2023 PRESIDENT
Hello ladies & Welcome to 2023!
When I accepted VP the position, I said I hoped to contribute to continuing the work of the organization & to continue the feeling of community & connectedness that I see in the group – especially in these times that have turned our world upside down. As president, I commit to furthering those goals.
It is shaping up to be another challenging year. In addition to pursuing fund-raising activities and maintaining our all-important social network with gradually decreasing membership, we must for sure find a new “home” as Shrine House has been sold and must be vacated the end of May.
Membership, fund raising & location are intertwined. We lost quite a few members in 2022 – and did not gain new members. We are a small group and none of us are getting any younger. There are a few things we can do. We can look within our immediate families and connections to find / identify potential new members and talk with them about KLA and our role in fundraising for the children. Invite them to come out to a meeting to see firsthand what we do. We will be making a concerted effort to raise our profile with posting information to the website. We regrettably missed the Jan. 14 installation of 2023 Khartum Potentate Illustrious Sir Klaus Knorz, but he has forwarded his contact information to me and telephoned me to introduce himself and express appreciation and support for KLA. He spoke of his intent to foster connection between all groups in the Masonic Family and the need to support each other. To that end, I will endeavor to attend Masonic Family events and raise awareness of KLA, starting with IOJD Bethel 9 installation of officers on Jan.26.I will make effort to attend Masonic Family meetings so KLA is represented, and we can promote our activities along with other organizations.
Ill Sir Klaus also spoke of our relationship with Children’s Rehabilitation Foundation and stressed that he considers it part of his mandate to foster such relationships that work to benefit the children. He has committed to meeting with me at some point when he is in Winnipeg- he will be here in February for a Nile event. I will follow up with him to arrange to meet.
Membership is linked to fundraising. We no longer have the major fundraising raffle due to the pandemic and it simply became impractical for our small group to carry out successfully. We had great success last year with sales fundraisers like Bothwell Cheese and Morden’s Chocolates and will likely look at doing them again. We have become very proficient at order forms and processing orders. These fundraisers can be run by a small group of ladies. We had a VERY successful card party last fall, albeit a huge amount of work related to food. We are contemplating pivoting to a Dessert Card party as opposed to a Luncheon Card party, but we have hit a snag…….
Which brings us to location. Shrine House has been sold with possession date end of May. We are secure for meeting dates thru May but April and May for sure will be in smaller room – either 123 or the lounge. The activity room is unavailable as it is being used as the collection center for furniture and other items for sale by Khartum. The significant impact for us is that we do not have use of Shrine House for Annual Dinner or Dessert Card Party. We will be discussing /deciding at February meeting what to do. The Annual Dinner can be at a hotel / alternate venue, but cost will likely increase. The Dessert Party likewise will require consideration of costs – it is counter productive to hold a fundraiser if profits are eaten up by costs.
2023 marks our 98th year. We have a long history of service to the Shrine and are poised to continue to survive and thrive going forward. Stay Tuned!!
Barb Ginsberg
PRESIDENT KLA 2023
When I accepted VP the position, I said I hoped to contribute to continuing the work of the organization & to continue the feeling of community & connectedness that I see in the group – especially in these times that have turned our world upside down. As president, I commit to furthering those goals.
It is shaping up to be another challenging year. In addition to pursuing fund-raising activities and maintaining our all-important social network with gradually decreasing membership, we must for sure find a new “home” as Shrine House has been sold and must be vacated the end of May.
Membership, fund raising & location are intertwined. We lost quite a few members in 2022 – and did not gain new members. We are a small group and none of us are getting any younger. There are a few things we can do. We can look within our immediate families and connections to find / identify potential new members and talk with them about KLA and our role in fundraising for the children. Invite them to come out to a meeting to see firsthand what we do. We will be making a concerted effort to raise our profile with posting information to the website. We regrettably missed the Jan. 14 installation of 2023 Khartum Potentate Illustrious Sir Klaus Knorz, but he has forwarded his contact information to me and telephoned me to introduce himself and express appreciation and support for KLA. He spoke of his intent to foster connection between all groups in the Masonic Family and the need to support each other. To that end, I will endeavor to attend Masonic Family events and raise awareness of KLA, starting with IOJD Bethel 9 installation of officers on Jan.26.I will make effort to attend Masonic Family meetings so KLA is represented, and we can promote our activities along with other organizations.
Ill Sir Klaus also spoke of our relationship with Children’s Rehabilitation Foundation and stressed that he considers it part of his mandate to foster such relationships that work to benefit the children. He has committed to meeting with me at some point when he is in Winnipeg- he will be here in February for a Nile event. I will follow up with him to arrange to meet.
Membership is linked to fundraising. We no longer have the major fundraising raffle due to the pandemic and it simply became impractical for our small group to carry out successfully. We had great success last year with sales fundraisers like Bothwell Cheese and Morden’s Chocolates and will likely look at doing them again. We have become very proficient at order forms and processing orders. These fundraisers can be run by a small group of ladies. We had a VERY successful card party last fall, albeit a huge amount of work related to food. We are contemplating pivoting to a Dessert Card party as opposed to a Luncheon Card party, but we have hit a snag…….
Which brings us to location. Shrine House has been sold with possession date end of May. We are secure for meeting dates thru May but April and May for sure will be in smaller room – either 123 or the lounge. The activity room is unavailable as it is being used as the collection center for furniture and other items for sale by Khartum. The significant impact for us is that we do not have use of Shrine House for Annual Dinner or Dessert Card Party. We will be discussing /deciding at February meeting what to do. The Annual Dinner can be at a hotel / alternate venue, but cost will likely increase. The Dessert Party likewise will require consideration of costs – it is counter productive to hold a fundraiser if profits are eaten up by costs.
2023 marks our 98th year. We have a long history of service to the Shrine and are poised to continue to survive and thrive going forward. Stay Tuned!!
Barb Ginsberg
PRESIDENT KLA 2023
2022 President
As we enter the year 2022, we are also celebrating the 97th year of the Khartum Ladies Auxiliary. This is also the second year of dealing with the COVID 19 Pandemic. The world has certainly changed in the 97 years since the KLA was established and the last two years have really challenged the purpose and mandate of KLA. However, the Ladies of the KLA have stepped up to the plate and while some of our traditional fundraising activities have been modified or cancelled, we are still making generous donations to the organizations that we support. We are still sending gifts with the children who are attending their first Shriners Hospital for Children appointment. We are still having fun, although we have been restricted in face to face meetings and events. This is because of you, the Ladies of the KLA.
I am humbled and honoured to be your new President this year.
While we do not know what lies ahead of us for this year, I am hopeful that we can resume some of our traditional events this year. Foremost, however, is the safety and health of our Ladies. We will continue to have ZOOM meetings when it is not safe to meet face to face. When it is safe to meet face to face, we will use the larger Activity Room so that all the Ladies can safely distance themselves from each other.
We will try to bring in guest speakers at meetings to educate and entertain you. Our fundraisers last year were highly successful and so we are planning to continue to have a New Bothwell Cheese Fundraiser in the spring and a Morden’s Chocolate Fundraiser in the fall. If conditions permit, we may go ahead with the Card Party in the spring. This has always been a popular event and has been missed due to cancellations. We will hold the Annual dinner and the Christmas luncheon if conditions permit. Bowling has always been an important event for some ladies and the Bowling Committee is still in place to organize this activity when permitted.
I look forward to working with each of you this year and making 2022 another successful year for KLA. Please call me with questions, concerns or ideas. I would love to hear from you!
President Brenda
I am humbled and honoured to be your new President this year.
While we do not know what lies ahead of us for this year, I am hopeful that we can resume some of our traditional events this year. Foremost, however, is the safety and health of our Ladies. We will continue to have ZOOM meetings when it is not safe to meet face to face. When it is safe to meet face to face, we will use the larger Activity Room so that all the Ladies can safely distance themselves from each other.
We will try to bring in guest speakers at meetings to educate and entertain you. Our fundraisers last year were highly successful and so we are planning to continue to have a New Bothwell Cheese Fundraiser in the spring and a Morden’s Chocolate Fundraiser in the fall. If conditions permit, we may go ahead with the Card Party in the spring. This has always been a popular event and has been missed due to cancellations. We will hold the Annual dinner and the Christmas luncheon if conditions permit. Bowling has always been an important event for some ladies and the Bowling Committee is still in place to organize this activity when permitted.
I look forward to working with each of you this year and making 2022 another successful year for KLA. Please call me with questions, concerns or ideas. I would love to hear from you!
President Brenda
2021 President
President Susan’s Message
It is an honour to act as your President during 2021. Due to the pandemic KLA’s 95th year was quiet but we enter 2021 still strong and moving forward. Thank you Lynne for leading us through a difficult year. We may have to change how we meet and how we fundraise but our goal to help children living with disabilities hasn’t changed.
My goal for 2021 is to continue to build a strong resilient organization so that when Covid is over we can meet face to face and celebrate our 100th anniversary in 4 years. We have taken the first step by having monthly zoom meetings to keep in touch. We had 34 members join the zoom meeting February 1, 2021 We hope to have safe manageable fund raisers to continue our charitable work. We may not raise as much as we have in the past but we will do what we can safely.
The executive plan to make the meetings interesting and informative. If you have suggestions of how we can do that please call me. We will try to post interesting things on our website, so please make a habit of checking the website often. If you have jokes, funny stories, or poems please share them with us at our meetings. Thank you to Jane Roth for the wonderful poem you wrote and shared with us at our February 1 meeting.
Thank you to all the members who have agreed to continue on active committees. I look forward to working with all of you this year.
Ladies, be safe and I look forward to seeing you in the near future.
President Susan Woodward
It is an honour to act as your President during 2021. Due to the pandemic KLA’s 95th year was quiet but we enter 2021 still strong and moving forward. Thank you Lynne for leading us through a difficult year. We may have to change how we meet and how we fundraise but our goal to help children living with disabilities hasn’t changed.
My goal for 2021 is to continue to build a strong resilient organization so that when Covid is over we can meet face to face and celebrate our 100th anniversary in 4 years. We have taken the first step by having monthly zoom meetings to keep in touch. We had 34 members join the zoom meeting February 1, 2021 We hope to have safe manageable fund raisers to continue our charitable work. We may not raise as much as we have in the past but we will do what we can safely.
The executive plan to make the meetings interesting and informative. If you have suggestions of how we can do that please call me. We will try to post interesting things on our website, so please make a habit of checking the website often. If you have jokes, funny stories, or poems please share them with us at our meetings. Thank you to Jane Roth for the wonderful poem you wrote and shared with us at our February 1 meeting.
Thank you to all the members who have agreed to continue on active committees. I look forward to working with all of you this year.
Ladies, be safe and I look forward to seeing you in the near future.
President Susan Woodward
Outgoing President note
Hello Ladies:
I would like to take the opportunity at this time to thank all of you for my year as President of KLA. I must admit that it was very unusual.
The Khartum Divan hosted a tea for the KLA Ladies after our March regular meeting. We then had a fundraiser - our British High Tea and Hat Show on March 15th. I would like to thank all the ladies who helped to make the British High Tea a success- from the ticket sellers, baking dainties, planning the luncheon, setting the room up, helping on the day, and the many ladies all wearing hats. Even the Potentate Ill Sir Al Hadley (dressed in his morning tux) and his Lady Carol came and enjoyed the tea and dainties. I think we should have more "tea parties".
Then everything was cancelled because of COVID - our Card Party which generally sells out; the Annual Dinner; and helping the Children’s Rehab in their Cruising Down the Crescent. I had arranged for a speaker to come to one of our meetings and of course cancelled our luncheon and
meeting in December at the Viscount Gort Hotel. It was certainly a very different year.
By January we were ready to try something new - we asked the members if they would like to start using Zoom It was fantastic. The meeting was held - new Executive installed and our members being able to participate as much as they wanted. I found it very interesting actually seeing people as they talked instead of just their voice. The KLA meetings will continue on Zoom until we can meet in person again. No matter if we are on Zoom or together we will still help the children. It was a very different this past year but we still will be moving forward...Thank you ladies for all your help and hugs and kisses in this very different and difficult year. Sincerely Lynne Hildebrand
I would like to take the opportunity at this time to thank all of you for my year as President of KLA. I must admit that it was very unusual.
The Khartum Divan hosted a tea for the KLA Ladies after our March regular meeting. We then had a fundraiser - our British High Tea and Hat Show on March 15th. I would like to thank all the ladies who helped to make the British High Tea a success- from the ticket sellers, baking dainties, planning the luncheon, setting the room up, helping on the day, and the many ladies all wearing hats. Even the Potentate Ill Sir Al Hadley (dressed in his morning tux) and his Lady Carol came and enjoyed the tea and dainties. I think we should have more "tea parties".
Then everything was cancelled because of COVID - our Card Party which generally sells out; the Annual Dinner; and helping the Children’s Rehab in their Cruising Down the Crescent. I had arranged for a speaker to come to one of our meetings and of course cancelled our luncheon and
meeting in December at the Viscount Gort Hotel. It was certainly a very different year.
By January we were ready to try something new - we asked the members if they would like to start using Zoom It was fantastic. The meeting was held - new Executive installed and our members being able to participate as much as they wanted. I found it very interesting actually seeing people as they talked instead of just their voice. The KLA meetings will continue on Zoom until we can meet in person again. No matter if we are on Zoom or together we will still help the children. It was a very different this past year but we still will be moving forward...Thank you ladies for all your help and hugs and kisses in this very different and difficult year. Sincerely Lynne Hildebrand
2020 Executive
Congratulations to the 2020 Executive to the Khartum Ladies Auxiliary
From L to R - PP Ruth McCorrie, Installation Officer; PP Susan Woodward; PP Eve-Anne Kristjanson, Installation Officer; Lynne Hildebrand, President; June Krochenski, Membership and Vera Malczewski, Treasurer.
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
Thank you ladies and a special thank you to Eve-anne Kristjanson and Ruth McCorrie for conducting the Officers Installation part of the meeting.
I am looking forward to this year with great enthusiasm and I know you all will be behind me. Helping me and pushing me forward.
Our first fundraising will be the British High Tea and Hat Show. This will be on Sunday, March 15 at 2:00 pm. The rooms have been booked at the Shrine House and now all we have to do is make tickets, sell tickets, get food, posters, etc. etc, But we will be ready - right - we will be ready.
Our slate of officers have been arranged - except for the Vice President. This position is very important. I am sure that we all understand what could happen if we didn't have another lady in this position. We all want to continue to help the children. We have such a good time and we do so much good. So think about this and let me know.
We have two ladies who have volunteered to feed us after our meetings but they need help also.
We will be having the Bridge Party again this year as well as our Raffle - think about volunteering to see those tickets again. Also Morden's chocolates will be available again this year.
This is just the beginning of 2020 but I am looking forward to it.
Thank you all again for this wonder day.
President Lynne
From L to R - PP Ruth McCorrie, Installation Officer; PP Susan Woodward; PP Eve-Anne Kristjanson, Installation Officer; Lynne Hildebrand, President; June Krochenski, Membership and Vera Malczewski, Treasurer.
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
Thank you ladies and a special thank you to Eve-anne Kristjanson and Ruth McCorrie for conducting the Officers Installation part of the meeting.
I am looking forward to this year with great enthusiasm and I know you all will be behind me. Helping me and pushing me forward.
Our first fundraising will be the British High Tea and Hat Show. This will be on Sunday, March 15 at 2:00 pm. The rooms have been booked at the Shrine House and now all we have to do is make tickets, sell tickets, get food, posters, etc. etc, But we will be ready - right - we will be ready.
Our slate of officers have been arranged - except for the Vice President. This position is very important. I am sure that we all understand what could happen if we didn't have another lady in this position. We all want to continue to help the children. We have such a good time and we do so much good. So think about this and let me know.
We have two ladies who have volunteered to feed us after our meetings but they need help also.
We will be having the Bridge Party again this year as well as our Raffle - think about volunteering to see those tickets again. Also Morden's chocolates will be available again this year.
This is just the beginning of 2020 but I am looking forward to it.
Thank you all again for this wonder day.
President Lynne