HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Citizen, 2012-02-16, Page 6PAGE 6. THE CITIZEN, THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 16, 2012.Blyth Lions clarify role in school celebration
To a good cause
The Blyth Lions Club presented a cheque for $500 to the Children’s Safety Village
being constructed near Hanover. Once completed, children from Kindergarten to
Grade 6 from schools across District A9 will receive safety training at the village.
Presenting the cheque to PDG Al Leach, right, are Ryan Lee, left, and Ken Stewart,
centre. (Photo submitted)
THE EDITOR,
The Blyth Lions Club regrets
having to address the ‘Celebration of
Education’ in Blyth activity through
our local media. However, the recent
article in the Feb. 9 issue of The
Citizen based upon discussion at the
Feb. 6 North Huron Council meeting
has raised questions by many
residents throughout the Village of
Blyth. Concerns raised have
negatively affected the Blyth Lions
Club and although we do not believe
it was done on purpose, we feel the
image of the Blyth Lions Club as
been tarnished by certain comments.
• Concern 1 – The Blyth Lions
Club is supporting the closing of
the Blyth Public School.
This is not true. The Blyth Lions
Club has not taken a position on the
closing of the Blyth Public School
and in fact is prohibited from taking
any such position under the terms of
the Constitution and Bylaws of
International Association of Lions
Club. The Association’s Constitution
and Bylaws does not permit clubs
under its jurisdiction to debate and
take sides in political matters. Many
individual members of the club have
expressed their personal opinions
which they are entitled and
encouraged to do.
• Concern 2 – The Blyth Lions
should not support the School
Closing activities.
Representatives from the Blyth
Lions Club have made it very clear
that it is supporting a ‘Celebration of
Education’ in Blyth activity. We are
not celebrating the closing of the
Blyth Public School.
Anyone who has attended any of
the school meetings is well aware of
the club’s position. The Blyth Lions
Club was chartered 67 years ago.
Since that time the club has raised
more than $1.2 million from the
public with every penny of this
amount returned to the community
through projects and activities of the
Blyth Lions Club and/or Lions Clubs
International. Over the years
substantial funds have been directed
to support Blyth Public School
students and school activities.
The list includes paying for safety
fencing around the school
playgrounds, the purchase of books
and computers for the school library,
assisting with the construction of the
playground equipment, the purchase
of recreational supplies including
soccer balls, basketballs and
softballs, the donation of musical
instruments to the school rhythm
band, assisting with transportation
costs to school activities and bus
trips, paying the costs of teacher
training for the Lions Quest Program
which is a program to deal with
bullying, support of the Lions
Effective Speaking Program, Peace
Poster Contest and Canada Pride
Day, support of the School’s
Peacekeeper Program and Lunch
Program.
Thirty-six graduates of the Blyth
Public School have participated in
the Lions Youth Exchange Program.
The club has pledged to continue to
support Blyth and area students no
matter where they attend classes.
• Concern 3 – The Blyth Lions
Club is fundraising to pay for the
school’s year-end celebration.
This is not true. The Blyth Lions
Club has not donated money or
committed funds to any school year-
end celebration. The Blyth Lions
Club is participating in the
‘Celebration of Education’ activity
but no funding has been committed
nor has any been requested.
• Concern 4 – The Blyth Lions
Club will make a large profit at
this event.
The club hopes that they do make
a profit. Again, anyone who has
attended any of the school meetings
will know that the club plans to
establish a special bursary account
with the profits from the Saturday
evening supper. A student, or
students, from the Blyth catchment
area will be honoured annually with
funds from this bursary account. The
more dollars raised, the more
students we will be able to
recognize. Guidelines and criteria
have yet to be established but will be
forwarded to the schools and
students upon completion.
• Concern 5 – The Blyth Lions
Club will be operating a bar at the
event.
The club has been requested to
provide a meal on the
Saturday evening. The club
has agreed to do so at a
reasonable cost. A question
was raised at one of the school
meetings if the club would be
operating a bar at the event.
Representatives of the Blyth
Lions Club advised the school
committee that the Club
would consider operating a
bar for a social time prior to
and during the Saturday
evening meal. At this point in
time no decision has been
made by the club.
• Concern 6 – Why would
the community support this
event?
The Blyth Club wishes to
use this ‘Celebration of
Education’ activity to
acknowledge the thousands of
graduating students, dozens of
teachers, the custodial staff
and hundreds of volunteers
who have supported education
in Blyth over the past 135
years. The event will permit
students and former students
to renew old acquaintances as
well as an opportunity to
reminisce about past
experiences.
The Blyth Lions Club
played a major role of the
school reunion held in Blyth
in 1996. More than 800
former students and teachers
officially registered and more than
2,500 people took part in the
weekend’s activities.
Although there is no guarantee
that these numbers will be matched
for the ‘Celebration of Education’
activity in 2012, we do anticipate
a significant number of former
students and teachers returning
to Blyth. We find it difficult
to believe that North Huron
Council and the Blyth business
community would not support this
endeavour if for no other reason but
the economic impact on the
community.
In closing we hope that we have
clarified the actions taken by the
Blyth Lions Club. Should anyone
have questions or concerns in
respect to the activities of the Blyth
Lions Club, please feel free to
contact the undersigned.
Sincerely,
Lions Club President Ken Stewart
and Lions Club Secretary John
Stewart.
After announcing its appeal to the
Huron County Official Plan late last
month, representatives from Central
Huron met with Huron County’s head
planner Scott Tousaw recently to
discuss their concerns.
Central Huron announced that the
municipality would be appealing the
plan after a special council meeting held
on Jan. 19. Specifically, the sections
being appealed by Central Huron
pertain to industrial wind turbines,
water export and gas fracking.
At the January meeting, Councillor
Brian Barnim was concerned about
what would happen if the plug was
pulled on the province’s Green Energy
Act and lower tier municipalities were
left governed by the Huron County
Official Plan.
While Deputy-Mayor Dave Jewitt
said the meeting with Tousaw cleared
up some of the concerns council might
have had when the appeal was first
launched, there were still some issues
that needed to be addressed.
Barnim suggested that a legal opinion
be sought to determine whether the
municipality’s concerns were justified
or not.
At the private meeting, Tousaw said
that if the county’s section on industrial
wind turbines was tinkered with too
much, and was seen to circumvent the
Green Energy Act, the provincial
government would simply remove the
section from the plan altogether.
Barnim was concerned that taking
Tousaw’s interpretation of the document
(of which he is the author) at face value
could be dangerous, because Tousaw’s
view on the matter could be skewed
because of his heavy involvement.
“He’s the author of the document,”
Barnim said. “Rarely are you going to
see [Tousaw] go against his own
words.”
A meeting is set to take place with the
Ministry of Municipal Affairs and
Housing in March regarding the Official
Plan before it is adopted. Barnim said it
would be helpful to have the legal
information council has requested
before that meeting.
The motion to get a legal opinion on
the appeal and the Official Plan was
carried. It will be brought to the same
lawyers the municipality has been using
for the appeal on the composition of
Huron County Council.
The Ministry of Community Safety
and Correctional Services seeks applicants
to fill a vacancy on the
Central Huron Police Services Board
The Central Huron Police Services Board meets with the Ontario Provincial
Police Detachment Commander as required to discuss policing priorities for the
community.
Applicants should have an understanding of the role of a police services board in an
Ontario Provincial Police contract location, good written and verbal communication
skills, previous experience on boards or committees, experience as a community
volunteer, and an awareness of local policing issues.
Residents of the Municipality of Central Huron who are interested in serving on
the Board may apply, quoting File Number PAS-1210, to:
Public Appointments Secretariat
Room 2440, Whitney Block
99 Wellesley Street West
Toronto ON M7A 1A1
Downloadable application form is available at
www.pas.gov.on.ca or you may apply online.
Applications must be received by March 1, 2012, to be considered. Only applicants
selected for an interview will be contacted.
Letters to the Editor
Central Huron meets
with county planner
over Official Plan
By Shawn Loughlin
The Citizen
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The Citizen