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HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Citizen, 2000-02-02, Page 6PAGE 6. THE CITIZEN, WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 2, 2000. Speaker encourages volunteers to be imaginative By Janice Becker Citizen staff Faced with potential cutbacks in government grants, the Brussels Agricultural Society welcomed an inspiring speaker to the annual meet­ ing. Jan. 25. With increasing pressure on volun­ teers to help fundraise to meet event costs. Rev. Dr. Rick Horst of St. Marys spoke to the organization on how to keep those volunteers ener­ gized. An avid volunteer himself, Horst says it is important for volunteers to recycle themselves, try different kinds of organizations, get a fresh approach and look at the bigger pic­ ture. Horst’s forays have included sit­ ting on the original board of gover­ nors who brought the Canadian Baseball Hall of Fame to St. Marys and St. Marys Memorial Hospital board. He is currently the chair of the Huron-Perth hospital partner­ ship. His main motivation in selecting the groups for which he volunteers is “believing fundamentally in the mis­ sion of the organization,” he says. “We need to stand up for something as important as health care.” Noting that many of those present at the annual meeting had probably volunteered for the agricultural soci­ ety for many years, he says it is important to remind oneself of the starting point. “(You) must believe in what the group is trying to achieve and serve that mission. When you lose sight of the purpose for service, you lose energy and focus.” Horst also says it is .mportant to serve the mission, not preserve the culture. As an example, he told of the ladies auxiliary at a hospital, many who had volunteered for 20 years. However, they were not fulfilled in what they were doing because they couldn’t do the job the same as they always had done. The need for a gift shop had declined partially because there was no longer an obstetrics unit. They had to change to continue to serve the hospital community. For those seeking volunteers for an organization, Horst says first it must be determined what are the specific and concrete objectives. “It is hard to measure achievement without concrete objectives,” he says. Those objectives should be thought through by the individuals and the group so they can be articu­ lated, he says. The next step is to empower the volunteers and there are five motiva­ tional resources to use to achieve this. In the early stages, Horst says compassion and community are the motivators. They are what get people involved in the first place. They have a passion for the cause and a sense of wanting to be part of the community - to help out. That sense of community is partic­ ularly true for those who are new to an area. They are hoping to make friends with those who have similar interests. The longer volunteers stay with an organization, the more the purpose is “reasonability”, he says. “It makes sense to continue as they believe in the mission.” However, Horst says the challenge comes the longer people stay. That challenge is to keep them going,” he says. “Humans like to be challenged, to do a better job, or raise more money.” Commitment is what keeps the old guard in place,” says Horst. “They find ways to keep things going.” When recruiting volunteers, Horst stresses it is important to use com­ passion and community as the moti­ vators and not challenge and com­ mitment. “Don’t say this is really important and you should be involved. Compassion is more attractive.” • Once the group is established, Horst says organizers should “run with what they’ve got. There are a lot of resources and people with tal­ ents, skills and creativity. Use the gifts, abilities and strengths you have.” “The style of the group should reflect who you are. Weave a gar­ ment all can wear.” Lastly, Horst says don’t be afraid to be imaginative. “Some ideas may be excellent mis­ takes but take what was learned and make excellent successes.” “Encourage each other. Be com­ passionate in what you do. Be under­ standing and supportive. Be coura­ geous. Anything worth doing takes guts. The worst you can do is fail and so what? Try again.” “Take risks and grow together as friends and associates.” Motivation Rev. Dr. Rick Horst of St. Marys speaks to the Brussels Agricultural Society about keep­ ing volunteers enthusiastic. Letter to the editor Farmer addresses charges Avon DISTRICT SCHOOL Maitland Learning fora Lifetime THE EDITOR, Acre T Farms was recently charged with not following our Nutrient Management Plan NMP under Ashfield Twp. Bylaw No. 11, 1997. We would like to take this opportunity to address some of the charges listed. The charges and our answers are as follows: a) “It-permitted livestock manure to be applied to saturated soils caus­ ing puddles to remain in the fields.” There were no puddles in the fields following the manure application on Nov. 25, 1999. The field was dry and in excellent condition at the time of application and puddles only appeared the following day after a heavy rain. b) “It permitted livestock manure to be applied in excess of 4500 gal­ lons per acre as provided in the Nutrient Management Plan.” The actual application rate was 200,650 gallons applied on the 55-acre field in question. This worked out to an application rave of 3,648 gallons per ace, well within our NMP guide­ lines. c) “It permitted livestock manure to be spread on lands that were not cultivated prior to said application.” We had not cultivated the soil prior to application, as the soil was already very mellow and dry. d) “It permitted livestock manure to be applied closer than 35 feet to open watercourses or municipal drains.” We did get closer than 35 feet to the municipal drain when spreading but no surface runoff of manure or other environmental dam­ age occurred as a result of this. e) “It permitted livestock manure to be applied on flood plain areas during periods of the year when flooding is most likely to occur.” There was no manure applied to a flood plain area, in fact the soils on the field in question are very level. f) “It permitted livestock manure to be applied closer than 100 feet to wells.” We did come less than 100 feet to wells for which we have the water rights. This actual distance was measured at 86 feet at the clos est point of application. g) “It permitted livestock manure to bp applied closer than 200 feet to dwellings other than those owned by the landowner.” We did come closer than 200 feet to a dwelling when applying the manure. The actual dis­ tance was measured at 120 feet at the closest point of application. h) “The Nutrient Management Plan provides that spreading shall only be done during the spring (or early summer) since no cover crops were established to allow for fall application.” Acre T Farms was under pressure at the time to have the manure tank inspected for cracks since cracks had been found in two other substandard tanks that were built by the same contractor. We were faced with a decision and we chose to empty the tank so it could be inspected rather than risk a more serious problem resulting from a leaky tank. i) “It permitted livestock manure to be applied to the vicinity of dwellings without considering wind directions.” Nov. 25, 1999 was a rel­ atively calm day with very little wind. As a result of previous incidents on our farms in Ashfield Twp., mon­ itoring wells have been,installed at Acre T Farm’s expense in order to monitor groundwater quality. To date all samples submitted from these wells have been clean. In addition Acre T Farms paid to have ESG International conduct a macro-invertebrate assessment on the Pentland Drain. The results of this study showed a healthy popula­ tion of organisms indicated that no long-term damage had been done to the drain. Contrary to popular opinion Acre T Farms wishes to protect its land and water for future generations and have spent a great deal of time and money doing so. The incidents that occurred were learning experiences and will only help us do a better job in the future. Sincerely, Joe and Miriam Terpstra and Family , ere T Farms Ltd. Alzheimer Society opens office The Alzheimer Society of Huron County hosted an open house on Saturday, Jan. 29 to celebrate the opening of its new offices at 317 Huron Rd. in Clinton. MPP Helen Johns was present along with chap­ ter president Patti Down and co­ ordinator Cathy Ritsema to cut the ribbon. The open house was well attended by approximately 60 members. Visitors viewed the new offices and took in visual displays celebrating the seven years that the Huron chap­ ter of the Alzheimer Society has been in existence. The office is open Monday to Friday 9 a.m. to 12 noon for assis­ tance, information and advocacy services. To contact the Alzheimer Society of Huron County, call 482- 1482 or 1-800-561-5012. Adopting a year-long timetable - benefits to students As a result of intensive investigation, a decision has been made to replace the semestered system in secondary schools with a year-long timetable beginning in the 2000/2001 school year. In some schools, a phase-in approach will be possible starting with Grades 9 & 10 in September 2000 and Grades 11 & 12 in following years. In other schools, changes to most grades will occur in a single year. This year-long timetable benefits students by: / allowing students more time to cover more content and master more skills; / spreading the increased program content in each course throughout the school year allowing knowledge and skills to build sequentially without interruption; / providing better continuity for students taking sequential courses by eliminating large time gaps between courses; / providing students with more opportunities to practise their reading and writing skills for the mandatory Grade 10 reading and writing test; ✓ allowing sufficient flexibility to meet individual students’ needs through retaining some semestered courses and expanding the use of alternative and distance education. *<^5*=*^ Active Seniors Wonted Foils Prevention Progrom To register, call Monica at ♦82-9264 or Marguerite at 482-3418 or ^1-800-265-5184. r------------------\ No Fee Sponsored by Intarnational Yaar of the Older Parsons grant Led by Trained Seniors Two Sessions Starting Late FebruaryI Strength O Be lance Exercises ———— Sefetf Checklist This is more than a return to a traditional timetable; it is a new approach to meeting students’ needs within the changed environment of secondary school reform. The new curriculum is more rigorous, more demanding and more structured than ever before; our students deserve all the help we can give them to succeed. The Principal of your local secondary school will be pleased to respond to questions or concerns about the year-long timetable. Avon Maitland District School Board 62 Chalk Street North Seaforth, ON N0K 1W0 Telephone (519) 527-0111 or 1-800-592-5437 Fax: (519) 527-0222- LORNE RACHLIS WENDY ANDERSON Director of Education Chair