Christmas Luncheon

MR. HERMANT:

Your Honour, head table guests, ladies and gentlemen: This is a time of the year when we try to put aside the problems which confront us every day and think more about the larger facts of human life. I would thank you for coming here this afternoon and sharing with us the beginning of this most joyous season. It is certainly a time for "good will towards men and women" and for "peace on earth".

In recent years, however, I have discovered that for some people Christmas time does not bring the sense of joy that I have always associated with it. For these people it is a time of sadness and loneliness. If there is one gift that we can give together I would hope that it could be that the spirit of Christmas which so infects children should also be instilled in those who have such heavy hearts.

As Francis Parcellus Church wrote in The New York Times in his famous editorial, "Is There a Santa Claus?" "Thank God he lives and lives forever. A thousand years from now, nay ten thousand years from now, he will continue to make glad the heart of childhood." And I would add to that, "And I hope the heart of mankind."

Ladies and gentlemen, one of the traditions of The Empire Club of Canada and embodied in our annual Christmas luncheon--in addition to the famous trooping of the plum pudding which we have just witnessed--is that our head table is made up of our Vice-Presidents, Directors and Past Presidents, all of whom have made and continue to make significant contributions to the club. This includes, of course, our Honorary Vice-President, the Honourable Pauline McGibbon, Lieutenant Governor of Ontario.

Our province is indeed lucky to have at its head the Lieutenant Governor that it has had for the last three and a half years. To say that she works hard would be the understatement of the age, for surely no one goes to more ceremonies--openings, closings, givings, takings, and so on. No one could represent the Queen or the Province of Ontario in a more prestigious manner, and it is a sincere pleasure for me to introduce to you Her Honour, Pauline McGibbon, and ask her to bring us greetings at Christmas from Her Majesty, the Queen.

HER HONOUR, THE LIEUTENANT GOVERNOR:

Mr. President, honoured guests, ladies and gentlemen: Thank you again for inviting the representative of Her Majesty, the Queen, to be with you at your Christmas luncheon. My husband and I always enjoy being with you on this occasion.

It is a particular pleasure for me to announce to you today that one of our distinguished Past Presidents, Major General Bruce J. Legge, C.St.J., E.D., C.D., Q.C., has been awarded, this morning, the Canadian Military Medal with the inscription "For long years of devoted service to his country". I am sure all of us here join in congratulating Major General Legge on his outstanding achievement.

This is a particularly joyous season of the year and my husband and I wish all of you a very merry Christmas.

MR. HERMANT:

Your Honour, head table guests, ladies and gentlemen: I should like now to introduce to you the balance of our guests who have honoured us by their presence at our head table today. Following our usual custom, I would ask each to stand briefly and be recognized and would request that the audience withhold its applause until all have been introduced. (Introduction of head table guests.)

MR. HERMANT:

Your Honour, head table guests, ladies and gentlemen: Surely no office, elected or otherwise, could be more satisfying than to be the Immediate Past President.

I have been assured that this is no less true of The Empire Club of Canada.

The person who presently occupies that distinguished position from our point of view is our Immediate Past President, Mr. William M. (Bill) Karn, who so gracefully and effectively performed at this podium over the 1976-77 season.

Anyone who had the pleasure of hearing Bill Karn introduce his notable array of speakers will remember the incredible amount of research that had been done and which represents, of course, not a small contribution of time and effort to the affairs and to the lasting reputation of this club.

Bill is also to be congratulated for arranging to have his yearbook appear simultaneously with our first meeting, which is a benefit not only to the present membership of the club but also to our attempts to increase our membership--and believe me, Bill, this was an effort that was particularly appreciated by the Board of Directors.

It is a pleasure for me now to present to Mr. Bill Karn, on behalf of the Board of Directors of the club, Honorary Members and Past Presidents, an illuminated scroll bearing the signature of His Excellency, the Right Honourable Jules Leger, C.C., C.M.M., C.D., Governor General of Canada and Honorary President of the Empire Club, which states simply and correctly "The Empire Club of Canada acknowledges with grateful thanks the services of William M. Karn as President during the year 1976-77." And I would further ask B.Gen. Reginald Lewis, First Vice-President, to present to Mrs. Karn, also on behalf of the club, a small token of our affection and esteem and in recognition that excellence is derived from support and teamwork. Thank you. (Presentation to Mrs. Karn.)

MR. KARN:

Mr. President, Your Honour, distinguished guests and fellow members of The Empire Club of Canada. Even though I have watched this ceremony for many years, it does come as a delightful experience to receive my own graduation certificate.

Thank you very much, Peter, for your kind sentiments and for this scroll which will be one of my most prized possessions.

It will remind me of the great honour you paid me in granting me the privilege of serving as your President during the 74th club year.

It will remind me of the loyal support which you all gave to our activities, in the finest tradition, enabling this great club to accomplish another milestone in its record of service to Canada.

It will remind me also, Mr. President, that there is much work yet to be done by all of us, if we are to play our part in preserving for future generations of Canadians the Canada that we know today--the Canada that has become one of the strongest pillars of the Commonwealth.

Recently I have been in many countries which I neglected last year, and without exception, all of those people with whom I held discussions expressed surprise and concern that Canada--heretofore the model of excellence which so many have been seeking to emulate--should now be in danger of losing its reputation for political stability and economic prosperity.

Further deterioration must be resisted to the maximum degree possible and therein lies a challenge to every member of the Empire Club. What better time than the Christmas season to reaffirm our friendship for our fellow Canadians, and to take whatever action we can to resolve regional differences in order that we may preserve harmony among all members of our national family.

MR. HERMANT:

Your Honour, head table guests, ladies and gentlemen: I should like now to make a special presentation to Mr. John Griffin, who has just completed his term as President of the Empire Club Foundation. The Foundation is responsible for publishing and distributing the Yearbook and for raising funds for that purpose. It operates with a high degree of anonymity, unfortunately, but it consumes a tremendous amount of time and energy. The club is grateful to John Griffin for his contribution and wishes to present to him this token of its esteem. Congratulations, John. (Presentation to John Griffin.)

MR. HERMANT:

Ladies and gentlemen: At this time I should like to make an extra special presentation to one of our number without whom our meetings would be less effective and much less pleasant.

I should like to read to you a motion which was unanimously carried at the last Board of Directors meeting of The Empire Club of Canada, held in the library of this hotel, Tuesday, November 22, 1977. "Moved by Sir Arthur Chetwynd, and seconded by Mr. Bud Hoffman, that an honorary life membership in the Empire Club of Canada be conferred on Mr. J. Stanley St. John, our faithful pianist over a number of years, and that this presentation be made at the annual Christmas party. Carried unanimously.

It is, therefore, a great pleasure and honour for me to present to Mr. St. John this scroll which reads, "This certificate attests that Mr. J. Stanley St. John has been elected an Honorary Life Member of The Empire Club of Canada." Dated as at today's date and signed by our Honorary Vice-President, the Lieutenant Governor of Ontario.

Ladies and gentlemen: It is now a pleasure for me to introduce the Choir of St. George's College, under the leadership of Mr. Maurice White and accompanied by Mr. Thomas Fitches.

A program of Christmas music was presented by the St. George's College Choir.

MR. HERMANT:

On behalf of all of us here today, I should like to thank you, Mr. White, and through you, Mr. Fitches and all the members of the choir, for giving us a particularly tuneful and inspirational beginning to the Christmas season.

And also at this time, I should like to thank a number of people without whose efforts and participation this meeting and many other of our meetings would not be possible. I refer, of course, to our director George Stafford and his committee, including Drs. Parish and Crummey, who have made arrangements for today's luncheon; to Mrs. Eleanor Cook, the Executive Secretary of The Empire Club of Canada, and her assistant Mrs. Betty McAdam, without whom nothing would happen; to Pipe Major Ross Stewart, who has created entrances of distinction for this club for as long as I can remember; and also, of course, to the Royal York Hotel--Mr. Gordon Cardy, the General Manager; Mr. Al Horbay, the Catering Manager; Mr. Adriano Ferreira, Mr. Charlie Decastro and their staffs, including the ever-faithful Sam and Emilio, all of whom are the real powers behind the typically efficient Empire Club luncheon. I also want to thank my staff and my family.

Ladies and gentlemen, I would remind you that on January 5 our speaker will be the Postmaster General of Canada, the Honourable Jean-Jacques Blais, whose invitation has been sent to him by courier and whose opinions should be of interest and of significant value to us all.

I would now ask that you join with me in standing and singing the first verse of our National Anthem, "O Canada", following which I would appreciate it if you would remain standing while the choir and the Vice-Regal party depart.

I should like to close this meeting by wishing each and every person here a most Merry Christmas and Happy New Year, which may be best expressed by the first Canadian Christmas carol, said to have been written in the Huron tongue by Jean de Brebeuf, the Jesuit missionary, in the year 1641. "Twas in the moon of wintertime, when all the birds had fled, that mighty Gitchimanitou sent angel choirs instead; before their light the stars grew dim, and wondering hunters heard the hymn: Jesus your King is born, Jesus is born, in excelsis gloria."