Annual Hansa Picnic
One of the highlights of the summer – at least for the
members of the Hansa Club – was the annual picnic in the middle
of August. It turned out to be the event of the season.
The weather office had forecast rain for the afternoon and the
organizers had planned for it and moved the food and drink
service inside to the great hall.
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| Food service
moved inside |
 One advantage of that was that
the hall was nice and cool while the outside was sweltering in
the 30’s, a fact that was not unnoticed by the guests and many
of them vacated their seats at the many outside
 tables for an
occasional breath of cool air in the hall – and another bottle
of the new Erdinger Weißbier, that can only be called “süffig”,
as its consumption seemed to indicate.
 For a number of the
guests it may have started a revolution in beer taste, judging
by the many empty bottles in evidence!
For many of the guests and visitors it was also a most welcome
occasion to meet old friends again, to discuss past experiences
- or just shoot the breeze, something that is not always
possible at the planned events when the music is too loud for a
conversation – since most of the members have matured to the
point where conversation has to be fairly elevated – even with
hearing aids. It does discourage many even to try. But then,
these events are mostly for dancing and/or to watch other
entertainment.
It was gratifying to see that many of the members had invited
younger family members that did not neglect to bring their own
offspring along.
| The artist at work |
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| ...and the
testimony |
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 A pair of clowns took care of the children’s entertainment with
face painting, three-legged races, sack races and other suitable
activities. The youngsters just loved it – so did the grownups,
since they knew the kids were busy and in good company. I
noticed that the ‘face painting’ was not restricted only to
children! I spotted big and little cats.
| The bubble race |
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| Sack race with partner |
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| Sack race solo |
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| Hula hoop |
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The food service was excellent again and long line-ups attested
to that. Bar service was seamless and encouraged by the hot
weather outside. A separate booth was set up for coffee, cake
and pretzels in the hall as well, staffed by volunteers from the
Lady’s Auxiliary.
 Kudos also to Peter Henkel – who looked after the musical
entertainment with his accordion ad and endless supply of
favorite melodies. He had managed to set up his equipment in a
shady spot. This guy is a real marvel! Great job, Peter! …And
yes, it did rain a little, but only in the evening!
There was some sad, yet inevitable news. The German Club in
Guelph will close its doors forever in January due to attrition,
which causes lack of income. The property is to be sold to build
on, if zoning restrictions can be loosened.
We also heard that the Transylvania Club in Kitchener has been
sold and we wonder where the members will hang their hat next.
There are noticeable changes in our community, and not all of
them are desirable. I know that the remaining clubs will do all
they can to stop this slow decline, and we are here to help!
As always
Dick Altermann
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