As the hamlet of Dunvegan was really hopping this past weekend, the most equitable way to tackle my report is chronologically. So here we go…
Euchre gathers steam
April’s euchre luncheon got things off to a flying start when four tables of card sharks braved the chilly spring weather. After a hearty meal of egg salad, devilled ham, two types of salmon sandwiches and three dessert options, the card tables were quickly cleared and the timer for the first hand started its countdown.
A few friendly, but hard-fought, hours later, “50/50” prizes were awarded to Dytha Dixon, Phyliss Terry, June Raymond, Gabrielle Meloche and Doug Robillard. 1st prize went to Isabel MacLennan, 2nd prize went to Fred Robillard and 3rd prize went to Lucy Theoret. The Door Prize was awarded to June Raymond. And the “Top Star” player was Isabel MacLennan.
The next DRA Euchre Lunch is scheduled for Friday, May 19th… and everyone hopes that Ann Stewart’s recovery will be such that she will return to the helm of the DRA’s friendly tournament. As always, it will be held in the DRA Hall at 19053 County Road 24 from 12:00 noon to around 3:30 PM. Admission is only $5.00 and includes pre- and post-game lunches.
AGM puts hockey on hold
Two hours or so after I kicked out the euchre players, I was back at the hall for the Glengarry Pioneer Museum’s 2017 Annual General Meeting. And what an AGM it was. I overheard a number of attendees remark that it was one of the best General Meetings in the little museum’s history… and I concur. Despite the draw of playoff hockey, over 75 museum members and potential members attended. You could see that a number were experiencing HTs (Hockey Tremors). Nevertheless, except for one minor slip, everyone respected the “no scores” policy, so as not to spoil the fun of those who had recorded the game.
Potluck suppers can sometimes be a bit of a gamble, but the food was superb this year. As Alyson Graham observed, “so many interesting tastes and such variety.” Even the counter overflowing with desserts did not disappoint. There was everything from Tim-Bits and brownies to key lime pie and Marilyn MacSweyn’s famous oat cakes. It doesn’t get much better than that.
Even the business meeting was a pleasure to behold. The highlights included well-deserved awards going to Kent MacSweyn, Trevor Stanton and Thelma MacCaskill… and a thought provoking presentation on the importance of preserving Glengarry’s documentary history, from letters and diaries to family photos, club minute books and business ledgers. The speaker, Allan Joseph MacDonald was “on point,” as always. His presentation, Don’t Throw it Out, hammered home a very important message to what appeared to be an extremely receptive audience.
The final task of the evening was the election of the 2017 Board of Directors and Executive Committee. For complete details on the election results, I would direct you to the GPM’s web site. However, I think it fitting to single out the new Chair of the museum: James Prevost. It’s wonderful to see relative newcomers to the hamlet carrying on Dunvegan’s tradition of volunteerism.
Eatery erratum
Saturday saw Dunvegan hosting four events, starting with the church’s wonderful Spring Breakfast. I have no statistics from the event yet (number of breakfasts served, pounds of bacon cooked and the like), but I was pleased to see that people were pouring into the church hall as Terry, Bill Gilsdorf and I were leaving. Our plan to beat the rush by dining early was a success.
My one error, as it was gently pointed out to me, was that the church foyer and the pews are only pressed into service as a ticket kiosk and waiting room for church suppers… not the breakfast fundraiser. My apologies to those misled by my instructions in last week’s column. However, they would apply to the annual Kenyon Presbyterian Church’s Ham Supper coming up on Saturday, May 13th from 4:30 to 7:00 PM. I’ll have more details, as we get closer.
Historical spit & polish
Hot on the heels of the Church Breakfast was the annual cleanup at the Glengarry Pioneer Museum. Unfortunately, I was unable to attend, so I asked interim curator, Renée Homiak, for her impressions of the work bee.
“It was awesome! Despite the chilly, damp weather, over 30 people showed up to help get the museum ready for opening. We had a couple of new volunteers and even the young Williams cousins (Matt and Ben’s boys) were a HUGE help collecting all the garbage. It was a fantastic group and we got so much accomplished, even more than I had hoped for. Once again the community has shown how incredible they are. I wish I had prepared more sandwiches, but I was not anticipating such a wonderful turn out. In my limited experience of clean up and closing days I would say Saturday was probably one of the most successful.”
Gem of a story
Two other events took place in Dunvegan this past weekend: the Twistle Guild’s 35th anniversary and the DRA’s Saturday Night at the Movies. But my report on these will have wait until next week. I’m running short on time and column inches, and I’d like to fit in some exciting news gleaned after the Film Fest.
I finally got the green light to publically announce the engagement of Sean Burgess and Erica-Rose Bugera. Sean and Erica-Rose live in the old brick schoolhouse across from the former manse on Church Street (also known as the road to St. Isidore). Sean is the son of Linda and Stephen Burgess from the Glen Nevis area. And Erica-Rose is the daughter of Karen and Gerhart Bugera from Caber Road. Although no date has been set for the nuptials, I do know where the ceremony will take place: the Glengarry Pioneer Museum. This is where the couple met.
In keeping with their mutual love of history, Erica-Rose’s engagement ring is over 100 years old. It was Sean’s great grandmother’s ring. After World War I, Adah Lewis Gowland emigrated from London, England to a tiny house in North York, Ontario where she raised five children. The heirloom is a delicate depiction of a flower blossom fashioned from wisps of silver and highly compressed carbon.
Congratulations Sean and Erica-Rose. I hope I speak for the entire community when I wish you both the very best.
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