On November 14, Kathy Loveys hosted the clubs first "Guess Who's coming to Dinner" evening. Several club members gathered for a great evening of fellowship and fun while raising funds for Polio Plus.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Spirit of Giving- our club is sponsoring this event in December. As in the past, if there is any club member, business or otherwise who would like to sponsor a family themselves, please speak directly to Karin Voisin. Drop off day for Spirit of Giving is Dec 16^th- more information to follow

 

 

O Christmas Free- still need volunteers for this event, speak with Jayne Matzeg regarding your availability. 3 hour time commitment in the morning.

 

50/50 Pot: $384

David Barth, Karin Voisin and Spencer Yule all attempted to draw the elusive black marble. The pot remains!

 

 

Dr. David Welch- CIGI Chair of Global Security at the Balsillie School of International Affairs and Professor of Political Science at the University of Waterloo.

 

“Why World War I Still Matters”

Dr. Welch provided a vivid and insightful look into World War I; its causes, conduct and consequences. A Timely presentation with Remembrance Day, as well.  The origins of World War I, which began in The Balkans, was the intention of Austro-Hungary to essentially crush Serbia. A political, territorial, and economic conflict which naturally manifested into a larger battle than originally planned. Triggered by the assassination of Franz Ferdinand and his wife, the “inadvertent war” quickly escalated. A series of poorly handled situations within the war itself and after the war quickly led to WWII, which Dr. Welch discussed later. Dr. Welch drew comparisons between WWI and our current political states to draw a picture for why WWI Still Matters.

CAUSES: 8 main leaders in Europe in 1914; largely incompetent, overly self confident lead to low quality leadership, low quality decision making.

If we look at the “rebel states” then- Austria and Hungry vs. “rebel states” now- North Korea.

Equipment at the time- the Dreadnought; predominant battleship vs. Nuclear Missile machines

Dr. Welch described American concerns over China as a growing leader. Naturally, the numbers coming from China are incredible, enough to worry any studied Economist. The GDP growth, alone, is staggering, the wealth in the Middle Class, the exports.

Some potential current triggers? If 1914 saw a “Baltic Trigger” the 2015 trigger may well be China vs. Japan or how Taiwan plays into that, potentially a battle over the South China Sea where massive overlapping territorial claims exists.

CONDUCT: 1914 – The Schlieffen Plan- the German invasion of France and Belgium in 1914. Response to international tensions. Resulted in a costly, deadly, lengthy battle.

CONSEQUENCES: 1914- Germany felt they agreed to lay down guns with everyone else, instead, they were handed reparations.  This may have been the chief trigger for WWII. Unable and unwilling to pay, The Treaty of Versailles created rules as they printed money, created a schedule of payments, and subsequently partitioned and gave away land. National humility followed and the grieving Germans found a compelling voice in a not very well liked man, a man who promised to rectify the situation. Adolph Hitler.

 

Dr. Welch’s unique comparisons drew common lines of thought and decision making from WWI to our current state and cautioned against “making the same mistakes” or “mishandling” the same situations. He likened a Chinese rise to power as the tipping point.

 

 

 

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