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This Newsletter is going to all VRMNC Paid-Up Members.
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OCTOBER GENERAL NEWSLETTER
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"All the VRMNC News that's fit to print"
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Message from the President
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We held our 2025 AGM on September 25th at the Oak Bay Rec Centre in conjunction with our monthly luncheon. There were 55 in attendance, enough for a quorum. The year’s Operating Report, the Financial Statements and the Nominating Committee Report were reviewed. The details of the meeting can be found in the “ Meeting Minutes” section posted on our website. Four members volunteered for positions on the executive; Tom Glenn as VP, Rick Mitchell as Treasurer, Scott White as Director of Field Trips and Ritchie Boyd as Assistant Webmaster. As there were no nominations from floor all four were acclaimed to their positions.
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We had four members retiring from the executive; Tom Glenn as Treasurer, John Pierce as Webmaster, Jim Waters as Director of Field Trips and myself as President and they were thanked for their service.
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As this is my last piece of business as President allow me to extend my thanks to those of you who volunteer your time and effort to make our Club the success that it is. My special thanks to the Executive Committee who made my job easy due to their dedication and responsible management of their respective portfolios.
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Membership Report
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For the new members please feel free to ask any questions you may have about our club by contacting myself at the email address noted below.
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It is also important to take this opportunity to remind our members that for the Club to continue to operate in a manner acceptable to all members, we must be aware and understand our Bylaws. Here is a quick link to the VRMNC Bylaws so you can remain up to date. https://www.vrmnc,ca/bylaws
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Members are also asked to notify the Membership Director (membership@vrmnc.ca) if they are no longer interested in participating in the VRMNC which will allow us to maintain an accurate membership list. If you know of Members that have left the area, please notify the Membership Director.
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In the unfortunate situation where a Member has passed away, please let us know so we may take appropriate actions.
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Activities Updates
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Is there an activity your passionate about that is not part of the current VRMNC activities?
You might consider starting a new group. We're here to help and coach you on how to set up for a new activity.
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Appy Gang
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Fun at Nick & Sylvie's in August
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August was hosted by Nick and Sylvie and everyone seemed to have an especially good time. Good food and drinks were also plentiful and apparently a savoury bread pudding was enjoyed immensely!
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The September event was hosted Ken Brown & Carol Dales,
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Ken & Carol welcomed us to their home. Talk about a view! Their spacious condo easily handled our larger-than-normal crowd and we all got to see spectacular views east and west from the 6th floor.
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Everyone brought some lovely dishes. Maybe we need to call our group “Appies & Desserts” as we ended up with a very nice selection of sweet treats. Thanks to all who brought them. Several samples came home with us last night.
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October's Appy Gang Event
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We will be getting together at Ian & Arlene Weatherdon’s home next month. Details will follow as we wrap September. In the meantime, let’s enjoy the great weather out there!
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Contact Tim Allen if you’re interested in the November event.
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Tim Allen
Appy Gang & Golf Tournament
Email: aggt@vrmnc.ca
Phone: +1 (416) 540-8782
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Upcoming Field Trips
Come See Victoria: October 8th
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My name is Scott White and I will be taking over responsibility for organizing the monthly VRMNC field trips. Please join me in thanking Jim Waters for all his hard work and effort in organizing these events over the past few years.
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My wife Brenda and I moved to Victoria from Toronto in 2022, where we had lived most of our lives up until then. It’s been a big change for us, but a very positive one, in large part due to all the new friends we have met through our respective newcomer clubs. We have both been active participants and contributors and have enjoyed the opportunity to meet and get to know interesting people from many different backgrounds and life experiences.
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I have enjoyed many memorable field trips over the past couple of years including hockey games, baseball games, museum tours, brewery tours and more. As a result of the recent member survey, I also have a long list of field trip ideas to draw on, so thanks to all those who contributed.
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Please mark your calendars for the following upcoming field trips and watch your emails for registration details.
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History & Architecture Walk by Come See Victoria
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Hockey - Kelowna Rockets at Victoria Royals
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Save-on-Foods Memorial Arena
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Fort Rodd Hill and Fisgard Lighthouse tour
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Hockey - Vancouver Giants at Victoria Royals
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Save-on-Foods Memorial Arena
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Upcoming Trip: Fisgard Light
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THURSDAY PUB LUNCH
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The October 2nd Pub Lunch was held at the Bard & Banker with 17 VRMNC participants
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Pub Lunches are held every two weeks.
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Next Pub Lunch on October 16th watch for the notice
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A great way to connect with fellow VRMNC Members.
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Bon Vivants
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The Bons Vivants group has continued to meet monthly during the summer despite a number of members being away on summer trips. As always, there is excellent food and great camaraderie. This is because real bons vivants don’t just like good food and wine but they also appreciate great company.
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Whether you are new to the VRMNC or have been a member for many years, you need to eat. And if preparing your special recipe for friends, then the Bons Vivants group might be for you. Send your request to join to Gerry Delval, the coordinator, at gerry.delval@gmail.com. There is always room for more members and their better half.
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VRMNC History Book Club.
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The History Book Club met on August 13 to discuss Midnight at the Pera Palace: The Birth of Modern Istanbul by Charles King. Introducing this 2015 book, Marcel Mercier suggested that the historic Pera Palace hotel represents a microcosm of the historical forces attending the creation of the modern state of Turkey. The Ottoman Turkish Empire collapsed following the defeat of the Central Powers in World War I. After a period of French and British occupation and the Turkish War of Independence the modern secular Republic of Turkey was established in 1923 by Mustafa Kemal Ataturk. Although no longer the capital of Turkey, thanks to its geographical location and historical importance, the cosmopolitan city of Istanbul remained at the centre of events during the turbulent period following the First World War all of the way through the second World War and the establishment of the postwar world order. This book provided rich details of the political intrigue and espionage that through the doors of the Pera Palace following the 1917 Russian Revolution, the rise of fascism in Europe, Jews fleeing eastern Europe and other events that shaped the twentieth century. All agreed the book was a rich and satisfying read.
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John Waterhouse will present and lead a discussion of The Wide, Wide Sea: Imperial Ambition, First Contact and the Final Fateful Voyage of Captain James Cook by Hampton Sides (2024). This meeting will take place on October 8. The History Book Club will be taking a break during September to accommodate travel plans of some of the members.
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Luncheon Speakers Series
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The club held its AGM on September 25 at our new lunch venue, the Sportsview Lounge of the Oak Bay Recreation Centre, with almost 60 members in attendance. The guest speaker for the event was Chris Kilford, president of the Victoria Branch of the Canadian International Council and Canada's former military attache in Turkey and currently a lecturer at the Canadian Forces Staff College. Chris spoke on Navigating the Geopolitical Landscape - The Challenges and Opportunities for Canada, noting that the geopolitical challenges today are seemingly endless. Over the past 18 months, Chris travelled to Turkiye, Taiwan, South Korea, and Japan on official and semi-official visits, where he had a chance to have discussions with numerous officials. Earlier this year, Chris also spent two weeks in Poland and Latvia, meeting officials from both countries and visiting members of the Canadian Armed Forces who are training Ukrainian military personnel and leading NATO’s Multinational Brigade in Latvia. Drawing on these experiences Chris provided club members with an informed overview of military and political developments in various theatres, including the war in Ukraine, Turkey's role in the Middle East, Gaza, the Taiwan Straits and in Canada itself, as new challenges arise in the Arctic and with respect to our relations with the US. The talk was followed by a lively Q and A session.
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The next Club lunch will be held on Thursday, October 23, at the same location, 1975 Bee Street in Oak Bay. The speaker will be Kevin Scott from the Victoria Hospitals Foundation speaking on interesting initiatives regarding men's health and treatment of men's health issues at the Royal Jubilee and Victoria General. Watch for a forthcoming announcement.
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Tennis
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We are in the midst of a schedule change from our regular Monday and Thursday morning matches to Monday and Friday as we have succeeded in securing indoor court bookings at Oak Bay for October through December.
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We will continue to play elsewhere when sufficient numbers of our members require a second court and could occasionally play Thursday as well.
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We invite other Newcomers who enjoy tennis to join us and share great exercise and some pleasant times at Hortons or Starbucks.
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Tuesday Hikers
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Tuesday hikes begin at 9:00 a.m. and are usually three hours in duration. The number of participants tends to range between six and 15.
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We had another month of warm sunny weather for our August hikes, which included a wide variety of settings at the following locations:
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Mount McDonald in Sooke Hills Wilderness Regional Park (a hike with great vertical extent) - led by Dan Kyba
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Anderson Cove, Coppermine & Coast trails in East Sooke Regional Park, with great coastal & Olympic Mountains viewpoints - led by Lou Sanche
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Partridge Hills in Gowland Todd Provincial Park (a pleasant undulating forest hike) - led by Roger Love
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Scafe Hill in Thetis Regional Park via the Mount Work Connector (unfortunately Mount Baker was not visible due to hazy conditions) - led by Keith Knowles
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Throughout September, beautiful summer-like weather persisted for our hikes. Hikes included:
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Raven & Flatty Hills & Mt. Wells in Sooke Hills Wilderness Regional Park - led by Dan Kyba
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Mount Finlayson in Goldstream Provincial Park - led by Lou Sanche
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Mount Brayden Loop in Sooke Hills Wilderness Regional Park - led by Frank Gibson
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Mount Work Regional Park - led by Larry Jenkins
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Witty’s Lagoon - led by Gord Begg
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The Hike ..errrr. "Grunt" up Mt Wall.
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At the Summit after the "scramble"
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Wednesday Nine Hole Golf
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The Wednesday Nine Hole Golf Group has had a very successful summer.
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This summer we golfed 2 times at Cedar Hill Golf Course,5 times at Metchosin Golf course, 3 times at Ardmore Golf Course and 8 times at Highland pacific Golf Course. The weather cooperated with us every step of the way. No cancellation due to bad weather conditions. From now until year end we will be playing all our games at Highland pacific.
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We have room for more players and if anyone would like to join please contact Garry Shaw or Ray Hoff at "nineholegolf1@gmail.com" .
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Look forward to seeing you on the course.
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Sunday Hike and Pub for Members/Couples
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On September 14 Eric Jackson and Gretchen Tobin led us past Upper Goldstream Falls and also included the nearby Arbutus loop trail. Afterwards we enjoyed repast at Brown's Social House in Langford. Despite the threatening weather that day, we had a strong turnout.
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Planned for October 19th is a tour in the Witty's Lagoon area, this time led by John and Eva Archibald. Its been noticed that 6-Mile Pub is on the way home for most, and so that is where we will stop for refreshment.
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This Activity is not just for couples; individual VRMNC members are absolutely welcome. If you would like to be on the mailing list, contact Coordinator Greg Bosecker at gregorybosecker@gmail.com
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THREE SOCIAL BRIDGE GROUPS
New Members Welcome
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VRMNC has three social Bridge Clubs: The focus of all three is on the social side of bridge, not the competitive side. New members are welcome in all the groups. Some playing experience is preferred.
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The first group plays on the every Monday afternoon, from 1:30 pm to 4:00 pm .... Coordinator Fred Stepchuk <stepchuk.fred@shaw.ca>
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The second group plays on the every Tuesday evening, from 7:00 pm to 9:00 pm .... Coordinator Bruce Thomson <bthomson99@gmail.com>
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The third group plays on the every "other" Thursday afternoon, from 1:00 pm to 3:30 pm .... Coordinator Dave Nicholds <jdnicholds@gmail.com>
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Keith Beange, Overall VRMNC Bridge Coordinator
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Friday Coffee Chat Group
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A great opportunity to meet some fellow members and enjoy some stimulating conversations over coffee. The Coffee Chat Group meets every Friday at 10:00am on the second floor at Quality Foods in View Royal. (just next to the Victoria General Hospital). There's ample free parking and a separate quiet space where we meet on the 2nd floor above the deli. Come out and enjoy the comradery and conversation.
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We talk about a lot of topics and solve all the world's problems. Given the different backgrounds of everyone the discussions can be very informative. There are also a lot of laughs.
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E-Bike Brigade
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Wine Making Group
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Hello to all wine lovers.
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Cheers from your wine maker,
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Billiards Group
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Currently Two Openings !!
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Tuesday Billiards (snooker): Due to summer commitments, we have a temporary opening for 2 players.
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We play billiards on Tuesdays and Fridays at 11:00 am sharp. We can accommodate a total of 16 players.
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We play at the Trafalgar Pro Patria Legion on Gorge Road at Jutland. New members are welcome. (New members may require to be signed in at the Legion).
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