This week, before giving the toast, Dylan made a confession: “I am a hopeless romantic.”

He was about to jet off to Toronto to visit his girlfriend for a couple of weeks. He had arranged the plane ticket so that he’d be arriving to surprise her on Valentine’s Day.

Did we know the story of St. Valentine? Dylan asked. Turns out this gentleman was the original hopeless romantic.

It is said that St. Valentine, a temple priest in the Roman Empire, fell afoul of Claudius II by performing marriage ceremonies for soldiers (who by law were supposed to remain bachelors). He was sentenced to death. In jail, awaiting execution, he wrote a letter to his gal professing his love. It was a pretty great letter, with the kind of heartfelt focus that comes from knowing you’re going to be beheaded in the morning.

Dylan raised a pretend glass.

“To St. Valentine!” And all the rest of the hopeless romantics, on Valentine’s Day.

It was that kind of day at VanCore this week. Love was in the air. The opening words, the toast, and even Table Topics took the theme of Valentine’s Day. And why not? Love is a stranger to no heart.

Indeed, there was so much love in the air at this meeting that everyone felt too polite to tell Bruce his fly was open the entire time.