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Orolow Ukrainian Catholic Church held a very successful snowmobile rally Feb. 20 with 224 riders registering. In first place, Colleen Prystupa of Saskatoon took home $1,200. Second was Joseph Tanchak of Hafford who won $800 and third place went to Ashley Shewchuk of Orolow area, winning $500. The 50/50 draw of $300 went to Ryan Nemanishen of Langham. The church committee served food and beverages all day and had numerous donated raffle prizes.

Coming up on March 4 is World Day of Prayer, with Cuba the feature country. Radisson Lutheran Church hosts the service at 2 p.m. and in Speers it is at the United Church at 2 p.m. 

On March 5, the Radisson Figure Skating Club will hold their carnival night in the Communiplex at 7 p.m., with skaters from Borden, Radisson and Maymont taking part.

Winning cash prizes at the Borden Friendship Club bingo on Feb. 17

were Pat Trischuk, Carol Epp (twice), Marcelle Derosier (twice), Jim and Lorraine Olinyk, Doreen Flath, Jean Graham and Ann Brand. The last bingo for the season will be on March 16 at 7 p.m. in the Seniors Club Room.

Borden Museum held their annual meeting on Feb 18 with 18 out to hear the reports. President Karen Kerr welcomed everyone and introduced the board – secretary Helen Sutherland, Sharon Assman, Wendell Dyck, Heather Silcox and Darby Sutherland. 

After the 2014 minutes were read by Helen, Wendell gave the building and maintenance report, citing the walkway had been improved, barbershop roof redone and the museum sign installed. He thanked all those who donated their time. 

Heather Silcox gave the financial report showing income of $21,246  of which $11,787 was grants or Sask Lotteries. Expenses were $16,359.44 of which $7,139 was student wages and $2,628 was for utilities. The museum also holds $18,770 in term deposits. 

Sharon Assman spoke on 2015 activities which were the free supper celebrating 25 years of the museum and special recognition of Helen Sutherland for her 25 years of service, the archeological caravan on display, travelling museum box, teacher and Grades K-4 visit, geocache contest, sunflower growing contest, 50/50 draw and the Threshermen’s Supper. Cyril Saunders spoke for the Threshermen’s Club, stating that they will again be planting potatoes and trying to get a vintage potato digger. 

Helen spoke of the volunteers who helped at the museum when the student was not available and for the children's games held twice a week, which will also be held in 2016. Special thanks to Bev Assman  and Perry Nichol who helped a lot during the summer, the Village of Borden for grounds maintenance, and Laura Loeppky for working on the mannequins. 

Since this is being celebrated as the Year of the Ukrainian in Saskatchewan, the museum is holding a special supper on March 19 at 6 p.m. in the Borden Community Centre, and Larry Trischuk spoke on what is lining up – probably a Ukrainian dance group, local musical talent, artifacts from the Ukrainian Museum in Saskatoon for the pop-up table and a silent auction, for which donations are needed. Perogies and cabbage rolls will be served and the cost will be by donation. 

Karen Kerr gave the president’s report. 2015 was a good and very busy year. The museum would still like to install water, sewer to have a bathroom on site. Funds will need to be raised as the cost could be around $40,000. This year the contest will be the biggest cabbage and biggest red beet (by weight) and the museum will be selling beet seeds, with judging done at Threshing Day Sept. 24.

Mayor Tom Redhead is glad to see so many in attendance and dropping in during the summer, and the Village likes to see their workers doing mowing, clean-up and helping in any way. He thanked all the museum board members for their hard work to keep the museum going for all these years. 

The board meets the third Monday of the month and welcomes any new members to join as they are getting fewer in number. They also need a new treasurer with Darlene Penner retiring, and Helen would like to retire as secretary.

The Borden Lion’s held their annual speak-offs Feb. 15 in the N. Smith Room of the Community Centre. John Buswell, Lions president, welcomed everyone and introduced the two speakers – Shawna Langer  in Grade 12 at Langham and Rachel Sutherland in Grade 10 at Borden. The judges were Denise Nichol, Valerie Fendelet and Perry Nichol and the timer was Don Dyck. The girls could speak four to six minutes and lost points if over or under the time allotted. The speak-offs are for any student in Grades 9-12 from Borden or WW Brown School in Langham, and the winner gets her name on the Donald Sutherland Memorial Plaque. The winner here can go to districts if there are any and from there to the finals. After their speech a judge asks them a question on their topic.  

Shawna spoke on Ineffectiveness of our Education System and funding cutbacks. She spoke of Prairie Spirit Division which had to cut back many educational associates and tried to cut the band program. When the band program was cut, Shawna spearheaded a petition that saw Prairie Spirit reinstate the program. She believes that schools emphasis the academic and athletic side too much to the neglect of the arts programs and living skills.

Rachel spoke on how environment/family helped shape her the way she is today, starting with early years on the farm with her mom trying to get her be a princess in girlie clothes, then she would visit her grandmother Helen and play in the dirt, garden and learn to  bake. Later she had three male teen cousins living in the same yard and she learned to be a tomboy and they came to find her useful in their many schemes. She then had her dad getting her to work with cattle in 4-H beef and cattle shows. Growing up, she wasn’t the prim and proper girl, but now she is in her middle teens she enjoys trying makeup, hair styles and different clothes. She feels she has a strong sense of self and she is proud of who she is today. 

While the judges conferred, John talked about what the girls may want to do after Grade 12. Shawna wants to take kinesiology at the University of Saskatchewan to be a therapist, or she may take arts and science. Rachel, right now, would like to be a chef or a massage therapist.  

The judges said both girls had awesome speeches, doing very well with only a point or two difference. They chose Rachel as first. She received $80 and the memorial plaque from the Borden Lions. Shawna was second, receiving $45.