
the History of the Malahat Highway This is the fascinating story of
Major James McFarlane who singlehandedly surveyed the route and
whose persistence got the road built. What makes the story so
interesting is Major McFarlane was a real character, basically a
drunken Irishman whose friends and family thought was crazy for
attempting something everyone said was impossible. The film is a
blend of actual archive material along with reenactments by dozens
of actors. It features many island locations and takes the viewer
from the early 1900s to the present. Apr. 11 Emergency Preparedness
Bob Black
UPCOMING PROBUS EVENTS Tuesday, Mar. 22 – Tour of Times Colonist
11:00AM Lunch at the Glo Restaurant
MEMBERSHIP We currently have 79 members in our Probus Club. Set
them a good example by remembering to wear your nametag to meetings
and events so they can get to know us. This will also help those of
us with short memories.
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WHO AM I? This part of the program lets us get to know more about
the people in our Probus group and anyone who has yet to tell their
story can let Margo Forrest know that they are available.
MARCH PROGRAM
Kathryn Bridge on Emily Carr in England Submitted by Maggie and
Phil Foster Kathryn Bridge is a curator of Art at the Royal British
Columbia museum with a particular interest in the Carr archives in
the museum. While doing research for her PhD she was struck by the
fact that there was very little written about Emily’s five years in
England. What was written was clouded by Emily’s own recollections
in her autobiographical book “Growing Pains.” The general opinion
about her years in England was that they were a waste of time and
had no influence on her mature work. Kathryn’s research unearthed
evidence that changes that viewpoint.
Emily went to England in 1901 at the age of twenty-nine and boarded
in a house on Bulstrode Street with several other younger ladies.
With the aid of the
1901 census Kathryn identified most of the young ladies that shared
digs with Emily. From there she managed to contact the families of
some of those girls. One of the descendants of these girls had a
sketchbook that Emily gave to her friend. In the boarding house
each young lady was allotted a four-foot by four-foot living space
where she was expected to keep her things, dress and have “private”
time. This must have been very stressful as Emily grew up in a
large house in Victoria. In spite of being pursued by a suitor from
Victoria, whom she rejected, she decided to continue with her
career as an artist. Her time in England proved not to have been as
fruitful as she would have hoped and she was homesick. Kathryn also
unearthed letters to the Cridge family in Victoria revealing that
she had spent ten days in Paris.
While there, she spent several days in the Louvre and was
enthralled by all the great art.
In 1901 she travelled to Cornwall with her favourite sister Alice
to study with the renowned St. Ives Art Colony. She made a lot of
friends in St. Ives with whom she corresponded for many years.
Kathryn found letters from fellow students talking about Emily. She
left St. Ives at time when her fellow artists were preparing to
exhibit at the Royal Academy in London. Kathryn surmised that she
left because she could not afford to frame her painting. Emily’s
health spiraled downwards and she became seriously ill. Her sister
Lizzie came to see her but seemed to be more interested in her own
travels than her sister’s health. Eventually Emily went back to
London to see a specialist. He diagnosed her as having a serious
break down that only extended rest could help. The journey back to
Canada would have been arduous and was not recommended. She found a
sanatorium in Naylands, Suffolk and she stayed there for eighteen
months. Kathryn speculated that several incidents and decisions had
led to her break down. A major factor was that her only brother and
favourite sibling had died, aged 23, during her first months in
England. She did not return to her London digs to pick up her trunk
and Kathryn suspects the trunk may have stayed there until 1941,
when the house was destroyed in the Blitz. The contents of that
trunk could have been another source of evidence of her time in
London. Emily returned to Canada in 1904. Kathryn is the author of
a book called “Emily Carr in England”.
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CLUB AFFAIRS Care & Concern: If you know of a member who may be
ill please call Linda Murdoch at 250-592-9446. Newsletter: If you
have an item that may be of interest to your fellow members, and
you would like it printed in the newsletter, please forward your
submission to the Editor by the third Friday of the month.
[email protected] Need a ride to meetings or other Probus
events? Please make your needs known to a member of the Executive
Committee or check the membership list for a member living near
you. You never know how exciting that might be.
ROYAL OAK PROBUS EXECUTIVE 2015-16
President Graham Howard Vice President Sandra Bryson Past President
Margot Forrest Secretary Lyn Geiger Treasurer Richard Bryson Social
Vicky Attwell Membership Brian Shields Program Phil Foster
Newsletter Maureen Shields Care & Concern Linda Murdoch
Archives Linda Murdoch
MARCH How many definitions can you think of for March? Besides
denoting the 3rd month of the year and deriving it's name from Mars
the Roman god of war, this tricky little month has a lot of other
definitions. - to move along steadily usually with a rhythmic
stride
and in step with others - a musical composition that is usually in
duple or
quadruple time with a strongly accentuated beat and that is
designed or suitable to accompany marching
- an organized procession of demonstrators who are supporting or
protesting something
- a border region or frontier, especially a district originally set
up to defend a boundary — usually used in plural <the Welsh
marches>
But do you know there is also a Medical Definition of march? March
is the progression of epileptic activity through the motor centers
of the cerebral cortex that is manifested in localized convulsions
in first one and then an adjacent part of the body <the
Jacksonian march of convulsions> And then of course there is The
March Hare. The March Hare is a character most famous for
appearing in the tea party scene in Lewis Carroll's Alice's
Adventures in Wonderland. The main character, Alice, hypothesizes,
"The March Hare will be much the most interesting, and perhaps as
this is May it won't be raving mad – at least not so mad as it was
in March." "Mad as a March hare" is a
common British English phrase, both now and in Carroll's time, and
appears in John Heywood's collection of proverbs published in 1546.
It is reported in The Annotated Alice by Martin Gardner that this
proverb is based on popular belief about hares' behaviour at the
beginning of the long breeding season, which lasts from February to
September in Britain. Early in the season, unreceptive females
often use their forelegs to repel overenthusiastic males. It used
to be incorrectly believed
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that these bouts were between males fighting for breeding
supremacy. The March Hare, the Mad Hatter, and the Dormouse sit at
a large banquet table outside the March Hare's house having a
perpetual tea party. As the Hatter explains, this is because he
offended Time, and so now it's always the same time of day for him.
The Hare and Hatter are mad (insane) for specific reasons: hares
and rabbits are said to go mad in the Spring because it's their
mating season, and hatters were said to go mad because of their
exposure to mercury, a dangerous chemical used in the manufacture
of the hats they sold. The Dormouse doesn't seem particularly mad,
but it does fall asleep almost every moment – even when it's
telling a story. The participants in the Mad Tea Party are some of
the most famous characters in the Alice books, perhaps because they
are fond of puns and jokes, or perhaps simply because they're rude.
And by contrasting their rudeness, clumsiness, and silliness with
the usual propriety and organization of a normal Victorian tea
party, Carroll makes us realize that rudeness might actually be
better than stuffiness.
EASTER The Easter Bunny There's no story in the Bible about a
long-eared, cotton- tailed creature known as the Easter Bunny.
Neither is there a passage about young children painting eggs or
hunting for baskets overflowing with scrumptious Easter
goodies.
And real rabbits certainly don't lay eggs. Why are these traditions
so ingrained in Easter Sunday? And what do they have to do with the
resurrection of Jesus? Well, to be frank, nothing.
Bunnies, eggs, Easter gifts and fluffy, yellow chicks in gardening
hats all stem from pagan roots. These tropes were incorporated into
the celebration of Easter separately from the Christian tradition
of honouring the day Jesus Christ rose from the dead.
The first Easter Bunny legend was documented in the 1500s. By 1680,
the first story about a rabbit laying eggs and hiding them in a
garden was published. These legends were brought to the United
States in the 1700s, when German immigrants settled in Pennsylvania
Dutch country. The tradition of making nests for the rabbit to lay
its eggs in soon followed. Eventually, nests became decorated
baskets and colorful eggs were swapped for candy, treats and other
small gifts. Easter Bilby It is said that Australians are the
largest consumers of Easter eggs in the world, but as the Easter
bunny is known to have a bad history of destroying the vegetable
crops, the eggs are strangely provided by the Easter Bilby (a
desert-dwelling marsupial that is endangered in Australia.)
Palm Leaves – Ethiopia Ethiopian Easter festival – also known as
Fassika – is a special holiday celebrated by a noble feast
featuring a large loaf of sourdough bread called “Dabo”. Generosity
plays a fundamental role of the Easter holiday in Ethiopia.
Visitors are greeted with a slice of “Dabo” as a means of honoring
the crucifixion of Christ. Additionally, the Ethiopians wear white
clothing exemplifying purity and display headbands created from
palm leaves symbolizing the actual palm leaves during Jesus’
passage before crucifixion.” Fortune-Telling Eggs Easter eggs play
an important role in the Easter celebration in Jamaica, Barbados,
and other islands, but you won't find locals hiding eggs on the
beach. Rather, tradition holds that an egg white placed in a
container of water on Holy Thursday will form a pattern of
coagulated egg white by Good Friday that can be used to predict the
future.
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Blood of Christ – Greece The Greeks dye the Easter eggs all in one
color: RED (as a symbol for Jesus’ blood). The eggs are used in
making Easter bread.
Easter tree in Germany A decorated tree with more than 9000 Easter
eggs in Saalfeld, eastern Germany. Though this tradition could
remind us of the pagan ideas of sacrificing animals on trees, the
egg is connected to the ideas of rebirth and resurrection
associated with Easter.
Decorating wells in Switzerland The Frankonian Swiss have an old
Easter tradition of decorating wells in order to celebrate the gift
of water: life. They decorate wells with beautifully painted eggs
and spring flowers.
Horse Parade in Southern Germany
Dressed in historical costumes local residents ride through all
sorts of weather on Easter Monday. The procession, known as the
Georgiritt, sees participants head to a local church to be blessed.
The Bobolees of Trinidad In Trinidad, an effigy of Judas Iscariot
called a Bobolee is constructed out of old rags and then left out
to be beaten by local residents as symbolic punishment for Judas'
betrayal of Christ. Cries of "Beat de Bobolee!" rise from the crowd
as the figure is merrily torn apart. Sometimes, the Bobolee is
fashioned to look like unpopular contemporary politicians or other
public figures, giving the tradition a more secular and political
spin. In recent years, the word bobolee has been used in the Trini
patois to mean a poor sap who is easily taken advantage of. Rara in
Haiti Haiti's Holy Week activities include loud and colorful
processions on Good Friday, highlighted by bands playing 'rara'
music on bamboo trumpets, maracas, drums, even coffee cans. As is
typical in Haiti, Easter is a mix of Catholic and Voodoo
traditions: voodoo believers make their annual pilgrimage to the
Haitian village of Souvenance to express devotion to the African
spirits, or loas, that form the foundation of the religion.
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World's Largest Easter Egg This Pysanka or Ukrainian Easter Egg is
in Vegreville, Alberta. It symbolizes the harmony, vitality and
culture of the community and is dedicated as a tribute to the 100th
Anniversary of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police who brought peace
and security to the largest multi-cultural settlement in all of
Canada. The Pysanka is really an immense jigsaw puzzle containing
524 star patterns, 2,208 equilateral triangles, 3,512 visible
facets, 6,978 nuts and bolts, and 177 internal struts. It is
recognized around the world as not only a unique artistic
masterpiece but also an achievement of nine mathematical,
architectural and engineering firsts. The design represents the
first computer modeling of an egg. It measures 25.7 feet long, 18
feet wide, and stands 31 feet high. The 2,000 pound aluminum skin
is attached to
the central mast at a 30-degree angle with 177 turnbuckle struts.
Cessco International Ltd. Edmonton, fabricated the massive internal
structure which weighs 3,000 pounds. The Pysanka rests on a 27,000
pound base of concrete and steel and turns in the wind like a
weathervane. It is one of the premier tourist attractions on the
Yellowhead Highway and is known worldwide. Coco-Nutters of Bacup
The Britannia Coco-nut Dancers or Nutters are a troupe of
Lancastrian clog dancers who perform every Easter in Bacup, dancing
11 km. across the town. There are eight dancers and a whipper-in,
who controls the proceedings. Some say the custom was brought to
the area by Moors who settled in Cornwall in the 17th century,
became miners and then moved to work in quarries in Lancashire.
Similar dances are performed in Provence – the Danse des
Coco.
Their name refers to the wooden nuts worn at their knees, waists
and wrists, which are made from the tops of bobbins.
These are taped together like castanets as a percussive
accompaniment to the dance, the nuts on the hands striking the nuts
on the waist or knees in an intricate and dextrous rhythm. They
wear white turbans with blue plumes, dark jerseys and trews, a
white baldric, red and white skirts, white hose and black clogs.
Their faces are blackened. This is popularly explained as either
due to the origins of the dance in the mining community, a
reference to the dancers' ancient origin as Barbary pirates or as a
disguise to ward off evil spirits. RAMBLING THOUGHTS ABOUT AGING: I
was thinking about old age and decided that old age is when you
still have something on the ball but you are just too tired to
bounce it. I found this timely, because today I was in a store that
sells sunglasses, and only sunglasses. A young lady walks over to
me and asks, "What brings you in today?" I looked at her and said,
“I'm interested in buying a refrigerator.” She didn't quite know
how to respond. Am I getting to be that age? Eventually you will
reach a point when you stop lying about your age and start bragging
about it. Application blanks always ask who is to be called in case
of an emergency. I think you should write, 'An ambulance.' Some
people try to turn back their "odometers." Not me. I want people to
know 'why' I look this way. I've traveled a long way and some of
the roads weren't paved. You know you are getting old when
everything either dries up or leaks. I thought about making a
fitness movie for folks my age and call it 'Pumping Rust'.
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I was thinking about how people seem to read the Bible a whole lot
more as they get older. Then it dawned on me. They were cramming
for their finals. As for me, I'm just hoping God grades on the
curve. Lord, keep your arm around my shoulder and your hand over my
mouth. HOW IS NORMA? A sweet grandmother telephoned St. Joseph's
Hospital. She timidly asked, "Is it possible to speak to someone
who can tell me how a patient is doing? The operator said, "I'll be
glad to help, dear. What's the name and room number of the
patient?" The grandmother in her weak, tremulous voice said, "Norma
Findlay, Room 302." The operator replied, "Let me put you on hold
while I check with the nurse's station for that room. After a few
minutes, the operator returned to the phone and said, "I have good
news. Her nurse just told me that Norma is doing well. Her blood
pressure is fine, her blood work just came back normal, and her
physician, Dr. Cohen, has scheduled her to be discharged
tomorrow.”
The grandmother said, "Thank you. That's wonderful. I was so
worried. God bless you for the good news.” The operator replied,
"You're more than welcome. Is Norma your daughter?" The grandmother
said, "No, I'm Norma Findlay in Room 302. No one tells me
anything."
AND GOD LOOKED DOWN... Most seniors never get enough exercise. In
His wisdom God decreed that seniors become forgetful so they would
have to search for their glasses, keys, and other things thus doing
more walking. And God looked down and saw that it was good. Then
God saw there was another need. In His wisdom He made seniors lose
co-ordination so they would drop things requiring them to bend,
reach, & stretch. And God looked down and saw that it was
good.
Then God considered the function of bladders and decided seniors
would have additional calls of nature requiring more trips to the
bathroom, thus providing more exercise. God looked down and saw
that it was good. So if you find as you age, you are getting up and
down more, remember its God's will. It is all in your best interest
even though you mutter under your breath. RAIN