The Royal Canadian Legion
	Branch 160
	1825 Comox Avenue
	Comox, B.C.
	V9M 3M3
	250-339-2022

You can access Archives of the Branch Log and the Calendar click here

President’s Message

Our Branch elections have been held and The Committees will be in place in the New Year.
I would like to personally thank every one who has supported us over the past year and I wish the new line up much success in the coming year. I will not be disappearing as I will be chairing the Honors and Awards Committee and helping with others.
It was an honor to serve as your President over the past 2 years and I am confident that the new table officers elect share the enthusiasm and upward trend, which we have established. I am looking forward to even bigger and better things for our Branch in the coming year.
Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year to everyone from myself and my wife who has supported me behind the scenes.(No Easy Task)
I will steal this line from Val one more time. See you at the Branch!
GE ( Gerry) Maillet
President Branch 160

Poppy Fund
Comrades:        Once again our Poppy Campaign and Remembrance Day ceremonies have come to a satisfactory conclusion.  I would like to thank all those volunteers who manned the tables in the mall and a special thanks to those who worked more than one shift; those who did not have an opportunity to do so there is always the next year to show your dedication to the Poppy Campaign.   A big thanks to those who attended the Assemblies put on every November 10th in our schools.  We would be in remiss if we did not mention the volunteers in our color party; hoping this turn out will continue for future events and parades needing the flag bearers.  I would like to add a small note of thanks to Cyndy our Secretary/Manager for numerous administrative chores, Terry Smith our MC for doing dozens of things behind the scenes, our padre Neil Parker, our trumpet player Chuck Maillet and our recital person Tatiana Cosby.  Last but certainly not least a huge thanks to our Poppy Committee members Frank Elvins, Ken Bedford and Stu McKinnon our Deputy Poppy Chair; these people made it all happen.
Don Sinnema, the Poppy Guy

The Curator's Corner By Dave Kelly

First, a bit of trivia. Most all in the military has heard the following expression, "Their's not to make reply, Their's not to reason why, Their's but to do and die". Where did this come from? The answer later in this column.
During the last month, I have placed "The Naval Prayer" in the Memorial Room. Also in the Memorial Room, I have moved 3 pictures and placed a very nice oil painting of poppies that was donated by Comrade Kathy Wilson. In the Navy room, I have taken down Comrade George Plank's map of Vancouver Island to make room for the ship pictures donated by Comrade Stan Hawkes, and also a picture of Bay class Minesweepers in formation donated by Comrade Nils Ling. Also a framed poster of the 2010 Navy Centennial, donated by Comrade E Bostrom. The map is now in storage.
From an unknown donator 2 RCL ribbons for our collection. They are Branch 24 St. Catharines, Ont. and Branch 177 Little Current, Ont.
Again from an unknown donator, a framed picture of HMCS Ontario as well as 29 unframed large pictures of RCN ships. Some of these, I will frame and mount in the Navy room. The answer to the trivia question is: These lines are from the poem "The Charge of the Light Brigade" by Alfred Tennyson.
More trivia: from the book titled "Customs and Traditions of the Canadian Armed Forces" published in 1980. In December, 400 Air Reserve Squadron Toronto holds its annual Black Velvet reunion. The name stems from the concoction served...stout and champagne.
Dec. 4, St. Barbara's Day. The day of the mystical patron saint of artillery men, is observed by units of the Royal Regiment of Canadian Artillery with church parades, sports, mess dinners and other events, even to firing salutes with miniature guns.
Dec. 15, The Windsor Regiment celebrates its birthday, recalling its founding as the Essex Regiment (Tank) 1936.
Dec. 25, The Queen's Own Rifles of Canada celebrate the birthday of the regiment's colonel-in-chief, Her Royal Highness Princess Alexandra of Kent.
Dec. 31, Other ranks of the Canadian Scottish Regiment (Princess Mary's) dine annually to honour the memory of the 4 members of the regiment who won the Victoria Cross. Here endeth the lesson -Fairwinds.........Dave

At least once a week, someone will say to me “I want to buy a computer. What should I buy”.
My answer to that question will be a little lengthy, but learning how to buy a computer will help you save money and choose a computer that is right for your needs. Do your homework. Learn as much as possible before making the decision and consider the pros and cons of each computer add-on and accessory.
First, ask yourself “Why do I need a computer ?”.  The most common uses people put their systems to are E-mail, browsing the internet, social networking, uploading-receiving-storing pictures-videos-music, banking, home or business paperwork, graphics work, and gaming.
Unless you intend to do extensive graphic work, heavy duty gaming or large volume movie downloads, most people require a standard computer right off the shelf.  The performance level of your computer will determine the cost of your computer and I will get to that a little further.
Note that you can do your own research using the Branch's computer. Google is a friendly search tool and it will assist you in choosing a system suited for you and your family.
So, for the purpose of this article, I will use a 5 steps process.
1.   PC (Personal Computer) or Mac
You have to decide if you wish to purchase a PC with Windows Operating System or a Mac. Unfortunately, I am not a Mac owner. However, all Mac owners tell me they are great computers and user friendly. 10 years ago, Mac were very pricey. In the last 5 years, the prices have come down and they are now very affordable.
2.   PC, Laptop or Netbook

1. You could buy a PC if the computer will remain in your house permanently. On the other hand, both laptop and netbook are great for travelling. A PC will require you to purchase a monitor. Laptops come with various size screens (14 to 18 inches). Netbooks are smaller and vary in size from 12 to 14 inches. Netbook do not have a CD-ROM (Compact Disk – Read-Only-Memory). CD-ROM are also called Optical drive. So, this means you would not be able to utilize a CD (Compact Disk) or
   DVD (Digital Versatile Disk) Do not get turned off with the fancy terms. Just remember that a DVD will store 6 times more data than a CD.
   3.   Do you need add-ons?
   Will you need a printer, scanner or any other devices. On that topic, you can wait. You always can purchase a printer or any other devices at a later time.
   4.   How much do you want to spend?
   Once you have decided the type of machine suited for you, look at weekly computer sales in newspapers, flyers, or TV ads.  Go to at least 2 stores and look at their prices.  Do not rush.
   5.   Where to buy?
   I will not suggest to you a particular store to purchase your computer. The Comox Valley has several good computer stores. We have a few big box stores and several small computer shops. Most computers come with 1 year factory warranty. Some smaller local computer stores will add 2 years at no cost. Salesman will try to sell you extended warranty. This is really a personal decision.  Is there a make better than another. Not really.  The main companies such as Dell, HP, Acer, Sanyo, Toshiba and others are all equally good.
   So, as you can see, you must do your homework. To make your final decision, you may want to talk to a friend or family member who just purchased a system. Determine what they like and do not like. What would they do different.
   You can E-mail your comments and questions at bccomox@gmail.com
   Jacques

Related Sites:               This deals with Veteran's issues:
http://www.veteranvoice.info/index2.html

Sports
Saturday December 3rd; Darts Turkey Shoot in Upper Hall, register 9 am until 9:45 am, toe line 10 am. Prizes for1st to 4th places, Turkeys and Hams. Prizes, for men’s and ladies high score and high out. Entry fee $7.00 per player, blind draw doubles, and modified round robin.
Sunday December 4th; Crib in the upper hall, $5.00 per player. Turkey and ham raffle.
Sunday December 11th; Branch Crib Playoff in the navy room, check in by 10.30am play commences at 11 am.
Saturday December 17th; Xmas Pot Luck Euchre, start time 6:30 PM! In the Air Force room, $5.00 per player.
January 17th/18th and 19th: Branch Darts playoff, see posters.

Last Post

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