Members of the Palmerston Branch of Retired Women Teachers of Ontario were entertained at their meeting on Nov. 1 by Dave and Barb Huntley of Palmerston.
The Huntleys gave a power point presentation of their trip to China earlier this year.
Tienanmen Square, Beijing, Shanghai, the Imperial Palace and the Yangtze River were among the places highlighted in the presentation.
An interesting part of the Chinese culture shared by the Huntleys is the belief in “lucky #9” and citizens will pay up to $50,000 to have 9s on their license plates. Viewing a vase in the Shanghai Museum dating from 12,000 BC was especially impressive to the Huntleys.
Pauline Brown thanked the pair for their presentation.
President Oriole Blyth welcomed everyone and introduced Area 2 Director Dianne Winkler from Cambridge, who outlined some of the benefits of belonging to RWTO/OERO. She spoke briefly about the Convention in 2015 to be held in Stratford and hosted by Area 2. Winkler was presented with pins from the towns of Minto and Palmerston.
Blyth announced the Palmerston Branch will be looking after the Silent Auction and Door Prizes at the 2015 Convention. Kathy Brown displayed the Barbara Baines Award the Palmerston Branch had won, along with $200, at the Convention in Hamilton in June. The award was given to the Palmerston Branch for having increased the Branch membership. Members were asked to consider ideas for using the money received.
Blyth was chosen as the provincial delegate to attend the 2014 Convention in Ottawa next June and Colleen Robertson was chosen as the branch delegate. Connie Robinson, reporting for Barb Thompson on Issues and Concerns, explained that signing a donor card is not enough to ensure your wishes will be fulfilled. Those wishing to be an organ donor must register online with Service Ontario to be sure they are included on the list.
Blyth gave information about the “purple crying” program which is being used to inform the public, and particularly parents of newborns, about how this is linked to child abuse. To assist the awareness program, hospitals need knitted purple hats for newborns. Blyth brought patterns for those who might wish to help out by knitting caps.
Ballard visited Thelma Horne and Cicely Wareham at the Royal Terrace recently to present each lady with a framed certificate from RWTO/OERO as part of the “over 90” group. Four get well cards and 1 sympathy card have been sent out. The group was sorry to hear that Bea Houston was in hospital. Marilyn Cherry introduced her sister from Huntsville who is also a retired teacher. The sympathy of the group was extended to the family of Alice Shepard who passed away recently.
Travel Convenor Lynn Morrison gave details about the upcoming trips for 2014 to Dundurn Castle, Toronto Harbour Cruise and possibly the new aquarium, as well as Boston/Salem.
Pauline Brown reported that the archivist committee consisting of herself, Betty Audet and Mary Jean Hartwig have decided that the 13 scrapbooks containing the history of the Palmerston Branch of RWTO/OERO and prepared by Shirley Jackson, will be kept at the Mount Forest Heritage Museum and Archives until Palmerston has its own archives space.
Donna McFarlane gave a brief account of her trip to India this summer and how the work of such groups as Sleeping Children Around the World (SCAW) and Free the Children are so desperately needed in places like India. While in India Donna saw firsthand how the efforts of these organizations are benefiting the people in so many ways. The focus has been on agriculture and India has reclaimed 1/3 more land since Free the Children first went there.
The next meeting is at the Drayton Chop House on Dec. 6 for the Christmas dinner.
