The Exeter Times-Advocate, 1966-04-07, Page 4: : : : : : • : : : •
New hope
With sympathy
it was not altogether their idea. To a
certain extent they were pressured in-
to enlarging their plans by officials of
the Department of Education and as
such these people have a moral obliga-
tion, if not a legal one, to assist the
board with its present difficulties.
The feelings shown by the partici-
pating municipalities when approached
by the board the last time the esti-
mates were increased was such that it
is safe to say the board could not get
approval for this additional amount.
And we could not blame these councils
for their attitude. There is a limit to
what the residential taxpayer can af-
ford to pay and that limit is fast ap-
proaching.
If the Department of Education
and the SHDHS Board both feel this
addition is necessary then it would be
a shame to see a portion of this pro-
gram dropped.
There have been many cases of in-
justices in Ontario, where one town or
area has been given a much greater
consideration than others. We feel this
is happening in Huron County and a
look at the building costs in at least
one other municipality would seem to
bear this out.
We feel the next move by the
board should be the strongest possible
representation to both the senior levels
of government. By this we do not mean
the hand out approach of, "please
could we have more money", but an
approach with a brief stating facts and
figures which should and could prove
that there is justification in having the
Ontario government make special dis-
pensation for this school area because
of past circumstances. By Val Baltkalns
Weekly newspaper editors are of-
ten hampered by the fact they must
write their comments on a subject
few days in advance, when they realize
the situation could well change before
the newspaper is in the hands of the
reader. This is the ease this week as a
special meeting of the South Huron
District High,S,....).-.%)01 Board was held
Thursday atzernoima and another will
be held Tuesday evening. long after
these words have -',7een set in type. This
is the prob:ezr. et 'F-roduction and one
we must live wr,th
The board have a :major problem
to face and it will not be solved com-
pletely by Tuesday evening. Believing
this, we will. first offer our sympathy
to board members who by now must
be getting so disgusted with the prob-
lems they have encountered with their
building program they must feel like
throwing up their hands and saying,
"what's the use."
Thursday afternoon, tenders for
the new addition were opened and it
was quickly learned the tender price
was 25 per cent higher than the esti-
mates. It was a shock to members to
discover the price was a half million
dollars over the estimate from the low-
est tender and over $600,000 higher
from the only other company that bid.
The problem facing board mem-
bers is, "where do we go from here?"
Most members indicated they feel the
cost must be cut before they can pro-
ceed and failing this, then a portion of
the program will have to be dropped.
The third alternative, which is very
doubtful, would be to drop the entire
project at least temporarily.
Although the present building pro-
gram has been agreed to by the board
Moore said: "Without this hope
the Christian's faith unravels and
he is left with a few threads, some
bright, some sombre, in his list-
less hands. But the hope is there,
an unfailing source of comfort
and strength, a n unending vision
to guide and judge our building,
an assurance in the face of des-
pair and tidings of divine victory
when confronted by human de-
feat."
In the same issue Ben Smillie
said, "Jesus has defeated the
forces that crush us, what are
symbolically called in the New
Testament 'principalities and
powers'. We still live under
social and economic pressures
but they do not have the power
to dragoon our lives, When the
disciples asserted that God had
raised up Jesus as Lord they
meant that they no longer had to
cringe before forces of the world
of any type. Jesus as the libera-
tor had shown them the world,
how to live in it, and help change
it,"
Just as Easter called the dis-
ciples to stop cringing so it should
inspire in us new courage, new
enthusiasm and new hope. There
are many encouraging signs of
God's Presence in our day —
many signs of His activity. May
we never be cowed by the forces
which seem to imply His absence
but may we be able to pass on the
kind of faith expressed in these
words: "Ye that have faith to
look with fearless eyes beyond
the tragedy of a world of strife
. . . and trust that out of night
and death shall rise the dawn of
ampler life . . .Rejoice whatever
anguish rends your heart, that
God has given you a priceless
dower, to live in these great times
and have your part in Freedom's
crowning hour. That you may tell
your sons who see the light high
in the heavens, their heritage to
take — I saw the powers of dark-
ness put to flight — I saw the
morning break".
May we all in this Easter
season be able to pray this
prayer: "Grant us 0 Lord, tired
of our failures and of the fruit-
less quest for life's meaning to
accept the gift of thy companion-
ship: Fill our lives with new joy
and a new sense of power and
with Thee may we take courage
and begin again."
A visitor to France during
World War 2 attended a village
church on Easter Sunday. The
worshippers were thin and poorly
dressed. Their faces were edgy
and drawn. Their families were
separated and their country was
in despair. Yet they sang with
fervour "Christ the Lord is Risen
Today",
The visitor later wrote: "As
they sang there came into the
group a strange, strong power,
the power of the Risen Christ and
I felt with them that no matter
how dark the present might be
or the future might become there
was still the strength of the
Risen Christ — that victory which
overcomes the world."
At about the same time in Ger-
many the great German teacher
and preacher Helmut Thielicke
worked out his Easter sermon in
the middle of the rubble of bombed
out Hamburg. One phrase rings
out still: "Where can we go in
this passing world, in this world
which may cease to exist for us
this very night? Where else can
we go but to the open grave in
the vicinity of Calvary"?
In these days of crisis, chaos
and confusion in economic, politi-
cal, social and religious life we
need to be reminded that the
Resurrection promise of new life
and new hope is the heart of our
faith — and that without it our
faith and indeed life itself lacks
meaning.
Easter offers new life and new
hope. It provides us with the
certainty that hatred, bigotry,
power and force do not ultimately
have the last word. It reminds us
that truth will not be forever on
the scaffold and wrong forever
on the throne.
The Easter event assures us
that even out of despair can come
hope; that even up from weakness
can come strength; that even in
the midst of sorrow there can be
joy; that even in the presence of
death there can be life.
I believe that it is still true
to say that it is ultimately the
gift of faith and hope which we
need to overcome our sin and
despair — Easter holds forth that
faith and hope.
In writing about the Easter hope
in the Easter issues of the United
Church Observer, Dr. A. B. B.
"ee't ,Orde ougai
Are you interested?
Signs of spring
"Teen Town is an organization with a
purpose just like all other organiza-
tions. Exeter Teen Town's purpose is
to develop characteristics of good citi-
zenship, leadership, initiative', self disci-
pline, responsibility, honesty, co-opera-
tion and fellowship. It also provides
wholesome and satisfying social and
recreational programs for teenagers in
Exeter and district worked out by the
executive in co-operation with adult
advisors."
This year Teen Town has support-
ed the Junior Hawks, sponsored a juve-
nile hockey team, held dances and
adapted a Viet Nam child. Members are
now working on their annual Easter
Parade which we are sure will be a suc-
cess.
Now parents, it is up to you.
When you are invited to attend the
annual parents' night dance will you
show your interest by attending? Or
will, you be too busy?
We are forced to wonder at times
how much interest area parents have
in the actions and activities of their
teenage sons and daughters. We refer
in this instance to the local Teen Town.
We have been convinced for some
time that this is a worthy organization
which deserves support but we wonder
whether parents realize what this group
of young people is trying to do.
Once a year the group invites the
parents to attend one of their dances
to mingle with the young people and
observe how they act and how their
dances are run. Last year there were
only about eight parents in attendance
and from reactions to date it would
seem that attendance will not be much
greater this year. Is it any wonder
whether some teenagers ask each other,
"do our parents really care?"
A member of the Teen Town gave
me a brief outline of the purposes of
Teen Town which bears repeating here.
it was spring. It was a sunny day,
one of the first nice days of the
season and people were looking
for something to do for the week-
end. A maple syrup festival
caught the imagination and people
travelled over 100 miles, prob-
ably more for the pleasure of the
drive than for what they expected
to see at the end of the trip.
It was educational as well and
busloads of school children came
from as far away as Toronto to see
the town and take a tour through
the sugar bush. And the students
enjoyed themselves. City chil-
dren often do not have the op-
portunity to see common things
such as making maple syrup
which many of us take for granted.
This year the festival doubled
in size with the same secret to
the success, spring plus a hard
working Board of Trade who are
willing to work hard to promote
their town.
LETTERS TT:E EDITOR
Ah, Spring,
You glorious thing,
You make me want to sing
Of marriages
And baby carriages;
And make me want to laugh
At a new calf;
And make me yearn for a bout
With a trout;
And make me joy in squirrels;
And envy girls
Their poise
With boys
When the blood runs
And the sun suns,
And the fairways beckon
And flowers reckon
It's time they put their dopey
heads
Out of mangey flower beds.
A bad plague
People sometimes doubt the
value of a Board of Trade and
question what a group such as this
can do for a town. A wonderful
example of the publicity a town
can promote to put itself on the
map is shown in the recent Elmira
Maple Syrup festival where an
estimated 20,000 people visited
the town. This is the second year
the syrup festival has been held
and the success of this event is
due to a hard working board of
trade.
I was privileged last year to be
a member of the committee which
started this project and know how
much hard work and effort went
into making the project a success.
Both years the festival has been
too successful, in that more
people visited the town than what
the town was prepared for.
Last year I think most of the
executive were ready to leave
town before the day was over be-
cause of the problems which
arose and yet it was worth the
work and effort. The Town of
Elmira was put on the map and
received national publicity which
was one of the main reasons for
the festival being held.
I can look back at the confusion
of the day and laugh now but at
the time we had some very
concerned men. We had worked
and planned for about a month to
get things organized and expected
a crowd of about two to 3,000
people. You can imagine our
consternation when over 10,000
people poured into town.
We had many worries that first
year and looking backwards I
would say we had a lot of nerve
attempting such an event. In the
first place there was the worry
that the Mennonite farmers might
not come out in sufficient num-
bers to make a worthwhile dis-
play; we worried about the weath-
er as a rainy day could leave us
with a large expense account and
nothing to show for it; and we
worried that all the organizations
we had lined up to help us might
not be prepared to carry out
their jobs.
It was a community effort once
the original decision was made to
hold the festival. The Lions Club
promised to look after parking,
the Jaycees to look after sanita-
tion and Auxiliary of the Associa-
tion for Retarded Children agreed
to cook the pancakes. I don't think
any of the organizations realized
what they were letting themselves
in for in the line of work.
Several stands were set up with
small naptha burners and frying
pans and three or four women
working at each stand. I imagine
they felt like abandoning their
post when lines started to form
with a hundred or so people wait-
ing at each stand and they were
trying to manage with small fry-
ing pans. Luckily it was a nice day
and there were no complaints
even though people had to wait
over an hour to get their serving.
June and I never did get a pancake
that day.
The secret, of course, was that
15 YEARS AGO
Well that's about enough of that.
Hope none of my students read it.
In my day, I've written some
pretty nasty pieces about spring,
but she's bounced back every
year. That bit of doggerel may
finish her off for good.
And what a pity that would be.
Winter puts the iron in our souls.
But the slanting yellow rays of
heat, the joyous chuckle of freed
water, the voluptuous stench of
rotten earth emerging from the
shrouds of death turn that iron,
by some magic, into pure gold.
I can be as grouchy as a hat-
If there is one thing our members
of Parliament seem to need, it is a
sense of responsibility. With the most
important discussion of the session
facing them, on the retention or aboli-
tion of capital punishment, they are
staying away in droves. Less than a
quarter were present for the first de-
bates.
Human lives are involved. The
deepest principles of law are under dis-
cussion. The protection of society is at
the heart of any decision taken.
Yet the members absent them-
selves, as on so many other occasions.
How can the nation's business be done
this way? How can we have confidence
in elected representatives who do not
stay in the House to do our business?
Can this whole matter be brushed
off so lightly? Are minds closed to
facts? Is it not time our members of
Parliament understood that their first
duty is in the House during discus-
sions?
This has been a plague for several
years, but it is getting worse. Members
are paid enough, they cannot argue
that we do not compensate them prop-
erly. Are they earning their salt? How
can they be, if they are not present
when a matter so fundamental to the
well-being of society is under discus-
sion, (The Trentonian)
50 YEARS AGO
Miss I. Quackenbush of Exeter
sang in the Thames Road Pres-
byterian Church, last Sunday.
After a continuous service of
24 years as superintendent of
Main Street Sunday School Mr H.
E. Huston resigned last Sunday.
Mr and Mrs James Monteith
Meadow Lee, Thames Road,
announce the engagement of their
only daughter, Jessie, to Peter
B. Gardiner, eldest son of
Mistress James Gardiner, Far-.
quhar, the marriage to take place
the latter part of May.
And other lands as fair,
Tho' charms of other climes in-
vite
My wand'ring footsteps there;
Yet there is one, the peer of all,
Beneath bright heaven's dome
Of thee I sing 0 Happy land
My own Canadian home.
Times Established 1873 Advocate Established 1881 Amalgamated 1924
Vte exeferZimes-Akasocale
Exeter town council struck its
1951 tax levy at a record 50 mills
in a budgetary session Monday
night.
The Huron Cold Storage plant,
which went into liquidation sev-
eral months ago, has been taken
over by Mr Len \Teri of Hamilton.
He will move to Exeter soon.
An overflow crowd attended the
Huronia Male Choir concert in the
High School auditorium which in-
cluded the operetta "Trial by
Jury" by Gilbert & Sullivan.
Mr and Mrs Thomas Washburn
of Kirkton will celebrate their
diamond wedding anniversary
April 15.
Did kindly heav'n afford to me
The choice where I would dwell,
Fair Canada that choice should be
The land I love so well.
I love thy hills and valleys wide,
The water's flash and foam
May God in love o'er thee preside
My own Canadian home.
Yours truly
Peter Reichert
Z urich
SERVING CANADA'S BEST FARMLAND
Member: C.W.N.A., O.W.N.A., CLASS A and ABC
Publishers: J. M. Southcott, R. M. Southcott
Editor: Kenneth Kerr
Advertising Manager: Val Baltkains
Phone 235.1331
Published Each Thursday Morning at Exeter, Ont.
Authorized as Second Class Mail, Post Office Dept, Ottawa,
and for Payment of Postage in Cash
25 YEARS AGO
The speaker for James Street
Sunday School anniversary Sun-
day was an Exeter Old Boy, Rev.
John Walker of Woodstock, who
spent 14 years as a missionary
in West China.
About a dozen out of Rev. H. E.
Roppel's Sunday school class of
young men at Crediton went to
hear Gipsy Smith, world re-
nowned evangelist at Centennial
United Church, last Monday night.
The London,Huron and Bruce
at one time known as the Butter
and Egg Special, made its last
run from Clinton to Wingham
Saturday.
A flew venture is to be started
in fruit growing in this community
when the Exeter branch of the
Canadian Canners will plant 10
acres with pear trees of the
Keefer variety. Altogether 1080
trees Will be set out.
Dear Mr. Editor,
I read on editorial page of
March 24 of your paper the
editor's remarks re celebrating
the Centennial in 1967, com-
memorating the joining in 186'7
of several provinces to form
the Dominion of Canada.
You said that local committees
are being formed to take charge
and plan events for the celebra-
tion, and that one line of action
in Exeter would be to raise
beards by the men folk.
You, being specially interest-
ed, wondered about a name for
the group. You, in company with
friends, after discussion pro and
con, came to the wise decision
that the Munsinger case, which is
in the public eye just now, could
probably be a help to the project
becoming popular by having some
resemblance to the name for the
suggested group and finally came
up with the idea that Exeter
should have aproject for the Cen-
tennial named the Growda beard
contest.
Well, I live in a neighboring
town and, of course, would like
to see the local burg do its very
best, celebrating the important
event and realize that my duty is,
first, to support local projects.
However I don't think it would
hurt to help a neighbor a little
bit.
With your permission I suggest
an addition and think it would
improve on your attempt to find
a name for the project. How about
a Growda Humdinger beard con-
test as a name for the project?
May your beards grow long
and may the citizens of this Do-
minion, in the coming year stand
united, thankful and proud of such
a heritage and ready to sing
"My own Canadian home" the
song written by E. G. Nelson that
describes in vivid fasbion this
fair and beautiful land.
10 YEARS AGO
Mr and Mrs Lex McDonald'who
have lived in Exeter for the past
eight years, will move to Tillson-
burg in the near future.
Irwin's of Clinton and Hensall
have purchased the business of
McKnight's Ladies' Wear and
plan to carry on as did Mr
McKnight.
Over 500 entries have been re-
ceived for Competition in the
three - day South Huron music
festival sponsored by the Huronia
Male Chorus.
Jim Etherington, RR 1 Hensall,
won the $10 first prize in The
Times-Advocate competition for
the best story describing the
Easter trip to Washington by
SHDHS students.
Paid in Advance Circulation, September 30, 1965, 4,208
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•?•,•‘`1...ee'ekes?e ,:„.t..fee 6}`
To the editor,
This letter is concerning the
Usborne Township School
Board's decision re kindergar-
ten. I hope we all appreciate
the extra work by the board in
order to provide this kinder-
garten for our children.
As for some of the parents
who met with the board, who
didn't care how the rest of the
children got to school, I hope
they aren't too surprised when
their Children may not get it
—Please turn to page 5
check girl about spring. But to-
day I wandered about the estate
and felt the tiny, glimmering coal
of my spirit fanned into some-
thing approaching a blaze.
There was the picnic table,
bloody but unbowed, after six
months under the snow. There
was the barbecue outfit, in three
scattered pieces succulent beck-
oner to the charred red steaks
of July. There was the lawn-
mowers, reminder of days when
you wear nothing but shorts,
sweat gloriously, and stop for a
beer every 15 minutes.
Perhaps I should put them away
in the fall. But when the ice age
has left, and I go out and see them
there, it's like meeting old
friends. Rusty and ravaged, but
familiar and dear.
Signs of spring everywhere.
Sixty black squirrels moved out of
my attic, seeking acorns they
missed last fall. Lady next door,
who has four little ones, hanging
out washing with a fifth imminent.
Endless chant of kids skipping.
Moose bellows of impatient
steamers in the bay, waiting for
break-up. Fire sirens saluting
the annual epidemic of grass
fires.
Bitter lines around the mouths
turning into smiles. Overcoats
and boots hurled into closets.
Paint pots broken out. Teen-
agers standing on corners, bunt-
ing like young calves. Women's
hats — goofy, exotic, irreverent,
awful. Old ladies tippy-toeing
about, first time out since Nov-
ember. Kids up to their ears in
mud.
Anglers and golfers bragging,
speculating about the great new
season. Housewives, coatless,
shouting nothings to neighbors.
Teachers cursing as they mark
Easter exams.
Perhaps you can, but I can't
imagine living in a country where
the cycle of the seasons is almost
unnoticeable. I like to be where
the action is. I like spring to come
like a shot of adrenalin, not a
lukewarm cup of tea.
It is little wonder that myth
and legend, poetry and painting
and music, not to mention re-
ligion, celebrate the theme of re-
generation in the spring, If there
is such a thing as the indomitable
spirit of man, which I firmly be-
lieve, it would be impossible
without spring,
Think of it. A year in which the
days did not lengthen, the sun
did not warm, the green did not
appear, the soul did not expand.
We would be lining up at the ends
of docks, clambering for six-
shooters, and packing the subway
stations for hurling -under- trains
-purposes, by the first of June. Tho' other skies maybe as bright