Well here we go again! I am fully convinced that everybody can do a better job of this than me, but since I have pull with the management I can keep my job.

It has been so long ago that I did this that I cannot remember where to start, but that somehow goes with the territory, Don Nelson was telling me that he doesn’t stand beside the outside door anymore because he can’t remember whether he just went out or just came in That guy will fool you though with all of the troubles that he has, he and Ralph MacLean were able to attend a seminar at the Museum of Regiments when Senator, Dallaire Gen. Retired, explained the new Veterans Compensation proposals before the house of Parliament. Don’s two sons also attended with him.

We now have a reason to watch the Stampede Parade; the officials are providing a special float for one of our Hong Kong Veterans, Gordon Durrant was chosen and he is allowing some of the other Second World War veterans to ride with him. He has promised to have his pants pressed nice for the occasion; this should set off that moustache of his.

John and Audrey Dearden are living the luxurious life out there someplace, along with Doug Rees and Gus Bitzer. Their place is near a lake called Mackenzie Lake, but they don’t live in the lake they live in the Town. They have nothing to do, everything is done for them, they have servants galore and no dishes to wash, and they even have a private dining room with waiters. (The fishing in the lake is excellent they didn’t tell me someone else did but then good fishermen don’t give out secrets). The place is called Mackenzie Town, it is a Scotch name, but the Scotch is usually not that generous, so it must cost them something.

Jack Smith is the most amazing fellow, now he is out walking by him-self, poor Elsie is having trouble-keeping track. Just imagine a short time ago he came back to life three times and nobody thought that he would ever regain consciousness again, but here he is getting close to being like his old self. I watched him in our war and he is wicked with a mortar. Come-on guys give him a buzz. He doesn’t live in a Zip-lock Bag, he just had to give up driving his car, and in fact nobody can drive it

Good news! The Hong Kong Veterans Commemorative Association has firmed up a deal with a program named "Heroes Remember Profile: Hong Kong Veterans". And Veterans Affairs is to provide the funding for fifty-one Hong Kong Veterans interviews. These interviews are to be made available to 16000 schools, and they will also be available on the HKVCA Website. The Heroes Remembers Profile is providing the interviewers and they will require assistance from our local branch. We will be informed of their schedule and we are asked to provide a coordinator. How’s that for being famous"

We are putting a book of short stories together at the Local branch that, if it is successful can be used to raise some funds for our branch. Your executive has been busy organizing the Alberta and Saskatchewan region. It is now coordinated with the National assn. and there are plans for luncheons, and conferences that everyone can attend, they also need help in setting up committees to help all of the members. All this takes time and some money, even these mail-outs cost, just printing this page requires seventy-five copies. Our membership fee of fifteen dollars is split with the national, they get ten and we get to keep five so that will not go far unless some one divvies up, or we can find a way to raise what is needed.

Just to explain some of the difficulties, one of the computers "crashed" and all the files on it were lost, it took a technician over a month to get it back working, now it has to be reprogrammed, this is done by collecting and copying files that others may have saved, there is a new large banner with who we are in large red letters, this banner is to be used wherever this branch has an official gathering, and we now have a publishing capability on our computers, this will save the printers fees. Yes we have public fund raising credentials, but public funds have legal strings attached and can only be used for designated purposes, and they have time limits,

The packages containing application, and financial assistance for the August convention should be arriving from Veterans Affairs for the veterans to fill out soon, it was indicted by them that it would be done sometime in May so if you don’t receive one please make it known, contact your Association

John Magee, George Merritt, and Jim Murray, have dropped out of sight, nobody has heard from them, How about a contact Guys, we wonder how you are?

It was with sadness we heard that a good soldier who made us feel proud to be Winnipeg Grenadiers passed away. Don MacPherson took everything as it came, he was blind when he returned home but he held a responsible position until he retired, and found time to be a competitive Curler and Golfer, We shall remember him

Your executive, Norma Fuchs, Daniel Sakamoto, and Gail Richoz, deserve a big hand for their diligence and dedication, we now know that we did not make a mistake, there has been a regular schedule of meetings kept both of the National and the Alberta and Saskatchewan region, and with the support of the National, particularly Carol Hadley, a smooth system of information

And communication is now in place, all that is needed now are some volunteers to help, The pay is lousy but the gratitude makes up for it, some of the widows need assistance to keep appointments, and take it from an old geezer like me they know how to cook like my grandmother did. We must also remember that the Hong Kong Veterans Commemorative Assn. has many younger members, and they have to do a full days work, in the way that we all did so time for them is also limited, but telephones have improved immensely since the old party lines and they can help solve many problems, and most people have them now.

Lorna and I are about to celebrate our sixty-fifth wedding anniversary May 14^{th, it} is a day that neither one of us thought that we would ever see, but not everything I ever did in my life was a mistake, I tell her that there are six billion people on earth and half are women and I chose her, I was lucky I did not have to search them all. She has been training me all this time and finally I am a nice guy, we don’t agree on all things though we have our things we do, I put the toilet seat up and she puts it down, What a feeling it was when I returned from the war and "there she was" these are the moments I remember.

Sometimes the territory we are in causes loneliness, and wonder, especially when we do not hear from the people we try to help, or have affection for, another word is estrangement, the word goes out but nothing is returned, did he or she get our letter? How many did I miss? Is what we did resented, or etc etc.? We can only know if the package is returned in kind. Communication is often the only way that we can make contact, it is no mystery that lack of communication causes mistrust, and encouragement causes confidence, so that is a good way to get the best. We sometimes build resentments around the unknown and this can tear things apart, including us. Our politicians are a good example of acting without consultation. Now that I have expounded some wisdom it sure sounds corny for me to say things like this, I should read my own writing. So I will try!

Dennis and his father moved from the backwoods somewhere in the southern states to be near a better school for Dennis. The first day at the new school the lessons were on American Independence, the teacher asked? Dennis who signed the declaration of Independence? Dennis answered "How the Hell would I know" The teacher was shocked, Dennis I am going to phone your father and have him come here so I can tell him what you just said, she did! And He came! The teacher took Dennis into the office with his father and explained in detail what he answered, the father took Dennis by the scuff of the neck and said to him "Look you little "oxoxoox" we may be poor but we are honest now if you signed that dammed thing you tell the teacher"

I want to thank you all, for this privilege, you belong to a wonderful group of people and this year everyone in the country should know it, so help to keep it going

Edward Shayler