It was our first convention and the first morning of meetings. I was there to learn what I could about workings of the Canadian Progress Club. I had just joined the previous year and felt a little out of place. I was just getting to know the other club members. It took awhile to feel like I was part of the group, so decided to go to the National Convention to see what the whole thing was all about.

I had an early breakfast and had gone to the first meeting. Fran, my wife, came for breakfast a little later and was sitting by herself at a table looking a little lonely. Another late breakfaster saw Fran sitting by herself and came over to sit with her. What a nice thing to do. Her name was Marg. They struck up a conversation and as it turned out both were spouses of sole club attendees at the convention. Her husband’s name was Earl.

This was the start of a long lasting friendship that started in 1968. Both couples attended the past National Convention in Saskatoon and have attended almost every National Convention since their first meeting at Niagara Falls. During that Niagara Falls convention, National President Jim McArthur put down a $1,000 bill and challenged the attendees to match it and he would jump into the adjoining swimming pool wearing his tuxedo. The money was given, he got very wet, climbed out and continued to chair the meeting. Thus the Canadian Progress Charitable Foundation was born.

The convention in Saskatoon saw that same magic occur as we hit the $1,000,000 mark for CPCF. The spouses of the two ladies meeting at breakfast in 1968 both became National Presidents and have continued their friendship to this day.

(Shown at top right: Past National George Christie receives the Past National President's custom name badge from Outgoing National President Juanita Soutar.)