HomeMy WebLinkAboutHuron Expositor, 2007-10-03, Page 4Opinion
Proprietor and Publisher, Bowes Publishers Limited, 11 Main St., Seaforth, ON, NOK 1WO
Its.._ime to . .
Going to school together a
nominateyour awy. to crests more tolerance
.• •I grew up in suburban
Kids don't run in neighbour -
London on a street where most hood packs much anymore -
Ole even in small towns - because
faVOLIof the kids ran together in a
pack during the summer. of an increased focus on safety
Eveningsspent playing g � by parents and schools.
hide and seek, British Bulldog, were
p n �� � While extra -curricular sports
flags or some other version of Susan are great opportunities to
game that could include a pack Hundertmark make friends who don't go to
of kids. And, everyone's back- the same school, participation
yard - most of them unfenced in those days - is limited by a family's ability to pay the nec-
was our playground. essary fees.
But during the school year, there was a And, now that Catholic schools are funded
marked division between the kids who went throughout high school, there really is no
to the public school a few blocks away and the time when all the kids of one community are
kids who attended the Catholic school outside brought together under one roof to get to
of our neighbourhood. know each other.
During those 10 months of the school year, I find that a shame.
we had nothing much to do with each other. It The issue of faith -based schools and
wasn't that' we didn't like each other - we just whether they ought to be all publicly -funded
didn't spend enough time together to really has been raised in the current provincial elec-
get to know each other. tion campaign.
By high school, however, in the days before It's my view that creating a situation where
full funding for Catholic schools, many even more faith -based schools are publicly -
Catholic families chose to send their kids to funded, creating an even greater likelihood of
the public system rather than spend money children attending even more separate
on tuition. schools does not do anything to create more
Playing in the school band together, playing tolerance or more friendship between the kids
on sports teams together and just taking who grow up to lead our communities.
classes together, we finally got to know the We can talk all we want about the need for
kids who grew up right across the street. the end of hatred, intolerance and division as
I have always mourned the fact that my the solution to discrimination and war. But,
kids don't really get to know every kid in as long as we are insulated from each oth r,
their community because there are now two that intention remains an ideal and not a
fully -funded school systems in Ontario. reality.
Page 4 October 3, 2007 • The Huron Expositor
From hospitals to service clubs to sports teams,
everyone is constantly crying out for volunteers
these days.
In a world where two -income families have
become an economic necessity and everyone has far
too many commitments on the calendar each week,
volunteers have become rare and precious com-
modities.
And yet, without them, our communities would
be far less friendly, caring or engaging places.
Without volunteers, very few children would get
an opportunity to play sports, very few elderly and
hospital patients would .be visited and very felk
funds would be raised for projects that benefit the
whole community.
More than 20 years ago, Seaforth began recogniz-
ing the valuable but unpaid work done by volun-
teers with its citizen of the year awards.
While the tradition began in 1980 as a single
award, it soon branched out into three awards -
civic service, humanitarian and service to sports -
to recognize the many people who help their neigh-
bours in a variety of ways.
And, while there have always been volunteers to
recognize, the tough part has sometimes been get-
ting someone to nominate volunteers for the
awards.
"'"The Seaforth BIA has recently taken over the
task of collecting nominations and presenting the
annual awards at its Christmas banquet.
Members are asking the community to spend the
next month considering the volunteers who are
making a difference in Seaforth's quality of life and
taking the time to submit some names.
Is there a coach out there who's helped your child
grow in confidence, -competence and character
while joining with friends on a sports team?
Is there a citizen you admire who's taken on a
leadership role in the community, getting some-
thing accomplished or shining the light of aware-
ness on an issue?
Is there a kind and helpful neighbour in your life
who's taken time out of a busy life to provide some
care and compassion to you or others?
If so, this is the season to take a few moments
and express your gratitude for volunteers by mak-
ing a nomination.
The rules state that a person can only receive
each of the three awards once in a lifetime.
The nomination deadline is Nov 1.
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C '4
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Ron & Dave
�So, what happened They sent me
to you at school to see the school
today? psychiatrist.
2US
S1oP
r 17?
Just because I'm hyperactive,
always in trouble, and constantly
rebelling against authority, they
think that I'm a problem child!
."411!1►
... ,.
24 I
4 � 4
by David Lacey
Like, you gotta
have a Phd to
figure that out?
It ain't
rocket
science.
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