April General Meeting Recap
Thank you to all who joined us for our April General Meeting, held at the Italian Cultural Centre. As we continue our search for a permanent home, this marked one of our first meetings in a series of different locations. We are truly grateful to our members for their flexibility and support as we explore these spaces together. The bright, welcoming room—and of course, the delicious pizza—made for an enjoyable and engaging evening. We were also pleased to welcome Deano Opperman, who took the time to connect with members. Your presence is always appreciated. Most importantly, thank you to everyone who attended and participated. Your voices, ideas, and continued involvement are what keep our branch strong and moving forward.
Honouring Long-Time Members and Welcoming New Faces
A special highlight of the evening was the opportunity to recognize and welcome both long-standing and new members of our branch.
We were especially pleased to welcome three long-time members—siblings Freddie Whiting, Janice Whiting, and Joan Haws—to the meeting. Freddie (a dual member since 1993), Janice (joined in 1987), and Joan (joined in 1987) have each been part of our Legion community for many years. It was wonderful to have them together in attendance and to recognize their continued connection to the branch.
Their family shares a long and meaningful history with the Legion. Their brother, Darryl, a past Branch President, was a dedicated and active member whose legacy, along with theirs, remains an important part of our story.
We were also delighted to welcome three new Centenary members: Ruby Apdal, Bofleton Mayormita, and Reena Verma. It is always encouraging to see both long-standing and new members coming together, reflecting the strength, continuity, and future of our branch. We warmly welcome them and look forward to seeing them at many future meetings and events.
Celebrating Madeline Walter’s Continued Success
It was a pleasure to welcome Madeline Walter back to our General Meeting. Madeline has been a scholarship recipient throughout her undergraduate degree in Speech Sciences at the University of British Columbia and will be graduating this May.
We are proud to share her exciting next step:
“I am ecstatic to announce that I have been accepted into the M.Sc. in Speech-Language Pathology program at UBC, starting this upcoming September. I am very thankful to the Legion for their ongoing support towards my education, helping me to achieve this goal.”
Madeline is the niece of Barb Walter and the great-niece of Joanne Henderson, both long-time members of our Legion community. It is always a pleasure to see her and celebrate her achievements together.
Supporting education and the next generation is something we are incredibly proud of at Branch 44. Stories like Madeline’s are a meaningful reflection of the impact our branch continues to have within the community.
Next General Meeting
We look forward to seeing you at our next General Meeting:
Wednesday, May 21 at 7pm
St. Timothy’s Anglican Church
