42 Zorra Now | Spring 2023 TOWNSHIP COMMUNITY INFORMATION Annual General Meeting The Embro & Zorra Agricultural Society (EZAS) wrapped up the 2022 year with an Annual General Meeting held on January 25, 2023 at the Embro Legion. The evening included a delicious dinner catered by Jed Lau, greetings from Zorra Township given by Ward 4 Councillor Crystal Finch, greetings from 2022-2023 Fair Ambassador Lili Smith, an update from OAAS District 7 given by Corporal Mona Eichmann, 2021 EZAS minutes, Treasurer Report, President Report, and guest speaker from the Ontario Federation of Agriculture, Joanne Fuller giving a presentation on the Farmer’s Wellness Initiative – an important topic around mental health in the agricultural sector. The 2023 Executive were installed by facilitator Jim Grieve: Katelyn Sykes (Past President), Chantel Van Ryswyck (President), Mark Zammit (1st Vice President), Rebecca MacLeod (2nd Vice President), Nicole Barnett (Secretary), and Emily Bertens (Treasurer). Board of Directors: Julie McIntosh, KimJakeman, Tori Smith, Trish Rochon, Eric Nicholls, and Selia Koops. Homecraft Directors: Marian Sterk, Veronica Sterk, Anne Matheson, Allison Wilks, Eleanor McIntosh, Laura Fraser, Lynne Heersink, Sue Langlois, and Kaitlan Van Wely. Retiring/Resigning Directors were thanked for their contributions and years of service: Sara Stephenson, Jill Whetstone, Gail Kavelman, Annie Parker, Pat Janscar, and Angela Cucksey. A warm welcome to our new directors joining the board: Jaclyn Turpin, Veronica Sterk, and Jenn McDonald. Aside from the Board of Directors, all members of the EZAS, volunteers, liaisons, and community members were thanked for their volunteerism, donations, and contributions – many hands make light work, and we are so thankful for a community that comes together like ours! Secretary Nicole Barnett went over the proposed changes to the EZAS Constitution (2005), and a motion was carried to approve all amendments, thus adopting the updated EZAS Constitution (2022). Those wishing to have a copy of the updated Constitution can contact the Secretary. An addition to the meeting were the newly added OAAS Awards. Congratulations to OAAS Award recipients: Katherine Grieve (OAAS Accomplishment Award), Sara Stephenson (OAAS 10 Years of Service Award), Julie McIntosh (OAAS 25 Years of Service Award), and Marian Sterk (OAAS Meritorious Service Award). DinnerTheatre In February and March, Embro & Zorra Agricultural Society presented their dinner theatre production fundraiser ‘Splitsville’ written by Lynda Lloyd-McKenzie, directed by Norm Northmore, stage managed by Geoff Innes, and produced by KimJakeman & Sara Stephenson. The talented cast consisted of John Hazeleger, Meagan Hargreaves, Doug Turvey, Elaine Northmore, Kathy Dodd, Kelly McFarland, and Candice Lisk. It was a heartfelt comedy with an unforgettable cast of characters. Darryl, the harassed manager of the bowling alley with a dry sense of humour, Allie the determined type-A captain of the Allie Catz team, and of course, the Allie Catz team. The team includes the eccentric man-crazy middle-aged Reba, the ever-so-sweet (and accident-prone) retiree Molly, Lexi the confident hipster-type and Jasmine, a newly divorced young mother trying to have some fun whilst dealing with the issue of her ex. Frank, Molly’s husband, is always next to Molly, whether she wants him to be or not, to practice his knitting and to cheer on the team. We would like to thank all those who made donations and volunteered their time and talents. We are so lucky to have amazing assistant stage managers, lighting, sound, costume design, props, set design, ticket sales & promotion, program design, house managers, photography, hair & makeup, set-up crew, and more! We would also like to thank local business Workshop Supply for acting as a ticket sales location after box office closed. The delicious dinner was catered by Janice’s Fine Country Catering and included many favourites such as a salad with Fairboard Dressing, buns from Sassy’s, pork loin, chicken divan, roasted potatoes, vegetables, with cake and coffee to finish off the meal. For the Brunch, Village Deli & Catering served up a feast! Patrons enjoyed sausages, meatballs, cheesy bacon hashbrown casserole, green beans, pasta salad, veggie and fruit trays, and assorted desserts. Ticket sales were almost to ¾ capacity each performance. Kitchen Convenor Chantel Van Ryswyck did an amazing job keeping everything rolling smoothly as always with her detail-oriented, organized manner and positive, cheerful attitude - thank you Chantel! We are also so grateful to all of our volunteers. It takes so many people to help with both set-up and clean-up, serving, dishes, and bar. We couldn’t do it without the support of the community, many of whom don’t just volunteer, but are also patrons of the show. We were also so fortunate to welcome new volunteers this year and look forward to the next performance in 2024! Watch the website for the December box office date! EMBRO&ZORRA 29 Join us to help celebrate our great community! Aug 1-29th Embro Rocks Sept 3rd Birdhouse Contest Ends Sept 11th Fall Front Porch Display Submissions Due Sept 15th Virtual Baby Show Entries Due Pumpkin Prince & Princess Weights Due Sept 18th Outdoor Movie at Embro Zorra Community Centre Sept 19th Embro Parade & Artisan Market Ongoing Standing Field Crops Competition Follow along at www.embrofair.com for more information and for our sign up sheets International Student Exchanges Restarting February 2022 will see the first flights of international exchange students pioneering a return to reciprocal experiences in Zorra and five European nations. France, Germany, Italy, Switzerland and Spain will welcome students between 13 and 18 years of age for nine week stays. The Spring return to Ontario will not mean never seei g your partn r – Look to their arrival in late August 2022! Pioneering? Zorra’s Jessica Hatch was the first student in Oxford to layer a bursary onto her exchange. Not only did she live well in France, but she also brought back fascinating comparisons of public transit solutio s for Oxford and Ontario. She accessed her personal exp ri nce with bike- o-bus-to-train connections as well as European facts to produce a much-applauded pres ntation, thus e riching her fun, adding to our knowledge, and tapping into a bursary t help with her exchange costs. As for living in France – Magnifique! Encore?
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