The people of the island
province of Newfoundland and Labrador have always had to leave home
in order to find employment. In the early days, people left to go
out on the banking schooners. Later, people left to head to mainland
Canada. Eventually, some adventurous Newfoundlanders found their
way to California. Being so far away from home, living in a foreign
country, with a new way of life, friends, and culture, Newfoundlanders
often feel that it is important to hang on to their Newfoundland
roots. It only take 2 "Newfies" to meet up for a Newfoundland
Club to be born. |
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At 11:30 one Sunday morning in August of 1994, I packed
everything I wanted to keep, into my suburban and headed for California.
The following Thursday, I pulled up to the Diamond Bar, California offices
of the Independent Order of Foresters, a fraternal life insurance company
for whom I had worked in Canada. This was a transfer I asked for and,
here I was in a strange country with about $200 to my name, a desire to
sell life insurance (but I had no California insurance license) and I
knew two people. I felt like I was dropped off by a wagon train that was
now out of sight, heading further west.
To say the least, I could have been a very lonely
person. But, before loneliness could take over, I decided to find other
Newfoundlanders who may be living in Southern California. I wrote letters
to the Downhomer magazine and to newspapers back home, trying to fine
other Newfoundlanders in this area.
Responses came fairly quickly and three months later
we had the first meeting of the club at the home of Allie Pinck in San
Diego. The inaugural members besides myself (from Botwood) and Allie (from
St. John's) were Iris Newbury (King's Point), Jocelyn Knee (Corner Brook),
Shirley Freeman (St. John's) and Marion Cross (New World Island). Allie's
husband Stan (a native Californian) commented that when the six of us
got together for the first time, we acted like old friends and not strangers.
That's the nature of the Newfoundlander!
I was on CBC TV in St. John's and did an extensive
interview with Dr. Noel Murphy of CFCB in Corner Brook and there were
articles in the Downhomer during our first few months. That caught the
attention of several other Newfoundlanders in Southern California and
Las Vegas and the club grew at a fast pace. We started monthly meetings
in member's homes immediately and the have been going on ever since.
From the start, we welcomed not only residents here
but, also, visitors from Newfoundland. Entertainers from home sent us
CDs and tapes to share with our members. People brought food from home.
The club is strong and I hope it will continue for
many years to come.
— Austin Elliott, Botwood
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