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GENERAL NEWSLETTER:
Cautious approach to our Activities
In accordance with current Public Health Order!
(see section below)
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This Newsletter is going to all VRMNC Paid-Up Members.
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Safely Enjoying Our Beautiful Island!
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(photos courtesy of Tuesday-morning Weekly Hiking Group)
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Pease Creek as it passes over a waterfall, known as Cascade Falls.
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Message from the Executive:
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During this most unusual of times we hope that you and your families are staying well.
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Our club has been very fortunate to have been able to continue many of our wonderful activities through the summer – including golf, hiking, cycling and several others. As we transition into the fall some of our activities will continue, but we will be asking for your input. If there is something you would like to have included in the club’s activities, which we can accomplish within social distancing guidelines, we would like to hear about it!
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Another way for us to remain in contact during these COVID days is through the written word. We are sure that many of you may enjoy writing on topics of interest to you. We welcome your submissions to be included in this Newsletter!
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We do ask that your writings steer clear of politics, as well as other contentious topics that we’ll stay away from in the newsletter. Also, if you have a novel to submit, there may be a better site to present it, as space is an issue for us. Having said that, give us a shout or send us your writing. We look forward to hearing from you.
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Regardless, we’re glad to have you in the club! As always – be safe, be kind, have fun.
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- Paul Moffatt, VRMNC Executive
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In Appreciation to our Activity Coordinators
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Firstly and most important: A very big thank-you to all the coordinators for their efforts to keep the spirit of VRMNC thriving in these Covid times when our major events had to be cancelled.
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And now a gentle reminder to Coordinators and everyone else, for that matter:
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In light of recent uptick in Covid-19: it is as important as ever to ensure we are conducting our activities in prudent fashion and in keeping with the guidance provided by the health authorities.
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Social Distancing, the appropriate usage of masks, washing hands, etc. has become the norm and is likely to remain so for some time to come. In addition, we should encourage that it’s completely appropriate to cancel participation (or entire events, if the situation demands) even at the last minute. If you aren’t feeling well, it’s OK to advise accordingly, and stay home!
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And given the Province-wide restrictions (as just announced on Nov 19) here's a link that offers some good explanation of what's in place, until at least Dec 07:
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Stay safe, stay healthy, everyone.
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Club offer of assistance to members inflicted by Covid
In recent discussions the club executive decided to reach out to club members to offer assistance to any members who have Covid. We are not aware of any members who currently are inflicted with Covid although understand at least one member previously has and is now well. Any member who currently is suffering from Covid or in the future catches Covid and is in need of assistance is encouraged to contact the club executive. Such assistance could consist of bringing groceries to the house or yard work or phone conversation support or similar activities. The executive have designated two directors at large as contacts for members seeking such supports:
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778 440 5590 778 533 1531
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As Dr. Henry would say--“Be kind, be calm and be safe”.
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ACTIVITIES UPDATES:
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(NB: given current restrictions, contact the Activity Coordinators directly if you are interested in the very latest... - Editor)
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Wine Club: On Oct 9th six members put up the following wines at the Blanchard Street Winery on Burnside Rd. Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Shiraz, Chilean Merlot, Amarone Classico (Italian), Super Tuscan and Rosso Grand Excellente. These wines will be ready to bottle around the middle of January 2021. All of the wines are high end and will require some additional aging. Each member will receive 5 bottles of each wine. At that time we will put up another batch and we will open up to accept any other member that would like to join the Wine Club. For those that are wondering on the cost, it is under $6.75 per bottle. If there are any members wishing to join the club, please contact Peter Czypyha (peterczypyha@gmail.com).
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A few of our bikers having their monthly picnic! If you have an electric bike and would like to join in the fun please let us know! (link to: The Electric Bike Brigade) - Orlie Reese
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Pickleball: Averaging 9 players every Wednesday 8:30am, Members + Partners + Guests, spare racquets for new learners, contact John.Pierce@Live.com to be added to reminder list.
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Social Bridge (Biweekly Thursday Nights group): Our Thursday Evening Social Bridge group continues to play bridge using Bridge Base Online. We each play from our homes but we do get a chance to socialize a bit and “ keep the pot boiling” until we can safely play in person again.
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Pub Lunch: Currently discontinued due to Covid restrictions.
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And... notice how the VRMNC Real Money Investment Club is continuing operation during COVID:
VRMNC’s Real Money Investment Club: holds monthly meetings and up until March of this year, these meetings were held in person at Goward House, the third Thursday of every month.
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As the pandemic hit, in-person meetings were not possible, so the club continued to meet using ZOOM. As the weather improved there was a plan to hold the monthly meeting outdoors, but unfortunately the weather did not cooperate on the meeting days, so ZOOM meetings continued.
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Participation via ZOOM was very good but the in-person aspect of the club meetings is integral to the mission of the club. So a plan was developed to have hybrid meetings with some in person participants as well as ZOOM participants in one integrated meeting.
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So far the October and November meetings have used this hybrid model with approximately 8 in person participants and a dozen ZOOM participants. A camera, microphone and large screen with speakers in the meeting room are used to link the meeting room to the ZOOM meeting. The end result is a group meeting where interactions happen between participants both in person and via ZOOM, simultaneously.
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Goward House has helped the club by providing:
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- individual sanitized tables and chairs, all spaced appropriately
- high speed internet connection for the ZOOM link
- large screen TV with speakers in the meeting room
COVID protocols are being updated regularly and the meeting format will adapt accordingly, but technology and flexibility provide the means to keep the club active.
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A bilingual moment
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A chance for a lot of us to upgrade our French vocabulary. And stay positive!
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MEMBERSHIP
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At this moment there are 238 paid members. This is a gentle reminder that as of January 1 2021, the paid membership list for 2020-21 will be used for all VRMNC communications. Therefore, if you have not paid your 2020-21 membership dues you will no longer receive VRMNC emails. Go to the website Members Area > Payments and renew your membership for the 2020-2021 fiscal year. If you are having difficulty paying your dues on the website don't hesitate to contact the Membership Director ( Membership@VRMNC.ca ). Your $25.00 will be well spent as VRMNC activities once again dominate your personal calendar. To participate in the upcoming Annual General Meeting, you must be a paid member!
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Since the last newsletter, four new members have joined the Club, we welcome:
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Fred Fitzpatrick - Edmonton
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George Aitken - Bowmanville ON
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Jean-Marc Pellerin - Ottawa
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In order to maintain an accurate membership list, Members are asked to notify the Membership Director (Membership@VRMNC.ca) if they know of Members that have left the area and no longer plan of taking part in VRMNC activities. Also, please notify the Membership Director if you are aware of a Member having passed away.
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Webmaster's Corner:
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HOW-TO SERIES... short articles on topics that may be helpful to some of our Membership... this month it's:
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How to iPhone - (Second Installment)
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In the previous segment, we looked at how to synchronize your iPhone(s) to your email account(s) in order to be able to make the most of your iPhone(s). This synchronization ensures that you can benefit from all of your devices without doing any extra work. In fact, you will find that your iPhone(s) is(are) a much more useful device than just being a portable phone.
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In this segment, we'll look at applying best practices to your emails, contacts, calendar(s) and notes. You may have to perform some cleanup activities, which will be described below, but I assure you that once this is done, you will reap the benefits.
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Regional and Island Get–A-Way: Sept 2020
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Cycling and Sipping wine in the South Okanagan
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Submitted by: Cameron Berry
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We recently spent a couple of days in the south Okanagan enjoying the warm desert environment. Our accommodation was The Spirit Ridge Resort at the Nk’Mip winery in Osoyoos.( https://www.hyatt.com/en-US/hotel/canada/spirit-ridge/ylwub ) This resort features adobe style structures which contain condos, suites and villas. All have full kitchen facilities so you can dine in if you wish although there a many excellent restaurants in the area including some outstanding winery restaurants at Tin Horn Creek, Burrowing Owl and Hester Creek for example. We also like to stop while cycling for lunch at either of the Black Hills or Black Sage wineries which are just open for lunch. There is a wide choice of accommodation in the Osoyoos area for example on tripadvisor.ca. Osoyoos was very busy in the first week of September with resorts and restaurants virtually solidly booked. Now that schools are open and the weather is cooler accommodation options should be better however the fall harvest is always popular with tourists.
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LIFESTYLE
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Reframing Aging
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"I like being old because the view from the brink is striking, a full panorama of my life – and a bracing breeze awakens me to new ways of understanding my own past, present, and future.”
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In his book On the Brink of Everything, author Parker J. Palmer offers a number of ideas to help us consider aging in a positive manner. A few of his key ideas are summarized below:
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- Aging is both a privilege and a passage of discovery and engagement.
- We can be grateful for the gift of life and to those who helped us.
- We can experience joy by doing one thing at a time.
- We can be “more aware of the loveliness of simple things: a talk with a friend, a walk in the woods, sunsets and sunrises, a night of good sleep.” (Parker J. Palmer)
- Through self-examination and reflection, we can learn to accept what we have been and done.
- We can engage life as it is. Everything is a teacher with lessons for us.
- Being human, we fall down and get up again and again. We can embrace our human frailty with reverence and respect.
- We can give of ourselves and serve, offering whatever we know to be useful and helpful to others. We can pass on our gifts to the world.
- We can converse with young people to learn from them and to offer positive role models.
- Our survival needs include grace, forgiveness, unconditional love of family and friends and openness of friends.
- We can spend time in the natural world, as much as possible.
- We can practice hope where love is a public ethic and shared practice.
- Every act of love inspires another.
- We can practice our humour to ease the burden of life’s gravities.
- By recognizing the reality of death, we can awaken to the many gifts of life and the importance of being fully present now.
“I’ll be asking if I was faithful to my gifts, to the needs I saw around me, and to the ways I engaged those needs with my gifts—faithful, that is, to the value, rightness, and truth of offering the world the best I had, as best I could.” - Parker J. Palmer
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Reference: (available from our public library)
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Palmer, Parker J. (2018). On the Brink of Everything: Grace, Gravity, and Getting Old.
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San Francisco, California: Berrett-Koehler Publishers.
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Prepared by Wally Lazaruk, September 2020
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Your Executive, meeting outdoors this time...
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The September meeting was held outdoors at Saxe Point... under the watchful eye of a submarine!
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