March's History

by Carol Lawless, Treasurer

It’s March -– winter’s end and the dawn of spring! At the Southwestern Ontario chapter, our Marches have been as predicable as seasons. Traditionally, we’ve held our annual wine and cheese, celebrating member achievements. Does anyone know how old the tradition really is? The 1997 Quill talks about it as a long standing tradition, but we could find no reference prior to 1996.

Still, there is a long-standing list of achievements to recognize from past springs and, in some cases, to look forward to this spring:

• Competition winners have been announced –- this year will be no exception!
• Chapter achievement awards have been presented to deserving members. Our growing list includes Kathryn McLean, Celia Clark, Leanne Logan, Al Daigen, Holly Curtis, Catherine McNair, Brian Gamble, Ted Edwins, Deb Maskens, Catherine Schryer, Patrick Hofmann, Pamela Sittler. . . and more to come.
• Special honours have been recognized, and 2004 promises to be an exciting year.
• The first student awards were presented, in 1998, to students in their 3rd or 4th year of full-time study, based on an entrance essay, writing samples and academic standing. Winners and runners up include Nicole Faber, Heather Clements, Elizabeth Monier-Williams, Heather Clements, Simona Novak, Andrea Brown, Ruth Allen, Michael Leahy, Amy Fuller, Theresa Cook, Anthony Cacciacarro, Joanna Duong, Patrick Murtha, Diane Russell.
• In 2000, the student awards were renamed to recognize Heidi Thiessen, a deceased member of our chapter who actively mentored many students and young writers in the area.