Newsletter, Spring April 2021 PINERIDGE Chapter What’s to come at a glance: President’s Message * Stay safe – wash hands. * Missing you all! * Time to check out our scholarship program. Dear Members, Check out our Web Site: heritageclub.ca, then Spring has sprung and the vaccines have arrived, so there’s select Pineridge Chapter lots to look forward to as we go into our second year of restrictions. I hope you are all doing well, staying safe and making plans for our return to normalcy. In the meantime, I strongly recommend that you take advantage and check out our yearly Heritage Club scholarship program for your kids and grandkids, on page 2 of this newsletter. Complete information and enrollment forms are posted on our web site. Just one of the numerous benefits to you for being a paid member of the Chapter. I would be remiss if I didn’t take the time to thank everyone of you for paying your dues again this year, a year where social activities are nil, and as you know, we are a very social activity focused organization. It is truly comforting to see your loyalty, year after year, and even in the bad times. I therefore invite you to stay safe for now, but once this is over, and it will be, we will be there so that you can spend time again with your friends and former work colleagues. J.P. Jean Pierre Leguerrier President, Pineridge Chapter 2 UPCOMING EVENTS for 2021 All regular events, luncheons, bus trips, meetings, cancelled until further notice. HERITAGE CLUB SCHOLARSHIP PROGRAM – 2021 The Heritage Club is planning to award three (3) scholarships to children or grand children of all dues paying members of the Heritage Club. The scholarships are valued at $1,000 each for university or college studies. The scholarships will be awarded to students starting, for the first time, their first year of full time studies. ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA Dependent children, including adopted children and stepchildren, grandchildren, wards in legal guardianship of all active members (dues paying member for the last 2 years) of a Heritage Club Chapter. Applicants who have previously received a Heritage Club scholarship are not eligible. ELIGIBLE INSTITUTIONS These scholarships are applicable to all Canadian educational institutions which have provincial degree-granting powers or their affiliates and at Canadian colleges or CEGEPs*. QUALIFICATIONS OF APPLICANTS Applicants must have completed the requirements for admission into the first year of an undergraduate degree program or college diploma program at a recognized educational institution. Applicants must have obtained an average of 75% (or equivalent) on the best 5 academic courses (see list of academic courses below) in the final year of secondary school or CEGEP (pre-university education). If applicants interrupt their schooling, the maximum period permitted between the completion of secondary school or CEGEP (pre- university education) and the commencement of an undergraduate university degree program or college diploma program is 1 year. During this period, students may NOT have undertaken postsecondary courses. ACADEMIC COURSES – GRADE 12/CEGEP Language Arts, Mathematics, Pure Mathematics, Applied Mathematics, Science, Biology, Chemistry, Physics, Social Studies, Geography, History, Literature, Accounting, Computer Graphics, Law. French, English or any one language. SELECTION OF SCHOLARSHIP RECIPIENTS The jury is comprised of the Heritage Club executive committee members. The evaluation will be based on scholastic ability, character and leadership qualities at school and in the community. Decisions of the jury are final and without appeal. APPLICATION DEADLINE Submissions must be postmarked on or before June 30, 2021. HOW TO OBTAIN AN APPLICATION PACKAGE Please visit the Heritage Club website at heritageclub.ca or contact Eldred Holmes at [email protected] 3 T H E L O C A L N E W S Welcome to New Members/Retirees and/or 25-year service veterans Fazeed Ramjohn, Sam Martucci Our Condolences William Taylor Wilding We received a Thank You card from Emily Dear Bernie, Thanks so much for supporting kids like me. When I was 3, Sick Kids doctors found out that I had leukemia. I had to stay at Sick Kids for a long time. I was often too tired to play with my friends even when I was at home. But now I’m 10 and thanks to help from donors like you, my leukemia is gone! I still have checkups at Sick Kids but I can play with my friends when I want. I missed them a lot. You’re the best! Love, Emily. Congrats! Birthdays: Chapter V-P Debbie on Easter, April 4th, and her hubby Paul Greenwood, who has now joined the 65+ Club on March 5th: happy birthday! Special Draw for Prizes: We continue with our quarterly draw of two random names picked from our paid member’s list during 2021, in order to show our support to our membership who continue to support us through this ordeal. The two winners for this April newsletter are: Indra Rambritch & Verna Thompson. Miss those Group Luncheons! Has it been a year already? But, there is hope, can a luncheon in September be on the horizon?... 4 The “L I F E is G O O D” Section Why I like Retirement Question: How many days in a week? Answer: 6 Saturdays, 1 Sunday. Question: When is a retiree’s bedtime? Answer: Two hours after falling asleep on the couch. Question: How many retirees does it take to change a light bulb? Answer: Only one, but it might take all day. Question: Why don’t retirees mind being called Seniors? Answer: The term comes with a 10% discount. Question: Among retirees, what is considered formal attire? Answer: Tied shoes. Question: Why do retirees count pennies? Answer: They are the only ones who have the time. Question: What is a common term for someone who enjoys work and refuses to retire? Answer: Nuts! Question: Why are retirees so slow to clean out the basement, attic or garage? Answer: They know that as soon as they do, one of their adult kids will want to store stuff there. Question: What do retirees call a long lunch? Answer: Normal. Question: What is the best way to describe retirement? Answer: The never-ending Coffee Break. Question: What is the biggest advantage of going back to school as a retiree? Answer: If you cut classes, no one calls your parents. 5 T H E P O S T H O R N A POSTAL SERVICE STORY The era of the Postmaster General in Canada The Postmaster General of Canada was a Canadian cabinet minister responsible for the Post Office Department. In 1851, the management of the post office was transferred from Britain’s Royal Mail to provincial governments, and in 1867, with Confederation, the first department of the newly created national government was the Postmaster General position. This continued until 1981 when it was abolished as the Post Office Department became a crown corporation, now led by a President and CEO. The last PG was Andre Ouellet, who served two terms. There have also been some famous people who have served in this position: two of them were Fathers of Confederation, Hector Louis Langevin and Sir Alexander Campbell. These two individuals also had important buildings named after them: The Langevin Block today houses the offices of the Prime Minister and Privy Council, and the S.A.C. building was Canada Post’s Head Office until it was demolished to make way for a new building, with Crown Corporation. Another important PG was Sir William Mulock, who was appointed by Sir Wilfrid Laurier, and who in turn was instrumental in bringing William Lyon Mackenzie into public life as his Deputy Minister. He inherited an inefficient bureaucracy that was losing almost a million dollars a year in the late 1890’s, but he believed that improved service and lower prices would increase revenue and better connect Canada and the British Empire. He campaigned for lower rates throughout the Empire and succeeded in implementing an Imperial Penny Post, and he personally designed and issued the new stamp with a map of the world showing the extent of the British Empire which coincidentally became the world’s first Christmas stamp. 6 Mulock also introduced an amendment to the Post Office Act that made Canada the first country in the world to give free postage privileges for braille materials and books for the blind. He also initiated a program to provide Post Office employment for the deaf. Mulock was knighted in 1902 for his services, in particular for the Penny Post, the Transpacific Cable, and wireless telegraphy between Canada and Great Britain. By 1903, the Post Office was generating a surplus of almost a million dollars a year. Mulock was also extremely active in both business and the community, such as the foundations of the Toronto-Dominion Bank, The Toronto Star newspaper, Toronto Wellesley Hospital, and Canada’s fist national peace organization. As one of the most successful and energetic individuals to ever work in government, he was known in later life as the “Grand Old Man” of Canada. Mulock Drive in Newmarket, one of the two main roads in that community, is named after him. Ref. Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia 7 Who we are Pineridge Chapter is one of 24 Chapters across the country; it covers an area of the Greater Toronto Area which is mainly east of Victoria Park Avenue (eastern York County), encompassing Scarborough, and areas within Ontario, Durham and Northumberland Counties. What we do The Pineridge Chapter organizes subsidized luncheons, bus travel, annual banquet and golf tournament for its’ members. Also, we collect and donate food for the food banks, as well as donations to various charities throughout the year.