The Citizen, 1995-11-08, Page 16GODERICH
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PAGE 16. THE CITIZEN, WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 8, 1995.
West Wawanosh clerk retires after 30 years service
Passing the books
West Wawanosh Clerk Joan Armstrong gives some final
words of advice to new clerk Liliane Nolan. A retirement
party is being held Nov. 9 to honour Armstrong, who has
been clerk in the municipality for 30 years.
By Bonnie Gropp
While everyone knows that our
municipal representatives have
been elected to be the voice of the
people, few would argue that the
heart and soul of a community is its
clerk.
For 30 years the business of West
Wawanosh Twp., has been in the
capable hands of Joan Armstrong,
who will officially retire Nov. 10.
She is being replaced by Liliane
Nolan of Wingham.
A resident of the municipality for
43 years, Armstrong has seen a lot
of change since becoming its clerk
in 1965. She has kept minutes at
meetings presided over by eight
different reeves and has organized
more municipal elections than can
be counted in a short span of time.
When Armstrong became the
new township clerk, Lorne Durnin
was reeve and she recalls that the
workload differed considerably
from today's. "I originally worked
out of my home. There wasn't a
municipal office at that time, nor
was their enough work to warrant
it," she says. Council meetings
were held in the old hall, which
was located near the site of the
existing municipal office. In the
winter rather than light up the hall's
old woodstove and huddle around it
Brussels village council voted
Monday night to authorize North
Huron Publishing Company, pub-
lisher of The Citizen, to proceed
with research for the publishing of
a village history in time for the
1997 Homecoming.
Clerk-Treasurer Donna White
explained to council that the book
would be self-financing with coun-
cil providing money to help with
the initial printing costs which will
be recovered through the sale of the
book. The book will be about 250
pages in length with hundreds of
for warmth, council meetings were
held at Armstrong's home.
"Now, that's an accommodating
clerk," says Nolan, who has been
learning the ropes from Armstrong
before taking over.
Shortly after becoming clerk,
Armstrong was asked by the super-
vising principal of the East
Wawanosh schools for some secre-
tarial assistance. "Then the Brussels
principal asked and I ended up
doing that full-time and working on
the clerk's job at night. I did this for
about three years. In 1977, when
the principals asked for her help
again, things had changed. I had to
say no this time. There was more
paperwork to be done with the
clerk's job."
Also in 1977, Armstrong became
the treasurer as well as the clerk.
She shared the office with road
superintendent George Humphries,
who had replaced Harvey Culbert
two years earlier and still holds the
position. At the time Humphries
was hired, Armstrong also began
doing the road superintendent's
books.
The present office was built adja-
cent to the township hall in 1988.
Elections have also changed a
great deal since Armstrong's first
years as West Wawanosh's admin-
photographs. Staff of The Citizen
will do the writing and assemble
the book.
The next step for council is to
appoint an advisory committee to
help guide the direction of the
book.
Councillors were uncertain of the
number of books to order, question-
ing how many people would want
to buy a copy or give the book as a
gift (it's hoped the book will be
available by 'Christmas 1996). That
decision will be made at a later
date.
istrator. "When I first started there
was an election for council every
year. On nomination day everyone
came to the hall and nominations
were made from the floor for coun-
cil."
Eventually elections ran every
two years, then every three years.
Though retirement for West
Wawanosh employees is mandated
by bylaw to occur at the age of 65,
Armstrong is content to have the
decision taken out of her hands.
With her family living nearby; she
and her husband Tom, have a son
and two daughters living in West
Wawanosh, another daughter in
Wingham and a son in Clinton; this
clerk is ready to enjoy a life of
leisure. "You bet I'm ready to
retire. My granddaughters say I'll
have lots of time to knit sweaters
for them. I'm going to miss the
work and the people, though. I
know personally, everyone who
comes in this door."
That is going to be the challenge
for Nolan, a stranger to the area,
who is referring to an alphabetical
listing of the ratepayers as "my
bible".
The mother of three received her
AMCT in 1989. Though this is her
first job as clerk, she has spent the
time since beneficially as a trustee
for the Huron County Board of
Education and taking university
courses to upgrade. She is excited
about beginning her work in West
Wawanosh but says she has "huge
shoes to fill. I have had a good
teacher. When someone makes
training easy, as Joan has, then it's
a reflection of how they did their
job, effectively, efficiently and
responsibly. It's obvious they are
confident in their position."
Words of advise for Nolan, Arm-
strong keeps simple and to the
point. "Every council, every day
brings new challenges. When there
are difficulties you just be patient
and realize that tomorrow could be
different."
Brussels to get history book