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HomeMy WebLinkAboutZurich Citizens News, 1958-11-26, Page 13WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 26, 1958 ZURICH Oitizens NEWS PAGE ELEVEN SUGAR and SPICE (By W. (Bill) B. T. Smiley) There's been a whale of an argu- ment going on in one of the daily papers. Some old trout wrote in and declared that teaching French in. Ontario schools was a lot of nonsense. Immediately the batty was on, and the letters-to-the-edi- or poured in. All those with liberal pretensions attacked him vigour- ously as a reactionary, a bigot, and .generally a misguided clot. But the old boy got plenty of support from people who felt as he did, * * a• As usual there is a lot to be said for both sides. It's no news to ed- ucational people that the present . system of teaching French is un- likely to turn hordes of bilingual Grade Thirteeners loose in the world, but it's the only system they've got. It's something like democracy, a deplorable system, but better than any alternative in sight. Except, of course, for the one I am about to offer. * :n * Whenever this question arises, noble sentiments, dire warnings and sheer snobbery pour from a small but voluble group. They de- clare roundly that it is our duty to learn to speak French if we are to do our part in welding this great country of ours into a single na- tion, etc., etc. They hint that the ability to speak both languages automatically makes the subject a cultured person. * * Needless to say, people who talk like this need psychological help. %tte Coed f ``i .rr'.. FOR DEPENDABLE HEAT All Winter Long Call LORNE E. HAY They are, as a rule, people who have endured a long, painful and fruitless relationship with the French language. They have stud- ied it in high school. They have taken French courses at university and thrilled to the limpid beauty of the French romantic poets. In translation of course. And they can neither speak French nor un• derstand it. That's why they're so intent on putting others through the same ordeal. *: * These people are invariably Eng- lish-speaking Canadians. French- speaking Canadians will agree that everybody should learn French. But they themselves couldn't care less about learning to speak Eng- lish. Unless, of course, it's for a sensible reason, like business or politics. When they do learn it, they make a job of it, as witness Laur- ier, Lapointe, St. Laurant. I still recall with a jangling of nerves the shattering effect of hearing Prime Minister Diefenbaker ad- dressing the French-speaking el- ectorate after the last election. Honest John made an honest ef- fort, but had I been a French- Canadian, even a Conservative one, I should have fled the coun- try immediately after the broad- cast. Locker Service—Roe Feeds Phone 10 (Collect) Hensall J BLAKE (Mrs. Amos Gingerieh Correspondent) Mr, and Mrs, Harry Westbrooke and family, Goderich, spent Sun- day with the latter's father, Mr. Gustav Bohn. Mr. and Mrs. Earl Oesch and family accompanied by Mr. and Mrs. Keith Gingerich and family spent Sunday at Baden and Kitch- ener, also attending some revival meetings at that place. Mr. and Mrs. Kenneth Gingerich and family, accompanied by Mr. and Mrs. Amos Gingerich, spent Sunday with Mr. and Mrs. Neil Gingerich and family. Mr, and. Mrs. Roy Gingerich and Melvin, and Mr. and Mrs, Clayton Steckle were Sunday guests with Mr. and Mrs. Aaron Erb and fam- ily. Little Janice Ramer, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Sydney Ramer, spent the weekend with Mr. and Mrs. Roy Gingerich. Rev. J. C. Thompson, London district secretary of the British and Foreign Bible Society was guest speaker at the Blake A.M. Church on Sunday night, where the society's annual meeting was held with a large crowd attending. Mr. and Mrs. Curtis Gingerich and family spent the weekend at Kitchener and New Hamburg. * However, we drift. Is there any point in teaching our children to speak French? In some cases, yes. I remember one occasion I could have used some. It was in a city in France. I had met this vivacious, black-eyed doll in a — let's face it — bar. I was strictly a "la plume de ma tante est dans le soup aux pois" type French speaker. But I could understand it pretty well. * :r• a Anyway, she rolled those eyes at me after a while, kept saying something about a party and pull- ed my arm. Needless to say, she only had to give it one small twist, and off we went. The trams weren't running. I swear I walk- ed that girl four miles, through the blackout, and only the thought of the "party" kept me going. We FOR THE CHILDREN WAGONS — Six Styles FROM $2,75 UP Tricycles, Wheelbarrows Visit Zurich's Toyland SLEIGHS & TOBOGGANS PRICED FROM $3.25 UP A TOY FOR EVERY CHILD IN THE HOME CHRISTMAS TREE ,LIGHTS 7 String — 15 String — 25 String INDOOR AND OUTDOOR "Make our store your Christmas Headquarters" Rader & Mittelholtz Hardware ZURICH — Phone 63 OBITUARIES • Sidney McArthur A prominent Hensall resident. Sydney Ellis McArthur,. passed away on Wednesday, November 19, while on a hunting trip at Mani • towanig on Manitoulin Island. He was in his 64th year. Prior to moving to Hensall, Mr. McArthur farmed on the second concession of Hay Township. While in Hensall he was employed at General Coach Works. He was a past president of the Hensall Legion, a past noble grand of Hensall IOOF Lodge, a member of the Hensall school fair board and an elder of the Carmel Pres- byterian Church in Hensall. His wife predeceased him eight years ago. He is survived by one son, Don- ald, Quebec; four sisters, Mrs. Roy Lamont, Zurich; Mrs. Stewart Mc- Queen, Hensall, Mrs. Peter Man- son, Exeter, Mrs. Jack Reid, Lon- don; and one brother, Raye, Tuck-. ersmith. The Hensall IOOF Lodge held service in the Bonthron funeral chapel, Hensall, on Saturday night at 7.30 p.m. A public funeral was held in Carmel Presbyterian Church on Sunday afternoon, with the Rev. Charles Daniels and Rev. McMillan officiating. Interment was made in Exeter Cemetery. The Hensall Legion took part in the graveside service. Mrs. Bert Plash. Mrs. Bert Pask, the former An- nie Scott, of Crediton, passed away suddenly at her residence, on Mon- day, November 19. She was a former school teacher, having taught "at Crediton, Bidulph and Orangeville before retiring to Crediton. She was Sunday School teacher of the Dorcas Class of Crediton EUB Church. She is survived by her husband, one brother, Dr. Wilfred Scott, of Toronto, three sisters, Mrs. Eula Weir and Mrs. Ethel Gillespie, both of Toronto, and Mrs. Bernice Thornton, of Crediton. The body rested at the Harry Hoffmne funeral home, Dashwood, where services took place on Wed- nesday at 11 a.m. Interment fol- lowed in Thornbury Cemetery. Rev. Glen Strome officiated. Mrs. Leo Corriveau arrived. She pulled out her key, opened the door, turned to me, took my hand, gave it a firm shake, muttered "morel, ban soir" or something and vanished into a great stone building. It wasn't until halfway on the long, lone walk home that I realized the "partee" she'd been talking about was some part of the French verb "partir," meaning to set off or take off or walk me home, or something like that. :n ,' * Since then, I've confined my French translating to figuring out what it says on the wrong side of the branflakes box: "Souffrez- vous d'irregularite?" Mrs. Annie Corriveau, Goderich, died on Friday in London, after a short illness. She was the wife of Leo Corriveau, and was in her 61st year. Born in St. Joseph, Hay Town- ship, daughter of the late Mr. and Mrs. Simon Bedard, she lived in St. Joseph before moving to Gode- rich five years ago. She was a member of St. Peter's Roman Catholic Church, the Catholic Wo- men's League and the Altar Soc- iety. Surviving besides her husband are three sons, Alcide, Clinton; Patrick and Clement, both of Brantford; three brothers, Albert and Charles Bedard, both of Zu- rich, and John of Forest; five sis- ters, Mrs. John (Josephine) Cad- dotte, Wallaceburg; Mrs. Alfred (Sara) Houle and Mrs. Orville (Maggie) Houle, both of Chatham; Mrs. John (Tillie) Rau, London, and Mrs. Norman (Caroline) Ov- erholt, Zurich; four grandchildren. The remains rested at the Lodge funeral home, Goderich. Requiem high mass was sung at St. Peter's Church, Goderich, Monday, at 9 a.m. Rev. Father J. P. Gleanson officiated. Burial was in St. Pet- er's cemetery, St. Joseph. ,g * * On the good old other hand, there is a vast portion of our Eng- lish-speaking youth to whom the teaching of French is a sheer waste of time. They may be brilliant in other lines, but they have no apti- tude for languages, they are not interested, and they will never get far past the "parley-voo the ding- dong" stage. Solution? Easy. First, ensure that those teaching French speak it with reasonable fluency. Most of them are well grounded in French grammar and composition, but can barely distinguish between a bidet and a bistro when they launch into the spoken tongue. This could be solved by giving them an intensive course, say six months, in which they lived with French people, spoke nothing but French, and learned to think in French. Make it attractive to pot ential teachers by offering a fat bonus if they pass a tough verbal test. Second, screen our kids, at about age ten. Select those with a good ear, an aptitude for languages, and a ready intelligence. Give them plenty of oral and written French instruction from those well-train- ed teachers above. Presto, at age 15, they'll not only be able to pro • duce the past pluperfect subjun- ctive of "faire" without turning a hair, they'll be able to write amoral novels like Francoise Sag- an, or plead their case with busty gals like Brigitte Bardot. Doesn't the prospect get you all fired up about my plan? Mrs. W. Glavin Mrs. Winnifred Glavin, passed away at Craigholme Nursing Home, Ailsa Craig, on Saturday, November 22. Her husband the late Joseph Glavin of Mt. Carmel, predeceased her seven years ago. Lester Beeman. Lester Beeman, 73, Detroit. Michigan, and his wife, Anna, the former Anna Heideman, Zurich. were driving on Lakeshore Boule- vard in Grosse Pointe Farms last week when Mr. Beeman suffered a fatal heart attack. Their car went out of control and plunged down a 14 -foot em- bankment into two feet of water in Lake St. Clair. Passersby and patrolmen pulled the Beemans from the partially submerged car. ,On arrival at Bon Secours Hospital, Mr. Beeman was dead, and his wife was treated for shock. Mrs. Beeman told police that her husband had slumped ov- Q Hensall Student Wins $300 Bursary Ted Norminton, Hensall, has been awarded a $300 bursary by the provincial chapter of the I.O.D.E. He is a second year science stu- dent at University of Western On- tario. She was born in Stephen Town- ship and spent most of her life in McGillvary and the Mt. Carmel district. She was a member of the Catholic Women's League, and was in her 79th year. She was the last member of her family. Surviving are two sons, Rev. John Glavin, CSB, Owen Sound and Charles Glavin, Mt. Carmel; two step sisters, Miss Madeline Glavin, Port Lambton, and Miss Clara Glavin, St. Marys; also a number of nieces and nephews. The body rested at the T. Harry Hoffman Funeral Home, Dash- wood, until Tuesday morning, when Requiem High Mass was sung in the church of Our Lady Mt. Carmel, with interment in the adjoining cemetery. er the steering wheel and she tried to pull his foot off the gas pedal. He had been treated recently foe heart trouble. Mr. Beeman was a retired auto worker in Detroit, and they were on their way to visit their •daugh- ter and family in Mt. Clemens, when the accident occured. Both of the Beemans are very well known around this district. ameressomstravegamansoarnomoosaor DASHWOOD FOWL IINGO DASHWOOD FIRE HALL FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 23 Starting 9 p.m. sharp SPECIALS FOR Turkeys — Geese Ducks and Chickens At This Monster Feather Party Proceeds for Santa Parade and Gifts for Children Your Attendance Will Be :Greatly Appreciated Admission ssion 50c -- Turkey Door Prize . SPONSORED BY DASHWOOD MEN'S CLUB