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HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Huron Expositor, 1995-02-01, Page 6FTN! HURON IXPOSITOII, /•bn .ry 1, 1905 Lifestyle Former moderator hosts workshop BY TIM CUMMING Expositor Editor A former United Church moder- ator and writer of several hymns will be leading a workshop on the rural church on Feb. 7 in Egmondville. Walter Farquharson, and his wife Joan, will be coming from Saltcoats, Saskatchewan to Egmondville United Church to start a series of seminars on the theme 'A time for celebration and concern for rural community.' Walter Farquharson served as United Church Moderator from 1990-91. The Farquharsons have served in rural ministry for many years. "They have devoted their life to rural ministry," said Gordon Hill, of Varna, who is a member of the Rural Life Committee of London Conference. "They've had lots of opportunities to go to the city but they have chosen to stay with rural people." The presentation is open to any- one who has an interest in the rural church, said Hill. "We're hoping that ministers will come and rural and urban people," he said, adding that people who live in towns and cities would be inter- ested in hearing the Farquharsons speak. The seminar is an interde- nominational event so one doesn't have to belong to the United Church to take part. The Egmondville workshop takes place from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Tuesday, Feb. 7. It will feature a slide presentation with pictures depicting views from yesterday and today in the rural church. Partici- pants are asked to bring a one dol- lar coin for lunch and the cost of registration is $5. Pre -registration is not mandatory. The seminar series is presented by Westminster College and the Rural Life Committee of London Confer- ence. Other presentations will be held at Charing Cross United Church near Chatham on Feb. 8, Mt. Elgin United Church south of Ingersoll on Feb. 9 and West- minster College, London on Feb. 11. Hill says the workshops will examine what the rural church does well and what it doesn't do well and what it should be doing. "I think we have to find out what people see are the shortcomings with the way the churches are oper- ated now." There are challenges for the rural church which has an aging, declin- ing membership. Young people are staying away in droves, said Hill. "I don't see the problem as a question of money," he said. "People are generous and if they want the church they can afford it." The challenge, according to the member of the Huron -Perth presbytery's Rural Life Committee, is to find the people to do the jobs which need to be done. No summer school funds: separate board BY MICHELE GREENE for The Huron Expositor The separate school simply does not have the resources to offer summer schools or add new com- puters because of its small tax base and the "inequitable funding" between public and separate school boards. This is the message parents in St. Marys got loud and clear last Mon- day night from Dr. James Brown, director of education at the Huron- Pcrth Roman Catholic School Board. For the first time since its incep- tion in 1969, the board conducted its regular business outside of its Dublin board office. Upcoming meetings will also be held in other communities across Huron and Perth counties. On March 27, the board will hold its regular meeting at St. Marys School in Goderich. They will travel to St. James School in Seaforth for its April 24 meeting. The June 26 meeting will be held at St. Michael's Secondary School in Stratford. All of these meetings begin at 8 p.m. The Feb. 27 meet- ing and May 29 meetings will be held at the Dublin board office at 9 p.m. About 20 members of the public, including parents, teachers, two students and a local priest, attended the meeting which was held at Holy Name of Mary School in St. Marys and brought some tough questions for trustees. After conducting its regular busi- ness which mainly included approv- ing tenders for St. Anne's Roman Catholic Secondary School in Clinton, members of the public were invited to ask questions. Two parents grilled the board about how their children are disadvantaged once they leave the separate system. Annette Sharp, a concerned mother, asked the board why there was no summer school offered to the board's students. "There are some children who need it for their self-esteem and to keep up. Won't that put our children at a disadvantage when they go the high school and univer- sity?" she asked trustees. Dr. Brown said the board no longer offers two-week summer school sessions because the Minis- try of Education and Training revoked funding for the program. The only way to fund the summer program would be to take money from the regular school operation. The Perth County Board of Edu- cation has the funds to offer it because of the "inequitable fund- ing" between public and separate schools boards. "If you want to do something about this, organize a campaign to write letters to members of govern- ment about education funding," he said. Dr. Brown added that the board spends less per student than the Perth board or the Huron County Board of Education. That is not because it is trying to disadvantage students but because of the board's smaller tax base and lower revenue. "We simply don't have the resources," he said. Walton school children learn about mean gement Mrs. Bennett's grade one class at Walton Public School is now work- ing on another form of measure- ment. They are learning about weight and volume. The children have been filling containers with water to see how many containers it takes to fill a litre. In working with weight they also hold an object that weighs one kilogram and then they find another object that feels about the same weight. Thus they get the feel of what a kilogram weighs. In Mrs. Scott's grade three class the children had pay-day on Friday. Each child received their pay check of $850 and from that amount they had to pay their desk rental, Hydro, busing fees, school supplies etc. Mrs. Scott reported that some of the students even had money left over after paying their bills. They all can earn bonus bucks by handing in their work on time, doing extra chores and being kind to one another. In the Kindergarten class Eric Mulholland got to take Bob the hamster home for the weekend. A few weeks ago Ricky Pethick had that privilege. The Walton community had it's meeting concerning the future of the Community Hall. After much discussion the idea of a hall board being set up to run the hall rather than the Women's Institute. Inter- ested people will meet Feb. 1 to Walton by Patty Banks 887-6860 discuss the idea. Keith Willlee and sons Mark and Kevin were greeters at Duff's United Church, Jan. 29. Rev. Randy Banks welcomed everyone and made the announcements after the Call to worship. Coming soon to a church base- ment near you, a 12 -part video bible study entitled 'Jesus, Then and Now' written by Rev. David Watson and produced by. Trinity Trust. The first one will be held in Bluevale on Feb. 7 (Tuesday) at 8 p.m. Patty Banks read the Old Testa- ment reading: Jeremiah 1:4-10. After the children's hymn was sung Rev. Banks called the young worshippers forward. He gave them six categories with four items in each and asked the children to choose which was the greatest. The categories were food, sports, movies, weather, pets and virtues. The young people learned that love was the greatest of all...to love God, love themselves and others. Rev. Banks' sermon was called, 'What's so special about Christian love?' Couple welcomes son's birth Congratulations go to Karen and Tony Van Bakel on the happy arrival of a new son - Nicholas Theodore Francis. (Bryan, Jayne and Emilie welcome a new baby brother). Sincere congratulations also to happy grandparents - Frank and Maureen Bruxcr and Theo and Rika Van Bakel. Heartfelt sympathy of the com- munity is extended to Wayne Thornton and family, Stratford on the loss of a dear wife and mother (Shirley) who passed away last week. Sympathy also is given to Shirley's mother - (Dorothy Smith) and to Alvin and Kay Hinz. (Kay - Shirley's mother-in-law). Joe Eckert had the following visitors: Rose Borysuik, Stratford; Joe, Cathy and Joshua Eckert, Wat- erloo; and John Eckert, Kitchener. J Dublin by Dorothy Dillon 345-2883 Congratulations to Jerome and Susan Nicholson on lac happy arrival of their son (Daniel Thomas). Congratulations also to proud grandparents (Tim and Char- lotte Nicholson, Monkton) and pleased great-grandmother (Margaret Nicholson, Mitchell). Well, tomorrow, Feb. 2, will the groundhog see his shadow? If he does, prepare for more winter. THOUGHT FOR TODAY 'Your best friend is the one who is a friend without expecting any- thing.' He doesn't think the students are disadvantaged because they score as high if not higher than students in the two neighbouring public school systems. Mary Dufour, treasurer of the Holy Name of Mary Parent-Teacher Association, told trustees that the organization had raised $5,000 to help purchase new computers for the school. She asked the board to match that amount so more corn- puter equipment could be put into the school. Dr. Brown explained that each school receives an annual budget from the board for operations. It is up to each school community how that money is spent. The only way the board could give Holy Name another $5,000 would be to take it out of the budgets of the other schools "and that wouldn't fly," he said. The board has received funding in the past for computers but it doesn't know if it will receive it this year. "If the funding doesn't come in, our children are going into high school without keyboarding skills. They will be disadvantaged. We have to keep up to the technology," Dufour told trustees. The 21 computers at the school are about eight -years -old. Dr. Brown said the quality of those computers are comparable to those in other school systems. He suggested that the PTA invite Gerry Thuss, the board's superin- tendent of business and finance, to an upcoming meeting to explain the budget process and some of the big ticket items in it including salaries, lighting and heating. After the costs, Dr. Brown said "there aren't a lot of dollars left." At the beginning of the meeting, Principal Joe MacDonald gave the trustees an introduction to the school. Teacher Anne Story explained the boards aims and showed a slide presentation. 4 Wo -44 Sip ,e. 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