HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Goderich Signal-Star, 1980-03-06, Page 22WATAL.STAR, THURSDAY, MARCH 6 ,,1980
with retirement of socialworkers
With the recent
'retirernent of Miss
Ciertrada Wilkes and
Ms S Mildred Marwick
from the staff of The
• Family and Chi1dren's
Services of Huron
• County, an era in pane
service draws to a close.
• They were the only social
workers, still with the
2 agency who had worked
•• with a succession of five
, local directors: Mrs.
Mary P. Chaffee, Dr. R.
G. McMillan, Miss Clare
McGowan, Mr. Bruce
Heath and the present
--local -director, Mr —John
Penn. Miss Marwick had
completed more than 20
years in social work, and
Miss Wilkes more than 28
years-, • -
• In -reviewing careers of
such length, it is im-
possible not to look in
retrospect over the
development of the
agency during this
period, one of rapid
growth and great ex-
pansion Of services which
followed the original or
pioneer period.
The pioneer period
beganalmost 70 years
ago when, in 1911, Huron
County's branch was first
organized. This was 18
years after Ontario's first
child protection act was
passed by parliament.
The official name of the
branch was "The County
of Huron's Children's Aid
and Humane Society'
(legislation to protect
animals preceded laws to
protect children in
Canada by as much as
two or three 'd9lcades.
During these early
formative years, the
Board was all important,
and a single person was
appointed to do the field
and office work. For the
first 17 years thiS position
of "county agent" was
held by Mr. G. M. Elliott,
fathecof the late scholar
' and historian, Mr. W. E.
Elliot. When he retired,
• Mr. Harry Edwards as
•"superintendent" carried
- on the work for 18 years,
. with the highly valued
assistance of volunteers.
The second era of
-growth- -artclj—eitpansi on
years to enter the
Presbyterian church's
Mission field in India;
Miss Kim Norris, Reg.
N., who resigned to join
The Victorian Order of
Nurses; Mrs. Florence
Lauder, Reg. N., who
retired in 1969 after 12
" years in the sPcial work
field; Mrs. Esther Ross,
who retired in 1978 after
261,4 years; Miss Mar-
jorie Henderson, whd
moved to Western
• -
Canada; Mrs, Mildred
Simpson and Mrs. Marie
W.hetstene, who tran-
sferred to the offices of
the County of Huron in
the courthouse.
In those early years
when another worker.was
needed, the Board and
the Local , Director
selected a person whose
background, education,
aptitude and experience
seemed appropriate. The
apparent result was that
the agency act.aured a
reputation for uniqueness
. in compatability of staff,
co-operation with the
Board and with County
Council and . other
agencies resulting in a
high level •df service to
Huron County families.
The number of families
receiving counselling and
other assistance in-
creased steadily. A 1953
report to the Board of
Directors stated that it
bad "doubled" that year.
Daring '1965 the total was
157; in 1969 it was 254; in
1977 it was 344. Due to this
definite increase'
services to • families
whose children were still
in the home or were going
to be returned to • them,
the name • of .Tbe
Children's Aid Society
was changed in 1977 to
• The -Family • and
Children's Services of
Huron County.
AM & G hospitatbriefs
• BY SHIRLEY J.KELLER • psychiatric unit in AM&G and have revised the
estimate of, savings as a result of relocating the
unit from the Bluewater Centre.
A letter this month advises that, additional
eperating-eosts-erf-Erbout-$9;000.per-an-nurri-- hydro—
at $2,942•and heating at $6,146 - would reduce the
expected $115,000 savings to something in the
order of $106,000.
However, the board had identified ap-
proximately another $35,000 in annual savings by
moving the psychiatric unit to the hospital here,
so savings should actually amount to $141,000 per
annum even with the extra hydro and heating
costs figured in.
The Ontario Ministry of Health official who
was to have had some input into the disaster plan
for. Alexandia Marine arid—General- HoSPItiiratrd--
other community agencies and individuals, is in
poor' health and has been unable to attend the
meetings.
Elmer Taylor, hospital administrator, said the
Community Health Comittee has postponed its
meeting for a month, until March 21.
The committee is attempting to co-ordinate a
community disaster plan in conjunction with a
hospital emergency plan in time of a disaster.
+++
A provincial committee on hospital bed
allocation, of which Elmer Taylor, AM&G's
administrator has been a member, has com-
pleted its work and has been disbanded.
Taylor told the board last week the
whole methodology of bed allocation has been
reviewed by the committee and he is lippeful its
recommendations would "result in some im-
provements".
Dr. James Rourke said'he felt the benefit of
Taylor's service on this committee would be
"invaluable" to the local hospital.
+++• 4
The firm of Peat, Marwick and Partners of
Toronto has begun it study of the long term care
provisions in Huron and Perth Counties.
An accommodation study is the first phase to'
be carried out early in March, Elmer Taylor,
administrator, told the board last week.
He said the study will have two major areas.
One is an analysis of the age of the population in
Huron and Perth,' population. , trends, age,
distribution etc.
The second is, the accommodation study. It will
be a study of one selected day in Huron and Perth
hospitals.. The accommodation of all patients
with the exception of newborns, will be studied to
determine if they are being cared for in ap-
propriate accommodation..
The purpose of the Study is to,d•etermine what,
if any, additional accommodation is necessary in
Huron and Perth for chronic patients.
began as legislation in-
.
• the respon-
sibilities of the agencies.
• One person could no
• longer • •be expected to
:carry the enlarged
caseload, And Mrs. Mary
• P. Chaffee, a professional
teacher of social work in
Toronto becanie the first
social worker in the
agency -in 1940. When Mr.
Edwards retired in 1946,
she succeeded him in the
superintendency. • Mrs.
• Chaffee was the society's
last superintendent and,
when the , name was
changed, its first Local
Director.
• • Additional workers
were needed as the
+province demanded
extended services.
Protection from abuse
• and neglect was still the
Paramount purpose of
Children's Aid Societies,
but the importance of
supportive family work
• was now being
reorganized as crucial. In
addition, work with
_unmarried mofbersand
fathers and with adop-
tions had become part of
• the legal responsibilities.
• Miss Clare McGowan, a
graduate of Toronto's
School of Social Work,
joined, the staff as
Assistant Local Director,
and in due time became
Local Director, serving a
total of over 24 'years
before retiring in 1970.
Other staff members
who were with The
Children's Aid Society
during Mrs. Chaffee's
Local . Directorship 'in-
cluded Miss Ida White,
Reg. N. who left after two
W. J. Denomme
FLOWER
SHOP
524 8112
DAY
OR
NIGHT
Agiant for 24 hr
FILM DEVELOPING
+++
Woods, Gordon and Company have'taken a
look at the hospital's plans to accommodate the
Miss Wilkes joined the
staff in 1951, and has to
her credit the record of
the longest period of
continuous service in the
•history of' -the agency.
Very quickly she became
recognized in the
province as - an expert
because of the quality of
her work with unmarried.
mothers and fathers,
• their children and
families and with
adoptions and foster
-homes. During the earlier
years, this part' of the
work was extremely
heavy
, A • random look at
statistical reports shows
that in 1965, 75 unwed
parents • were assisted,
and 59 adoptions were
completed. Many
families Were adopting'
children from, other
countries which added to
the werkload. When its
weight demanded ad-
ditional service, Miss -
Wilkes bec.ame Super-
visor of that department.
As time went on, due to
various reasons, the
number of unwed parents
needing counselling
decreased., as did the
number of babies for
adoption. Miss Wilkes'
department shifted its
focus to the ver difficult
one of placing older,
handicapped and multi -
race children in suitable
adoptive- homes. She also
turned her skills to
counselling of teenaged
girls and their families,
and to Official Guardian
reports required by the
government •when
children are involyed in a
divorce action.
+++
Mrs. Jo Berry, formerly chairman of
Alexandra Marine and General Hospital, told the
board last week that the county hospital
representatives met with members of Huron
County Council recently to protest' new
regulations governing county donations to
county hospitals.
"It seems unfortunate they don't want to
support local hospitals," said Chairman Gordon
Crabb.
Mrs. Berrysaid that Wasn't the case. She said
the county had been very generous in its support
of county hospitals, but the new regulations
calling for provincial support before county
support will be'considered, were considered, fair
by the county.
She said the county posigon remains un-
changed.
+ + +
Brief discussion was heard on the efforts of
AM&G officials to deal with complaints from •
patients who , have charged that in the
emergency roorn, physicians opted out of 011113
do not advise patients of that fact before treat-
ment is given.
It was, pointed out that a doctor does not need
to explain fee .structure to a patient if charges
are being made either according to OHIP fee
schedules or Ontario Medical Association
(OMA) fee schedules.
"This hospital is following up on complaints
from patients in this • regard," said Mrs. Jo
Berry, board rnember.
4 .
The doctors of Alexandra Marine and General
Hospital "have suggested that •automated
laboratory equipment would cut lab staff time
and result in financial savings for the hospital,
• 1$p1)11
..:CASE
• FOR BUYING THE
OneStep
Normally you'd pay up to '1 1 .95 to buy this.handsome leather -look
carryall case: Zippered compartnients hold camera, film and fFash.
But it's yotis is a bonus when you buy a Polaroid OneStep..
OneStep A lightweight simple to
use instant camera
that delivers all the fun of the Occasion at the
push of a button. OneStep does all the work,
you have all the fun. Great at parties or
anytime people gather. Case quantities are
limited so act fast. •
.4)==azz:zzzAMM
(Yissit4
eid*
FOR CAMERA
OUR LOW PRICE 39 95
•
AND CASE.
11111111110.11M1IIaicicI
11111101111/11111
Prpdr.)1,1 rind traclernark, of Polaroid Corporation
(„)r-nriodgr, Ma'.. f, A
HURON CAMERA CENTRE
112 THE SQUARE
GODERICH
524-7924
4
Miss Wilkes, for ap-
proximately ' 20 years,
also acted as court
worker in connection with—
her department.
• Miss .Marwick joined
the staff in 1959, im-
mediately entering the
field . of child care and
related family service.
By this time, the im-
portance of the family
unit . w.as being stressed
and she broughthundreds
• lc urn. to page 3 0.
•Your HOodquarters for
*Tv TOWER INSTALLATIONS. REPA IR & SERVICE
!DELHI &,CHANN.EL•MASTER
+TOWERS, ANTENNAS & BOOSTERS
*SHARP COLOUR 4V -
•,miptikNo C.B
ALVIN'S T.V,
162 MARY ST.
GODERICH
524-9089
GODERICH DISCOUNT CENTRE.
70 THE SQUARE
DERICH
524-6861
lbum page
refill good
for any
standard
size print
I 80
offer E„,„
,mAR 31
CITATION
PHOTSERVICW
'
'1
1
If you're still waxing your kitchen floor, now is the time to stop!'Why not
ioin the millions of homemakers who are enjoying the luxury of an
'Armstrong no -wax floor—with the Mirabondwear surface that keeps its
brilliant shine far longer than an ordinary vinyl floor. Just mop it 'clean,
and it really does look just -waxed!
VERY GOOD!
• Sundialb
-Fir sunny Mirabond surface
shines without wax! Exciting
designs and colours.
So much for
so very little! $
EVEINI.IFcT:TER!
•
Rich, beautiful, textured
patterns stay sparkling
bright without
•waxingt
OUR' BEST!
Designer Solarian
Stunning designs, luxurious
handcrafted look - unique
"Inlaid Colour" construction
that produces a floor of
n ma tched
colour depth
and realism!'
"IN STOCK ITEMS ONLY"
Cer!a, cony,,Qhled 4"^"r`'
BAECHLER
1SO SHOPPERS SQUARE GODERICH 524-8600