Here we are - at the end of April, and here in Winnipeg it feels like summer is just around the corner. We have been setting records again - this has been an incredible winter for us. Everything is many weeks ahead of its time.
Our Annual General Meeting was held on Sunday, January 10th in conjunction with a Communion Breakfast. Our president opened the meeting and gave his report, as did our secretary Rose Abendschoen and treasurer Tony Gerstner. Since all the executive officers have another year to serve on their term, no election was held. (The attendance was excellent, by the way, nearly 100% of our active members!) Our Executive officers therefore for the year 2010 are:
Praeses: Rev. Father Kevin Smith,
President: Joseph Knoll,
Vice President: Wolfgang Kubisch,
Recording Secretary: Rose Abendschoen
Local Programs: Regina Knoll
Treasurer: Tony Gerstner,
Social Chair: Margret Littau.
We then had to find people for the different convener positions. This took a little longer this year. Our people are all slowly getting older, with more and more health problems, and it is getting more diffficult to find volunteers. After a while this was overcomee too, but it was a wake-up call for us, who have traditionally been so lucky with our many willing and cheerful member jumping in and doing so gladly and with enthusiasm.
After this part of the AGM, our Kolping brother Josef Poeppl received his certificate for 50 years as a Kolping member. Also, a collection for charity took place and Kolping will double the amount. It was then decided that our February and March meetings would be cancelled because many members were about to leave on holidays to various places in the South.
On March 5th our Kolping society was in charge of praying the Way of the Cross at St. Joe's.
The annually Bowling tournament at Mosienko Lanes took place on March 21th. About 25 Members were at the starting line and had lots of fun. Afterwards we had a get-together at St. Joseph's hall and everybody enjoyed the coffee, sandwiches and donuts. The convenor, Bill Burchuk, had everything well organized.
Our Communion Breakfast in April was followed by a meeting, after many weeks: our president and all the other snow birds were finally back. Another collection was taken up - again for one of our charities.
A number of our members have been quite ill...there seems to have been some sort of outbreak of colon and other cancers, for example. Hip and knee replacements and broken bones, etc. All appear to be on the mend at this time. However, we lost one of our members on April 16th: Ed Schoffner passed away at the Health Sciences Centre. We extend our condolences to Kathy and her family.
In closing we wish all of our mothers a Happy Mothers' Day! And Happy Fathers' day to our Dads in June! Enjoy the good weather and enjoy your life! We come this way but once.
Treu Kolping - Hans Kessling/rk
reginaknoll@Shaw.ca
NEWS FROM THE KOLPING SOCIETY OF WINNIPEG 
