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HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Goderich Signal-Star, 1972-04-27, Page 22JO SIGNAL- T R, THURSDAY, APRIL 27, 19?2 . `The Distal Side Yoth and an empty summer The summer is coming up... and o Ide more the youth of the community . are going to hit the streets -in search of something to do. 'We don't•want to become embroi led again in the. problems of the youth of Goderich: it is a. pastime which "is much, much too frustrating. We doWantAo share with you a letter which appearedlast week in The ° Exeter Times=Advocate. We thought it . was worth reprinting in the Signal - Star for the perusal of our readers. April 14, 1972. To "Someone Who Car4s" `''Now there is no one to blame but ourselves. Nothing is any longer inevitable,, Since everything can be accomplished, everything must be deliberately chosen". Jerome D. Frank Havidp lived in Exeter up until a year ago I realize the problems the youth are facing. l know you've probably heard that a,hundred times before. Although letters such as yours are very factual they don't make the people really see because "their kids don't use drugs". r'm now living in a town about twice the size of yours but that isn't important in so much as the same problems are relevant. • After a riothere in October, it was decided that the youth needed sajnething constructive to do. So youth council was created. They rented a building for a period of three months through the generosity of the town council. The building that was 'given' them wa.s a quantzit hut that had no he ,t, no water anda lot of dirt. Comments such as ie following were written up in the town newspaper "Short on funds and long on apathy, the coffee house project rs `Its II ploddingald'ng". "lt.was as coldas.20 degrees in there. It was freezing. The roof leaks and the water on the floor was frozen solid". The future looked dim. However only two weeks later the paper's headline read "Dance i,s Financial Success.;' Ribbon Cut arCoffee House" and $400 was in the bank. The ;kids had a choice; they could either be defeated or wo/'k for What they wanted themselves as the adults didn ! t "seem" to want to get involved. They areJearning differently. A hall and aband were donated. At the open house many interested adults showed up. In two weeks. they have another dance planned and this time they are able to pay their own .way. It rs hoped that in a few weeks the $800 required for heat -and water wi II be in the bank. After that the coffee house will be open on a regular basis: Couches, a frig and stove, fabler and chairs, coffee urns and many other things have been donated by adults. • Tentatively planned are jam s'es'sions, youth rallies, seminars, picnics, hikes, and other activities with similar groups. The future is now considerably brighter. So to the youth of Exeter please don't give up. What you want isn't beyond reach, whether it be coffee house, a drop-in or. just an occasional' dance. If you want i t bad/ y enough and are willing to work damn hard for it-, it's -yours. I know there are many wonderful adults in your town who would be willing to help- give thein a chance. From Someone Who Cares First off this week, I want to ask once more for support for the , bike=a-thon for the cancer fund 'At time of writing I Thursday I have no accurate inforniation as to fhe date of the ride. although' I have reason to believe it Will be about • mid-Mav or at the very latest. early June. When I last spoke to Bob •Swartman. • chairman of the Goderich°Branch 'of the Huron • Unit of the Canadian Cancer Society. I learned. that response for the bike-a-tflon has been disappointing. I understand. that many women feel' ik•-ts just-toc- earl.v:.to b.egiq tliinking.<a.t it I don''t agree. In fact. I`ve been out on my bike every evening for a week now and judging from the puffing and •snorting I'm doing on an •around -the -block stint. it is time to get in shape. In fact. as 1, am out riding these evenings. I'm meeting other girls who are also .getting some cycling time in before the big' bike-a-thon. FLASH: Word,has just been received that the bike-a-thon for cancer fund-raising is'set for Sunday, May 7 at 2 p.m. The event will start from, the parking lot at Conklin. Lumber'. and the 10• mile route will by the same as it was Iasi year -1 five milesdon Highway 21 south • to Kitchigami Camp road and five- miles back to Conklin Lumber's parking lot. All 67 riders who registered for the 1971 ride -and their friends -are urgedto get out and pedal to beat cancer that weekend. Sponsors .for the cyclists are reminded that their 'donations to the bike=a-thon_ ' are deductible ontheir income' tax and that the cyclists will be authorized: to give 'official cancer receipts to their .sponsors. B'obSwartman, chairmant.of the local cancer committee, says there -will be refreshments served at the Conklitl Lumber parking lot this year for all riders upon • completion of the Circuit. )Yes, it is true. I intend to ride in the bike -a -than again this year...ai d yes, I'm looking for sponsors. I would be please& to have your pledge. You may have the privilege of helping . the dancer. Sodiety through 'my cycling prowess. if you would like ttbe one of my sponsors, just call 524.-8381 (that's the Signal -Star) and. leave your . name, your telephone.nnm' er; and'the amount 'of your pledge with the girls at the anoint office. (incidentally, the, route is 10'- miles' song.) ' q Wyatt Fant to get into the rine Nit hive, forgotten *.ho to call. it . Mrs,. Giber/' SIror•treecl at 524- ' 0094 and Mips. ;Anita S'.wa Oman at 52.1•0001. , P With Shirley J. Keller The local Association for the Mentally Retarded is using .a new approach this year iu:°irg 'the week set aside nationally for the' mentally retarded of Canada! In place of the .annual Flowers of ,rH•ope campaign the 'local Association is haying an all -oast membership drive. ;"That's what the' Association needsof course. Interested folks whowill become members of the Association and thereby' supporters of the cause I understand there was only a small measure'of interest taken at the high school recently when a government field worker was in town- to try to get• ' something rolling with the youth of Goderich and area The idea, of course. is to get the youth of the community interested in helping. out with recreation for the retarded young people . At the last board of education meeting in. Clinton, I learned about something goin.on.at Huron.... Park's J.A.D.McCurdy School in Stephen Township. There. of course. the school for retarded children is incorporatedinto the regular day -school. Although the retarded youngsters and the average youngsters do not attend classes in the same classroom. they are under one roof and -use the same washroom facilities, the same' playground, the ' same gymnatsiuni etc. Naturally. they Mingle, together and everyone gets to know the retarded of the "community much, much- better. It is, making for understanding, .'Pandit is showing up in the most exciting ways. For instance, not long ago when the teacher for the retarded took her -students on •a trip, each retarded child was accompanied by a "friend" from the school. 1 understandthe retarded children•. have enjoyed -all kinds,of marvellous. outings with, their 'friends"...and the whole situation is, one of deep understanding between, the kids. Just great! That sort of thing will happen in Goderich,,, too, whets the. new addition is built at Victoria School and the retarded "children's facilities are built into that school. It will take a little time but you can bet your•,.boots that the younger 'the children are, the faster they will learn that the retarded are with us and can be oar friends. I noted 'after last Monday ektening's meeting of the Association for the Mentally Retarded, that plans are afoot to -amalgamate Princess Anne Nursery School for retarded pre- schoolers with tinkertown. I think it is. an 'absolutely fine idea.. phut fudging from some of the preliMinary comments of a few Well-meaning people, it would ,seem My thoughts may be in the minority. One of the initial, concerns I' heard expressed was'that the pre- schoolers of normal intelligence would soon be -imitating' the children With a lesser degree of learning ability, . Who was it that 'once said ..Imitation is the sin'c`erest form of flattery''' ;That quote my not be at al; applicable in this situation. taut l;'rn Willing to bet my bottom dollar that if children of all learning capabilities were tossed into a nursery school• environment. the children' of average or above average intelligence would not be affected in any wad hut for •fheir betterment I•t hurts me to think there are stili people around who would isolate retarded children just because they, cannot learn their AEC'.s-as quickly or because they look a little different I'm upset when people would keep their .children . away from •'those, 'retarded children" for fear their own bright youngsters, would .he ' adversely affected. It is almost as though`they were saving their own children might ,o ' catch'; the affliction of the retarded child or. cauld not be taught to be tolerant of the'retarded youngster with all- inabilities. ll- inabilities. , For people with such feelings, I • would recommend a ,visit to Princess Anne Nursery School held in the basement of Victoria • St. Church. each Tuesday morning. I'd urge them to talk with' the volunteers there and to watch retarded children and children of average intelligence at play. Observe how they • get along together. See how the, children are ,able to accept each other despite the ,,differences. Then tell me that's not the way to bring the retarded children out into 'the light of community understafd}ng and acceptance. + + In that'rrein, I'd like ,to share with you a letter I received from a teenager. The letter was not signed and of course, normally it would not be published, - But the letter was written to me, personally, in connection '°wt,th my other column (not featured iti,the Signal -Star) called From My Window. The first few lines of the letter fits in with this... discussion on integrating the retarded into tho nursery ,schools and. the 'day schools and the community .in general. d • The teenager, writes: '!Children are born to love. It is adults who make them hate others and be cruel. Teaching a child to love* and care for people and animals will help him to develop into a responsible adult who will love and care for his fellowrlian. Heed not the worst in us L -seek out and love what is the hest in us." Please turn to Page 713. Goderich Art flub pians for exhibitand party The Goderich Art club held their monthly meeting last week at the Studio on Caledonia Terrace The President, Mrs. •B i'v1 Harper. presided and 10 nit'inhers were present After the opening business had been ter mina ted..plans for the 'art show and \\ ne and cheese party,, were tlnal sed It was decided to open the exhibition from 1 30 p to `_.111:00 p n1 on Friday and Saturday, 5 and ti Mav, and one' thirty to nine p in. on Sunday,. May 7 Ott opening night the wine and cheese party will' be. held from 730 to 10 p'm with coffee served front 9.00 p m. to closing trine. Fruit juice or Punch will also be available. Staff were delegated to he present on all three days to welcome visitors and answer questions. The paintings on show will be numbered and a price list kept at the desk for those who may be interested in puri ;.ising. 1.larl.ttt offered to do posters and, place them- about town Beryl Harper read a letter Which. offered a summer youth programme sponsored by Ontario. \ ,iiihalld Re ;:r°eation. It would be In tht' torn/ of a Caravan Art Trek to visit Goderich for a seminar III'''cted by the well-known artist Harold Norrington who has instructed local art groups in the past There was much discussion as to a suitable time far such a project The Club decided to send for more specific informati©n \‘lllh"'ll would apply to our particular field of art and t.ioIlities to support a workshop ti'r yoith. This. pr;og �arnme if ,i,toptt'd would be free to the local "‘ oun;T people but .the community would be responsible 'for all publicity. It was suggested that Goderich Art Club should expand into other branches of art such as wood cuts. Afterwards the. meeting was, adjourned for refreshments. 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