Dear Readers; It is obvious that our Hessian Day celebration on 21. August 2004 is attracting quite a bit of attention, and promises to be an interesting day for all of us. I am looking forward of meeting many Hessian descendants coming from all over the Country - a well deserved tribute to our Rose House Museum. I am very happy to announce that I just received a letter from the German General Consul in Toronto, dated Toronto, July 22, 2004. "Dear Mr. Merz, On the occasion of the 'Hessian Day' in Picton on August 21, 2004, commemorating the first German settlement in Ontario by Hessian soldiers in 1784, I send you the warm greetings of the German Consulate in Toronto. I wish you and all participants in the festivities a wonderful day celebrating the important contributions of German settlers to the growth and success of Ontario and Canada. With best regards, Dr. Klaus Rupprecht Consul General of the Federal Republic of Germany mail@germanconsulatetoronto.ca