History of Lambda
The Lambda Business and Professional Club of Winnipeg was founded in 1988, when Doug Nicholson and Bill Doyle met to discuss the idea of forming an organization that would bring together the gay and lesbian businesses and professionals of Winnipeg. Doug Nicholson, Certified General Account and Bill Doyle, Lawyer, were self-employed businessmen serving a large number of individuals within the gay and lesbian community. Under this leadership, the Club began.
Meetings were held every second month at a local restaurant. Members were recruited through word of mouth. The criteria for membership were: being a member of the gay and lesbian community, and either owning or operating a business in Manitoba or working as a professional in Manitoba.
The membership grew moderately, from four to eight members during the first year, until we reached about 40 men and women. Since then membership has fluctuated, but is recently on the resurgence.
In 1993 the Club sponsored the first MAGIC awards. MAGIC stands for Manitoba Achievement (in the) Gay Community, with 'involvement' squeezed in to make the name "Magic". The MAGIC awards recognized the significant contribution that certain members of the community make toward our well-being, advancement and image in the community. Awards are presented in various categories such as Arts and Entertainment, Volunteerism, Community Involvement, and Business - to name only a few.
1996 the Gay and Lesbian Business Fair was held in Augustine United Church. Twenty-two businesses and professionals set up displays of their products and services and about 145 people attended the fair. In addition to this, several members spoke on the topics of Medicine, Tax, Law, Computers and Real Estate.
In 1999, the name was changed from 'Club' to 'Association' to reflect the increased membership and to denote 'all-inclusive' participation from not only gay and lesbian members but to include gay and lesbian-friendly members as well.
The Lambda Business and Professional Association of Manitoba's continued success is based on the dedication of the members who attend the meetings and those who sit on the various support committees.
Board for 2013
President:
Paul Hesse
Past President:
Mark Schollenberg
Secretary:
Chad Smith
Treasurer:
Dale Kostkiew
Membership:
Patrick O'Reilly
Communication:
Jonathan Niemczak
Jordan Lanthier
At Large:
Cody Chomiak
Web Manager:
Vic Hooper
What does "Lambda" mean?
Greek letter:
upper case lambda: Λ
lower case lambda: λ
Some suggested that it is simply the Greek lower-case letter "L" for liberation. Others disagree, citing the use of lambda in physics to denote energy (the energy we have when we work in concert) or wavelength (are gays and lesbians on a different wavelength?). Lambda may also denote the synergy of the gay movement, the idea that the whole is greater than the sum of its parts. The lambda also may represent scales and balance, and the constant force that keeps opposing sides from overcoming each other — the hook at the bottom of the right leg signifies the action needed to reach and maintain balance. The ancient Greek Spartans regarded the lambda to mean unity, while the Romans considered it «the light of knowledge shed into the darkness of ignorance».
Charles Ashburner, 16 Mar 1999 - from Flags of the World website.