MESSAGE FROM EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE:
Ladies,
We have arrived! We will see you in less than two weeks! We wish you all safe travels. We recognize the pandemic has created hard times for all. We are very sorry that the date changes have created a situation that some of you cannot attend. You will definitely be missed. We are looking forward to meeting with all of those who can attend. :) We all hope that you can party like it was 2018.
We would like to thank our Reunion 15 sponsors for their contributions:
- Corps of Commissionaires Manitoba Division
- The Royal Canadian Legion Branch 215
- Shirley Duff (RCAF Airwoman's Reunion Co-Founder)
Send messages to friends attending the reunion:
If you are fortunate enough to make it to this reunion, congratulations! For those who have had to drop out due to circumstances beyond their control, we hope to see you at the next reunion.
If you would like to leave a message to be displayed at the reunion for the attendees to read, please send it to newsletter@rcafairwomen.ca. We will print it and take it with us.
If you have not yet done so, please let us know if you plan to bring guests to the Thursday morning brunch, there will be a charge of $20 each. We will need to know ahead of time for a head count. Contact us here. Thank you.
Don't forget to email Tracey and give her the name of the person picking up your purchase if you are not attending the reunion. We will not release the item without a designated name.
Don't forget to bring your stamps for Oxfam Canada!
REUNION 15 VENUE:
In less than two weeks, we will be in Winnipeg for the 15th reunion of the RCAF Airwomen. The dates are September 13, 14, and 15. The venue is at Airport Hilton Suites 1800 Wellington Avenue in Winnipeg.
When you fly into Winnipeg:
After you collect your luggage and you are ready to be picked up, you can call 204-786-1700 for the shuttle. The shuttle is a white van with the hotel logo on it.
There will be signs in the lobby and, as always, the volunteers and committee members will be wearing the airforce blue aprons. Registration will start at 10:00am and continue until 3:00pm. Coffee and Muffins will be available until noon.
The Reunion schedule will follow this general format:
Tuesday, 13 September, 2022 – Registration will begin at 10:00am to 3:00pm with Coffee and Muffins available until noon. Come meet up with your friends!
Come see the Magic Mirror fun photos at 3:30pm. The Meet and Greet at 5:00pm followed by a buffet dinner with guest speakers before and during dessert. The dinner begins at 6:00pm and followed by draws. You will be given tickets in your registration package.
Wednesday, 14 September, 2022 – Day trip Journey to Churchill will meet in the lobby at 9:30am and the bus will depart the hotel at 10:00am for the zoo. You will be given your entry ticket and a map of the route to the polar bear aquarium. The bus will arrive at the zoo at 10:15am in the Special Events parking lot, only a five minute walk away from the exhibit. The wheelchairs will be brought to the bus for those who ordered them. For lunch the Tundra Grill is close by. Your entry ticket will entitle you to go anywhere in the zoo but you must be back at the bus on time. Attendees will meet at the Special Events parking lot by 2:00pm and the bus will depart for the hotel when everyone is present or no later than 2:30pm.
Reunion attendees have been invited by one of our sponsors to attend an exhibit of "Women in the Military" at the Royal Canadian Legion Branch 215, open all week. Anyone is welcome to go at anytime by taxi or Uber, however, if there is enough interest we may look at carpooling on Wednesday around 11:00am. If you are interested in carpooling, please make this known when you register.
A Meet and Greet will start at 5:00pm and reunion photos will start. It is a reunion tradition to get pictures of everyone by table. You will be approached by a volunteer when it is your table's turn. Please ensure that you sign up on the seating plan so that we can assign the right names to the right people! A four course dinner will be served at 6:00pm and the entertainers will perform during coffee and dessert. There will be several draws at the end of the evening for which tickets will be sold at registration and some special draws by table.
Thursday, 15 September, 2022 – A non-denominational church service will be held at 9:00am. Partners and Guests are welcome. Finally, the brunch at 10:00am where you can meet up with friends one last time before the end of the 15th reunion of the RCAF Airwomen.
OXFAM STAMP COLLECTING: BATTLING COVID 19:
Flo writes:
Just a reminder to keep collecting and sending your postage stamps. I have been getting lots of stamps in the mail and have had some wonderful communications via e-mail and phone with some of our ex-airwomen from coast to coast.
I think this is a very worthwhile project due to our worldwide Pandemic and we should continue to donate our stamps to Oxfam.
Ladies,
Here's your chance to gather all those stamps up that you keep forgetting to send. Before you cut them off the envelop read the preparation below. The effort to prepare the stamps is appreciated as there will be thousands of stamps to process. Don't forget to bring them to the reunion. If you have a list of things to bring to the reunion, put stamps on that list.
If you have any questions, please phone Flo at 403-990-1556 or e-mail flobobreid@shaw.ca.
To see details about the preparation of the stamps, click here.
We donate these stamps to Oxfam Canada. To find out more about Oxfam click here.
REQUESTS AND COMMENTS:
Maria MacDonald writes:
Thank you for sharing photo of Peachie Key. I was stationed with her in 1957/58 at RCAF Stn Cold Lake for 10 months, she was instrumental in supporting me as President of the Air Women's lounge and the Big Mess Dinner. F/O Diane Royal decreed. I was so grateful for her friendship, then I was posted Marville Fr. She is probably still playing her Sax in Heaven... Maria MacDonald(VanHorsigh)
Joan Wood writes:
Is there any person or group who would be interested in some of the old picture and booklets from the airwomen's reunion? Contact Joan at jovanwood@shaw.ca
LUNCHEONS:
Meetings are starting up again. Go to a luncheon and meet up with friends. So far the feedback has been positive. Getting out and seeing each other in person has been an uplifting experience.
Not all of the regular luncheons are posted in the newsletter. Check with your luncheon coordinators to find out if your group is starting to meet again.
Edmonton, AB
Our next luncheon meeting will be on Wednesday 14 September at 1:00 pm at the Olive Garden, 10121-171 Street NW, in Edmonton. Any questions, please call me, Elke Carr, at 1-780-912-9242 or e-mail me at wecarr@telus.net.
Calgary, AB
The Calgary Chapter will resume our monthly luncheons on the second Wednesday of the month at 11:30 am at Legion #264 in Kensington. Our first luncheon will be 12 October 2022.
Charlottetown/Summerside, PEI "Our group is growing, come join us!"
The next upcoming PEI RCAF Ladies Luncheon is being held on 9 September 2022 at Papa Joe's Restaurant, 345 University Avenue at 1200hrs. If you would like to join us please contact debbie.reid1234@outlook.com
Women in Uniform to meet in Orleans, ON "This Event takes place this month!"
The first event was held in Orleans before the pandemic. The hope is this will become an annual event.
Jeanine Mader writes:
This is the second meeting of the Women in Uniform!
When: September 17 ,2022
Time: 11:00 am until 4:00 pm
Venue: Orleans Legion, 800 Taylor Creek, Orleans, Ontario
Cost: $10.00 per person
Dress: Casual
There is room for 150 ladies. If you would like to attend this event, please send an email to servinggalsgettogether@gmail.com
*If you host a regular luncheon, please contact us let us know where you are. You are not required to publish your information in the newsletter but we can put you in contact with ladies looking for a luncheon group in the area. Thanks so much for participating!*
LAST POST:
As the members of the committee update the nominal roll, we are discovering that some of our members have been with the angels for several years. They are included in our monthly newsletters as we find them.
If you have a notification of a member who has died, please let us know here if you do not see their name in the Last Post on our website. Thank you.
BIRTHDAYS:
A “Very Happy Birthday” to our September birthday ladies.
If your birthday is missing from this list it may be because we don't have it or you said, "No" previously to putting it on the list. You can reply to this newsletter and tell us to add your birthday to the list or you can fill out a Change of Information form.
