Times Advocate, 1999-10-20, Page 8Exeter Times -Advocate
Wednesday, October 20, 1999
Opinion&Forum
Remember when...
On June 30 to July 2, 2000,
South Huron District High School
will celebrate Its 50th
Anniversary. The Exeter Times
Advocate would like to join in the
celebrations by sharing articles or
pictures which have appeared
over the years.
HI HIGHLIGHTS —.1970 - 1979
"Thank you walls,:
farewell South Huron"
from Tony Kyle
Friday evening marked the 54th commence-
ment exercises for Exeter High School, now offi-
cially called the South Huron District High
School, of course. Graduation took place in the
gymtorium of the school.
Speakers for this year's commencement
included the Rev. W. Jarvis, who gave the open-
ing invocation, Herb Turkheim, chairman of the
Huron County Board of Education, Bob Allen, a
Huron superintendent of education, and J.L.
Wooden, South Huron principal. Class valedicto-
rian was Tony Kyle.
"We're proud of this school," Mr. Turkheim
said of South Huron. "We like to think of it as
the best school in Huron County."
Mr. Allen replaced Director of Education, D.J.
Cochrane as the official representative of the
school board administration. Speaking to the
graduating students, he said, "This evening is an
honour which you deserve and an achievement
for which you should be proud."
A capacity crowd attended the graduation cer-
emonies, many of them coming from the
Honours ,Student Dinner which preceded com-
mencement at 8 p.m.
"Really, most of us in teaching are here
because ultimately we really do care about the
students," Joe Wooden observed, as he conclud-
ed the speeches from education officials. "One of
the things education is all about is variety. At
South Huron we have a variety of teachers, who
approach their jobs in their own particular way.
We also have a variety of students with different
interests in education. Learning to get along
with that variety of students and teachers is part
of the challenge.".
Following Mr. Wooden's speech the diplomas
were presented, first to the 153 graduating
grade 12's and finally to South Huron's 50 grad-
uating grade 13's.
Tony Kyle's valedictory address departed from
the usual sobering mood created during this tra-
ditional moment of educational reflection.
Comparing the school to a large house with
walls that had stored away the memories of the
past five years, Tony addressed himself to those
walls.
They had heard and absorbed it all, he said.
To the humorous fancy of his audience, Tony
recalled not only the high points in academic
achievement but many of the lesser known
aspects of unofficial extracurricular activities.
There was the "thrill pf the bus trips with
Stormin' Norm".
Cementing together the two aspects of formal
education and informal life at South Huron, he
remarked, "in short, our teachers saw our
humanity."
"Thank you walls, farewell South Huron."
His well-timed and punctuated talk received a
long and enthusiastic ovation.
The evening concluded with the 'presentation
of various academic and scholarship awards,
including awards from student council subject
prizes, various locally sponsored scholarships
and the presentation of the Ontario scholarships
by Jack Riddell, M.P.P. and a former faculty
member of South Huron.
Sports related information or photos needed
for book - Dates 1838 to 1950
Contact Ron Bogart 235-0847 (home) or
235-0314 (work)
FOR MORE INFORMATION ABM' THE SHDHS
"ALL -YEARS REUNION" CONTACT
KENDRA ARTHUR 235-4006 (H) 235-3349 (W) OR
PAT RowE 236-7167
OPINIONS AND LETTERS
News from St.Anne's
BY PHIUP J.MC MIL LAN
This past Friday, we walked and walked and walked,
and as we did, we were together in a great effort that
helped us feel as one with each other. Staff and stu-
dents. some wearing face paint, were walking all in the
same direction and whfle there were obvious financial
benefits to our sports, arts, and Held trip plans for the
year, there were other benefits. We laughed and chat-
ted and enjoyed the fresh air and sunlight we often take
for granted. There was a great lunch in the woods for
all who walked. There were, including staff, well over
700 of us walking. When we returned to the school,
there was music and time to spend with each other rub-
bing feet and legs and congratulating each other on our.
work as one. I was very proud of the efforts of three stu-
dents in particular. They were Peter Landsbergen,
Mary McDougall and Brian Vermunt who worked tire-
lessly with three staff Mr. DePoli, Ms. Larose, and
Ms.Roxburgh. This team spearheaded a large staff con-
tingent of walk supervisors, planned the walk route,
contacted the media, the police and various other agen-
cies on the walk. We were particularly grateful to the
police who provided an escort as students walked along
the highway for a brief time before turning onto the
wonderful sideroads leading to the Hullet Conservation
Area. The spirit that our walkathon generates never
ceases to amaze me.
This week we had our first group of student teachers
in the classroom. We are delighted to have the group of
seven student teachers from The University of Western
Ontario, Faculty Of Education. It's great meeting with
teachers as they begin theircareers and have an oppor-
tunity to discuss with them what they hope to achieve in
this very rewarding type of work.
We are about two weeksaway fron},.opening our
major production called OURTOWN. This weekend the
cast and crew got together early Sunday afternoon for a
big county breakfast at the school, and as they ate they
were reminded of the values of life in- our rural, small
town settings. It reminded me of a great church break-
fast with staff and students eating and spending time
together. Rehearsals are going well. Look for a poster
for more information or call the school about•;tickets.
Tickets will be pre -sold by seat number, so call early
and don't be disappointed about not getting a ticket on a •
sell-out night. The show runs November 4, 5,6 with a
special matinee on Sunday the 7th.
Parents should be aware that the reports for midterm
will be going home on Friday, November 12th and that
the teacher interview night will be on Tuesday,
November 16th.
Our last School Advisory Council get together for the
elementary schools councils was postponed due to some
scheduling difficulties and will be rescheduled for early
November. There will also be a newsletter going home
on Friday, October 22 ,1999.
This is too cute to pass up:
You know that all potatoes have eyes. Well; "Mr. and
Mrs. Potato had eyes for each other and they ,finally got
married and had a little one -a real SWEET POTATO
whom they called "YAM". +r
They wanted the best for little Yam, telling her all
about the facts of life. They warned her about going out
and getting half baked because she could get Mashed,
get a bad name like Hot Potato, and then end up with a
bunch of Tater Tots.
She said not to worry ---no Mr. McSpud would get
her in the sack and make a Rotten
Potato out of her! But she wouldn't stay
home and become a Couch potato
either. She would get plenty of food and
exercise so as not to be skinny like her
Shoestring cousins.
Mr. and Mrs. Potato even told her
about going off' to Europe and to watch
out for the Hard Boiled guys from
Ireland and even the greasy guys from REV'
France called the French Fries. They DEAN
also said she - should watch out forth() To
Indians when going out west because Nom
she could get Scalloped.
She told them she would stay on the straight and nar-
row and wouldn't associate with those high class Blue
Belles or the ones from the other side of the tracks who
advertise their trade on all the trucks you see around
town that say FritoLay. Mr. & Mrs. Potato wanted' the
best for Yam, so they sent her to
"Idaho P.U."-tliat's Potato University -where the Big
Potatoes come from and when she graduated, she'd
really be in the Chips.
But one day she came home and said she was going to •
marry Walter Cronkite. Mr. and Mrs. Potato were very
upset and said she couldn't marry him because he's just
a CCOivIMONTATERt!!l111I!!1!1
ON INTERNAL COMPONENTS". What does that mean?
_iliniespinsmosimmomeminsimmes
News from. SHH
Mid -September was the first regu-
larly scheduled meeting for the Board
of Directors of South Huron Hospital.
However, our summer was far from
quiet, as . special meetings needed to
be called to address a variety of
.issues.
Many new faces have been added to
our Board, and their bring to it a wide
array of experiences and depth of DR.
knowledge:. _Agnes Aunger for the .DOUG
Hospital Auxiliary, and Dr. Dave HOMER
Hodder, Chief of Staff, both live in
Exeter and have, been -appointed to the Board.
Other elected members from Exeter include Matt
Clarke, Olga Davis, John Marshall and Clay Murray.
Chuck Doyle resides near Dashwood, while Ron
Heinrich and Joyce McBeath live in Zurich. From,
the Grand Bend area Governors include Robert
Deane and George Shaw, whereas my residence is
in Hensall. Please feel free to contact any of these
active volunteers with your concerns and com-
ments. Individuals are also welcome to our month-
ly meetings, usually the second Monday of the
month, with the next one scheduled for November
8. Please inform Michelle Winder at 235-4002 ext.
256, at least 3 days in advance, so appropriate
space can be allotted on the agenda, should you
wish to speak to the Board.
Always near the top of the list of concerns regard-
ing our hospital is Emergency room coverage. I am
pleased to inform you that at present, coverage is
near complete for the next few months. A special
thank you to all the Doctors, especially the local
ones who have given their time after their offices
are closed to help remedy this situation. It is appre-
ciated.
With the implementation of restructuring and
reorganization there always are changes in staff'.•
Lel Morrison has joined South Huron as a nurse
practitioner and will continue to break ground as
this new model of health care evolves. We would
also like to say thank you and to extend our Best
Wishes to our previous Director of Physiotherapy,
Ian McCrae, Mary and family as they settle into
their newlives in Wallaceburg.
Our Board is still negotiating as well, in trying to
get Anago, and the Day Away programs centered in
this hospital. However, expensive structural
changes are needed to provide a barrier free access
for the physically challenged. We definitely want to
have these organizations under our roof, and yet
must be fiscally responsible as we are still operating
at a deficit budget.
Thank you as well to Hugh MacMaster and his
team who presented the results of the community
health care needs survey. As reflected in this sur-
vey, near the top of the list of concerns is the •need
for a Medical Arts facility to house Doctors who are
committed to a group practice philosophy. We have
been advised too many times that this is an. impor-
tant tool in the recruitment of Doctors. It is only
through the active participation and commitment of
our community, our Doctors and the hospital Board
of Governors can this take shape. Discussion on
this issue has literally dragged on for years, and
there does not seem to be a local committee who
are eager to take on this task, although of all of us
know that it is needed. Therefore our Board and
local Doctors have entered into preliminary part-
nership discussions with a private company in an
attempt to simply " get it started". This arrange-
ment may involve selling the building across the
street from the hospital as part of the hospital's
financial commitment to this project. I am becom-
ing increasingly frustrated with how long it takes to
have any project take shape. A committee has been
formed from our Board to actively investigate the
feasibility of dong this.
With the year 2000 soon upon us. Y2K has
become a widely debated issue. In health care
there is little room for error, as furnaces, telephoner -
systems, generators medical and laboratory equip-
ment;: and hundreds of other items must work well.
The Board would like to thank Bill Southgate and
his project committee for the work they have com-
pleted to ensure operational continuity and emer-
gency preparedness should the worst occur. These
plans are nearly 100% completed.
Changes will continue to happen as restructuring,
like anlalgamation, carries on. •
It is hoped that this process can be completed at
South Huron hospitalmith a mint mtiiii of disruption
to all parties concerned, and the Board will contin-
ue to be as sensitive to this issue as possible.
l