Society’s banquet honours Winston Churchill

The Sir Winston Churchill Society of Calgary celebrates the life of the great wartime British prime minister and nurtures public-speaking skills in students.

Each year, the society sponsors high school debates centred around an issue Churchill was involved with during his life. The winners attend a black-tie dinner to receive their trophies, with the top two sponsored by the Calgary Herald since 1973.

The annual dinner has featured keynote speakers ranging from Lord Hailsham and Lord Shawcross to Countess Mountbatten of Burma and Randolph Churchill III. This year’s banquet, the 52nd annual,heldJune9attheRanchmen’s Club, featured keynote speaker Lord Watson of Richmond. Lord Watson is an award-winning BBC broadcaster, a partner in CTN Group and a Fellow of the Royal Television Society. Further, he was elected as High Steward of Cambridge University for Life in 2010, and was appointed commander of the Order of the British Empire in 1985 to list but a few of his accomplishments. An apt choice indeed to be this year’s keynote speaker and guest of honour.

Other highlights at the banquet included the awarding of Mount Royal University Moot Court Scholarships to the winners of the fall 2017 and spring 2018 sessions: Tess Bickley; Brittany Kremer; Kaitlyn McStravick; and Spencer Millis. Other incredibly bright minds were honoured this night for their stellar debating skills, demonstrated Nov. 25 at the annual Sir Winston Churchill Debate Tournament sponsored by the society. So take a well-deserved bow: top speaker Chelli Shapiro (Strathcona-Tweedsmuir School); Sunint Bindra, Hanbo Yu, Daniel Yang, Ali Wassem and Theo Lun (Sir Winston Churchill High School); Bishop Carrol High School’s Benjamin Beaudry and Sophia Spiropoulos; Western Canada High School’s Abigail Conrad, Riley Joffe, Arsham Moradi and Zeel Patel; and Strathcona’s Brock Jekill.

Others in attendance included society president Mark Milke and executive secretary David Holmes; Postmedia’s Lorne Motley; high school liaison Elisa Frank; Highwood Distillers’ Gerry Berkhold and his wife Bev; David Tavender; Marlene Mason; historian David Finch; Mount Royal University’s Lori Williams; Calgary Highlanders’ Capt. Andrew Pittet, Capt. Jason Leek and Master Warrant Officer Gerald Downey; Sir Winston Churchill High School debate coach Darren Kiziak; StrathconaTweedsmuir School debate coach Scott McKay; Chris and Gloria Simpkins; Justice Bruce McDonald and his wife, Pat Forigo; and Bill Bewick.

PHOTOS: BILL BROOKS Among the honoured guests attending the Sir Winston Churchill Society of Calgary 52nd annual Memorial Banquet at the Ranchmen’s Club were guest of honour and keynote speaker Lord Watson of Richmond, left, and society president Mark Milke.

Sir Winston Churchill High School debate coach Darren Kiziak, left, society president Mark Milke and Strathcona-Tweedsmuir School debate coach Scott McKay.

Sir Winston Churchill Society of Calgary executive secretary David Holmes, left, Bill Bewick and Postmedia’s Lorne Motley at the 52nd annual Memorial Banquet.

Calgary Highlanders Capt. Andrew Pittet, left, Capt. Jason Leek and Master Warrant Officer Gerald Downey.

David Tavender, left, with Marlene Mason and Bev and Gerry Berkhold.

Mount Royal University Moot Court scholarship winners Brittany Kremer, left, Tess Bickley, Spencer Millis and Kaitlyn McStravick.

High-school debate liaison Elisa Frank, left, debate tournament top speaker Chelli Shapiro and gold-medal winners Sunint Bindra and Hanbo Yu.

Chris and Gloria Simpkins took part in the banquet, which promotes high school debating skills.

Historian David Finch and Mount Royal University’s Lori Williams.

Justice Bruce McDonald and his wife, Pat Forigo, celebrated the life of Churchill.