"Success is not final, failure is not fatal: it is the courage to continue that counts."
- Sir Winston Churchill

The Churchill Society of British Columbia was founded in 1979 and is devoted to the memory of this outstanding world leader to ensure that his ideals and achievements are not forgotten and are utilized by succeeding generations.

China: The Paradox of the Western Pacific and the Rise of the Military – Lew House and James Boutilier

June 25, 2015 @ 05:00pm

Please join us on Thursday, June 25, 2015 to welcome our guest speakers Lew House and James Boutilier.  This event will be in a different format from our Evenings With Churchill.  The Seminar will commence at 5:00 p.m., include a light dinner and conclude by 8:00 p.m. The Seminar will focus on China’s activities and capabilities including its aggression in the South China Sea, its ballistic missile program and the reaction of the ASEAN countries.  The initial presentation will be made by Lew House of Louisville, Colorado.

Lew House holds a Master of Physics (Nuclear) from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, Troy, New York, a Ph.D. in Astro-Geophysics from the University of Colorado, Boulder, Colorado and an M.A. in Military Studies from American University in Manassas, Virginia.  Lew worked as a physicist at the Hanford Atomic Product Operations in Richland, Washington.  His research, based on Admiral Rickover’s project for the first nuclear submarine reactor, served as a Master’s thesis for Renssalaer Polytechnic Institute.  Mr. House, as Senior Scientist, served as NASA Principal Investigator in developing and managing the telescope on the NASA Solar Maximum Mission Satellite studying solar mass ejections. He served as NASA Principal Investigator on the Solar Maximum Repair Mission that performed the first in-space repair mission. 

Mr. House has taught graduate courses in astrophysics and quantum physics.  He has conducted joint research modeling the “Behavioral Power’ of nation states.  Mr. House is the President of the Rocky Mountain Churchillians and lectures on a variety of topics on Winston Churchill.  He is a member of the Society for Military History and the U.S. Naval Institute.  Lew maintains his interest in geopolitics, military affairs, history, climate change, wargaming, flight simulation and builds his own high performance PC’s.

Commentary, particularly from the Canadian point of view, will be given by James Boutilier, Asia-Pacific Policy Advisor, Maritime Forces Pacific Headquarters. 

Dr. James Boutilier is the Special Advisor (Policy) at Canada’s Maritime Forces Pacific Headquarters in Esquimalt, British Columbia. He is responsible for advising the Commander of Maritime Forces Pacific on matters of defence and foreign policy and maritime security in the Asia-Pacific region.  Prior to his appointment at MARPAC, Dr. Boutilier spent twenty-four years on staff at the Royal Roads Military College in Victoria as Head of the History Department and then as Dean of Arts. During his time at RRMC, he was instrumental in establishing the military and strategic studies degree program at the college and taught courses on naval history, contemporary Asia, the history of the Pacific, and strategic issues. He is also an adjunct professor of Pacific and Asian Studies at the University of Victoria and the President of the Maritime Awards Society of Canada.

Dr. Boutilier was born in Halifax, Nova Scotia, and attended Dalhousie University (BA History: 1960), McMaster University (MA History: 1962), and the University of London (PhD History: 1969). Dr. Boutilier served in the Royal Canadian Navy Reserve from 1956 to 1964 as a navigating officer and in the same capacity in the Royal Navy Reserve from 1964 to 1969. After completing his time with the RN, Dr. Boutilier taught at the University of the South Pacific in Suva, Fiji, from 1969 to 1971. Dr. Boutilier’s field of expertise is Asia-Pacific defence and security, particularly with regard to maritime issues. He has published widely on international defence and security issues, including RCN in Retrospect (1982), and articles in professional monographs as well as the Asia-Pacific Defence Reporter and Canadian Institute of International Affairs journals. Some of his recent lectures have focused on the Canadian Navy’s role in the Asia-Pacific, the new Asian security architecture, Northeast Asian security issues, and the new naval order in Asia.

Date:              Thursday, June 25, 2015

Location:            UBC Room, The Vancouver Club, 915 Hastings Street West, Vancouver, B.C.

Time:                    Wine and Cheese starts at 4:30 p.m., Program from 5:00 p.m. – 8:00 p.m.  Light Dinner 6:30 p.m.

Cost:                     $50 each for a Member of the Society, spouse, partner or an immediate family member; $65 each for a non-member

 The ticket cost includes a light dinner and one beverage ticket per attendee for 1 glass of wine or beer, or for 2 soft drinks.  Additional drinks can be purchased from the bar.

Please register online at www.winstonchurchillbc.org.