Some might wonder why I am taking on the extra workload of creating a newsletter. Well frankly it is something that I have felt the need to do for some time now. What I am not certain of, at this point, is how often it will be published. What it will contain. Or what you would like to see in it.

Since your inbox is the final recipient of yet another email, it is only fair, to you, that you have some say in where this newsletter goes.

You can express your thoughts in a variety of ways.

• Cancel your subscription! Of course we hope you don't!!
• Send back some feedback - positive or negative! (Do this for sure.)
• Spread the word by forwarding a copy to everyone you know (as well as those you don't yet know) and urge them to sign up for it
• Bring out the budding author in you by submitting articles for inclusion in the next newsletter. (Limited restrictions on content - although editor has final say!)

• A BRAT's profile. Stories about our members. Sign up now.
• Confessions of A BRAT! Things we did when we were young and got away with!
• A listing of new cafba members who have registered in the past month? (or bi-weekly if thats how often we publish)
• A reminder of all the upcoming reunions scheduled. These can also be found here on the cafba site itself.
• A funny for the day - perhaps extracted from the newsgroup?
• Some historical data about one of the bases we lived on - or wanted to live on?
• Sites recommended by cafba members. Could be your own site. Could be any site
• A personal thought on being reunited with your long lost friend. This is where you come in! Share your feelings. Tell your stories. Let us know the details about reunions you have had.
• Latest updates to the current poll being taken on cafba
• A look back at history! How things have changed.
• A challenging trivia question
• other items suggested by you!

• Cafba Celebrations
• 29 April 2004 First Cafba Newsetter issued
• Birthdays in May - Happy Birthday Y'All
• Birthdate CAFBA ID Last Name First Name
• 01-May 10592 Sebela Deb
• 03-May 3298 McKay Donald
• 05-May 10400 Wynn Andrew
• 06-May 10191 Crook Cameron
• 12-May 10270 Wightwick Tom
• 14-May 10186 Flynn Frank
• 19-May 10594 Richardson Ted
• 16-May 10495 Weaver Julie
• 17-May 10566 Rempel Rene
• 23-May 10559 Drew Phillip
• 26-May 4964 Davis Faye
• 29-May 10029 Bradley Stephen
• 30-May 10439 Lowry Marlene

For those people whose names do not appear but who are also celebrating a B'Day in May, I wish you a Happy Birthday as well. We have only been asking for this data for a short time and not everyone wants it known.

• Newsletter signups

Recipients of this newsletter have already ensured themselves a place in history! They have recieved a copy of the first ever Cafba News published by The Canadian Air Force Brats Association!

Don't miss out on the next issue - Subscribe today! Registration for the newsletter does not get your name into the main cafba database, you must still complete an application to become a member of cafba! If you aren't already a member become one today!

If you enjoyed reading this, pass it along to others

• Cafba Memberships

As of publication of this newsletter we have over 10,600 names in the database. Are you registered? Go here and register your details now so you can be included in the website.

• Current Poll Results!

The current poll, found on the main page of the cafba site asks the question: How often do you visit this site?

Here are the results to date:

• total votes 34
• first visit 9 for 26%
• visit once a week 11 for 32%
• visit once per month 7 for 21%
• visit several times per month 4 for 12%
• couple times a year 3 for 9%

Watch for our next poll starting 01 May 2004

• Trivia

Where is Gorsebrook?

• Upcoming Reunions
• Sat. 26 June - Saturday 3 July 2004 CFB Lahr.
• July 16-19, 2004 CFB Cold Lake
• July 31-Aug 2 2004 Beaver High Alumni Cold Lake Reunion
• August 6th - 8th 2004 AFCENT (Brunsumm Holland)
  Niagara Falls, Ontario, Canada 2004 AFCENT reunion
• August 2004. # 1 Fighter Wing Marville Reunion
• Summer 2005 A reunion is being planned in Shilo in 2005.
• 07-10 July 2005 PineTree Radar Line Personnel: a gathering and reunion of all ranks and all trades of US and Canadian military and civilian personnel and their families in the joint cities of Sault Ste Marie, Ontario and Michigan.

For additional details on any of these reunions, check out the reunions page on the cafba website!

If your reunion isn't listed, email me and we'll put it in the next newsletter

• Cafba Website Navigation

Have you found it hard to navigate through all the names? Well we have tried to improve on it a bit. While we are still keeping the A-Z alphabetical listing, we now have the neighbours section back up and running.

Go to the base neighbours page and click on the base you lived at. For now, the pages are broken into 5 year intervals. Your name will appear in the era that you indicated you first moved there. For instance if you lived in Penhold, AB from 1957-1962 look for your name (and mine) under the Penhold 1955 category.

If you aren't listed, let me know and we will correct things

If you see a name and they are indicated as being LOST or not registered and you know where they are; call them, write them, email them or talk to them and get them to register. Someone may be looking for them! Registration is still free - thanks to our sponsors like www.resellerights.com.

• Recommended website

Veterans Affairs Canada are in the process of compiling a new Book of Remembrance, entitled In the Service of Canada - The Seventh Book of Remembrance, will recognize members of the Canadian Forces who died in service to their country since October 1, 1947.

Veterans Affairs Canada is asking Canadians to forward any information they may have regarding servicemen and women who have died since October 1, 1947, and whose death is attributable to their military service. This would include the name of the member, service number and date of death.

Canadians can forward any information by email to commemoration@vac-acc.gc.ca or by mail to:

Veterans Affairs Canada
Canada Remembers
Seventh Book of Remembrance Project
12th Floor, Room 1208
66 Slater St., Ottawa, Ontario K1A 0P4


• Found on Cafba forum
• On the upcoming summer trivia contest it was suggested that contestants be divided like this:
  • Old brats VS Young brats
  - Is it okay if we lie about our age?
  • and questions come from Brat memories or brat sites. Send me the questions at webmaster@cafba.ca
• LET'S KEEP THIS SITE ALIVE AT ALL COST...IT'S A LINK TO OUR PAST.

Being the editor, and webmaster, gives me some benefits and a lot of headaches.

But mostly, it gives me a great deal of satisfaction and pride.

When I first got involved with the internet way back in 1996 and offerred to put up the first webpage for the old network of brats, I never dreamt that it would grow into what it has today!

Along the way we have had our ups and downs. As viruses became more prevalent and hackers took greater delight into ruining websites we managed to keep the site running. Yes, I know that we have lost names along the route of replacing various hard drives etc, but we have done our best to make this site what you want it to be.

I take pride in what I see today on the cafba website. It has grown as a result of your recommendations and input. While it is a very time consuming and labor intensive ordeal, it is most rewarding when I read back over all the nice comments that are made.

As we start out on another chapter in cafba bringing you this newsletter, we wonder where we will be in another 5 years time. At least from this posting, we can stay in touch

I have never published a newsletter before. My limited technical knowledge may cause some problems for some of you at the other end. I apologize for that. For this issue I am attaching an html file to the email just in case the email comes out garbled. If it does, please let me know how to fix it for the next issue.