Concordia Club celebrates 134^th Birthday

The evening before this birthday party a special present was unveiled in the Concordia Club. An older mural had needed restoring in the hall above the entranceway. Since the original artist was no longer available a new one had to be found. That story, and how it all became about and how the club won a new fan for Oktoberfest is a good story and can be found on our website, in the worlds of the clubs president, Werner Schlüter. We only had the pleasure to photograph him and his wife in front of the newly painted mural, which depicts somewhat the history of Oktoberfest, the people that were involved and keep it going, meaning, there are a lot of folks you might recognize when you look at it. That is what a lot of people did when they arrived for the clubs birthday party on Saturday the 3^rd of November 2007.

Happy Birthday, Concordia Club: Werner Schlüter, Andrea Schmidt & Ulrike Schmidt

As every year the hall was festively decorated, one of the many jobs that Rita Allmendinger has under her wing. In fact she is responsible for a lot that happens on a night like this, as are many others, of course. It can never be stressed enough that a lot of work and volunteering goes into the running of any successful club.

Rita also takes care of the MC, this year a repeat performance by Ulrike Schmidt, who led through the program in perfect German, and English, as needed. She introduced the special guests of honour, namely all the many honorary members, who should become even larger in numbers that night.

The membership

10-year members

25-year members

40-year members

50-year members

Else and Nick Osbelt joined the ranks of long standing members, having contributed well beyond the call of duty to the welfare of the club and its members.

Many other individuals got their various pins and pictures for long-term loyalty and membership that night.

Everyone was happy to be acknowledged for his or her good deeds by the President Werner Schlueter and Miss Concordia, the lovely Andrea Schmidt. And that is as it should be.

But before all that could take place there was a wonderful dinner with all the trimmings, and as usual it was too much food; it left not much room for the birthday cake, which was served as desert.

The Concordia Choir conducted by Alfred Kunz

 All that of course could not take place without a few favourite songs from the beloved Concordia Men’s Choir under the direction of Dr. Alfred Kunz.

Good times
Applause!	Rita Allmendinger with Bob & Maria Huschka

After all was said and done the Euro Connections played for everyone’s dancing pleasure.

The Euro Connection

Danube Swabian Club Scarborough

Every club has a heart and soul that keeps everything running and contributes to all that happens in a club. In the Danube Swabian Club in Scarborough it surely is the Woman’s Auxiliary, which exists for as many years as the club.

Enter the women's auxiliary

The ladies stand together, work together, volunteer together, bake and decorate for whatever festivity goes on in the club. They have it so together and feel so close to each other, they even ordered the same dirndl dresses from Regina’s Dirndls, if we are not mistaken (In fact they did not order them but made all the dirndls themselves, the editor). Where else would you get that many dresses in the same style and colour in Canada?

Henry Betsch and his wife were their usual jovial selves, being good hosts to the many folks that had turned up for this classic get-together with an ample and delicious savoury and sweet buffet.

Theresa Dorner, President thanked everyone for their hard work and dedication after Katie Schwemlein introduced her. She also mentioned the one and only Adam Bissinger, who has done so much for the club and also helped this group, so the ladies can continue to do their good works for the community.

As long as there are people like that with a lot of good will and able to roll up their sleeves to do the job, as long as they are around we will have a club in Toronto East to go to. The ones that prefer the other direction can frequent the Hansa Club in Brampton/ Mississauga. Thus we have a cosy home for our grassroots culture, where we can get together, laugh, share stories about the family, the happy and the sad ones, and where we can get a bit of healthy exercise with dancing, that evening to the sound of the Romeros.

The Romeros and on the dance floor

Hopefully we can share many more evenings like that. But first we shall enjoy the only Torontonian Christmas market in the Danube Swabian Club. Go and get an early start on the things that put you in the mood. There is nothing like the smell of Christmas, and it is very apparent in the club!

See you there!

Sybille Forster-Rentmeister