The Wingham Advance-Times, 1979-08-29, Page 2I ar 2 --Us Wind m Advaum-Tfress, August 39, 1979
Teen shares impressions
of UN Pilgrimage for Youth
" AMM U"a "ed
ON Thwed", A"ust 2, a
family of 49 was NOR sup and de-
podtedin all corners d Ontario. I
was part of that family, the group
of a delegates, a bus mom, a bus
dad and a bus driver, Undo Bob,
which made up a small part of
the Im United, Nations Pilgrim-
age for WUM.
The pilgrimeyte is in its 3"
year and is i, . , i entir* by
the Independent Order of Odd
Fellow and Rebekahs. leach
year about a thousand IS -and 17 -
year -old high school students like
myself am involved in this pro-
*4 -
In I" case, I travelled along
with 41 other delegates from On-
tario via Gray Coach No to New
Yat, where I spent six days ob-
serving U.N. aetivlties as well as
touring the city. The tumaidng
part of the 164ay trip was spent
touring Ottawa, Montreal, Phila-
delphia, Gettysburg (PA),
Washington and Niagara Falls.
The group of us became a tlght-
Isnit family and breaking up was
difficult after lfl days togetber.
I became a part of this trip
after winning a public speaking
eontest against other Grade 10
and 11 Huron County high school
students in March. The contest
involved a six -minute prepared
'speech and a ooe-mirwte im-
promptu speech. Some delegates,
however, won the trip by writing
an exam on the UN or by taking
part in an interview.
Our first day, July 18, began at
5 a.m. in Stratford with 13 half
asleep strangers medit and
boarding the bus that was to be-
come our home for a good part of
the trip. We travelled to Toronto
where we were given breakfast
at an IOOF hall. There we met
the bulk of our group, gaining
about 24 more delegates. Not
until Thursday night in Cornwall
did we have all our family to-
gether, when we picked two girls
to complete our busload.
We toured Ottawa on Thursday
.taking in such attractions as the
parliament buildings, Rideau
Hall and the Canadian Mint.
On Friday morning, we ex-
plored Place de Ville Marie and
Notre Dame Cotbedeai..ia ] ont-
real.
We were lgdged each -night in
motels, except while in New York
and Washington where we were
in hotels. The first Friday night
was spent in a motel in Burling-
ton, Vt., where we learned while
watching the movie,
"Propbecy", that it is impossible
for 42 teenagers to attend a drive-
in without a car and not be
noticed!
All our meals were paid for by
the IOOF and several meals were
served at IOOF halls en route,
which was just one way we
learned of the Odd Fellows' belief
in "friendship, truth and love".
'DON'T TRUST ANYONE'
Not until Sunday did we gel our
first glimpse of New York city.
Because of past , , ,, our
bus driver did not take us through
Harlem, but we did travel
tin ugh the Central Park area
which was sufficient to drive the
point tome. You could almost
bear the whole bus gasp when we
drove by a church with bars ex-
tending almost twenty fed up its
entrance. All stores were barred
or equipped with heavy garage
doors that secured the stores out-
side of business hours. We all
watched as a man with a milk
bottle and pipe wrench got his
water supply frau a dirty fin
hydrant. This is life for many
people -
When the bus stopped in front
of our hold, which was the
Southgate Tower, several on the
bus were afraid to leave its
security. Still we did and were
joined eventually by other dde-
gates from The Maritimes, New
York State, Delaware, lora and
Pennsylvania, totalling Iso.
The rules and safety pre-
cautiow were than put before us:
"Absolutely no going beyond
hotel rooms without being ac-
companied"; "Boys must carry
wallda in front pockets"; "No
talking to anyone, despite the
situation, on the streets"; and the
real clincher, "Don't even trust
your roommates at brat". Yes,
we had arrived in New York City.
On Monday morning we had
our first „ y, ... ,, . to the United
Nation. There we were given a
tour of the UN buildings, had
gimup pictures taken and viewed
three films on UN activities.
Over the course of the four days
spent at the UN we sat in on 10
briefings concerning interests
from energy, to world population,
to International Year of the Gild,
to South African affairs. Al-
though we all agreed that many
of these bad a tendency to be
boring, Ire also found them inter -
"ting often and were surprised
to learn bow much we benefited
from them. At times I personally
feltthat the UN is. a powerful
force in the world today, although
sometimes I was led to question
its true authority. Perhaps the
United Nations should become a
world government, but on the
other band would this only lead to
more world struggles?
IMPRESSIONS OF
'THE BIG APPLE'
On Monday night, we were all
given a chance to go shopping on
31st Street and area. Now I really
know what the famous Macy's is
actually like as well as Gimbels.
Lata that night, we got our first
overhead view of "The Big Ap-
ple" — from the 86th floor of the
Empire State building! From
that height we watched the fas-
cinating antics of the little yellow
brags which constantly crawl the
streets. These are the taxis of the
city which seem as abundant as
the regular cars. There are said
to be an estimated 10,000 of them
in the city, with rates generally
being 90 cents for the first
seventh of a mile and 75 cents for
each additional seventh of a mile.
It was on the Monday night that
I was first exposed to crime on
the streets when I saw a woman
robbed ig-liter purse. Such im-
dents, combined with a very
common drone of police, fire and
ambulance sirens, made us all
aware of the other side of "I Love
NY".
Travelling from place to place
in New York was frequently done
on foot and we once walked 19
blocks back to the hotel! At other
times we travelled on the city
buses and once on the New York
subway, which is quite an ex-
Bluevale
Mr. and Mrs. John Thompson
have purchased the Bluevale
General Store from Mr. and Mrs.
Charles Mathers, effective
September I. Mr. and Mrs.
Mathers will move to their new
home in the village.
Congratulations to Mr. and
Mrs. Glen Warwick who were
recently married and are living
in the village.
A Garniss family reunion was
held recently at the home of Mr.
and Mrs. Bert Garniss when
about 45 relatives enjoyed a
delicious smorgasbord dinner. It
was also a surprise retirement
party for Miss Edith Gargiss who
has retired from nursing. She
was presented with a gold chain
and bracelet. She was also
surprised by co-workers from the
Goderich hospital who presented
her with an graved watch.
Mr. and Mrs. Wes Paulin at-
tended the 40th wedding an-
niversary celebration of Mr. and
Mrs. Len Hayes of Toronto (Kate
Walla of Wroxeter) and also
visited the CN Tower last Sun-
day.
perience! The hardest thing for
tute and the Arlington Cemetery,
me to get used to in the travel
so we took in these also. A real
aspect was the streets which
highlight of our stay in Washing -
were nearly all one way — so
ton was an appointment at,FBI
much for Elmer's "look both
headquarters where we were
ways before you cross the
given details of PBI investi-
stred" •
gations as well as a rifle demou-
We spent part of an, afternoon
stration. Keeping in theme with
touring the Rockefeller Centre.
the capital, we ended our stay in
We were given a tour of the cen-
the city by spending two hours
tre as well as the grounds and in-
waiting for a 10 -minute tour of
formed that the land on which the
the White House. Unfortunately
centre site is rented at one
peanuts were not handed out at
million dollars annually. Another
the door!
evening, we ate in. the luxury of
Before leaving the US we
the American Room at the
toured the Gettysburg battle -
Rockefeller Centre, after which �
field, which was the scene of the
we were entertained in watching
major turning point in the Ameri-
a Radio City Music Hall produc-
can civil war.
tion, ',A New York Summer".
Now that I am home in Canada
Another night was spent at a
I look back at the US as an ex-
broadway play. Half of the group
tremely patriotic country, sur -
saw the play, "Beetle Mania",
prisingly enough. In the Broad -
which has also appeared in To-
way play, Radio City Music Hall
ronto, while the group I was with
production, Statue of Liberty and
saw the play, "Dancin". The
Philadelphia this was especially
poslaness of the Broadway thea-
evident and I admire the country
tre was what I noticed most,
very much for this.
especially the horse-drawn car-
We spent a brief time in Nia-
riages on the street waiting to
gara Falls en route home, high -
pick up the wealthier playgoers
lighted by a trip up the Skyloo.
(you guessed it, our group
Saying goodbye and breaking
walked!)
up our family that had been so
On Wednesday night our area
dose seemed one of the hardest
of the city really came alive as
pmts of the trip. We were told all
there was a Kass concert just
along that we would really
down the street at Madison
mature and grow as a result of
Square Gardens and the side-
the trip and now looking back, I
walks were just crawling with
believe that perhaps the thing
fans, the streets with taxis and
that made us grow most was
amidst all this were several
leaving — leaving the security of
mounted policemen to control
the bus and the -friends we felt so
any riots.
close to there, and going back
Friday morning we travelled
into the world of reality.
aboard a small ferry across to
Right now there are 42 16 -and
the island to see the famous
17 -year-old young men and
Statue of Liberty. We spent much
women, a mom, a dad and Uncle
time touring the historical
Bob all over Ontario that make
museum there and then, being
up a family of which I am proud
the energetic people we claimed
to be a member, because in
to be, we scaled the winding
Summer of '79, I was part of the
staircase to the viewing window
Odd Fellows UN Pilgrimage for
at the base of the statue. Upon
youth.
reaching that lofty height, we
met with "cosy" 105 degree air
and an eight by 10 inch view of
the city. Still it's the thought that
counts; I was up the Statue of
Liberty!
Leaving New York on Saturday
C 0
00
morning, I left with a feeling of
discovery: In many ways, I look
at New York as a trap that holds
many thousands in poverty's
grip. I see."no easy -solution for a
release and the sickness I first
felt on seeing this trap has not
left. Still, I will not condemn the
city and vow neva to return, for
simply not living there will not
=—
make the ghetto go away like a
F
bad dream.
L —
'WHO WAS BETSY ROSS?' ,L
After saying goodbye to new
American and Maritime friends I
met in New York, our bus of On-
tario delegates travelled on to
Valley Forge, then to Phila-
delphia. There we toured the
Betsy Ross house. In doing so, we
learned that in Philadelphia, one
does not ask, "Who was Betsy
Ross?" without having several
disgusted glances come your way
I know, because I asked.
(Betsy Ross is the woman be-
lieved to have designed the
American flag.) While in Phila-
delphia we also took in the ori-
ginal Christ Church, the Ben-
jamin Franklin museum and
hockey fans got a distant view of
The Spectrum. We also had a
chance to see the famous Liberty
Bell which is said to be the ori-
ginal bell"although there are 15
other "Liberty Bells" in all of
USA.
Washington was seen later in
our trip. There we visited the
Washington, Lincoln, and Jeffer-
son memorials as well as the
Capitol buildings, discovering in
doing so that on a -bright day in'
Washington, it is possible to be-
come snow blind without the
snow! Of course no trip to
Washington is complete without
seeing the Air and Space
Museum, the Smithsonian Insti-
The Ministry of Natural Resources will issue
contracts to persons wishing to
Collect White Pine
and Basswood Seed
from trees located within the Wingham District,
Further details of prices, etc. may be obtained by contacting the Wing -
ham District office of the Ministry of Natural Resources at RR S, Wingham,
Ontario NOG 2WO. (357-3131)
No payment will be., for seed collected without prior contract. -
Ministry of
Natural
Ontario Resources
YOUTH TOUR—Aileen Underwood of RR 1, Wingham, re-
cently returned from a tour to the United Nations In New
York and other historic sites. She qualified for the tour,
sponsored by the Independent Order of Cold Fellows and
Rebekahs, by winning a public speaking contest.
WAR ACADEMY AWARDS
INCLUDING
BEST PICTURE
i .1--v"A"Tt .
, i
WARNING.
Sones Scenes
and langvoge
may be
offensive.
STARTS FRIDAY
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