Tuesday Nov 23, 2004 Wednesday-Night Story by Terry Jones

click for A very good Wednesday-Night Story by Stephanie Lalut

Salon selective
On any given Wednesday, when the City of Westmount is shutting down, when the night lights of the town's Gothic City Hall are turned on and the Mayor has left, when the elders from the lawn bowling club and the children from Westmount Park have long since gone home to dinner, riding lights will be turned on outside an Edwardian mansion on stately Rosemount Avenue, and the door will be left open a crack. (November 3, 2001) by Mireille Silcoff edited for space & some errors in minor details.

Given that Wednesday Night is now in its 27th year, it is not surprising that some guidelines are forgotten or ignored, so I thought it might be useful to reiterate them.

1. The invitation is sent every week to a selected group of individuals who have a particular interest in one or another of the proposed topics.
2. Those who receive the invitation should read it - it sets a provisional agenda, even if we do not cover all the topics.
3. The best 'Friends of Wednesday Night' are those who send a comment on the invitation, adding to our knowledge. 
4. Aside from the OWNs, no-one is invited every week; this permits rotation of what is a long list.
5. It is helpful, though not an absolute must, that people who are able to come reply.
6. Tradition has it that every guest brings a contribution to the bar (some prefer to bring special treats instead).
7. With the exception of the West Wing organizers, who need to keep up to date on what we are doing, out-of-towners do not receive  invitations unless we know that they are scheduled to be in Montreal. Those who arrive unexpectedly generally phone first to let us know (which helps us to adjust the agenda to include some of their interests).
8. People are expected to ask before introducing new guests - it helps with the agenda preparation and permits us to suggest another evening if a large crowd.
9. People are encouraged to arrive before 9pm in order to enjoy socializing with other guests and to avoid disrupting the conversation once everyone is seated.
10. If that is impossible, then they are expected to quietly take a drink, have a seat and not 'meet and greet' other guests until the end of the evening.

 

 

Diana Thébaud Nicholson
DTN & Associates
33 Rosemount Avenue
Westmount QC H3Y 3G6
Tel: +1 (514) 934-0023
diananicholson@wednesday-night.com
www.dianaswednesday.com

 

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Monday Nov 24, 2003
Jeremy Grey
Guide to the Lonely Planet
Dear Jeremy,
What a treat - and what a challenge! - to be invited to write some lines about Wednesday Night for you. Especially as we have recently had to almost forcibly disinvite a guest who didn't seem clear on the concept that because it is held in our home, we foolishly believe that we have the right to require that guests, like well-behaved dogs, come only when called. It's a thin line between wanting to expand the group beyond provincial concerns and a too-clubby ambiance, and wanting to be selective. However, with that caveat, here goes.

Held every Wednesday without fail, the Wednesday Night Salon has long-since passed the Scheharazade benchmark.Started in the 1980s as a very private gathering of bigwigs in financial circles, it has become an institution in Montreal. Every Wednesday an eclectic group of 20-30 people gather in the paneled diningroom of a 19th century house for lively exchanges on subjects ranging from Astronomy to Zoology, always with a connection to the Market and the world economy. Discussion is stimulated by a mix of video news clips, Internet references and traditional print materials. While everything is off the record, summaries of each evening's highlights are found at www.wednesday-night.com/ along with links to items related to the topics. In Montreal's bilingual society, Wednesday Night stands out for the number of languages spoken and countries of origin of the participants. Opinions cover the full circle from Left to Right, sometimes reflecting the range of ages (students to senior citizens), professional background or simply the free spirits of the guests.

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The BBC reports that " Researchers say that social activities, such as evening classes, chess and even going to the pub can help maintain mental agility. ...Taking part in activities which needed a high level of concentration or social interaction were associated with better cognitive ability than individual activities which needed little effort."
( see: news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/health/3239641.stm )
We would humbly submit that Wednesday Night serves a useful and healthful purpose, and accordingly we look forward to your active participation

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Every Wednesday since 1982 David and Diana Nicholson have hosted an evening of discussion at their home.

"Wednesday Nights" have become an institution. The number of guests has grown from a small handful of Montreal residents to a list of over 9,000. A guest may arrive on a visit from Japan, Indonesia, Russia, Europe, across Canada or the Americas...

As the topics have evolved, so have the professions and interests represented around the Nicholsons' table. Originally, discussion centered on the economy and financial markets; today, discussions range from international aviation to environmental issues, from high technology and sciences to social policy and international development, and many subjects in-between. Economists are always in evidence, as are bankers, international investors, diplomats, corporate executives, politicians, professors, entrepreneurs, lawyers, doctors, human rights activists, environmentalists and members of the media (Discussions, with rare exceptions, are off the record.)

When David and Diana started these unique soirees --long, long, long time ago...almost 21 years ago...their first special guest was Dr. Carl Beigie who gave the WEDNESDAY NIGHT SALON its beginning and rarely missed a night in over 18 years.-->

While there are a few "regulars"- members of the Wednesday Night group who come as often as possible- many other guests attend only when topics of specific relevance to their professions or fields of expertise are to be discussed. Attendance is by invitation (generally communicated by e-mail). "Wednesday Nighters" are encouraged to alert the Nicholsons to the possibility of inviting special guests, visitors to Montreal or new members of the community who may contribute expertise or a special viewpoint.

Wednesday Night "regulars" and special guests have included the Managing Director of the IMF, a former Premier of Québec, a former officer of the Bank of Canada, the Chairman of Aéroports de Montréal, Mayors of Montreal and Westmount, the Director of the Centre for Medecine, Ethics and Law of McGill University, the Dean of Commerce and Administration of Concordia University,permanent representatives to the Council of ICAO, senior officials of IATA and of the NAFTA Environmental Cooperation Commission, and the Consuls-General of Italy, Israel,Poland, The Netherlands, Sweden, United Kingdom and the United States.

There are generally several topics of discussion during an evening. Each is introduced in a short video clip prepared and edited in advance by the host. Experts around the table are asked to comment and/or expand on the topic while other guests add their questions or particular insights. There is no attempt (or desire) to "sell" a given product or concept, rather, the objective is to inform and offer to everyone an opportunity to hear differing viewpoints. At times, a guest may wish to test an idea. On those occasions, The Room (usually about 18-25 people) will offer constructive criticism, alternative ideas and creative, thoughtful support.

The lingua franca of Wednesday Night is English. However, there are usually at least 10 other languages represented among the guests. On occasion, a special guest has been surprised to find that he/she has a fluently trilingual interpreter available throughout the evening.

While there is no membership fee, it is customary for all guests to bring a contribution to the bar.

You ask how one acquires an invitation to Wednesday Night. Generally, one is introduced by a "sponsor", an individual who has already established him/herself as a contributor around the table and who asks if he or she may bring a guest.

Alternatively, the hosts may extend an invitation based on a match between the "new" individual and a topic under discussion. Therefore, we need to know more about you - what you do, your professional background/education/ nationality/languages spoken/particular interests and any incidental information that might serve to identify your interest in and ability to contribute to the discussion.

Arrival around 8:30 is good; dress is "business casual" for most of us, although you will encounter some wide variations on that theme. White/Red/wine/Vodka are all accepted and become part of the evening's "pot".

Please click for Map and More

See The SCROLL written by Herb and Miriam Bercovitz which will explain more.

Salon selective
On any given Wednesday, when the City of Westmount is shutting down, when the night lights of the town's Gothic City Hall are turned on and the Mayor has left, when the elders from the lawn bowling club and the children from Westmount Park have long since gone home to dinner, a riding lights will be turned on outside an Edwardian mansion on stately Rosemount Avenue, and the door will be left open a crack. (November 3, 2001) by Mireille Silcoff edited for space & some errors in minor details.

click for A very good Wednesday-Night Story by Stephanie Lalut