Loading...
HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Times Advocate, 2004-04-07, Page 66 Exeter Times -Advocate Wednesday,April 7, 2004 Opinion Forum News Making a difference Dear Editor: April 18 to 24 is National Volunteer Week in Canada, and Big Brothers Big Sisters South Huron would like to express our sincere appreciation to our dedicated volun- teers. I wonder if volunteers everywhere realize the enormous impact they have upon the health and well- being of a child, a family, a community, a nation? National Volunteer Week was first proclaimed in 1943, when Women's Voluntary Services organized special events to draw the public's attention to the vital contri- bution women made to the war effort on the home front. In the late 1960s, the idea of a designated week to hon- our volunteers was revived, and the focus was broad- ened to include all community volunteers. By 1990 the third week in April was proclaimed National Volunteer Week—to raise awareness about the vital contribution volunteers have made and continue to make to Canadian communities and to society as a whole, and to thank and honour Canada's past and present volun- teers. Volunteers generally seem to be extremely busy folks who still take the time to commit to making a difference, often passionately, and always without pay. Our volun- teers are no different. They believe, and rightly so that they can and do make a difference in the lives of the children we serve. However, as they go about their busy day, they may not realize the ripples, circles, and tides they create through sharing time with a small friend— building a future through a friendship. They ask them- selves "what difference am I making?" To our volunteers, and volunteers everywhere, I offer this story written by an anonymous author, and say "thank you!" for your time, for your caring, and for your commitment. You do make a difference! The Starfish There was a young man walking down a deserted beach just before dawn. In the distance, he saw a frail old man. As he approached the old man, he saw him picking up stranded starfish and throwing them back into the sea. The young man gazed in wonder as the old man again and again threw the small starfish from the sand to the water. He asked, "Old man, why do you spend so much energy doing what seems to be a waste of time?" The old man explained that the stranded starfish would die if left in the morning sun. "But there must be thousands of beaches and millions of starfish!" exclaimed the young man. "How can you make a difference?" The old man looked down at the small starfish in his hand, and as he threw it to the safety of the sea, he said, "I make a difference to this one." DIANNE BEACH, Executive Director Big Brothers Big Sisters of South Huron 30 -hour famine Dear Editor: The last few weeks have seen a number of very posi- tive events at South Huron District High School. We can be proud of the young men of our curling team who went to Sudbury for OFSSA, and the young women on the hockey team who won Provincial bronze medal in Pembroke. Tyson Breuer represented our school at the Forum for Young Canadians in Ottawa, and on Friday the students and staff collected $1076 for Jesse's Journey. It has been my pleasure to work with the students on a variety of charitable projects, including the Christmas Shoe box campaign, the Christmas Bureau, Jesse's Journey, and the World Vision 30 Hour Famine. The students have learned useful organizational skills. They have increased their sense of community by work- ing together towards a common goal. They have felt the satisfaction not of working for their own reward, but of making a difference in the lives of other people. They have not only raised money, they have gained a greater appreciation of how fortunate we are to live in this great, peaceful country where food is available at the grocery store, and clean water is just a tap away. On April 2nd and 3rd the students of South Huron District High School participated in the eleventh annual 30 Hour Famine to raise money for World Vision. The amount raised this year is approximately $7700.00. This brings the total in eleven years to approximately $46,000.00. World Vision use the funds for famine and disaster relief, development of education, and many other worthy projects. I am proud to know that our efforts over the years have helped to make a difference in the lives of many people. I'd like to thank the 196 students who went without food from Friday noon until six o,clock on Saturday for their dedication to this worthy cause. This was by far the largest group we have ever had, and they were a great group to work with. The students played sports, watched movies, held a "Famine Idol" Karaoke, and were entertained by two rock bands made up by their talented fellow famine participants. The students were polite, responsible, and well behaved, and their parents can be very proud of them. I ' d also like to thank my fellow teachers, Stacey Park, Janis Dougall, Erin Keys, Dianne Heatherington, Judy Mallette, Kate Hollestelle, Terry O'Rourke, Jeff O'Brien, Bill Kelliher, Tony Convay, Tracy McLennan, Shelly Weselan, and Vice Principal Pat Senn, who all volunteered their time to supervise the students and ensure that everyone had a safe and enjoyable event. A big thank you goes to the parents, relatives, friends and neighbours who sponsored the students. Arranging the drinks to help keep 196 students hydrated and maintain their energy level is a big job, and it would not be possible without the incredible support and generosity of many local merchants. Drinks for the students were donated by Shoppers Drugmart, Holtzmann's IGA, and Hansen's Your Independent Grocer. Mrs. Mallette donated juice. McDonald's Restaurant donated orange drink, ice, and cups. Bob Gehan from Stedmans V&S donated "freezies" and provided the movies to entertain the group. As they have in every Famine since the beginning, New Orleans Pizza donated pizza for our "breakfast". After 30 hours without food, the starv- ing students devoured 40 large pizzas in under two minutes. A very sincere thank you to all the mer- chants who helped make our famine a success. I have always enjoyed doing the 30 Hour Famine for a number of reasons. The kids who sign up are nice kids, and its fun to see their energy and enthusiasm. My colleagues who help supervise are wonderful, caring people. The Play Ball After a long winter of absolutely no physical activ- ity what so ever, I can finally get back into the swing of things with the outdoor soccer season now getting under way. Soccer is the only sport I ever have, and ever will play; mainly due to the reason that it is the only one I'm relatively decent at, and it's the only sport that really seems to make sense to me. It's not that I have big issues against some of the other sports played, but there's just some aspects about them that I have never been able to get past. Chances also are that if I ever tried out for any of these various outdoor sports, I would get cut from the team. First off, I'll say right now, any- thing that requires hand -eye co- ordination with me is automati- cally out, which for the most part is baseball and baseball related sports. There would be no way that I would be able to catch and return a ball with the speed and accuracy required to make a strategic play, and the stop and go of running would wear me out. I would be lucky if I wasn't cut before the end of the first practice. Another outdoor sport that has grown in trend lately is golf. I've tried the whole concept before, and it didn't go so smoothly. Everyone says that it's such a relaxing game, but that's something I have yet to see. I just get so mad at that stupid little ball that I find it easier to just pick it up and throw it, and if you've seen my baseball skills you'd know that that's not much of an improvement I think the only way someone would let me play in a tourna- ment with them is if I were their caddy. If I wanted to play against someone though, I'm sure they'd be more than willing considering they would have a 99.9 per cent chance of beating me. At one point in Grade 9 I considered going out for rugby. I liked it, you got to run and hit people. Mind you, it was pointed out that others (who would probably be much larger than me) would be hitting me as well. Also, after watching an Australian rugby match on T.V. and seeing most of the players with severely mangled ears, my mother had forbid- den me to ever consider playing. That's okay though, I would be on the injury list more than I would be on the field. So to me, soccer has always made the most sense. It can remain a continuous play where you're not constantly stopping and going, unless you're the goalie (and I tried that once, no comment) hand -eye co-ordination isn't necessary, the ball used is large enough that embarrassing misses are rare, and if done properly you get to take out some aggression on the other team. And one more thing — Go Panther soccer! DEBRA TOONK merchants are so happy to help, and the support from the community is marvellous. Together we are making a difference. Thank you! Sincerely, Dave MacLeod Principal's message EXETER — Parents are reminded that parent - teacher interviews are taking place at the school today from 3:30 to 5 p.m. and 6:30 to 8 p.m. This time around we are holding the inter- views in teachers' classrooms and offices. The newsletter that went home with the report cards asked students to make the arrangements for interview times with the teachers. However, in the event this did not happen, teachers will have their interview schedules posted outside their rooms, and parents may sign themselves in for inter- views in open slots on the teach- ers' schedules. Lists of teachers and their rooms will be provided to parents as they arrive for the interviews. I would like to take this oppor- tunity to thank the many busi- nesses and individuals who made financial contributions in support of our boys' curling team and our girls' hockey team for their trips to OFSAA. We are indeed fortunate to live in such a generous and supportive community, and we are grateful for the tremendous support we get year after year. I would like to thank also the parents who made the trek to Sudbury or Pembroke to cheer on our teams, and the coaches who devoted so much time to the teams this year. Both teams performed exceptionally well, with the girls' hockey team capturing the bronze medal. Congratulations to all of these fine young ath- letes on both teams who represented our school and community so well. I would also like to congratulate our students and the supportive community for two excellent fundraising activities last week. First of all, our school raised over $1,000 in support of Jesse's Journey. Then on Friday and Saturday we had a record number of students take part in the annual 30 Hour Famine. This is the llth year our school has been involved in this event, and we managed to raise over $8,000 for this worth- while charity. This is an incredible display of generosity, and I would like to thank Dave MacLeod and all the staff who worked so hard on this event, and especially the 200 students who took part and raised the money. Thanks to all of you for showing such commitment and generosity. I would like to remind everyone of a number of upcoming events. This Thursday, the South Huron Chamber of Commerce is holding a career fair in our large gym, with displays from a number of businesses and industries in the South Huron area. Students will have the opportunity to visit the displays and find out valuable information about career opportunities right here in our area. The career fair will be open from 8:30 a.m. until 5 p.m. and members of the general public are welcome to attend. I would like to thank Linda Finkbeiner and the Chamber of Commerce for their efforts in putting on this event. Next week, on Thurs., April 15, the School Council is hosting a Community Forum titled, "Teenagers: Under the Influence." The forum, which starts at 7:30 p.m. in the small gym, will feature a panel of experts who will discuss the many influences on teenage behaviour, from bullying and peer pressure to alcohol, drugs, and media influences. This promises to be an informative evening and we encourage you to attend. Finally, I would like to invite everyone to attend "Cabaret 2004," a popular event put on by our music department. The cabaret is Sat., April 24, at 7 p.m. and Sun., April 25, at 2 p.m. Tickets are only $5 per person, but seating is limited to 300 per day. This event has been well attended in the past, so you might want to get your tickets early to avoid disappointment. Tickets may be bought from any member of our bands and choir. For more information, please contact the school. JEFF REABURN PRINCIPAL'S MESSAGE