Staff and students paid their respects to the soldiers who participated and continue to participate in military action throughout the world, Nov. 8. This year the flag bearers who escorted Legion members into the gym were Donald and Morgan Miriam. Brandi Kobes then called on Travis Burgess to sing the national anthem, accompanied by Mrs. Hazel Mosimann on the piano.
During the service, the winning entries in the 2011 Remembrance Day essay and poem contest were read. Readers for the day were Hailey Brennan on behalf of her brother Treyden, Payton Morin, Kelcey McCarthy, Jessica Curry, Shanae Blaquiere and Breanna Wouters. Reading Shyla Hamel's poem written for the 2012 contest were Shyla Hamel and Austin White. Also taking part in the service was Brooke Roach singing Just A Dream and Braxton Letwinetz who sang I'd Like To Teach The World To Sing. The Grade 7 class recited Just A Common Soldier by A Lawrence Vaincourt, and Grades 4 and 5 presented In Flanders Field by John McCrea. The act of remembrance and the minute of silence were observed.
Laying of the wreaths was performed by a number of representatives: Grade 12 - Kelcey McCarthy, Grade 11 - Jessica Bec, Grade 10 - Brittany Bec, Grade 9 - Jayden Manastyrski, Grade 8 - Jared Greening, Grade 7 - Brandon Burgess, Grade 6 - Isaiah Morin, Grade 5 - Laney Blanchette, Grade 4 - Cameron Becotte, Grade 3 - Kaitlyn Harty, Grade 2 - Owen Latendresse, Grade 1- Delainee Rogers, staff - Ms. Angela Csiski, School Community Council - Mrs. Laura LaClare, RCMP - Cst. Al Dymytryshyn and the Royal Canadian Legion - Judy Carignan.
There was also a PowerPoint presentation of students' relatives who had served their country. The service concluded with a video of the Bryan Adams song, Never Let Go. The Legion members were escorted out of the gym by the flag bearers.
The second bingo in the season for the handi-van committee was held Nov. 9. Winners of $10 each were Margo Young-Brewster, Jeanne Pollard, Pete Roach (card played by Annette Blaquiere), Maurille Corbeil, Brian Sarich, Trayton Troesch and Donna Sarich. Winning hams were Teta Harty, Janet Cadrain and Graydon Troesch, with Irene Carlson winning the blackout game for a turkey. Winning the kids' prizes, donated by Frank and Maisie Poole, were Braxton Letwinetz and Carston Day. The next bingo will take place Dec. 14 at 7:30 p.m. in the seniors' centre.
The Minnehaha Co-op Hall will be holding their annual Christmas concert Dec. 8 at 7:30 p.m. at the Minnehaha Co-op Hall. For more information or to be included on the program, call Hazel Mosimann.
A bridal shower was held Nov. 10 in honour of bride-elect Megan Cadrain. Meagan is the daughter of Jim and Beth Cadrain of Swift Current and Michelle Jarrett of Lloydminster and will be marrying Kyle Esquirol, son of Daniel and Bev Esquirol of Edam. The happy couple will be married Dec. 1 and will make their home in Edam. Megan is employed as administrator of the Village of Edam and Kyle farms in the area. Congratulations, Kyle and Megan.
The annual Remembrance Day service was held in the Legion Hut in Edam, Nov. 11 at 10:40 a.m. The service got underway with the singing of the national anthem to piano accompaniment by Hugette MacGregor. Leader Judy Carignan called upon Evelyn Cooper to read the statement of remembrance, followed by Hugette MacGregor reading In Flanders Fields. A message from MP Gerry Ritz was read by Evelyn Cooper. God Save The Queen was accompanied on the piano by Hugette MacGregor, followed by the act of remembrance, the minute of silence and Reveille. Wreaths were laid by: for the Government of Canada, Judy Carignan; for the RM, Louis McCaffrey; for the village, Sheila Orchison; for the Legion Branch, Tom Terpstra; and by Evelyn Cooper and Ken McConnell. All were invited to take part in lunch and fellowship following the service.
Here is the poem recited by the Grade 7 class during the school service:
Just A Common Soldier
By A. Lawrence Vaincourt
He was getting old and paunchy and his hair was falling fast, /And he sat around the Legion, telling stories of the past / Of a war that he had fought in and the deeds that he had done, / In his exploits with his buddies; they were heroes, every one.
And tho' sometimes, to his neighbors, his tales became a joke, / All his Legion buddies listened, for they knew whereof he spoke. / But we'll hear his tales no longer for old Bill has passed away, / And the world's a little poorer, for a soldier died today.
He will not be mourned by many, just his children and his wife, / For he lived an ordinary and quite uneventful life. / Held a job and raised a family, quietly going his own way, / And the world won't note his passing, though a soldier died today.
When politicians leave this earth, their bodies lie in state, / While thousands note their passing and proclaim that they were great. / Papers tell their whole life stories, from the time that they were young, / But the passing of a soldier goes unnoticed and unsung.
Is the greatest contribution to the welfare of our land / A guy who breaks his promises and cons his fellow man? / Or the ordinary fellow who, in times of war and strife, / Goes off to serve his Country and offers up his life?
A politician's stipend and the style in which he lives / Are sometimes disproportionate to the service that he gives. / While the ordinary soldier, who offered up his all, / Is paid off with a medal and perhaps, a pension small.
It's so easy to forget them for it was so long ago / That the old Bills of our Country went to battle, but we know / It was not the politicians, with their compromise and ploys, / Who won for us the freedom that our Country now enjoys.
Should you find yourself in danger, with your enemies at hand, / Would you want a politician with his ever-shifting stand? / Or would you prefer a soldier, who has sworn to defend / His home, his kin and Country and would fight until the end?
He was just a common soldier and his ranks are growing thin, / But his presence should remind us we may need his like again. / For when countries are in conflict, then we find the soldier's part / Is to clean up all the troubles that the politicians start.
If we cannot do him honour while he's here to hear the praise, / Then at least let's give him homage at the ending of his days. / Perhaps just a simple headline in a paper that would say, / "Our Country is in mourning, for a soldier died today."
