 52 Years Hansa Haus!
…and it was properly celebrated
 too! After the Cocktail
hour, the Hansa Choir – and some in the audience - opened the
celebration with the German and Canadian National Anthems, as
well as with a number of folksongs that were well received by
the guests.
| The National Hymns |
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| The Hansa Choir under the
direction of Dieter Wütherich |
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The choir, under the direction of Dieter Wüterich, sounded more
powerful than I remembered from the past. Did they have an
infusion of new voices or had more rehearsals than usual? They
really sounded quite accomplished! Well done!
 After the invocation by Barbara Bunge, the famous Hansa Kitchen
started to serve the guests a flamboyant feast. Starting with an
elegant and varied house-salad consisting of coleslaw, shaved
carrots and leafs, smothered in a tasty dressing, the ‘piece de
resistance’ was served: Succulent Veal Scaloppini with a Marsala
mushroom sauce, glazed carrots, green beans and butter potatoes
– a meal that tasted as good as it looked, and was a real treat
to even the jaded palates among the guests. Apfelstrudel with
vanilla ice cream was the dessert that joined the obligatory cup
of excellent coffee – or tea, if preferred.
| President Reiner Walter
recognizes the newest 25-year Club members |
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 After the usual series of recognitions and awards the Almrausch
Group and the Weiss-Blau Bayern Seniors and Juniors entertained
with traditional dances and Schuhplattler demos, to the delight
of the audience.
| The Weiss-Blau
Bayern Schuhplattler |
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It was gratifying to see some of the old
Almrausch Dancers again that were sorely missed at many of the
past events.
Enthusiastic applause was meted out also to the
real young performers among the ‘Juniors’, who took their dance
contributions as seriously as the grown-ups.
 Then it was time for some recreational dancing to the rich
palette of familiar and beloved tunes. I am always amazed at the
seemingly inexhaustible repertoire of the Matt Lebar Ensemble
and some of the tunes I hadn’t heard for over 50 years. Great
effort, guys!
| The Matt Lebar
Ensemble... |
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| ...and their
tunes to dance by |
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 Kudos also to Boe Hladysh who did a great job guiding us through
the evening’s events.
 It was great to learn that Ekko Hildebrandt was back on the
club’s Board of Directors. He was usually the one responsible
for the well-designed décor of the premises for the various
occasions. While I am on the subject of décor, I should also
mention the ground-keeping efforts at the club. We
 have
something to look forward to when the weather allows the outdoor
activities that are scheduled for this year. Carassauga, at the
end of May, and Carabram in July are just some of the scheduled
events that come readily to mind.
 Carasauga 2010 – Mississauga’s Festival of Cultures, helps
people to travel the world. The Hansa Haus features the “German
Pavilion” and will be showcasing an Oktoberfest theme and a
Hänsel & Gretel family area. The family area will include
story-telling and fun events geared towards German culture.
There will be entertainment by the Harmonie Brass Show Band and
the Hansa folk dancers. Traditional Oktoberfest food and drink
will also be available. (Passports will be $10.00 in advance or
$12.00 at the door)
 A number of German books were also available for sale in the
foyer at $2.00 per book. I noticed quite a number of interested
readers perusing the assortments and taking some away to join
their own libraries.
As always
Dick Altermann
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