Huron Expositor, 2007-07-25, Page 4Page 4 July 25, 2007 • The Huron Expositor
Opinion
Proprietor and Publisher, Bowes Publishers Limited, 11 Main St., Seaforth, ON, NOK 1WO
mPt contribution
The idea that laughter is the best medicine is no
news to the Huron Perth Healthcare Alliance and
its four remaining care clowns, who are hoping to "
recruit a new cadre of clowns to cheer up . patients
throughout its hospitals in Stratford, Seaforth,
Clinton and St. Marys.
Care clowning has been offered in Stratford
General Hospital since 1993 and at its peak, close
to 20 volunteers dressed as clowns and after eight
weeks of training, offered stress -relieving visits to
both hospital staff and patients.
But, as is the case in many areas of volunteering,
the program's participation has decreased overthe
past several years.
A shortage of care clowns is .being viewed as no
laughing matter to the organizers, who hope to
offer training programs this fall to infuse new ener-
gy into the program.
Alliance volunteer services coordinator Alla Mota
is hoping to recruit high school students into the
care clown program since she sees the high energy
of teenagers and a program to cheer up patients as
a perfect fit.
With a minimum of 40 hours of community ser-
vice to perform as a requirement for a high school
diploma, students couldle and
egg guffaw their
way through their volunteer hours while bringing
some joy and distraction to those who need it most.
But, anyone who wants to take the training and
commit to one visit a month at a local hospital is
welcome to sign up.
Over 25 years ago, Dr. Norman Cousins in his
book Anatomy of an Illness described how watching
Marx Brothers movies helped him recover from a
life-threatening tissue disease.
And; while few doctors are prescribing stand-up
comedians and funny movies as a course of treat-
ment, research has determined that laughter has
many health benefits, including lowered blood pres-
sure, .elevated mood, improved immunity, protec-
tion to the heart and unproved brain functioning.
Visiting patients who may not be getting any
other company while they battle illness and help-
ing them to forget their troubles in laughter for a
time is a valuable way to contribute to the commu-
nity.
It will be far more than just clowning around.
Susan Hundertmark
Your Community Newspaper Since 1860
E-mail us at seaforth@bowesnet.com
Visit our home page at
www.seaforthhuronexpositor.com
GUEBEC * MEDIA !!!r! !ENA
"We acknowledge the financial support of the
Government of Canada, through the Publications
Assistance Program (PAP), toward our mailing costs."
Canada
Muggles will battle over
latest Harry Potter adventure
It's probably no surprise that
a bookworm like me is raising a
few of my own.
Maybe it's because I've been
reading to my kids since they
were infants or maybe it's
because I can usually be found
with my nose in a book - but
I've never had a lot of trouble
convincing my kids that a book is
magic and adventure.
We did not stand in line until midnight
dressed as wizards waiting for the latest and
last Harry Potter book to be released Friday.
In the same way that we can love the TV
show Star Trek without wearing pointy ears
and telling everyone to "Live long and pros-
per," we can be wild about Harry and his
magical world without swishing and flicking
our magic wands or boiling up a potion in our
cauldrons.
However, we have been using our invisibili-
ty cloaks to protect us from all of the spoilers
out there on the Internet and in the daily
newspapers. When we begin reading, we want
to be able to savour the story without any
foreknowledge of the long anticipated out-
come.
You know it's a book we'll be fighting over
when it's finally in our possession.
Without any magical powers at all - I am,
sadly, a Muggle afterall - I can predict that
my son - an exceptionally fast but thorough
reader - will take first possession of the book.
In between long periods of immersion in the
book while lounging around the house, he'll
Susan
Hundertmark
stash it in his room.
But when he's asleep, I will
creep in with a flashlight, nab
the book and start reading it
myself.
When he awakes to find it
gone, the sparks will fly and the
race will be on to see who can
finish it first.
a place of Of course, he will win but in between fights
about possession of the book, we will enjoy
conversations about our shock and amaze-
ment of what we've read so far with me pre-
dicting future developments and my son giv-
ing tantalizing clues or even outright refusing
to tell me if I'm right or wrong.
Why don't we buy two books and leave each
other alone? Well, we know that any good
book is worth sharing and it's far more fun
when reading can - at least sometimes -
become a contact sport.
When the dust settles and we have both fin-
ished the book, my husband will pick it up
and we'll quiz him throughout, looking for his
reactions.
Then, my daughter, who has just started
into the whole Harry Potter series, will be
encouraged to give it a go.
There's nothing quite like a big fat juicy
book - especially one as well written and
thrilling as the Harry Potter books by J.K.
Rowling - to bring together a family of read-
ers.
And, for us, that's the most potent magic of
all.
Ron & have
Why do these
things always
happen to me?
God has done this
for whatever His
purpose might be.
The Bible tells us
that all things are
God's will.
r ),
by David Lacey
Apparently,
it was God's
will.
(why did
you do
that?!
SUBSCRIPTION RATES: LOCAL - 36.18 a year, in advance, plus G.S.T.
SENIORS; - 34.17 a year, in advanoe, plus G.S.T.
Foreign: 36.18 a year in advance, plus $181.48 postage, G.S.T. exempt
U.S.A.: 36.18 a year in advance, plus $92.56 postage, G.S.T. exempt
Published weekly by Sun Media at 11 Main St., Seaforth. Advertising is accepted
on condition that in the event of a typographical error, the advertising space occu-
pied by the erroneous item, together with a reasonable allowance for signature,
will not be charged, but the balance of the advertisement will be paid for at the
applicable rate. In the event of a typographical error, advertising goods or services
at a wrong price, goods or services may not be sold. Advertising is merely an offer
to sell and may be withdrawn at any time. The Huron Expositor is not responsible
for the loss or damage of unsolicited manuscripts, photos or other materials used
for reproduction purposes.
PUBLICATION MAIL AGREEMENT 40064683
PAP REGISTRATION NO. 7605
RETURN UNDELIVERABLE CANADIAN ADDRESSES TO
Circulation Departinent
P.O. Box 69, Seaforth, ON., NOK 1 Wo
Member of the Canadian Community NAssoc/at/on
& the Ontario Community Newspapers 1at/on
. ,i:111 Itoolt.4
Susan Hundertmark
Editor
Aaron Jacklin
Reporter
Bernie Pugh Maxwell Bickford
Advertising / Office Composing
Dianne McGrath
Front office
Editorial and Business Offices - 11 Main Street.,Seaforth
Telephone (519) 627.0240 Fax (519) 527-2858
Mailing Address - P.O. Box 69,
Seaforth, Ontario, NOK 1 WO