Maple Leaf Trust Dinner Dance 2011

March 3rd 2011 was a great evening for the Maple Leaf Trust and the Canadian community here in the UK. The Maple Leaf Trust Dinner Dance was a black tie affair for 70 very happy and generous guests. The evening started with champagne and delicious canapes with soft jazz background music. We had one hour to mix and mingle and to oggle the wonderful display of auction and raffle items.

Dinner was a three course affair with wines from the fabulous vineyard of Mission Hill. Over the course of the dinner, our friendly and enthusiastic volunteers sold raffle envelopes with some containing the winners for prizes and some sadly not. But the Maple Leaf Trust certainly was the biggest winner as our guests were quite happy to take their chances at perhaps picking a winning envelope. The Silent Auction was a huge success as well with all items making their estimate or surpassing it. We are thrilled to say that the evening generated an increase in funds from the previous years.

Thank you to all who gave so generously on March 3rd.

Our fabulous singer Victoria Beebee was able to get nearly everyone up onto the dance floor. I even noted that the High Commission Staff were enjoying the dancing as well as our guests.

It truly was a fun evening for all but more importantly it generated sufficient funds to alllow the Maple Leaf Trust to meet the target for the annual disbursements of funds in June to our two charities, the Veterans Support Committee and the Canadian Centennial Scholarship Fund.

The spectacular success of this event was the result of a very dedicated Organising Committee, the gracious hospitality of the High Commissioner and his wife, and the staff of the High Commission who ensured that the evening flowed seemlessly. Of course, we thank our countless donors for their lovely auction and raffle items. We also thank the corporate sponsor TD Securities and our special sponsors: Mission Hill Wines, Anthony Von Mandl, Canadian Affair, Bob and Anne Van Gieson, Victor and Mona Dahdaleh, Karen Johnson, John and Karen Murphy, Ernst and Young.

Next year we hope to welcome our guests from the Canadian community to the 60th Annivesary Ball at the Savoy on May19th, 2012. You won't want to miss it!

Submitted by Patty Bell

BADA Antiques and Fine Art Fair – Duke of York Square

March 25 found eight members learning about antiques at the annual BADA Fair in a bespoke marquis at the Duke of York Square.

We “visited” four BADA members at their stalls and heard the story of some of their collectibles. At Trinity House Paintings, we were shown a painting by John Singer Sargent that he painted on the back of a painting by his pupil to show his perspective of the model – quite different from his student’s rendition. We visited with Geoffery Breeze who shared his passion for antique walking sticks – be they ivory, ebony, snake, or hiding a sword, a flask or a pipe.

At Sylvia Powell Decorative Arts, Marc told us the history of pottery in England , with collectibles by William De Morgan, Royal Doulton and Jean Cocteau. I was amazed to find out that even Picasso dabbled in ceramics by commissioning them from his own designs. Our last expert was Jeanette Hayhurst who shared the history of a piece of glass tableware that would hold confections made in the houses of the wealthy. These talks were an excellent introduction to the fair and after a delicious lunch at the Grill, we were free to wander through the exhibition. I saw so many lovely items, but luckily for my husband, I had left my charge card at home. This was a lovely way to spend a Friday afternoon and I am sure many of us look forward to the Fair in 2011.

Lunchbox Theatre – A Bold Stroke for a Husband

On March 11, 3 members took in the 45 minute play at by the Little Bear Theatre Company at Bridewell Theatre in Fleet Street. It was a fast-paced, Georgian farce, full of false identities and thwarted lovers and revenge. We enjoyed the stripped-down set and how clever the production was at having one actor play 2 or 3 parts. One exceptional actor even played 2 very different characters at one time with the use of a jacket on one shoulder. I don’t know how he was able to change so quickly between characters and remember the lines and movements for each. It was definitely a great performance and we had quite a few laughs. And thanks to Denise H. for introducing me to Ye Olde Cheshire Cheese Pub on Fleet Street – a wonderful old pub with so much character and literary history. A place to add to my tourist trail for visiting friends and relatives.

Submitted by Lynda Opocensky

The Book of the Dead – Journey through the Afterlife – British Museum

On January 28, eleven members were immersed in Ancient Egyptian rituals and spells as the curator described the Book of the Dead that was placed in the coffins of wealthy Egyptians to help them navigate the underworld to reach the place of judgment. The presentation gave us a great understanding of the symbols and drawings we saw later in a tour of the exhibit. We especially enjoyed the Papyrus of Anhai with it’s vivid colours unchanged from 1280 BC. And the woman whose afterlife was depicted in the 37 foot Greenfield Papyrus, (the world’s longest Book of the Dead) must have expected to spend a long time finding her way through the underworld. The artifacts associated with burial in Ancient Egypt – painted coffins, mummy masks, jewelry and statues made us appreciate the importance that the Egyptians placed on life after death and the journey they took to get there.

Submitted by Lynda Opocensky

MLT Luncheon with Moya Greene

The Maple Leaf Trust, the charity administered by the Canadian Women's Club, was thrilled to feature Moya Greene as speaker at its inaugural lunch event.

We had a great day on February 10th at the Athenaeum Club. Moya is CEO of the Royal Mail. She is a wonderful speaker, and gave a lively and very entertaining talk on the trials and tribulations of this great British Institution, the Royal Mail. She also spoke to the young working female professionals in the audience about her life doing the juggling act as a working mother. This Inaugural MLT Luncheon was a success in all respects. I hope you enjoy the photos and that you'll join us for our next luncheon.

L: Patty Bell, President Canadian Women's Club and Chair of the Maple Leaf Trust

R: Moya Greene, CEO of the Royal Mail