Recent News December

McGill-Montreal Chapter Triumphs over Storm!
by M.A. (Tony) Whitehead

December 2007 ,Sigma Xi Christmas Party and Special Lecture
|"A Roller Coaster Survey of the History of Sigma Xi and The McGill Chapter"

Despite the mere 40cm (nowadays people groan over 40cm when they cheerfully dealt with 40 ins, focusing on numbers and not the miniscule cm unit) local people failed to show, but from Loyola Campus of Concordia, St.-Sauveur and Two Mountains, McGill and Concordia, our intrepid Members packed in to give 40 people a chance to hear the talk and enjoy the Party! My sincere  thanks go to Dr. Chris Williams, who at a minute’s notice took on the Presidency pro-tem, started the Meeting and Introduced me with a very personal and humorous approach, from his joining my research team to his graduating.I was also glad to have Dr. Roper, fresh from Patients and snow drifts, give the Vote of Thanks, after our fabulous sextet, organized by Ashley Bourgoyne of the Music Faculty, had rendered the Sigma Xi Song for the first time in a Century: they repeated it and then everybody stood up and joined in the third repeat!

The Sigma Xi Song, Words by Philip E Browning:  Yale Chapter 1887
Sigma Xi by thy clear call invited, we thy sons
to thee our Faith have plighted, by one aim, one purpose united
Spoudon Xynones  seekers for the truth are we
Atom, molecule, sine and tangent, ancient rock and living cell,
Earth’s dark ways,  heav’ns nightly wonders,
Shall they not nature’s secrets tell?
Hold aloft the light of science burning
By its light may we the truth discerning
Guide mankind from path of error turning
Spoudon Xynones , seekers of the truth are we.

The sextet was presented with  Certificates,  Cascades Coffee Mugs and books about Analytical Chemistry at McGill and Montreal in the Nineteenth Century. Thomas Lazzara and An Ngo, our Retiring Secretaries and Zahid Mahimwalla and Martin Aguilar, two of our New Secretaries organized a truly Gourmet Banquet, Roast Chicken, Cold Cuts, Cheeses, Fruits, Cakes, and a wildly successful choice of Libations; the Party lasted until 9.30 pm.  Having set the Food Display up, they had to clear the remnants that remained away.
For all of you who could not be present, the Lecture can be downloaded here, although none of the humorous, scathing, pithy, insightful and gentle comments made about the slides will be known!

DOWNLOAD Prof. Whitehead Special Lecture ..::.. View some more pictures