HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Brussels Post, 1978-09-20, Page 2BRUSSELS
WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 20, 1978
Serving Brussels and the surrounding community.
Published each Wednesday afternoon at Brussels, Ontario
by McLean Bros. Publishers Limited,
Evelyn Kennedy - Editor
Member Canadian Community Newspaper Association and
Ontario Weekly Newspaper Association
Subscriptions (in advance) Canada $9.00 a Year.
Others $17..00 a Year. Single Copies 20 cents each.
ADIAN COMM
eNA
err A114.11104110
1972
°A)Brussels Pc
Declining enrolment
It's becoming increasingly obvious that declining school enrolments
• are the story of the future.
The baby boom of the 1950's and 60's is now behind us, and for a
variety of reasons, smaller families are now the order of the day.
In 1976, there were 1,360,085 elementary school pupils enrolled in
schools across Ontario. This fall, that figure has dropped to 1,294,640
students and by 1986, experts predict the figure will have dropped to
1,192,366 students.
In Huron County alone, the school enrolment has dropped 2.8 per
cent from last year.
What does declining enrolment in our schools mean?
For some schools, particularly the older neighbourhood schools in
urban centres, the declining - enrolment means closure. The city of
London has already been forced to close a number of its
neighbourhood schools, despite the protests of parents and teachers
and community organizations. The death of a neighbourhood school is
a move which often speeds the disintegration of community feeling in a
city neighbourhood but as pupil numbers decline, school boards can no
longer afford to keep the smaller schools open.
Although rural schools aren't as likely to be closed as those in the
city, the day may come when classrooms will be boarded up or some
parts of the school simply won't be used.
The dwindling number of studenris also having drastic effects on
the job prospects of the teachers employed in our schools.
Last year, there were 2,969 elementary school teachers who
graduated from Ontario's colleges and universities - and 1,677 of these
graduates ended up without classroom teaching jobs.
Even graduates prepared to take jobs in the Far North may soon find
these positions at a premium. •
The story is the same for secondary 'school teachers - last year 57 per
cent of these graduates ended up without schools. Today school
teachers have joined the ranks of other university - educated
professionals who are collecting unemployment insurance or taking
jobs out of their field.
But decliqing enrolment isn't just affecting new teachers - it's also
having an effect on teachers already in the classroom.
The mobility which was once associated with the teaching profession
is over. Today, if a teacher is fortunate enough to have a job, then
there's far less chance that teacher Can transfer to another board or
another area of the province. A teacher who is frustrated teaching
where he or she is now, is likely to have to remain in the same school
longer or else consider leaving the teaching profession altogether
Right now, the future for our schools doesn't look promising.
The optimists among us still hope that as the number of students
decreases, the quality of education will rise. A smaller pupil - teacher
ratio should mean more time for the individual student.
Unfortuantely, with the provincial government reducing its
payments to local school boards, and with the ordinary taxpayer
footing more of the bill for our rising education costs, it seems likely
that it will be some years before students reap any benefits from the
declining enrollments.
To the editor:
Moderator to speak in Clinton
Ontario. Street United Church ; Clinton,.
Ontario., is celebrating its 100th Anniver-
sary on Sunday, SepteMber .24th„
There will be two services 11 a‘ni, and 8'
p,m.
Right Reverend George M: Tuttle, A.A.
.bott, Moderator of the
United Church Of Canada,. will be the
Preacher at both services.
A Rally of Huron-Perth Presbytery has
been arranged and will be in attendance at
the 8 pan. service. This Presbytery
comprises 46 Pastoral Charges with 74
Congregations situated within the bound-
aries of the two counties,
We enclose a short profile of Dr George
M. Tuttle for publication and/or exerpts
(Continued on Page 8;`,)
Enjoy the fair
It's that time of year again--fair time. In villages, towns and cities
across Ontario people look forward to the time of year when they can
go and visit their own local fair.
It doesn't matter how small the fair is, it's the fellowship and
camaraderie that counts. And where would those fairs be without the
joint efforts of the people who make them possible?
First of all, there's the local agricultural society whichlooks after
organizing the fair to make sure it gets off the ground. Then there are
the people who cater to the stomachs of the public (everybody knows
there's no hot dog that tastes as good as the one that came from the
local fair), the exhibitorS who put their best efforts into their products
and of course no fair would be complete without the happy cries of
small children which makes having a fair so worthwhile.
This week Brussels has its fair--a fair which has been going on since
.1861.
It takes community spirit and community belief to keep a small Lair
going for that long. Brussels has obviously got what it takes.
To the editor:
You're invited to a Centennial
The Centennial Committee of the Town
of Mount Forest, Ontario feels that there
may be some of your readers who have
lived in our town at some time. Or may
have friends or relatives who have done so.
Because we want to reach as mai:y of these
people as possible to invite them to our
centennial festivities in '79 we are hoping
you will publish this letter and help us
reach them.
The middleast peace settlement may be
the big news on the front pages of the
newspaper Monday morning, but the thing
that makes a good part of the population
either happy or depressed on Monday
morning is the score of the weekend football
games.
Football, of course, has become some-
thing of a mania in North America in the last
few year. Not only do people cheer for their
teams these days, they also bet on them.
Even if your team wins the game it often
isn't enough for some people. Did they beat
the points spread is often as important as the
final score.
Everybody who gambles no matter wh .at
the particular game they're 'playing, likes to
think there is some magic secret formula
that will guarantee success. I have one when
it comes to sports events Any one who
wants to win big has only to lay a few bucks
on me.
Now some people have complicated
systems, worked out on computer to beat the
odds. My solution is simple by comparison.
You don't need to be a mathmatical genius
:or, study physics or the laws of probability.
Allyou have to do is pay me a few bob to cheer
for the other team. That guarantees that
your team will win big.
Now there's nothing new about this
system. I can show you years of proof to
show that it works. After all, I've cheered for
the Toronto Argonauts since I was old
enough to know what a football looked like.
The Argonauts; with my support, have been
able to snatch defeat from the jaws of victory
for more than 25 years. They're proving my
theory all over again this year. I mean when
a team can be on the other guys' one yard
line and not only fumble the ball, but have
the opposition recover the fumble on the 40
y 'ard line, that's exceptional.
Just to test my theory, I switched
allegiance one night to the Montreal team
They were playing Ottawa and had a
Canadian quarterback playing so I was
hoping the Canadian kid could come
through. It looked like he might as he
marched his team expertly down the field
with a few seconds remaining and was on the
15 yard line. He went back to pass for the
game-winning touch down and . . he
fumbled, Game over, Ottawa wins,
My expertise doesn't just extend to
The main events will centre around the
week of June 29 to July 7 with the monster
centennial parade on Monday, July 2.
Anyone wishing to be on the list of
invitations can notify Mrs. Annabelle
Langdon, Mount Forest, Ontario, NOG 2L0.
We would like to thank you for helping
us reach for4mer area residents through
your newspaper.
Mrs. Jean Weber
Centennial Chairwoman
football by any means. I've cheered' for
Montreal Expos since the beginning. This
year it looked like they were in a position to
go for the top. They had good young fielders
and hitters and strong pitching. But the
hitters went cold when the pitchers were
good and the pitching was off when hitters,
started hitting. The Expos would put on a
sprin't and they'd look like they were ready to
make their move, then they'd lose six
straight and drOp right back.
And of course there are my other team in
the other league, the good old Blue Jays.
The Jays almost looked respectable there for
a while this season as they won more games
than they lost in July and August. It looked
like an exciting wind-up to a poor season. Ah
but then September started and the Jay's
looked like ,they'd headed south for the
winter already. '
Hockey: well I've cheered for the Leafs for
years, which shouldtell you something about
their chances to win the Stanley Cup this
season.
It's one of my personality flaws that I
choose to cheer for the underdog. I dislike
the New York Yankees with a vengeance (I
cheered instead for Boston Red Sox to beat
them and look what happened to them). I
dream of the day somebody will beat the
Canadians. Give me a choice between a good
team that's on top and a poor one and I'll
inevitably choose the poor one.
So it would seem that I get what I deserve
except that you'd think over the years the
poor, by sheer luck would have to get better
somewhere along the way. They don't have
to though. The Argos prove that year after
year.
And even when I pick a frontrunner, my
record is atrocious. When I started hoping
the Yankees were going to get demolished it
looked like they would, with Boston 14
games ahead.
There are times I wish I was a betting man
so I could make use of this black cloud I put
Over teams. Then I could cheer forthe Argos
and know that was going to win bedattse I'd
bet for the opposition. The problem is that it
likely wouldn't work. Somehow this would
be judgedthat I was really cheering for both
teamsNe'd probably end up with a tie every
time and I wouldn't win my bet anyway,
But I'm sure it would work if other people
wanted to take advantage of my situation so
get your money ready. Now let's see, who do
want to lose next week?
Behind the Scenes
. by KeithR.oulston
Football fiends