​The Annual Dinner was held at Khartum Shrine Centre on Thursday, April 4, 2019.  Faye Hooper, Mistress of Ceremonies, assisted in coordinating the event.  The room was beautifully decorated with red and white roses for table centres.
The chicken dinner prepared by Chef Peter Ecker was an excellent meal that everyone enjoyed.  The program included a presentation of 25-year pins however the members were unable to attend so they will be presented later.
 
 The evening was closed with the DeMolay, Winnipeg Chapter, presenting the Flower Talk.   The boys who participated were Ergon Golpe, Carlo Versoza, Walter Medriaga and 
Clarence Lacanilao.  This is an expressive commitment of the young men in this order to their parents but mostly to the mothers.  It is a very moving talk that the boys did extremely well.  They were accompanied by Chapter Dad, WB Rico Villarin.
 

Lorraine Bileski was a guest speaker at the Auxiliary's April 2019 Meeting here are her words - - 
Rylan was born at 28 weeks this was extremely premature and caused him to have cerebral palsy.  It is not a progressive disability but also not a curable disability.  With his diagnosis we learnt his gross motor skills would be affected therefore we were told he may not walk but we refused to believe that.  When we began to run into problems here getting treatment and equipment Rylan needed we then discovered Shriners through my husbands coworker and started the application process and then attended appointment with specialists in Minneapolis.

The ladies auxiliary has made a huge impact on our lives and the well-being for Rylan.   Our first appointment with Shriners hospital Twin Cities unit in Minneapolis was just like Christmas and that was the actual words from our Therapist at the hospital.  When we went to our first appointment Rylan was about 2 years old he was not walking yet so we relied on our infant stroller yet at that time.  We had applied for a stroller here in Manitoba with children's disability services and we were denied.  So one of the first things Shriners noticed was our lack of equipment and asked what they could do for us we explained our issues getting equipment and it all started there. 

We were given a McLaren stroller which i believe had a weight limit up to 100 pounds Rylan was estatic he was no longer in a baby stroller.  This was huge because he could't walk yet and he was too big for the infant stoller so now we had transportation for him and was much easier on us not having to carry him everywhere.

During this visit we also got arm crutches, a kaye walker and AFO's with shoes that actually fit over the orthotics.  He was always so excited to get new orthotics because it meant new light up specialty shoes. All of these items prepared him for walking eventually.

Seeing him upright with his walker was the most incredible feeling he was able to be face to face with his peers not crawling or sitting or on the floor he could do everything his friends were doing allowed him some independence something he didn't have until then.  This first appointment was life changing for us all.

I don't remember the actual year but somewhere before he was 5 they had given us a wheelchair as well.  It was used but it served us well andwe used it for man years til he outgrew it.

As time went on and he matured more (when he was 6 years old) he was a candidate for a specialized surgery on his spine.  The wheelchair was retrofitted with a special seat and back for this special surgery.

We still continued getting many AFO's through the years as he grew.  When he was 10 he went for yet more surgery and the Auxiliary funded a brand new wheelchair as he had outgrown the other one and it was no longer able to adapt.  Rylan was so excited because he picked the colour Gold, we called it his chariot.  He had a major surgery to both legs at this time so he was extremely week and needed a lot of therapy to get him back on his feet.  That wheelchair has made many miles just last summer when we were back for followups we took the chair with us and they said it needed to be adapted because he had grown so much. So the chair was left down there to be retrofitted with some parts that the auxiliary had funded again.  They put new wheels made the whole chair wider and bigger.

We donated the old chair back to Shriners once we received the gold one.

Rylan walks but does use a wheelchair if he has to do a lot of walking he tires easily and uses a lot of energy.  So this piece of equipment is so important to him for his safety.

We regard Khartum Temple so highly and all you do for your families.  I do believe Rylan would not be walking today if it weren't for this amazing organization.  You gave us hope and the tools we needed to see him be a normal little boy playing with his friends running through puddles in the spring just like every little boy and now he is 15 and taller than both Dave and myself.

​Getting the equipment we needed made our lives easier and not having to pay for them took so much of the financial strain off our family.  Thank you for everything you do.

KHARTUM LADIES AUXILIARY
  BRIDGE & CARD PARTY
 
When:   Thursday, April 12, 2018
 
 
LUNCH:                         12:00 Noon
BRIDGE/ CARDS:                 1:00 p.m.
 
 
Where: Shrine House – 1155 Wilkes Avenue
 
Tickets  $15.00 each
​
Call Evelyn – 204-475-0700 or
Georgette - 204- 736-4147
 
 
Come enjoy an afternoon of cards or cribbage with lunch and prizes
 
 
 
 
                                                                 

L-R  IPP Carol Hadley, President Joy Derhak; Treasurer Vera Malczewski and Membership June Krochenski

Message from our 2018 President
I can’t tell you how proud I am to become the President of this wonderful organization. The Khartum Ladies Auxiliary is a group of hardworking, dedicated ladies.  When called upon they are more than willing to help with any task.  In all the years that I have been a member I have been in awe at how well they come together and work towards accomplishing whatever needs to be done.  We are working to make a difference in special needs children’s lives and I do believe that we do accomplish that.
 
Our Annual Dinner is April 26 at the Masonic Memorial Centre and the guest speaker is a lady who is an Occupational Therapist at the Rehab Centre.  She will be speaking on some of the treatments that are provided to the patients at the Rehab Centre.
I am planning an exciting fundraiser for September 30, only one, so let us all strive to make it a success.  The fundraiser will be a luncheon and fashion show.  Fashions will be provided by Spa Life and will be held at the Masonic Memorial Temple.  Tickets will be available in May from our Vice-President, Susan Woodward. 
 
If you are a lady who may think you would enjoy joining us, by all means contact a member of the executive who will be happy to provide any information you might need.

​

 Khartum Ladies Auxiliary had a wonderful lunch at Viscount Gort.  The Ladies Auxiliary made a donation to Ill. Sir Don Thomson for the Khartum Shrine Transportation Fund of $10,000 along with a $1000 donation to the Shrine Hospital in memory of our members that passed and a $100 donation to the Shrine Hospital for the incoming Potentate.  These funds were raised by the Annual Raffle and other fundraising efforts held by the Ladies.  We were pleased to have First Lady Mae Uson as our guest to bring greetings to the ladies.  Toys and cash donation of $165.00 was made to Christmas Cheer.  A thank you card was given to us from the Christmas Cheer Board.

The annual raffle draw took place on Monday, November 6, 2017 at 2:30 pm with the following results - 1st prize - Brenda Winning Jensen (NHL tickets); 2nd prize - Scott Macaulay - (4 gift cards to Tony Romas); 3rd prize - Holly Johnston ($100 gift cards for Safeway/Sobeys) has now moved to New Brunswick and her prize mailed to her.  Congratulations to the winners.  
​

Here are the 2 tiles that have been purchased to date to recognize Pearl McDowell and the Past Presidents.  A third one will be placed for the general membership in the near future and will add to this file then.