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HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Times Advocate, 2007-12-12, Page 66 Times–Advocate Wednesday, December 12, 2007 Opinion Forum News Big Brothers say "thanks" Big Brothers Big Sisters of South Huron (BBBSSH) would like to thank everyone who supported and attended our successful "Whodunnit??" fundraiser Nov. 16 at the South Huron Recreation Centre. With your help, we were able to raise over $1,700. These fundraisers are so important to help raise much needed funds. As a registered charity operating with a very limited budget, BBBSSH receives no government or national affiliation funding. We rely solely upon com- munity support to offset 100 per cent of our operating costs. Many thanks go out to our event organizer, Laurie Mackechnie, for all of her hard work and dedication, as well as to the rest of our dedicated board members. Many thanks to the local businesses and merchants who supported the — -.Ir' evening, prepared the delicious meal, provided the fabu- lous music and entertained us throughout the evening. Thanks to the volunteers s 7 Letter to the Ec li for who helped set up prior to and stayed late to help take everything down. Thanks to the high school students who came out to help in the kitchen as well as serve the dinner. Thanks to those who allowed us to borrow decorations to set up the room — it looked amazing! We could not have done it without you. On behalf of the children and families we serve — thank you for your support! BIG BROTHERS BIG SISTERS OF SOUTH HURON s Reader enjoys mayor's columns Each week as I read the Times -Advocate I look forward to reading our mayor's opinions. I for one am happy with our mayor's attempts to inform the people he serves and his writings have become one of my favourite parts of the Times -Advocate. I just wanted to say thanks to the Times -Advocate for allowing the mayor's message and thank you to our mayor for the courage to lead. I am not going to agree with every aspect of the mayoral leadership, but in this I believe it is a job well done. IAN TUCK Exeter Extend your hand and be generous SOUTH HURON — Huron County council's inaugural session was held Dec. 5, and John Bezaire was chosen warden of Huron County for 2008. Bezaire is the deputy reeve of the Municipality of Central Huron and brings many years of experience to the position. It has been the first year in quite awhile that we have had an election for the position of warden in Huron. Three committees run the operations of the county and they are as follows: Health, Ambulance and Social Services. The local committee member is myself. The local committee member for Planning, Agriculture and Public Works is Coun. Jim Dietrich. Deputy Mayor George Robertson is the local member on the Cultural Services and Seniors committee. These three com- mittees meet once a month and report to county council. The most precious piece of paper in our pocket is our driver's license. We worked hard to get it. We had to have the right skills and study the rules and regulations, but it didn't matter how much trouble we had to go through, get- Ken Oke ting that license was well worth it. When we finally received that permit, we drinking alcohol and driving is a sure way of destroying that privilege of having that driver's license. We are approaching the Christmas season and we might have the ten- dency to be celebrating with alcohol involved. Please consider your alco- holic intake if you are driving. Most people make the decision before they start to drink whether they are going to drive or not. If you are not going to drive, you will make arrangements before you start to drink on how you are going to get home. It is OPP policy to take a zero tolerance towards drinking and driving because the results are so devastating. Not only can you hurt or kill yourself, you can hurt and kill innocent peo- ple. Driving while over the legal limit is dangerous, costly and against the law. You are not being fair to yourself and you are not being fair to others using the road. Please make our roads safe and free from alcohol. Christmas is a time of joy for some and it is also a time of melancholy for others. During this holiday season extend your hand and be generous to r� valued the prize as a privilege to have. It was a privilege then and as the years go those in need. From our house, Susan and I wish everyone a very Merry Christmas by, it is still a privilege if you think what life would be like without it. The act of and a happy and prosperous New Year. Give the gift of friendship by sponsoring a match EXETER — As the festive season approaches, coming up with the perfect Christmas gift for those who have everything can be a challenge. Big Brothers Big Sisters South Huron has the perfect gift suggestion — give the gift of sponsoring a match of a local child with a volunteer mentor and role model. For the past 28 years, Big Brothers Big Sisters South Huron has been matching children and youth with volunteer mentors in the South Huron, North Middlesex and Grand Bend areas. Now, businesses, groups, organizations and families can be a special part of this process by becoming a match sponsor. "Through a specific monthly or annual donation, people can make a big impact on the life of a local child," said executive director Dianne Beach. "By sponsoring a match, people are giving the gift of friendship, the gift of a positive role model and mentor to a child who needs one," she said. South Huron Big Brothers Big Sisters has many success stories based on their mentoring matches. "A Big Brother, a young, enthusiastic volunteer wanted to give back to his commu- nity," says Beach. "Before being matched, the Little Brother was not able to be involved in activities outside of school nor did he have access to a positive male role model. Since being matched, the Little Brother has had the opportunity to do many things for the first time. "His mother has said that her son has a lot to look forward to each week and his Big Brother takes him out and spends quality time with him The Big Brother said he's having a blast! And the Little Brother — he says that his Big Brother is his best friend." Sponsoring a match can accomplish so much in the life of a child. "To see how a child blossoms by having a Mentor is truly magical and inspiring. In donating to support a mentoring match, you can invest in the life of a child and invest in the future of our community," said Beach. "Anyone can be part of this kind of magical experience. What better gift to give this festive season?" she added. Give online at www.shbbbs.on.ca, by mail to Box 113 Exeter, Ont., NOM 1S6, or by phone at 235-3307. Visa and MasterCard accepted. For more information call or e-mail ed@shbbbs.on.ca Principal's message EXETER — As this is likely the last column I will write before Christmas, I thought maybe it would be appropriate to adopt a Christmas theme for this week's column. As Christmas approaches, my family members frequently ask me what I would like for Christmas, and I usually have great difficulty answering this question because there is nothing I really need and the things I want cannot be wrapped and put under the Christmas tree. For me, Christmas is about spending time with family and friends, and the important gifts are health and happiness, not toys or tools. I get far more pleasure from giving to others than from receiving gifts myself — maybe that just means I'm getting old. However, there are lots of things I could suggest as gifts for students. I'm sure their Christmas lists include cell phones and iPods, computers and clothing, video games and gift cards. And while I'm sure any of these things would be appreciated, I don't know that they will really make their lives any happier or better. Instead, I would suggest that parents consider the following gifts that are much cheaper but potentially much more valuable. First, continue to give them your love, all of the time, even when they are driving you crazy. Give them encouragement and praise them when they do well, but hold them accountable when they make mistakes. Be involved in their lives — know who their friends are and what they like to do when they get together. Give them freedom and the opportunity to earn your trust, but set reasonable expectations for their conduct. Again, when they make mistakes, talk to them about the mistakes and help them to learn from their own errors in judgement. Let them know that we all have lapses in judgement from time to time, but that the important thing is to learn from our errors and not make the same mistakes again. Finally, listen to them — we often emphasize the need to talk to young peo- ple, but it is more important that we listen to them to try to understand their val- ues, their beliefs, their goals and dreams. To you students out there, however many there may be who read this column, there are some things you should give to your parents as well. First of all, keep in mind that unlike you, they don't know everything yet and they will likely make mistakes from time to time. Be patient with them and give them the opportunity to explain to you what they expect of you. Give them the chance to be a part of your life, to spend time with you, and to talk to you, without rolling your eyes or storming off to your room. Give them respect and treat them the way you would like to be treated, even when you don't see eye to eye. Accept what they have to offer and show that you appreciate everything they do for you. There are some gifts I would like to give to my staff as well, if I could. I would give them more patience, lots of it, to help them deal with the ever- changing moods and needs of teenagers, and especially the issues that arise in the lives of teenagers that have nothing to do with school but seem to take centre -stage in the classroom. I would give them an extra dollop of understanding as well, to help them recognize that in the lives of teenagers, school is often not the first priority, and that they are still kids after all, even though some of them inhabit adult -size bodies. And finally, I would give them huge amounts of energy and enthusiasm to match that of their students. (And maybe a whip and a chair for those days when school seems like a three-ring circus.) And not to let myself off the hook, I must say that school administrators need all of the above, perhaps in even larger doses. Finally, let me close this off by asking everyone to stay safe over the Christmas holidays and to do whatever you can to make the lives of others richer, happier and more fulfilling Please keep in mind that no matter how difficult our lives seem from time to time, we are blessed to be living in a wonderful country, enjoying a standard of living of which billions of others in this world can only dream. So please continue to support the Huron County Christmas Bureau, the Salvation Army, the local food banks and the countless other organizations that help those in need both here in Canada and around the world. Enjoy your holidays and savour the time you have with family and friends. Relax and partake in all that the season has to offer. Merry Christmas and happy New Year to all. JEFF REABURN PRINCIPAL'S MESSAGE