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HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Huron Expositor, 1989-08-09, Page 3THE HURON EXPOSITOR, AUGUST 9, 1989 - 3A Area resident takes pride of Canada to Baltimore A Walton area girl is brimming with en- thusiasm after her return from a weeklong international seminar in Baltimore, Maryland. Melissa Whitmore, a Grade 10 graduate of the Seaforth District High School, and daughter of Bruce and Margaret Whit- more of RR 4 Walton, returned July 29 from the seminar, which she and three other Ontario residents attended as am- bassadors for Canada. The seminar itself was conducted by the Hugh O'Brian Youth Foundation (HOBY), an organization formed by childless western actor Hugh O'Brian, to ensure that teens get the encouragement and the education they need to become the great leaders of the future. Melissa was chosen to attend the international seminar at a similarly -sponsored weekend seminar held in Sarnia in May. In addition to providing Melissa an op- portunity to meet youth from around the world, the Baltimore seminar also resulted in a lot of first time experiences for the Walton girl. "It was the first time I've flown," said Melissa of her flight from Detroit to Baltimore, "and I hugged my "teddy bear", my stuffed Canadian beaver, all the way." Melissa, and a London delegate to the seminar, were met at the Baltimore air- port by a host of HOBY greeters, and discovered then that there had been 15 other youth on their plane, destined for the same seminar. The delegates were shuttl- ed by bus to the Johns Hopkins University, where they were assigned rooms, and handed out such essentials as HOBY t - shirts, jackets, briefcases and totebags. The ritual of exchanging pins, keychains and whatever else, started almost im- mediately and continued throughout the entire week of the seminar. On Saturday, in addition to scheduled seminars, the delegates were taken on a two-hour tour of the Baltimore Suri. Following that they began their participa- tion in a series of photo sessions that would again, run the course of the week. Everything the delegates did was documented on film. • Also on Saturday, the delegates par- ticipated in what would become the first of daily choir rehearsals. There was also an introductory dance. "It (the dance) was interesting," com- mented Melissa. "It was interesting to see how everyone danced, and to hear the dif- ferent music everyone listened to. I hardly knew any of the songs - but I danced anyway.' On Sunday the delegates squeezed in a visit to the Baltimore Museum of Art,. located only one block from where they were staying. Following that they visited Baltimore's Inner Harbor, and enjoyed a boat trip, and dinner and dancing, aboard the "Lady Baltimore". On Monday the delegates headed to Washington, D.C., where among other places, they visited the Johns Hopkins Medical School, and the -Smithsonian In- stitutions, and dined at the J.W. Marriott Hotel, where they were staying. During their stay at the Marriott Hotel, the delegates participated ilia World-wide Seminar, where each delegate was able to tell about their country. During their seminar Melissa and her fellow Canadians sang the Canadian national anthem, and were surprised afterwards, at the number of people - Americans included - who had never heard it before. "It was an interesting seminar, and we learned a lot about the different cultures and the way people lived," Melissa recalled. "And, we were proud we were from Canada." "We were constantly taking off our coats In the evening the group visited the Washington Memorial Monument, held a choir rehearsal in the dark, then walked to the base of the monument and sang for 300 or more people. In the following two hours they toured all the memorials - the Lin- coln, Vietnam and Washington, then walk- ed the streets of Washington, getting back to their hotel at about 1 a.m. The next day the group was up at 4:30 a.m., and off to the White House. There they had their photograph taken on the Senate House Steps, were given the oppor- tunity to talk to Vice President Quail, and were given a tour of the White House. Because every member of the group wore a jacket filled with pins, going through the numerous security checks, was quite a task. "Everytime we went through the metal detectors we had to take off our coats, pass them through the x-ray machine then walk through," recalled Melissa humorously. "We were constantly taking off our coats and putting them on again." "Since the jackets were part of the iden- tifying uniform of the HOBY group, the delegates were only allowed to remove them with special permission from leader Hugh O'Brian. Otherwise they had to re- main on, tied at the bottom and zipped three-quarters of the way up. Melissa noted that it was also easier for the American delegates to gain access to the various parts of the White House, than for the international ones. "The international students had to show their birth certificates, and passports, sign their name, then tell their birthdate, the names of their parents etc... to see if they all matched up," she said. However, everything progressed without a problem. Once out of the White House, the delegates went to the capital, where they were given tours by the interns. Ar- rangements had been made by HOBY, for every American delegate to visit his/her state governor. Their roomates, the inter- nationals, accompanied them. "We went to see the Texas governor," said Melissa, "but he wasn't in, so we talk- ed to his interns. That was interesting." After the Capital, the group went to the Smithsonian's Air and Space Museum (a planetarium of sorts), where they watched a movie. After that they visited the Health and Human Services where they viewed another film, this one on NASA,' and par- ticipated in a seminar. They also visited the Department of Commerce and Trade, and listened to Elizabeth Hanford Dole, a well known American speaker. Still the same day the'delegates attended a Iwo Jima Ceremony and Parade, which Melissa described as "kind of like the changing of the guards in Ottawa". For supper they feasted on 400 Dominos pizzas delivered to the ceremony. The next day was a slack day for the delegates. After three seminars in the morning they were allowed five hours of free time to do whatever they pleased. Most chose to swim, do other sports, or sleep. Later in the day Mr. O'Brian spoke about himself, and what he wanted the delegates to get out of the seminar, and out of life. "It was good, really good," said Melissa, without elaborating. On Thursday, the group visited the Inner Harbour again - this time to view the Na- tional Aquarium, and the tiny shops in the area. A trip was made to the Science Cen- tre, and then to the C and P Telephone building, where ,the group ate supper. After supper the group travelled to the Convention Centre where there was a choir rehearsal, and a rehearsal for the final night's festivities. A talent show finished off Thursday evening. "It was really emotional. A couple of friends write their own songs, and they were so sad that everyone cried," said Melissa. "But that's the way it goes, I guess, on your second last day together." On Friday the group was once again at the Inner Harbour, this time rehearsing two lines for an appearance on the televi- sion show, Good Morning America. That show is expected to air late in August. After the rehearsal, it was back to the Convention Centre where the delegates participated in more seminars, then were given the opportunity to question represen- tatives of various American universities and colleges. The last seminar of the week featured members of HOBY Board of Governors, who told how they became involved in HOBY. It was then time for the closing banquet. Sometime during the evening, after the preliminary mingling, the national delegates escorted the approximately 900 businessmen who sponsored the event, to their seats. Once this was done, the inter- nationals, in a surprise move to the na- tionals, posted the flags of their respective countries. All the internationals were then presented with commemorative plates from their American roommates. "We were told that the Internationals' faces were just plastered with smiles when they carried in their flags," said Melissa. "Our parade was a surprise to the Americans and the plates were a surprise to us." At the end of the evening all 250 delegates, to the seminar ended up on stage, singing the songs they had rehears- ed so diligently during the week. "During the last song, 'We Are The World' we went into the audience and join- ed hands with everyone. It was emotional - very. Everyone was crying," said Melissa. "Because by Friday, everyone was star- ting to ease up and be themselves, which made it that much harder to say goodbye." Following a slide show of the week's hap- penings, Melissa was approached by her 'big daddy' or sponsor, .and told she had done a good jobin re.resentin-g Canada. ti .Shf txu3 alsotad 9v w4' gilit4p4that �a i4hiad 'C"; I '" the• Canadian Seminar next year, as a Junior Councillor. She was also chosen as an Alumni of HOBY, and will therefore be able to go, with all expenses paid, to next year's International Leadership Seminar, scheduled for Minneapolis. "It was a nice surprise, because you do have to go through a process to get into the alumni," said Melissa. Melissa will also be a part of a Russia trip being planned by Mr. O'Brian for 1991. Mr. O'Brian said he plans take all the 1989 ILS ambassadors on that trip. In retrospect about the week, Melissa seminar noted that there was a lot packed into the delegates' days, but added it was worth it. "We got to see a lot. Some of the tours were a bit rushed, but it was a good ex- perience," she said. "What I particularly liked was the fact that everyone got along really well together. It was automatic. You didn't have to try to impress anyone, just be yourself. That's all anyone expected." And while she misses all those people she met in Baltimore, Melissa added that she missed all the people in Canada too, and is glad to be home again. HAPPY TROOPER - Melissa Whitmore of RR .4 Walton, has just returned from Baltimore, Maryland, where she participated in an International Leadership Seminar sponso'red by the Hugh O'Brian Youth Organization. At the seminar Melissa was made an alumni of the organization, and will continue to serve as a Canadian Ambassador for youth. She is seen here, wearing her official HOBY jacket, complete with exchange pins, 'and surrounded by other HOBY necessities. Robinet photo. WITH THE FOUNDER - James DeBoerr of London and Tracey Hess of Sault Ste. Marie, left, and Benjamin Kim of Blton and Melissa Whitmore of RR 4 Walton, pose with Hugh O'Brian, founder of the youth organization bearing his name. The organization is bent on developing leadership qualities of youth, Dogbane becoming threat A neW weed is making an appearance in the area, and is becoming as big of a threat to .farmers, if not a bigger one, than milkweed. A relative of the milkweed, Dogbane looks like a little willow, except that it has finer branches. Like its relative Dogbane contains a milky substance in its stem, but unlike the milkweed it is harder to kill - mainly because there is not as much leaf for the chemical to work on. According to Huron County Weed In- spector Joe Gibson Dogbane has not been totally absent from the area in recent years, but it was less common. If allowed to run rampant, this weed will ,affect a farmer's crop yield. Other weeds that continue to be a pro- blem in Huron County include the Proso Millet and Velvet Leaf, both on the provin- ' cial noxious weeds list. And Coltfoot, which has previously been foundonly along roadsides and gravel pits, has been expanding too larger area. ;considered a noxious .w.eed in ,Baron County, the 'Coltfoot ,is rsiiuilar (in .,ap- pearance.to a turnip leaf. IIt,litandsJtbont oneMoot high, and is a waxygreen an top ,andia lighter, whiter shade underneath. it :,.sportaaw intricate yefowflower.lnthe spr- '.ittg, not unlike a dandellon,then terns;into INTERNATIONAL YOUTH - Delegates of the Hugh O'Brian Youth Organization International Seminar, held in Baltimore last week, to area farmers a fuzzball. After the fuzzball stage, the stem disappears and leaves come. It is also hard to kill, and according to Mr. Gibson requires high rates of chemicals. "More and more people are getting aware of it, and spots where it comes up are crowded. It seems to sour the soil, and regular chemicals won't phase on it," he said, adding that a mixture of Brushkill pose at Baltimore's Inner Harbor. Walton area teenager Melissa Whitmore was one of Canadians Ambassadors to this event. (not the old one) and Amatrol T seems to work as well as anything else in controlling this weed. "I suggest however, that people check their weedbook - Publication 75 for Weed Control," he said. "This is a more sophisticated job now, this weed stuff. We have more resistant weeds now, and they're a problem all farmers face." Poetry contest opens $118000 in prizes Canadian poets may enter the up to 6 poems, each no more than 20 American Poetry Association's contest lines, name and address on each page, to now. Over $11,000 in prizes will be award- American Poetry Association, Dept. ed to 152 winners. Entry is free and CT -68, 250-A Potrero St., P.O. Box 1903, everyone is welconie to enter. Santa Cruz, CA 05081. Entries should be The grand prize is $1,000 and the first mailed by December 31. prize $500. Other prizes include cash Every entrant receives a free copy of awards and publication. "The Poet's Guide to Getting Published," "A special opportunity for undiscovered a four-page booklet full of useful poets only comes along once in a while. information. That's exactly what this contest is. It can ,Each poem is .also considered for help you get published and gain .greater publication ,in the 4ltnerlcan $oetry An - .public recognition," said Robert Nelson, thology, ;a leading .00110ctUon ,of content - publisher for the Association. "Many porary verse. Canadians win prizes from us, so 1 urge During seven years of sponsorship the every Canadian who writes poetry to American Poetry AssorMtion has run ,02 enter .this contest." contests „and aawarded $145000 in prizes to Poets may enter the contest by sending 3,040 winrdtlg ,poets. Wed., Aug. 9 6:30 p.m. — Minor Soccer at Optimist Park 7:30 p.m. — Ladies Soccer at Optimist Park Thurs., Aug. 10 (Men's Ballhockey at S.D.C.C.) 7:30 p.m. — Brewers vs. Bolleremith 8:30 p.m — Topnotch vs. Beachwood 9:30 p.m. — Seahawka•vs. Hogs Fri . , Aug. 11 7 - 10 p.m. — Rollerakating at the S.D.C.C. Mon., Aug. 14 10 p.m. — Dr. Zed - Scientist at the Library Tues., Aug. 15 — Seaforth Women's Institute will hold their meeting at Dashwood ARC Industries, with dinner at 12 noon, followed by a tour and meeting. Please meet at Kay O'Rourke's at 11 a.m. for rides. 7 p.m. — Ladles Recreation Ball at Lions Park Sat., Aug. 12 9:30 a.m. _ Tigers vs.'Blue.Jays at Optimist Park 10:45 a.m. — Expos vs. Cubs at Optimist P,ark Wed . , Aug. 1 S 6:30 p.m. — Minor Soccer at Optimist Park 7:30 p.m. — Ladles Soccer et Optimist Park 1