The day started unusually. A power outage just before 6:30 a.m. plunged more than 8,200 houses, including the Vernon Jubilee Hospital (VJH), into darkness, at which time the “hospital generators kicked into motion with virtually no interruption,” shared Richard Harding, VJH Acute Health Service Administrator. By 10:30 a.m., most had power restored, but the event planning committee was a bit anxious when the lights went out since, after months of planning the VJH Physician Society’s Annual General Meeting (AGM) there was concern regarding whether or not the meeting would happen at all that evening at 5:00 PM.
The set up crew arrived early at Laker’s Clubhouse, a serene venue cleverly hidden to preserve its intimate and relaxed atmosphere only to find that the City of Vernon landscaping crews had ripped up the outside area and were installing an underground sprinkler system. With the landscape completed, elegant tables with fragrant floral centerpieces in place and black backdrops, that staged the mood for the evening, projector screen installed for the AGM portion of the evening, the meeting was ready to go.
Dr. Kira McClellan, VJHPS Vice President, arrived…on a bicycle. A change of clothes from her backpack transformed the director instantly, her zest for the evening evident. Not to be outdone by Kira’s entrance, Dr. Michael Cooke, VJHPS Secretary-Treasurer, rolled into the room navigating with a knee walker and foot cast, undaunted by a recent minor accident. Dr. Adam Weathermon, Board Director, fresh from testing the much-anticipated new MRI machine, arrived ready for a much-deserved break, and Dr. Kevin Wiseman, the fearless retiring president, joined the party, unaware of his impending part in the evening.
The business of the AGM commenced, with the election of directors resulting in the addition of Dr. Jason Doyle to the Board. Dr. Kevin Wiseman unveiled the launch of the new VJHPS website, followed by acknowledgements, a brief interlude for dinner, and then the lights dimmed.
The show began with the amazing and hilarious Don Bryan, whose talents as a world renown ventriloquist, astonished the audience. His hand carved dummies volleyed multiple conversations back and forth, often being left alone on stage, yet continuing to move and talk on their own. Don Bryan scanned the audience for a volunteer, and Dr. Wiseman bravely accepted to become a puppet in the show. The hilarity progressed with one-liner jokes and even an “I’m a little teapot” parody. Dr. Wiseman, the good sport that he is, played his part superbly to the delight of his colleagues.
The evening closed with the musical ingenuity of John Bos, skillfully blending a vast repertoire of mellow to rock and roll tunes, amazing his audience when he plucked a glass off a table to use to play his wireless guitar while rocking the audience.
The day had started as an unusual one but ended with a top notch lively and entertaining AGM and website launch. Thanks to the VJHPS Directors who aren’t your usual Board, they arrive at events in different modes of transportation, they think outside of the box, have unconventional approaches to problem solving from new perspectives, and are creative. That’s your VJH Physician Society.