Instead of a scheduled speaker, the main meeting activity today was a group activity to promote fellowship and friendship. Past President Mike Christie facilitated the activity that saw all of the members in attendance share a favorite Christmas memory or tradition in their family. A few of the memories shared were...
"As a child, in our home only one gift was opened on Christmas eve....it was always pajamas that surprisingly always fit!" - Terry B.
"In Quebec, meat pies and caroling were always favorite activities....the meat pies were thick and full of different meats!" - Alain G.
"One Christmas eve when I was a child, I awoke to a racket. I went downstairs to find my relatives playing with a table top hockey set....one that mysteriously wound up under the tree for me in the morning!" - Lionel B.
"Christmas was not openly celebrated in the communist country I grew up in. But when able, I loved going to Midnight Mass with my mom...." - Milan V.
"One year, my brother and I got a little too curious for our own good and when mom and dad were out of the house, we went searching for our Christmas gifts. We weren't as clever as we thought when we put them back and Santa truly does see everything, for when we opened the gifts on Christmas day, to our shock and horror we found not the gifts we so craftily sought out, but rocks! Nothing good comes from playing with rocks!" - Kevin W.
All of the members shared warm memories and family traditions. Some traditions have carried on through generations and some have changed over the years....it matters not if we have people we love to share them with. May the blessings of the season be upon you and your families be safe. Not everyone celebrates Christmas or even celebrates it for the same reasons, but regardless this time of year is known for its compassion and generosity. AS we move into 2026, please keep the spirit of community and generosity glowing within and shared with those around you!