HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Huron Expositor, 1990-06-13, Page 3THE HidRQN :!FXPQS.ITOR, JUNE 13. 1990 — 3
• BY SUSAN ORI)
Ie'a. hoes many years sand miles:.
for Art Lativee to finally be
working mote oat of his homebase
[tear Seaforth, but it's all b
wraith it.
Art Laiiil[ee is the brains
Auctions Unlimited, an auction
tte cry that is now located at a
big, red building in Dublin on high
way 8. Anduniimitedbest dess
the enezey of Are
The basinesswas ;mats ootofe
Mau Street, Seafonde store *five
yews before he- Opened the netw
auctionharn in Dublin at the site of
the old Dublin Hotel. An bought
the hotel, which had .burned in a
fire in the last *cadge_u1..19$8 to.
tine as i homefor his auction. The
building has 7.500 squate feet of
space which is now. filled with an
assortment of antique chairs, tables,
dresaers, `mirtuas, lawn furniture,
rugs and anything else of interest tri
homeowners and collectors.
Mt was born in London, Ontario.
and has worked with auctions since
he was a teenage. His first job was
es a runner with a Simcoe-based
auction company and there he met
people who steered him toward a
career in auctioueeaing. Wanting to
learn more about the business Art
chose what he felt was one of the
best, and most expensive, schools in
North Amerika, the Western School
off Auctioneering, Billings, Mon-
tana, in 1978 for an intensive
two-week course on the art and
business of auctioneering
'The course was excellent
training, although it was an
extremely punishing two weeks,"
recalled Art from the Dublin auc-
tion barn. "I worked from 5:00 a.m.
to past midnight, seven days a
week. I learned about business
management, auction theory and
bidding practices. The easy pan
was learning and practicing the
GOING, GOING, GONE - This beautiful iron fence set sold for
$2,500 at Auctions Unlimited's first auction on June 2. Art Larivee
checks the number of the successful bidder. Oxford photo.
auctioneerin
calling.'
_ __To be *tie to call Ulm -a talent;
an observant eye and a very quiet
Wit; all of which Art possesses, On
. top of those altributes, he has a
sense of humour that can set
anybody's bad day straight. To be
able to week as basd and well as he
does takes energy and an ability to
'control awe's
At the Dublin Auctions Unlimited
barn Art was busy last_ week
preparing for Saturday's opening
auction sale. The grounds were a
mess with stuff strewn about, fur -
ukase waiting to be moved inside
and a broken old plan iron board
waiting for demolition. An as-
sortment of characters waived and
surveyed the mess Ike they were
participating in a scavenger
scrap -man uuched over piano
as
board and pulled it span, gut by
gut, arranging every'g in neat
piles for resale to a scrap company.
Another man was in pursuit of any
metal scrap he could find n the
ground and filled the back of his
pickup truck with booty of old car
and machine parts.
'Take it all,' An coached them.
"I can't sell everything here, so take
away the crap. Thanks a lot, guys."
Along the back fence is a bus, a
1963 highway coach, An used to
employ as a business vehicle. He
says the bus has a million miles on
it, and with his working record it's
emtirely possible. His weak takes
him to auctions in New York state,
Sauk Ste. Marie, Sudbury, Whitby,
and Kingston almost every month.
He's on the road 12 or 13 days and
nights most months and says the
old diesel bus has stood up really
well, considering she puts on
125,000 kms a year. Recently An
bought a 30 -foot trailer and new
truck to replace his faithful has and
plans to sell the bus at the opening
auction. He expects to continue his
arc
life On the aced, but pot .to the
extent -he was:_-.— .., _ -
Inside the barn two young men
wilted at the wiir og and a general
cleanup Art's two stain men.
brot iu-law Steve Deas, and
friend Mike Maclean, have been
with Art for many miles and are
invaluable to Auctions Unlimited,
Cindy, An's wife, be with the
business by keeping the books and
nock of bidders during the auctions,
At the auction barn his daughter,
Courtney, will be nines the
saackbar. Sometimes he has up to
seven students waking for`him on
a co-op program through the local
high school. When his son AJ. is
older the family P helping with
Y business.
I'd like to nm most of the
business out of hetet' said Art as he
waved his arm toward the vastness
of the packed barn. "After so many
years of being on the road and
being a workaholic I just want to
slow down a bit. I was working
seven days a week, and, oh yeah, I
used to be mental,"
The spare time he has made for
himself is atseady full with ac-
tivities. He plays old timer hockey
and plays ball with a [men's
slow -pitch league. He coaches a
Seaford! squirt girls baseball team
and co -coaches a junior mite boys
baseball team.
All across the country Art has
people working with him. He buys
a lot of his stuff in New York state
fano antique dealers and pickers.
When someone has collected a
truckload of stuff they give An a
call to come and get it from them.
Some of the antique dealers buy
stuff specifically for Art. He says
the stuff just seems to keep coming.
He specializes in a cross-section
of goods. Much off the furninire is
from the 1900,s and 1920,s and
various primitive (farmhouse)
pieces and some hejnoaductiaos.
There are modern pieces rot sale
too and it's not unusual for him to
bait a waterbed to sell at an auction.
For the opaniitg auction he's got a
bit a►f everything for sale.
"Over the last five years I've
collected a lot :of stuff and it's
getting to be a hassle carrying it
around," said Mt "I ran out of
space at Main Street and needed a
big place like the bum. But with all
the red tape I had to go through it
took me five years to open the
baro. Now the barn's almost open
and already it's packed to the
rafters with stuff.
A smart man gets rid of all of
his stuff when he gets it," Art
explained. But if you're stupid,
Re me, you keep some of it
around.'
He's got to clear that staff out to
make mom for incoming stuff' fast.
And the opening auction is what's
going to do it. He's got two auc-
tions pinned for the first Satudays
of June and July. The floor and
wall space of the barn ate covered
with furniture for sale. These are
over 300 chairs alone for -sale at the
first auction. The sale will mostly
be conducted like a walk-through
tour of the building with stuff being
auctioned off along the way.
Art has plans to run a fur-
nittre-making and ®inoa repair
business out of the barn. He hopes
to manufacture a small tine of
furniture for wholesalers and
dealers. He used to refinish fur-
niture but doesn't want to that
anymore because he doesn't like
working with the chemicals and
doesn't expect his staff to either.
After the opening auction sale Art
won't yet be taking a rest from all
his work. He'll be doing his usual
travelling, buying and selling, and
getting ready for the next big auc-
tion in July.
Seaforth's Adult Business program graduates gained credits
Seaforth District High School has participation and additional credits
been offering an eight month Adult were granted for maturity.
Business Education Program during Armed with a grade 12 diploma, The Graduation Ceremony for the asium. Media °01 gymre
n-
thepast schoolrepresentatives are
year. Eighteen and'up-to-date computer, accounts- Adult Business Education Partici_ invited to attend.
women have successfully completed ng, typing and communication .
the requirements of the program. skills, all participants are satisfied
Participants spent four months in with their accomplishments and
all adult classes, taking day courses have confidence in their future
in Information Processing working careers.
(computer applications), Accounti-
ng, Business English and Personal
Life Management. All computer
training was acquired in one of the
most :up-to-date computer labs in
the county. _
The last four months have been
spent at co-op placements in local
businesses applying and teaming
more office -related skills: Many of
the participants had no previous
experience in an office environm-
ent, or if they had had experience,
it needed updating. The combina-
tion of the in -school and on-the-job
training has provided an excellent
background for all adults hoping to
enter or re-enter the work force in a
clerical setting.
The adult students are now ready
to enter the paying work force in an
office environment. Although the
program does not end until June 15,
1990, many have already been
offered full or part time jobs. Some
plan to further their education at the
college or university levels. In most
cases, students that joined the pro-
gram without their Ontario Second-
ary School diploma were able to
complete the requirements for the
OSSD. Each participant was able to
earn up to eight credits for their
e
placements and can be contacted at pants will be held on Jame 15, 1990
527-0380. at 7:30 p.m. in the sch
"I feel I learned as much here as
I did through four years of high
school," said Linda Pullman,
Seaforth. -
-"We received the training and
experience to go out into the
workforce with confidence in our
abilities. It takes work and comm-
itment, but it is worth it. In the
group, the support and friendship,
alone, make it worthwhile. It is fun
to team," noted Barbara Machan of
Blyth.
"Thank you to Seaforth District
High School and to the Huron
County Board of Education for
giving us the opportunity to do
this," added Jo Van Loon, Dublin.
Seaforth District High School is
currently accepting applicants for
the twenty spaces available for the
1990/91 Adult Business Education
Program. Some participants will be
eligible for a training allowance and
others can continue to collect other
forms of social assistance. The
program is free of charge and trans-
portation can be arranged in most
cases. The program also continues
to solicit co-operative education
employers for our February to June
Have fun getting
other people's money
BY SUSAN OXFORD doesn't slow down, but carries
Fundraisers attended a Boosting everyone through an informative
Your Bucks workshop June 6 to workshop that leaves them elated
learn more about fundraising and and full of new fundraising ideas
how to have fun as they raise for their orginization.
money for their orginization. The First Mr. Burns gave statistics on
workshop was attended by 90 the type of person that gives
people, some from the Seaforth area donations. He said in Canada 70 per
and some from as far away as cern of all donations come from
Wingham and Chatham. Mr. Bums individuals. Generally donors are
emphasized that the important part over 35 -years -olds because younger
of fundraising should be fun and people are busy getting married,
everyone involved in the event buying homes and raising a family.
should be having lots of it. Men give more than women do,
Greg Burns, of Cambridge, is a Mr. Burns said, because men have
teaching master in the Recreation more expendable income. Middle
Leadership program at Conestoga and working class people are the
College, Kitchener. He has served best givers and even if they are
on several major event committees, strapped for money they will
including the Pacific Conference manage to give. Very Rich People
Games, Provincial Waterfront (VRP) are good one-time major
Lifeguard Championships and donation givers, but are otherwise
Ontario Winter Games. In 1987 he difficult to get a donation from.
founded a consultant company, Statistics show that VRP prefer to
Greg Burns and Associates, to give donations to disease and
structure various training workshops research charities, rather than to
for volunteer and professional community clubs and service
organizations in Canada and the groups.
U.S.A. In the last five years he has One advantage of living in a
been a featured speaker at over 100 smaller community, said Mr. Burns,
conferences and clients have is that people are more likely to
included: Canadian Park/Recreation know each other regardless of
Association; United States social class. Also important in
Department of the Navy; Older helping fundraisers to target a group
Adults Centres Association of is the location of the event. People
Ontario and International Winter who live closer to it will be bigger
Cities Showcase. Mr. Burns is a donors as they will be more aware
good, interesting speaker who of it. If the fundraising is for a new
confidence
CHECKING THE INVENTORY - Janis Bisback, an Adult Education
student from Hensall, checks over the stock in Seaforth Community
Hospital's Stores and Purchasing. Elliott photo.
arena, for example, people living
closer to it will see more of an
advantage in the arena, and its
location, and be bigger donars.
Another target group is parents and
in-laws. Most grandparents will
sponsor their grandchildren for
anything, Mr. Burns noted.
Although charitable donations are
larger in urban areas, donations
from rural areas tend to be more
stable and can be counted on since
people know each other better and
are more aware of an orginization's
needs.
People give for a variety of
reasons, Mr. Bums said, but those
reasons can be broken down tato a
few groups. People will give to a
good cause and community pride,
or because they feel guilty, for
person( benefit and tax deductions,
because they're gamblers, or to be
recognized and ego gratification. A
person may feel an obligation or
indebtedness to a hospital that
excellently served a family member,
for example, and donate to that
hospital. Some people may donate
a significant amount of money to a
cause in rememberance of a
deceased family member, and such
people usually want a permenent
remembeiance like a name plaque.
When a group is raising money
they should remember that people
give to people and that, Mr. Burns
advised, is the foundation of
fundraising. He stressed that it is
important to get to know the
various service groups and their
members in a community. A
fundraiser should know how these
_groups are organized and who their
shakers and movers are. Some
clubs° decisions are made
democratically or by a committee,
but it still pays to know who the
members are and make allies
among Item. Also by knowing
people in orginizations a fundraiser
will hear about money becoming
available.
There are six major sources of
funding available in Canada and
Mr. Burns explained them. The first
groups is individuals, he repeated,
and they make up 70 per cent of all
donations given in Canada. The
second are community orginizations
such as service clubs, unions,
churches and social and ethnic
clubs. The third largest donors are
corporations, management
andlabour, and businesses.
Fourth is government and
although this sources is drying up,
said Mr. Burns, it's still possible to
get some funds here. Donations for
certain activities are available from
die provincial government through,
for example, the Ministry of
Tourism, Ministry of Recreation, or
the Ministry of Community and
Social Services. The different levels
of government sometimes helps
fundraisers with seed money,
operating or capital costs, and
program funds.
Fifth are private bequests and,
Mr. Burns said, this is something
fundraisers should become
comfortable with. If a donor has
been a member of a group for a
long time, a fundraiser should
tastefully ask that member if they
have remembered the group in their
will. If a donor said to a fundraiser
they will leave their group a
bequest in their will, the fundraiser
should offer to help the donor write
that into the well. Mr. Burns said
there are some insurance policies a
donor can buy that will give some
money to a beneficiary charity, and
this method of charitable giving is
tax deductable.
GETTING EXPERIENCE WITH THE TOWN - Pamela Ryan of
Dublin has been spending her Adult Education work term at the
Town Clerk's office in Seaforth. Elliott photo.
The sixth largest sources of
donations in Canada are available
through Foundations and Trusts.
These sources are private wealth
that generate interest and,
by
Canadian law, must give away 4.5
per cent of its market value every
year. In 1983, for example, this
source was responsible for $12B in
donations. Mr. Bums recommended
fundraisers find out where these
sources are and when they become
available.
If a fundraiser receives a large
donation at the beginning of a
campaign Iben it can be wise to use
that donation as a kick-off point.
Mr. Burns said the key to getting
funds from any source is to ask,
ask, ask. He said a crazy request
may not actually be all that crazy to
a donor.
Wed., June 13
1:30-4:00 p.m. — Senior Shuffleboard
at the Arena
3:30-5:00 p.m. — Skateboarding at
the Arena
5:15 p.m. — Seaforth Horticultural
Society meeting - meet at Seaforth
Public School for mystery tour
and dinner
8:00-9:00 p.m. — Fitness Is Fun at
Arena
7:00-9:00 p.m. — Snoopyschooi-
PlayschoobPiayground
Registration at Arena
Thurs., June 14
8:30-9:30 a.m. — Fitness Is Fun at
SDcc
7:OOp.m. —Soccer -St. Columban 1
Squirt vs. Lucas 2 at Dublin
8:00-10:00 p.m. — Men's Ball Hockey
at SDCC
8:00 p.m. — Topnotch vs. Bollervnnh
9:00 p.m. — Beachwood vs. Hays
Fri., June 15
7:00-11:00 p.m. — Men's Fastball
Tournament at Lions Park
Sat., June 16
All day — Men's Fastball Tournament
at Lions and Optimist Ball
Diamonds
10:00 a.m.-6:00 p.m. — Hot Dog Day
M T.D.Bank
7:00-10:00 p.m. — Rollerskating at
Arena
Sun., June 17
— Happy Father's Day
— Men's Fastball Toumamem et
Lions Park
Mon., June 18
7:00 p.m. — St. Columban 17 & under
Soccer va. fiderton at St. Columban
Tues., June 19
8:30-9:30 a.m. — Fitness Is Fun at
SDcc
7:00 p.m. — Soccer - St. Columban
Pee Wee 2 ver_ Merton
St. Columban Field
Wed., June 20
1:30-4:00 p.m. — Shuffleboard at
SDCC
3:30-4:00 p.m. — Skateboarding at
the Arena
&:00.9:00 p.m. — Fitness Is Fun at
Arena
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