A Great Reunion Coming

Sunday, August 09th

Hi there to all my fraternity brothers ... from the bush of North-western Ontario:

Another day of rain and cold temperatures ... at least it hasn’t snowed recently ... but a few mornings of only +4C ... which is about 10 degrees cooler than normal.

I understand that the Niagara Peninsula was blessed with some decent weather this weekend ... congratulations ...

I’m posting my anticipated schedule as I will have my laptop in my saddlebags and will be checking the blog every evening ... so if I’m passing nearby you can post a comment or e-mail me at: thebushprof@gmail.com or penesehwaubemaygwun@yahoo.ca and maybe we can connect for a coffee or a lunch ...

I hope you’re as excited about the upcoming reunion as I am ... I plan to fly out to Thunder Bay the weekend of September 19th and start riding south on the 21st. In an unexpected turn of events, my wife Ida has been able to take the time off to come along. She and her sister will probably spend most of the weekend at the Casino ... but hopefully she'll get to meet lots of other old cronies .. verifying that there really are other people in the world as old as her husband!!

It should take a couple of days to get to Sarnia ... and then on to visit a friend in Bolton – after 51 years of not seeing one another I hope she recognizes me!! ... and a fun-filled evening of Geritol martinis, pre-chewed salad, and perhaps a good bottle of wine if we can remember what to do with it ... (just kidding!!). Actually, we went to public school and high school together so we go back close to 60 years and we have all that time to talk about ... I'm sure she'll have lots of horror stories to tell my wife.

From there, we're planning to spend part of a day in St. Catharines with our son and 3 grandsons. This probably will be the 24th. He works all day, and 2 of the kids are in University so their time is limited.

Then off to Niagara Falls for the 25th so that I can just cruise around the city, Queenston and NOTL for the day and revel in memories, and maybe hook up with Keith (Alpha & Delta) and any other bros living in the Falls for the evening ...

A couple of questions about the reunion:

1. Will it be held indoors, outdoors, or both?
2. How formal/informal will it be? ... so that I know what type of clothing to jam into my saddlebags ... leathers and rain-gear may not be in vogue ...
3. Will there be on-going music? ... hopefully someone will lend his 100+watt system ... and lots of “oldies CD’s” ... or we could just crank up CKOC 1150 Oldies ... I don’t know about you, but music was a big part of my high school life ...
4. How about some suggestions for places to eat ... I’m sure things have changed a bit since I last lived there 50+ years ago ...
5. Are you sure that $20 is going to cover things? Please let us know, preferable after a few drinks, and we’ll be more generous.
6. Has a “taxi hotline” been set up? ... because I’m “taxi-ing-it” from the hotel to the reunion and it would be nice to have a list of taxi numbers to “call me a cab” back to the hotel ... at 1:00 a.m. may have trouble reading the phone book!!

Will close for now, but watch for more silliness ...

All the best, and looking forward to seeing you ...

Peneseh, ... Jim McKernan

Alpha Omega Fraternity - 60th Anniversary Reunion - Saturday, September 26, 2009

Hi guys.

We hope that you are enjoying your summer.

This year is the 60^th anniversary of Alpha Omega Fraternity (1949 – 2009). It is overdue that we get together again.

Our last Alpha Omega reunion was 30 years ago in 1979 (the fraternity's 30^th year). 100 guys attended that event at the Serbian Picnic Grounds in Niagara Falls.

Our 60^th anniversary reunion is to be held in Niagara Falls on Saturday, September 26 from 11 a.m. to 1 a.m. on the 27th.

Here are the details:

Location

Our 60th will be held at the centrally located Niagara Falls Badminton and Tennis Club, 5300 Willmott Street, Niagara Falls, Ontario.

Cost

Tickets are $20 each.

Hot dogs, hamburgers, etc. will be included. A full bar will be available.

We are asking that you (i) decide to be there, (ii) let us know, and (iii) order your tickets in advance as soon as you can.

How to Order Your Ticket

You can purchase your ticket by the following ways:

1. Mail your cheque for $20 a ticket to Harry Burkman at Suite 2810, P.O. 129, 1 First Canadian Place, Toronto, Ontario M5X 1A4 (payable to him); or

2. E-mailing your payment to Harry Burkman at hburkman@burkman.com . Your confirmation question should be Name of Fraternity / Answer = Alpha Omega.

With your payment or e-mail message, please include your street address, phone numbers and e-mail address so that we can further update our membership information and keep in touch with you.

We will respond with e-mail confirmation of the receipt of your payment.

Accommodations

Some of you from a distance away may wish to stay in Niagara Falls over the reunion weekend. Please let us know if you would be interested. We are considering making accommodations arrangements for those living outside of Niagara Falls if enough are interested.

Recognition

Some long-overdue recognition is due to Doug Bowering, Jim Sawada and Frank Healey.

Doug, Jim and Frank have been keeping the fraternity flame burning. Amongst their ongoing initiatives on our behalf, Doug has been communicating with all of us and bringing the membership list up to date while Jim has developed the fraternity website http://www.sawada.ca/AOF/ and fraternity blog http://alphaomegafraternity.blogspot.com/ and Frank is heading up the anniversary reunion committee which is planning our 60^th reunion.

Frank’s 60^th reunion committee thus far includes Gary Johnston, Steve Krizsan, Jim McCutcheon and Harry Burkman.

We Need Your Assistance

As the summer progresses and our 60^th reunion on September 26 gets closer, your assistance will be gratefully appreciated.

You are best aware how you can help make our 60^th anniversary a success, whether it be encouraging attendance, helping with logistics, suggestions to make the event a better one, etc . Please let us know.

We hope to see you on Saturday, September 26.

P.S. A Map to the Niagara Falls Badminton and Tennis Club is at: http://maps.google.ca/maps?hl=en&um=1&ie=UTF-8&q=nigara+falls+badminton+and+tennis+club&near=Ontario&fb=1&split=1&gl=ca&cid=0,0,7763322716815880390&ei=rQpoSof9CcGptgey2JzCCw&sa=X&oi=local_result&ct=image&resnum=4

MORE PICS FROM 2009 BIKERS' REUNION

To enlarge photos just double click on the pic ... the OPP directing bikers around the stopped traffic on Highway 11 ... the Trans-Canada ...


Part of the Freedom Ride ... just outside New Liskeard ...



It took about 45 minutes for all the bikes to pass by any particular point ...




Despite the storm clouds and rain, spirits were high ... but WOW was Tim Horton's ever crowded after the ride ... the mall parking lot next door filled in a matter of minutes ...

2009 BIKERS' REUNION BATTLING CANCER

After three days and 1300+ km in the pouring rain .. and a very dirty bike .. I got to take some time and relax and enjoy the festivities at this year's Bikers' Reunion.

Starting out as a small barbeque and a cancer fund-raiser in 1999, the event has grown to unbelievable proportions.

In 2008 more than 4000 bikers registered and the 120 km Freedom Ride was more than 10 miles long.

This year, the unofficial number of registered bikers was about 6800 which means that the Freedom Ride was longer than 10 miles of double-wide bikes ... with an unofficial $100,000 being raised for cancer research and equipment. Every intersection was blocked off for 70 miles, including Highway 11, by firefighters, civilian volunteers and police. All 6000+ bikers made a stop at the Temiskaming Hospital to give roses and care packages to all the patients and nursing staff.

The Bikers' Reunion's enormous success can be attributed to the community's willingness to pull together and the constant efforts of more than 500 volunteers - many of whom work on the Reunion all year long.



More pics to follow ... ACTUALLY .. THE "MORE TO FOLLOW PICS" ... ARE NOW BEFORE THIS ARTICLE ...
I guess eventually I will get the hang of doing consecutive postings ...

From Duncan Drewette

Who remembers the words to opening Prayer/Devotion that we used to recite at the beginning of each Frat meeting. I believe it started with "Oh most high and exalted potentate, we are gathered here  etc. etc." something about "guardians of the seven candles of Virtue etc. etc."

 

Questions ??

And where did it all go ??

 

No one seems to know, but our treasures of the past are no longer around.  From pictures that we have on our website, we had at least two very distinct shields that were, as I recall, only displayed at formal occasions and were especially prevalent in induction photographs.  Bill Burleigh made the second one and the origin of the first, I have no idea.

 

And what ever happened to the actual charter for the fraternity?  Where did it end up?  And all of each chapter’s minutes.  Where are they some 60, 50, or 40 years later?

 

And swords, how many of them have survived??  And it’s amazing to see a black book still surviving on our website!

 

Back in the 60’s, Dave Serafino provided a red nylon flag with our gold Alpha Omega symbol in the centre?  Who’s flying that one today? 

 

And where are all of the induction group photographs?  We have a few posted on our website, but there must be dozens more out there still.

 

And best yet, who can still remember the words to our frat songs???  “We are singing, praises ringing…”, or “Hail to the mighty scarlet and gold, our love for you will always be told”.

 

Tell us what you remember, but leave out the part about Hell Night!!

 

Regards to all

 

Fraternally,

 

Doug Bowering

The Winter Road to the Community

The Eabamet Lake Express-way ..

Here we are on the Eabamet Lake express-way into the community. Notice the multiple lanes of traffic during this time of day .. the Rush Hour.

Directly ahead on the horizon is a set of islands that occasionally gives rise to "traffic jams". It is not uncommon to have to slow down and "rubber-neck" at a crossing fox, wolf, or heed the crows' warnings about approaching "caws".



Hey: Don't forget about the upcoming reunion ... the committee has already been meeting and it sounds like we will have a real blast ...

Even if you weren't a member of Alpha Chapter ... there will be lots of brothers there from all the Chapters ... ME?? ... I was a member of Alpha and Delta ... so I'm looking forward to exchanging lies and exaggerations with lots of brothers ... !!! ... Just kidding about the lies (but not the exaggerations) !!! ...

Just remember, we are brothers ... I was in my mid-50's when I met my step-brother that I never knew existed ... and since then we have become not only brothers but best friends ... the same thing can happen with AO brothers ..

I have met a bunch of "young pups" since the creation of this Blog ... and I certainly am enjoying getting to know them ... and of course, boring them to death with the ramblings of a senile old man ...

Looking forward to having a great time just meeting old "old fart" brothers like me ... and meeting you "young pups" who upheld the traditions after I left high school ... and moved on to other silliness ...

The Committee: (MANY MANY THANKS TO .. THESE BROTHERS) ... Frank Healey; Harry Burkman; Steve Krizsan; Jim McCutcheon; and Garry Johnston.

It sounds like they are having an absolute riot planning our VERY FIRST REUNION ...

In the next post I will post their contact information if they send it to me ... OR BETTER YET, ... hey you guys, ... how about a post??

Will post some more silly stuff later,

Jim McKernan (Peneseh)