The 85th Reunion is just a week away, and the Reunion Committee just sent an e-mail with some important information to all those who have registered. If you didn’t receive the e-mail, you can view it here.
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The Fort Henry Guard Club of Canada’s Annual General Meeting will take place at Fort Henry on Sunday, August 6, 2023 at 12:30 pm. Members in good standing are invited to attend the AGM, either in person, or online. More details about how to access the meeting via Zoom will be shared shortly.
The nomination list for this year’s AGM can be found here. We are seeking four Directors to join the Board, and two Club members have agreed to stand for election. Nominations from the floor will be accepted should any members wish to run for election.
We look forward to welcoming as many members as possible as we celebrate the 85th Reunion, and look back at a very successful year.
The Annual General Meeting of the Fort Henry Guard Club of Canada will be held on Tuesday, August 30 at 4:30 pm.
This year’s AGM will use a hybrid format, and members can either participate in person at the Fort Henry Great Hall (formerly called the Discovery Centre) or on-line via Zoom.
Any member in good standing who wishes to attend virtually can sign up using this Google form – we’ll then e-mail you the Zoom link, agenda and reports in advance of the meeting.
Please sign up for the AGM by Sunday, August 28 so we have time to send you all of the materials in a timely fashion.
The latest edition of The Guardsman is now available for FHGCC members. The June issue includes updates from Guard Club president Alex McLean and Guard Captain Micheal Valiquette, the nominations report for the upcoming AGM, and the first in a series of stories by members of the Board – first up is John Grenville (FHG 705), our long-time Secretary-Treasurer.
The newsletter, and more than 80 issues of The Guardsman, can be found in the Members section.
Tom Little, FHG 593, has put together a very helpful outline of the Fort Henry Guard Club of Canada’s organizational structure. It includes a list of the Club’s Officers, Board members, and the various committees (including the Executive Committee, Reunion Committee, Awards Committee, and the newly formed Equity, Diversity and Inclusion Committee).
A copy of the updated structure is below, and it can also be found on the website’s Members section, which also includes a number of additional useful documents (list of Guard numbers, Club Bylaws and Code of Conduct, etc).
Fort Henry National Historic Site and the Fort Henry Guard Club of Canada are partnering to launch a mentorship program for this year’s summer staff. COVID severely impacted the hiring system Fort Henry relies on, where student staff have time to progress naturally through leadership positions and learn different aspects of Senior Guard responsibilities prior to being in those roles.
The aim of this program is to utilize former Senior Guard to help mentor and coach this season’s Senior Guard through a challenging transition from the rank-and-file to young leaders of the Fort Henry Guard.
More information about how we see this program operating, what the expectations of a mentor are, and a basic guide to mentoring in general, can be found in this PDF.
Some notes:
- The Fort Henry Guard is always changing, growing, and evolving. While not required, preference will be given to those who have worked at the Fort in the last 20 to 25 years to ensure mentors are up to date on current practices.
- We are also seeking female mentors as we anticipate there being many female mentees.
- Mentors do not have to live in the Kingston area to participate. A completely virtual mentorship can be facilitated.
If you are interested in applying, please complete this Google Form. The deadline for submissions is Wednesday, March 23, 2022.
Please contact camsmith@trentu.ca with any questions or if you have trouble accessing the Google form.
Thank you!
Into the Dragon’s Jaws
A Canadian Combat Surgeon in The Vietnam War
Dr. Garry L. Willard
Foreword by: Brigadier-General (Ret.) William J. Patterson (FHG 211)
Congratulations to Dr. Garry Willard, FHG 381, (Guard of 1958-1960), whose recently- published book, Into the Dragon’s Jaws, provides an intensely personal and detailed narrative of his 1968 experiences as a trauma surgeon during the most severe fighting in the Vietnam War. The book offers an account of the pain, as well as the acts of kindness, created by war and reveals a piece of Canadian and military history that is not widely known.
Dr. Willard’s book is available on Amazon, Chapters and Barnes & Noble websites in e-book (Kindle, Kobo, Nook), Paperback and Hardcover print formats. The author is currently connecting with many Associations such as The American College of Surgeons, The Royal College of Surgeons of Canada, The Royal Canadian Air Force Association, Eastern Command Naval Association, Vietnam Combat Veterans, Military Veterans of Canada, USMC – Vietnam Veterans, Vietnam Veterans Photo Club, Veterans Affairs – Canada Remembers, Vietnam War History Organization and Vietnam War Book & Film Club that are backing his desire to donate part of the royalties for PTSD Research and Treatment of PTSD in our Military and Veterans. Of interest is the fact that the e-book generates as much royalty as the print version, so even if less expensive, it is still significant as to the donations Dr. Willard will be able to make for PTSD Research and Treatment.
It is Truth and Reconciliation Week in Canada. This week offers the opportunity for us to reflect on the dark and difficult parts of our shared history with Indigenous people. This Thursday, September 30 is Orange Shirt Day in recognition of a movement that originated with Phyllis Webstad, a residential school survivor – and it is also the first National Day for Truth and Reconciliation.
As we observe this day, Senator Murray Sinclair, Commissioner of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission, challenges all Canadians to “read the 94 Calls to Action of the Truth and Reconciliation Report and pick one that you can work on, that you understand and make it happen. This is not a spectator sport. We need you, to bring reconciliation to a reality in this country.”
We encourage everyone to participate in recognizing the legacy and ongoing effects of colonization and residential schools through a meaningful way whether it be through quiet reflection, participating in in-person or online events, or engaging in conversation.
Here are some resources to support our reflection:
- Download the mobile app – Reconciliation: A Starting Point
- Read the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada’s 94 calls to action
- Read the 231 calls to action in the Final Report of the National Inquiry into Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls
- Read reports related to residential schools, the Truth and Reconciliation Commission, Aboriginal Healing Reports and more
- The National Centre for Truth and Reconciliation has developed a Residential School timeline.
- The CBC has created an interactive map that allows you to see how close you live or work to a former Residential School site.
Alex McLean
President, Fort Henry Guard Club of Canada