PROVIDENCE BAY—Earlier this month Bev Webster sent out invitations to many friends and neighbours to the Providence Bay Hall for a very special gathering and appreciation ceremony for some honorary members of the Twilight Seniors Club.
The Twilighters Club are a subsidiary/affiliate of the Senior Citizens of Ontario. Twilight Club Members meet the last Monday of every month to cultivate and curate friendships, fun, games, art, music, poetry, prose, prayer as they share a potluck supper celebrating all of life’s simple pleasures. Taking time together to share their common love of cards paired with camaraderie and the knowledge and mantra that the light still shines in your senior years is the secret to the club’s longevity and success.
Twilight Club alumni Bev Webster organized the event as a tribute and a way of showing her gratitude toward her good friends of many years whom she boasted have been such a blessing in her life. December’s provided Ms. Webster and club members the opportunity to reflect on the joy of their time together and to ring in the New Year and honour the people who are in the twilight of their life journey. There were refreshments, cake and a lot of shared memories and live songs and music. Ms. Webster thanked Alison Sloss and Central Manitoulin council members for allowing her to have the space to bring everyone together. Ms. Sloss thanked everyone for the honour and introduced council member Linda Farquhar who went on to present congratulatory milestone certificates to the head table and guests of honour, Allen Kerr, age 94; Betty Kerr, aged 99 who will be ringing her 100th Birthday this May; Nola Haner, age 96; Vicki Grigg, age 92; Rita Bond, age 91; and Donna Philips, age 93. Ms. Webster introduced club members and joked that she was having a “seniors’ moment” because she had misplaced her agenda all while facilitating the guests, PA system, the food, the cakes, the meticulously hand-written cards, miniature bottles of sand and the gift giveaways and prizes for the “guess how many grains of sand are in the box” contest. Ms. Webster had everything very well organized, and the elusive agenda memorized (not her first rodeo.)
Ms. Sloss welcomed guests and introduced Councillor Farquhar who presented the Central Manitoulin certificates one by one to the esteemed, honorary panel of six Twiglighters over the age of 90 amidst a frenzy of camera flashes and a flood of requests from the “posterity keepers” and press as some folks ebbed and joked. Everyone smiled and celebrated with delight as club member and fellowship Minister Randy Moritt shared some inspirational words and scripture and gave praise for “lives well lived”
Twilight Club VP Brent Forsyth shared some anecdotes about his time in Hamilton and early career and how me met a wonderful mentor who was able to share in their knowledge and experiences with him. He went on to say, “I think it’s a wonderful opportunity to recognize those in their golden years. “When you look around the room there’s lots of experience here and today we are honoring this table, so if you’re interested in getting together and playing euchre and getting together and eating a lot of food on a regular basis, we would love to have you and it’s just an honour being here today to celebrate these people. If you get a chance to hear some of the stories and hear some of the memories that got them this far they would be honoured as well. So, thank you everyone for coming, I counted about 48 people here today who came out and to share in this celebration and fellowship in our community and that is a good thing.”
“I chatted with Brent and mentioned I had met club president Roy Robinson at the Prov Bay Opry last year. Roy had extended his regrets that he could not attend. Brent shared some stories and club history with me and we reflected on the importance of such gatherings.”
What could be better than the gift and grace of another year under the sun surrounded by friends and mentors? Bev and her fellowship of Twilighters understand well that there comes a time in all of our lives where in lieu of counting candles we count our blessings, because they are many and they are all around us. Thank you, Bev and Twilighters Club for this happy day and wonderful start to the New Year. Shine on!
by Alexia Hannigan
