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HomeMy WebLinkAboutClinton News-Record, 1978-01-26, Page 4‘,i PAGE 4--CLINTON NEWS -RECORD, THURSDAY, JANUARY 26, 1978 Too many sports dropouts One of the most intriguing members of the sports community and yet one of the least understood is the "athletic dropout" ..the youngster who, for one reason or another decides to withdraw from active athletic participation. It's a sad fact that athletic dropouts do exist.. a reflection,yperhaps, on our entire system of minor sports and the people who operate therm. But, the reality is there, and it's up to the sports community as a whole to find out why. Professor T. D. Orlick of the Physical Education department at the University of Ottawa, has done some research in this. area.. and his findings are most interesting. Orlick conducted a survey of athletic dropouts, and found that Half of all the dropouts with- drew because of the program em- phasis. They complained the sports were "too serious", it was no longer fun, ..there was too much emphasis on winning, ..there was too much at- tention give to the best players, and there was too much pressure to be good. Seventeen per cent of those questioned said they dropped out because of the coaching. They com- plained their coaches were too negative..all they did was criticize, ..they were not fair, ..they always used the better players, and'they did not pay enough attention to those who were not quite as good. Twenty-one per cent said they left active participation because of general life conflicts..for example, more- in- teresting things to do, school conflicts and the like. Ten per cent said they left one sport to join another sport, and two per cent said they had to leave because of in- juries. The results are incredible, but nevertheless, very real. Sixty-seven per cent - two thirds of a l I the dropouts - did so because of problems with either the program emphasis or the coaching. That says a great deal. It says that we must take good close looks at our minor sporting programs, and reassess our objectives and methods and make changes where necessary. We must encourage our coaches to keep in mind a sense of fairness, and above all, keep the emphasis on teamwork and fun. Everybody wants to win, but as Orlick himself says, in the report, the question really is what is being won and what is being lost? To win the game, and lose the child is a totally unworthy sacrifice. — byl•Gary Alan Price, CFPL radio Government for .thepeople? Prince Philip, never noted for his reticence, got himself in trouble recently for suggesting that the level of government•interference in the lives of the people of Britain was approaching the Orwel I ian era of 1984. Prince Philip was not railing at the almost daily recital of major and minor violations of civil rights, frightening as that may be. Rather, it would appear that he was &tacking a cast of mind which says bigness in government is an inevitable and necessary outgrowth of technological democracy. While we sympathize with the views expressed by Prince Philip, we must recognize that the more complex the society and the more intricate personal relations become, the more govern- ment intervention there will be, says the United Churc . The problem is to know how much interference is too much, how..t,Uttie.l t..•.„,_. enough. In attempting to throw some light on the question, the Reverend Clarke MacDonald, Deputy Secretary of the United Church's Division of Mission in Canada, recently told a men's club in Chatham, Ontario, that it was the responsibility of the Christian conscience to determine "what is too much and -or too little." Governments anal the people that run and administer them, exist solely for the citizens of the nation they rule. But if those citizens demand more and more in the way of social benefits, government bureaucracies will in- crease in direct proportion at best and more likely out of all proportion. When this happens, denial of human rights looms as a real danger and George Orwell's fictional prophecy of a ,Big Brother watching over our every move could become reality. As Dr. MacDonald pointed out in his Chatham address, determining what is too much or too little is a matter of conscience. -....Every..,cifizen should make sure that the voice of conscience is heard in ' parliament and legislative assemblies. Sugar and Spice/By Bill Smiley Good old normality One of the most pleasant experiences in the world, for those of us who, if not over the hill, are at least sitting at the top con- templating with a mixture of dismay and sacred exhilaration the slippery slope we have climbed, and the greasy one we are about to descend, is getting back to normal after lurching through the "joys" of the holidays that end the year. And if one of my students gave me a sentence like that last one on composition, I'd probably tear it to ribbons for lack of coherence and unity. But perhaps those very things - coherence and unity - are the things so lacking in the holiday season, and to which. we return with a sigh of relief in the short cold days and long cold nights of January. We had a rather bleak Christmas this year. Our hearts were in the right place , but my teeth weren't. Several of them had joined that little limbo where your teeth go when, they decide to leave you to your own device§, otherwise known as gums. I put a good face on it, as it were, trying to conceal from my wife, with her flashing white teeth, my mental, spiritual and physical humiliation at having to exist on pea soup, soft-boiled eggs and medicinal brandy. But it didn't work. We had the usual figlht about the tree, finally getting it up after four hours of recriminations, tears and explosions of rage and frustration. This year we put it in a bucket of wet sand, after years of trying to set it up in pails of coal, in various tree stands, and on a flat board nailed to the trunk. As usual, it toppled heavily in all directions but the right one, and we had to tie it to the wall with string. Every year my wife says other people get their tree to stand without using string. And every year I defy her to show me one tree in town that isn't trussed to the wall in some way. For Christmas dinner, I'd bought a fat duck. But the old lady didn't feel like eating an entire duck by herself. So we sat around rather vacantly and stared at the huge pile of parcels under the tree,_which could not be opened, of course, because 90 per cent of them were for "the boys," and the boys weren't expected till the day after Boxing Day. So the day they did arrive, noses running freely, we cooked the duck and a roast of beef, aid a happy time was had by all, trying to put front -end -loaders and fire trucks and other plastic monstrosities together. You know, there was something to be said for those old days during the, Depression, when kids got a pair of mitts or sox and maybe a 15 -cent bubble Woe. At least the adults didn't have to spend hours trying to find parts for Tinker Toys and Leggo and Sesame St. scattered all over the livingroom. They didn't have to try to get together stuff that would have taxed Leonardo de Vinci. However, the boys were a roaring delight, as always, and their Gran spoiled them silly, and their mother told me what was wrong with my entire attitude to teaching (she's been at it three months and has all the questions and most of the an- swers), and their father drowsed quietly during the piano concert that followed, and yours truly ran out every hour to scrape 10 inches of snow off the car. But this/is not normalcy. How joyous it is, to get back to the old, humdrum routine. To hear that thrilling, drilling sound of the alarm clock at 7:15, totter to the bathroom with arthritic joints giving out cracks like maple trees in a deep frost, and to emerge in three-quarters of an hour, smelling of shaving cream, toothpaste and honest soap, another chapter of a novel read. How very pleasant it is to wade out to the garage in the barely lighted morning, snow flying in all directions, scratch the ice off the inside of your windshield with your finger -nails, and try to start the old beast, which emits a couple of grunts like a lady moose in labor, and falls totally, un- forgivably silent. How thrilling to get back to work, the salvation of malty a man and woman, and exchange witty repartee about losing your boots at the New Year's Eve party, and whose snowmobile broke down, and why . Jack's nose is swollen with grog -blossoms, and how much white guck there is in the driveway. • And then there's the delight, of ,getting home after work, and sitting down for one of those intimate chats with your wife, who tells you, at interminable length, how to place a "dart" in a pattern for sewing, when all you know about darts is that it's played in a pub . And to discover that for dinner you're having hamburg and onions, which you had in the cafeteria for lunch. And that the ,bill for the furnace repairs came to $48, and that the man wants 50 bucks to clean the ice off the roof, and the paper boy claims you owe him for six weeks. I don't know about you, but I can't stand too many of these holidays: the slothful lying-in in the morning, the staying up until three to watch a late movie, the one-hour coffee breaks morning and afternoon. It's debilitating. It contributes to moral delinquency. Far better the comfortable horror of the 'regular routine of a Canadian winter. AW SHUCKS, 1 DON'T TUINK 1 CAN TAKE ASL OF THE CREDIT! EMOtir00040N911.. ill If /KV gor Odds 'n' ends - by Elaine Townshend A committee If you belong to any kind of an organization, you're bound to find yourself on.a committee sooner or later. A committee is a group of persons appointed for a special function by a larger group of persons, Belonging to a committee means attending, extra meetings besides the regular ones. It often entails, doing research, compiling statistics or com- paring prices. Sometimes it includes doing a specific chore within a certain length of time. In short, it means doing the leg -work for the parent organization. Trouble can brew within a committee, especially if the purpose of the group is to submit several ideas for a project or solutions,to a problem and then to choose the best one. Reaching a unanimous decision is often impossible when more than one ,pgrson is involved � Blending -the beet, icle Cs into one possible solution is likew; a iliffiult. As one committee-m".rYiber, quips, "A committee was appoin ed to design the horse. What did they come up with? The camel!" A cloud' that always hangs over the heads of the committee members is the knowledge they must gain the approval of the rest of the organization, who gave them the honour of serving on the committee in the first place. Sometimes the only way for a few members to escape the problems of the committee is by naming a sub- committee. ub- committee. For all you seasoned committee members as well as you newly - appointed ones, I am closing with "Murphy's Immutable Committee Laws." 1 - Nothing is as easy as it appeared at the meeting. 2 - Everthing takes longer than you think. 3 - If anything can go wrong, it will. 4 - Once a project is fouled up, anything done to correct it makes it worse,' 5 - Any unlikely event which could create maximum confusion - will occur. 6 - Nothing is impossible for the member who doesn't have to do it herself or himself. 7 - It always costs more than the budget. 8 - A light fee increase usually winds up with a bill of $100 or so•, but a major cost cutting reduction nieans,$5. 9 - When you're on time at the end of a perfect agenda, the meeting probably, isn't over vet. 10 - If you leave the meeting before it adjourns, you'll eventually learn you're chairman of a sub -committee. 12 - if two members are appointed to help, they probably live out of town. 12 - Whatever you want to do, you'll have to do something else first. 13 - If you explain something so clearly that no one could possibly misun- derstand, someone will. 14 - It's easier to get into something than it is to get out of it. 15 - It's a fundamental committee law that nothing ever quite works out. 16 - 'Left to therhselves, things will go from bad to worse. 17 - If you try to please everyone, somebody isn't going to like it. 18 - If everything appears to be going well, you've overlooked something. `19 - If you fool around with anything long enough, it will inevitably break. From our early files . 111 5YEARS AGO ,, January 25, 1973 Daren Tyndall of R.R. 4, Clinton, daughter of Keith and Phyllis Tyndall, was chosen queen of the Ontario Hereford Breeders Association at their annual meeting in Peterboro last weekend. Picked out of four contestants, Miss Tyndall will represent the Hereford Breeders Association at all major fairs and exhibitions throughout Ontario this year. The 1974 race for Warden showed plenty of sparkle as four ballots were required to select Reeve Roy, Pattison of East Wawanosh for the county's highest office. More than 1,300 people showed up last Sunday to tour the banquet facilities of the White Carnation in Holmesville. Most people questionned were very pleased with the facilities available at the Converted cheese factory and milk depot. Kenneth.W. Stewart, 49, of R.R. 5, Seaforth, who was 'Huron County Warden in 1966, died of a heart attack Sunday afternoon while out for a walk on his farm with his dog. The date for Clinton's Annual Spring Fair was set for the first weekend in June, it was decided at the anrival meeting of the Huron Central Agricultural Society meeting in Clinton last Thursday Last year was the first tiple the fair ran three days and members are looking forward to another successful year. Reeve Harold Lobb of Clinton was elected president of the meeting to succeed Ross Lovett of R.R. 1, Londesboro. Tuckersmith Reeve Elgin Thompson of Kippen and Bill Flynn of R.R. 4, Clinton were elected vice presidents. Robert Gibbings of R.R. 1,, Clinton was re -appointed secretary - treasurer. 10 YEARS AGO ' January 25, 1968 Councillor Cameron Procter who looks hale and hearty enough while recovering from surgery, says he still feels "a little groggy around the knees." "Discharged from Clinton Public Hospital, January 12, Councillor Procter rested until IastMonday, when he 'returned to work. "I'm just glad I have a sit down job," he remarks. Clinton Lions continued its tradition of celebrating the holiday , of Scotland's imn1ortal poet, Robbie ;Burns on Tuesday evening. The bard's birthday is today, January 25. This year, the Special Burns Night speaker was Rev. Donald MacDonald, of North Street United Church, Goderich, who gave his own views of what the Scottish, poet and songwriter left the world. House-proud Clinton residents who want to beautify their homes but don't know how, can start taking lessons January 31 from interior decorating expert Ann Fairservice. At Ball and Mutch Furniture Store, Miss Fairservice will give five lectures with demon- strations. George Feagan, a leading figure in Goderich harness racing reports that Hugh Hill, secretary of the Goderich Turf Club for many years has resigned for health reasons. Mr. and Mrs. Ben Hamilton of Auburn were "At Home" to their friends, relatives and neighbours on the occasion of their 25t11 anniversary last Saturday af- ternoon and evening. Over 80 guests signed the guest book and they were welcomed by John Hamilton of Toronto, their son and by his sister, Mrs. MacAllison of Ailsa Craig. 25 YEARS AGO January 29, 1953 Royce S: Macaulay presented the case- of the Public School Board to Town Council Monday evening and requested two ad- ditional rooms for the new public school now under construction at the east end of Rattenbury Street. The Board believed it would be more economical for the town to add two rooms to the new building now, than to continue to operate the old building. Members of the Clinton Lions Club had» one of their fondest dreams come true last evening with the official opening of their new artificial ice surface in Clinton Lions Arena. Dr. J.W. Shaw had the honor of cutting the ribbon to allow the citizens of Clinton and district many hours of recreation. There were over 1,100 spectators on hand to view the proceedings. , Clinton Fire Department on Tuesday morning saved a one - and -a -half storey house on Albert Street, Clinton owned by Ernest Vanderburgh. According to Fire Chief Grant Rath, tie building was damaged seriously by smoke acid water. The Houston Bridge at lots 13, concession 6 and 7 HRS, in the Township of Tuckersmith has now been completed and the road is open for traffic. One abutment of the old bridge caved in during the spring of 1952. Plans for the new bridge were prepared by the Department of Highways of Ontario and construction was done by the C. Looby Con- struction Company, Dublin. 50 YEARS AGO January 26, 1928 Old King Weather seems to have taken the centre of the stage, probably being disgusted with the irregular performance put on last week or so, and it looks as if we might have some weather for a while. We have plenty of snow and the mercury is not very low so, those of us who were born and brought up in this northern clime, where winter is the usual thing of the season, are rather enjoying it. It's the sort of weather that makes one long to take a ten mile drive, well wrapped up and in a comfortable cutter, behind a smart horse, one of these days, preferrably when the sun'is shining. Mr. W.J. Hamblyn, a former citizen of Clinton, but now of Exeter writing to the Clinton News -Record concludes his letter thus: "How are all the Clinton people? I always say 1 spent the best fifteen years of my life up there. Sorry things went as they did. I am not very far away but don't get up very often, can't get my car to go that way." But thaQ no way to talk. "Bill" shouldn't allow himself to be bossed by a mere car. When the nice spring days come he should get that car out, get his wife and son into it and resolutely turn its._ nose this way and tell it not to slacken speed until it gets to Huron's central town, where they are always sure of a warm welcome. Councillor G.H. Elliott is able to be about this week again after a bout with an attack of infection in his nose. To a question as to whether he'd been drinking bootleg stuff G.H. said he hadn't even been smelling it. The world was very lovely yesterday morning, with every bare branch and twig and shrub chshrouded in its - snowy covering. The library park was a picture of loveliness. 75 YEARS AGO January 28, 1903 New departments are being added to Newcombe's big store, the latest being carpets and clothing. The former and the millinery will be located upstairs for large as is the big store's ground floor, this has been rendered necessrary. The men's furnishings and clothing department will be in the rear of the store with an entrance on Isaac Street. The alternations are now being made and when, complete Newcombe's will be more than ever one of the leading stores in Waestern Ontario. What yOU think I11111IIIIIII.11111111111I1I1111III11II1111111HIH11111111111IE1111 Injuries Dear Editor: A growing. concern has been expressed by the Ontario Amateur Football Association regarding reports made by chiropractors involving in- juries in football. The O.A.F.A. would like to request previous information with respect to any chiropractors' reports, through articles or editorials which may have been printed in earlier editions of your paper. Also, if any information is printed in the future on this subject we would like to request a copy of the report which was published. We hope you can provide us with these reports and we thank you, in advance, for your co- operation in this matter. If the chiropractors' assault on football continues to be an issue, please feel free to contact the Technical Director of the O.A.F.A. for an opinion or for input. Yours sincerely John H. Wilson, Technical Director, • Chester Ustzycki, 11 Placement Student, Durham College Sports Administrator Excellent excellent Dear Editor: On behalf of the Women's Auxiliary to the Clinton Public Hospital, I want to thank -you for the excellent coverage of our many auxiliary events. Your co-operation in ad- vertising our monthly meetings for the 1976-77 season was also very much appreciated. Sincerely, Joyce Hilderley Mrs. E.) corresponding secretary. News -Record readers are en- couraged to express their opinions in letters to the editor, however, such opinions do not necessarily represent the opinions of the News - Record. Pseudonyms may be used by letter writers, but no letter will be published unless it can be verified by phone. Mr. and Mrs. John Mulholland of Holmesville intend on taking up their fesidence in Clinton, Mr. Mulholland having accepted a situation with Macherson and Hovey. The grocery business which he has been carrying on will be continued by his brother, Harvey.,_ Mr. Gro. Hill of Summerhill has one of the heaviest horses within a large circle of country. It ,weighs in the neighbourhood of 1750 lbs. and is a superior animal in every way. WO YEARS AGO January 24, 1878 During the divine service in Bayfield Presbyterian Church recently, Mrs. John Benderman fell down in a paralytic fit. The circumstance caused con- sidergble excitment for a time. Splendid two foot dry wood is being supplied the school here at $1.25 per cord. An exciting game of football was indulged in by "the boys" on the square on Friday evening and the sport only ceased when one put his foot through the ball. This season has been an un- favorable one for the sale of sleighs and cutters. Makers in- form us that very few of either articles have been disposed of. • The other day a farmer lost two dollars in town, but it did not trouble him very much, as he indulged in the following soliloquy: "Er, well, (hic), she's gone; I would have spent her in whiskey. Now I'll go home," which, with a friend's assistance he did. The Clinton News -Record Is published each Thursday at P.O. Dos 39, Clinton, Ontario, Canada, NOM 1LO. Member, Ontario Weekly Newspaper Association It Is registered as second class mall by the post office under the permit number 01117. The News -Record incorporated in 1924 the Huron News -Record. founded in 1011, and The Clinton New Era, founded in 1NS. Total press run 43110. Clinton \ewsRecord M*mbar Canadian Community Newspaper Assadatlan Display advertising rotes available on request. Ask for Rate Coati*. II effective Oct. 1, 1177. General Manager - J. Howard Aitken Editor • Janes E. Fitzgerald Advertising Director - Gary L. Hoist News editor . Shelley McPhee Office Manager . Margaret Gibb Circulation . Freda lMclepd Accounting - Marian Willson Subscription Rawl Canada •'13 per year U.S.A.. '17.011 Other • '21.04 ,r. • }