May 2000 - Nr. 5

Time marches on!

This is now already the 42nd time that the Hansa Club celebrated its birthday, an always welcome major event for the members. Not because the food is good – it always is – or because it is a great way to renew old acquaintances, no, I think that for many of them it is the honouring of the long-time members. Some of them count the years before they get their plaque that tells all the rest of them that they are old-timers. Some became "Honourary Members", like Erhard and Erika Liedke, Erwin and Beate Knappich and Susi Hess. Others were honoured for their 25-year membership, like Gerhard and Ursula Pfahler, Frances Bunton, Eberhard Werk and the absent Ida Brandt. They proudly accepted their pins from Reiner Walter, the club’s president, while Klaus Rückert functioned as the always formidable M.C.

Past presidents were also honoured and the Mayor of Brampton addressed the guests and wished the club well.

Something that demonstrated the willingness to closely co-operate with other clubs was the fact that Toni (Anton) Baumann and his wife Ingrid were invited to share this happy occasion. Toni is the president of the Donauschwaben Club, in Scarborough, but you all know that of course.

Entertainment is always part and parcel of an event of this nature. The choir led the guest in the singing of the Canadian and German national anthems. To facilitate this, a small piece of paper with the lyrics had been placed on the table at every seat! (But I still heard one of the guests behind me, singing the first verse of the German anthem. Of course that’s a no-no!)

The Weiss-Blau Junior Schuhplattler had a ball dancing their routines while Peter Henkel played the accordion for them. He also played with the Harmony Band, who provided the music this evening. The Blau-Weiss Schuhplattler Juniors are hosting their annual Kinderfest on Sunday afternoon, May 7^th at the Hansa Haus. It starts at 1:00 p.m., if you are interested join them and bring your children. It is always great fun. Piñatas, tombola, schnitzel, hot dogs, coffee and cake and lots of fun are on the menu.

The "Volkstanzgruppe Almrausch" also danced some of their specialties this evening. Great performances, as usual.

The audience very well received demonstrations of various ballroom dance routines by members of the Blue-Silver Dance Club. Needless to mention that they, and the various dances they performed, were being introduced by our old pal Lutz Neumann, a long-time member and past president of the dance club.

All in all it was a very successful evening again. The food was excellent and so was the entertainment. Well done, guys – I am already waiting for number 43, next year. r.k.a.

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