May 2018

Presidents Report
“Now is the month of Maying when merry lads are playing .... Falala la la la la
la Falalalalalala”.
Many of us will recall dancing round the maypole or maybe not but I fear
those days are long gone and no one wants to run the risk of being strangled
by a silk ribbon!!! You ladies may also have rushed out on May day morning
to wash your face in the dew as you all have that same complexion, even
now!!!
Enough of all this. I am sure we are all happy that the dreary winter weather seems to have left and
we look forward to a beautiful summer ahead especially with the current wonderful display of blos-
soms.
Last month I was not to sure if there would be a Christmas Show this year but after the last meeting
I feel slightly more optimistic. However, that is not to say we are out of the woods yet, we still need
more members to actually participate on stage and also to come up with ideas for skits, dancing
and magical tricks etc. so please put your thinking caps on and make this a show to remember.
Looking forward to seeing you all on Monday.
Best regards
Colin

Luncheon Report
Twenty three hungry people had lunch on the 30th of April at the newly renovat-
ed Quarterway Pub. The food was good and very reasonable at $9.00 for soup &
sandwich. Everyone (well not everyone) wants to go to the Jingle Pot Pub on the
street of the same name at the end of this month, May 28th at 12 noon. Every-
one is welcome
Graham the Gourmet
 Sunshine News
We send our sympathy to Ray D and family, on the recent passing of his wife Mavis, who was a long-
time member of our club. Mavis very kindly helped to sew costumes for our Christmas shows, etc., and
will be fondly remembered.
Get well wishes to Pam S, who unfortunately fell and cracked her hip, and also to Julian M, who just had
hip surgery. Wishing them both a speedy recovery.

UPCOMING BIRTHDAYS
May
Bob D 6th Joyce N 17th
Ursula B 8th Janet H 19th
Gerry S 10th June
Malcolm C 13th June H 8th
Stephanie L 13th Tom B 24th

Silent Auction
At the May meeting there will be a silent auction, so everyone, please bring your
“treasures”, and money. There will be a live auction following for a mystery box. Any
unsold items must be taken home. Many thanks.
Isabelle

Please remember to wear your Name Tags.

New Members
Please give a warm welcome to the fol-
2018 Executive lowing new members, Linda and Tony C,
President Colin Bishop Stephanie and Andrew L, and Joyce N.
Vice President Ron Brick Christine
Treasurer Susan Brick
Secretary Alison Lowrie
Past President Allen Cunningham
2018 Committees
Audio #1 Brendan Rogers
Audio #2 Ian Hodson
Audio #3 Bob Davies
Luncheon Host Graham Shuttleworth
Membership Sec. Christine Cottrell abritchick@gmail.com
Newsletter Editor Malcolm Cottrell
Webmaster Malcolm Cottrell
Photographer John Martin
Publicity John Martin
Social #1 Jill Steff
Social #2 Gill Walker
Sunshine Person Jill Seip
Telephone #1 Pat Heyward
Telephone #2 June Hale
Telephone #3 Margaret Marsh
 Flag Day—July 1st
For the July 1st Parade of Flags, does anyone know the whereabouts of our British Club banner and
stand. If you know where it is please contact one of the Executive to let them know. Many thanks.
Your Club Executive

Editors Notes
Some of the items in this Newsletter have links to outside sites. You can tell them by their blue colour
and the underline. These are safe sites that can be clicked on for more information.
Website: www.nanbritclub.ca email: nanbritclub@hotmail.com

English May Day

Traditional English May Day rites and celebrations include crowning a May
Queen and celebrations involving a maypole. Historically, Morris dancing has
been linked to May Day celebrations. Much of this tradition derives from the
pagan Anglo-Saxon customs held during "Þrimilci-mōnaþ" (the Old English
name for the month of May meaning Month of Three Milkings) along with
many Celtic traditions.
May Day has been a traditional day of festivities throughout the centuries,
most associated with towns and villages celebrating springtime fertility (of the
soil, livestock, and people) and revelry with village fetes and community gath-
erings. Seeding has been completed by this date and it was convenient to give
farm labourers a day off. Perhaps the most significant of the traditions is the
maypole, around which traditional dancers circle with ribbons.
The spring bank holiday on the first Monday in May was created in 1978; May Day itself – May 1st – is
not a public holiday in England (unless it falls on a Monday). In February 2011, the UK Parliament was
reported to be considering scrapping the bank holiday associated with May Day, replacing it with a bank
holiday in October, possibly coinciding with Trafalgar Day (celebrated on October 21st), to create a
"United Kingdom Day".

Dates to Remember—Mark Your Calendar

1. Tuesday, May 1st May Day/International Workers Day
2. Sunday, May 13th Mother’s Day
3. Monday, May 14th Monthly meeting @ 7:30pm followed by a
Silent Auction Bring your “treasures” and of course,
money.
4. Monday, May 21st Victoria Day, statutory holiday
 International Workers Day (May Day)
International Workers' Day, also known as Labour
Day or Workers' Day in some countries, and often
referred to as May Day, is a celebration of labour-
ers and the working classes that is promoted by the
international labour movement which occurs every
year on May Day (1st May), an ancient European
spring festival.
In 1955, the Catholic Church dedicated 1st May to
"Saint Joseph the Worker". Saint Joseph is the pa-
tron saint of workers and craftsmen, among others.
During the Cold War, May Day became the occa-
sion for large military parades in Red Square by the
Soviet Union and attended by the top leaders of the
Kremlin, especially the Politburo, atop Lenin's Mau-
soleum. It became an enduring symbol of that peri-
od.
Today, the majority of countries around the world
celebrate a workers' day on 1st May.
In Canada, Labour Day is celebrated in September.
In 1894, the government of Prime Minister John
Sparrow David Thompson declared the first Mon-
day in September as Canada's official Labour Day.
Labor Day in the United States is on the same day.
May Day is however marked by unions and leftists.
May Day is an important day of trade union and
community group protest in the province of Que-
bec (though not a provincial state holiday). Cele-
bration of the International Labour Day (or
"International Workers' Day"; French translation:
Journée internationale des travailleurs) in Montre-
al goes back to 1906, organized by the Mutual Aid
circle. The tradition had a renaissance at the time
of a mass strike in 1972. On the 1973 May Day,
the first contemporary demonstration was orga-
nized by the major trade union confederations;
over 30,000 trade unionists took part in this
demonstration. Further, it is the customary date
on which the minimum wage rises.

Legion Reminder
A reminder from the Legion that we are not allowed in the Conference Room until the private meeting
that is taking place is finished (approximately 7:00pm). This was to do with some Brit Club members
who were getting the coffee/tea, etc. stuff out of the conference room for our meeting. We need to
wait until they are finished with their meeting.
Susan

2018 Bowen Park Tea and Show

We know that this is still early in the year to be thinking about December and the Christmas Show at
Bowen Park, but we have made a start with performance ideas and the pre-planning.
Last years show was very well received and many compliments given to us, so we have a quality and a
reputation to maintain.
We have volunteers signed up for various parts of the production, but we still need Club members who
have skills in any of the theatre arts and who would be willing, and able to provide help to us. Please
remember that the net proceeds from the Show are a large part of your Clubs income for the year.
Your Club Executive