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HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Huron Expositor, 1983-11-09, Page 8baa THE Hf1NON EXPOSITOR, NOVEMa R Or 1 777 �'/•.'fir ,.M .,. kt.:' .�... • r�. • •For the first time since Armistice was piggned to 1918 elementary and secondary school atudentswill net have a,Remembrance Day holiday. The aMtouncement-by`educa tion,.tninitter, Bette Stephenson last Decem- ber that children will mark the occasion in school rather than, ha4vin .!holiday was' welcomed by the: Royal Canadian Legion. Moat teachers and'students ,agree. Civil servants,.•• bank °and" post office employees aretheonly people to have the day off. Remembrance Day 'will rbe a ,, tegular school day for students, but Schools are required to mark the occasion. In Seaforth, the result will be seen at the cenotaph service Friday when more than: 400 students will attend. "Our school has alwaysrhad a significant Remembrance Day progtam." says Paul Carroll, principal of Seaforth Public School. "All we're doing this year is altering the way studentswill he we'll be participating. 'Most h e` ivin a going to the cenotaph,: Th y will be g short reading and will sing two songs. Two student council members will lay a wreath .' ST. JAMES WELL BE THERE St. James' Separate School will also participate in the cenotaph service. "We always had a program in the school. but it was usually held die day before," says principdl RayContois. "By celebrating Remembrance Day in school. it's a good opportunity to have students present at"the service." When Remembrance DAY was a holiday. its true meaning was missed. It was just another holiday for students. "Now it will be far more meaningful to the students if they partici- Matte," says. Jaek''Rittd'ellt Iiuron ML?ddlesex PP , ° y ,, "•I, think students '.should, be in", their classroom, butschool tithe should be devoted •tp.,ilefnembrance• Dayµ r say., Mt. Riddell, ' We've got to get,the message to the kids why they: can enjoy the freedom, they have foday'and that can best he done in the classroom." I'm ail for a regular school day," says Karen Byers, Seaforth District Hip School teacher who is organizing` a Remembrance Day service there. kids always treated it as a holiday -and had noconception of what Remembrance Day was all about." "Most teachers support not having a holiday. I haven't heard any adverse reaction from the teachers," says Jim Moore, vice-principal at SDHS. "It's nOt a day to be celebrated, but a solemn occasion.•We will hold an assembly and the students will be reminded of the significancenifcance o � Remem- brance Day." e em- brance'Day." •The SDHS ceremony will featulle readings by members of student council, flag bearers will be piped in and two minutes' silence will be observed. Students at both elementary schools will participate in the Legion poem., essay and poster contests. The contest is held, on a voluntary .basis. LEGION MEMBERS, A mini -survey of Seaforth Legion members and war veterans shows the majority' feel Remembrance D should be ;gbsserved in, school -=that the d y should' not tie a holiday for students. "In one way. 1 thinkkid$ should get the holiday to attgnd 'the service at the cenotaph," says Peter Malcolm,. Legion president. "But if the holiday is just a day to ,pplay around, then they shouldn't, get it. Students should have;, tlielorenoon',off to attend the serviceaind. return to school in the • afternoon:1 would like tosee this happen with everybody, not just thestudents.' Thelma Coombs, president of the Legion Ladies.Auxiltary thinks doing away,with the holiday "is an excellent idea." "Remembrance Day willbe. much' more meaningful for the.tuden Before, a lot just walked around town not�knoiving what to do," she says. AT THE CENOTAPH "Some veterans don't agree, but they're not looking at it in the right perspective. A lot of kids aren't familiar with Remembrance Day. Ifeelthey shouldhe atthe Cenotaph and if theyweren't in school; they wouldn t be." says Mrs. Coombs., "Rural areas have always had school programs but in urban centres, -Remem- brance Day was believed to be a bit of a joke because of the holiday," says Mr. Riddell: "Urban schools agree with dropping the holiday. Now, in many cases students will attend services in their schpols." "The holiday is just. like having any other holiday. People pay little attention Of the holiday is -all about," says Mr. Riddell. "The Legion believe§` at least two -Minutes should be set aside, that even the streetcars in Tdronto should stop. They feel 115,000 war dead are completely ignored in the cities." THE HARDWORKING LEGION LADIES— Peter Malcolm, president of Seaforth's Legion, has a happy grin as Ladies Auxiliary president Thelma Coombs presents a cheque for $5000. Auxiliary volunteers have spent hours and hours catering meals to the public at the Legion Hall to raise the funds. "Legion members are really proud of the auxiliary and if they don't show It to the ladies, they do brag about -it around the area," says 'Legion member' Frank Phillips. Members also hope the new kitchen facilities will make the auxiliary's cateringJ9bseasier. (Photo by Phillips) IN FLANDER'S FIELD, THE POPPIES GROW... TREMEER COMMERCIAL PRINTERS AND OFFICE SUPPLY Seaforth 527-1640 AT THE GOING DOWN OF THE SUN... AND IN lk MORNING WE SHALL REMEMBER THEM .. . • SEAFORTH MOTORS LIMITED Seaforth 527-1010 l., JOA iBiime O iii AAP IAM ARMES hotight it, was important to make Ja donation to the poppy fund since both have relatives - an tine Band a grandfather who were in the second world war.Remembrance attending They Y are the Day service at Seaforth District High School though, Joan says she always watched the servickon. TV when students got the day off school.. . GERARD RAN Because• he'll be working at ,GapLea,• Mr. Ryan won't be attending Remen ranee Day services other than observing the minutes' silence at work. I'm;,tproud of what the veterans did and hop e'I:cna do the , same some d Ail Ca'nadi ns,sh uld be proud. It's important tb' tic is fo{ g►ir country; I'd like to join'ces some day myself," he.salts ? ` t w yn An ettl' oYee _of ttfe:Toronto Dominion Bank, r..Reeves•says he has no plans to Atte � .* 9111 4lnbrance Dayservices. "Un- a f rt' eI 't f -:me hbt da to me ; 'ti .t n i tt s }� Y o e er:li`' ar tttnot a t 1. e b that m�+ w touch; 111 t, .;he saY„s;*: Yr' . BILL THOMPSON Only 16 -years -old when the second world war was over, Mr..Thompsdn has a lot of memories of the time • but says he thinks Remembrance Day has more significance to veterans and their families *anti civilians. He says he usually attend§ the service in Seaforth and believes its important for students to learn about the meaning of the day. An employee of the federal govern- . Ment, he has a holiday from work on Remembrance Day, which is also his wife's birthday. HELElit MACKENZIE Mrs. MacKenzie nearly always attends • ,Remembrance Day services bectiuse .She ae-ved -for three years during the second world war -in the Women's Division of the Royal Canadian Air Force,as an'equipment assistant stationed in ,St Thomas. les day when 1 remember all the felleWs>'ttp-we had together, the times we played'ba$'eball and basketballbut 1 alsor ernern'be the:batl, times. it's -a private day 'became 1 like, -to keep those memories to myself;,' she says. &member -of one•of the first -contingents of women&in the Mr force, she remembers ,it - wasn't easy. provingg there was a place :for women in the service "I wanted to ferry 'airplanes across the water arid tette close to seeing action but 1 never made itout of the office: V' Y)iA1t4iARBT BANNON RentembranlceDayMeans a lot.O0 Mrs. ” Bannon who served for, four year's during i the second world war with, the Women's Auxiliary Territorial Service. "I saw a lot of actiiit ona gurt:site'defendingthe southern coast of •Engidnd. Oneof the first ladies killed iii betionwaa from my battery." she says She enlisted because she wanted to ?. „'get'jmthere;bndget it over with•" She is new contributing to a book about British t omeb' in war. "In Britain, we never had holidays for Remembrance Day. We had ZtWo minutes' silence when everything stood tin - even the horses and carts stoppedin the streets for two minutes." The younger ' ggenetation—should remember the wars ` because they,are the ones who will have to. spreventfuture wars, she says. Legion lades !preflt.. i_ The Veterans banquet, Saturdaywas well attended by over 200 members and guessts. Evelyn Carrel, third vice-president of the Ladies Auxiliary Provincial Command, spoke •on remembrance and the sacrifice and at the conclusion of her speech was greeted by a standing ovation. She was thanked by Comrade Al Nichol- son. Greetings. were brought by Mayor Alf Ross for Seaforth, from Zone C. 1 by •Zone. Commander Cl Glenn Bridge of. Brussels. from Ladies Auxiliary Zone Commander Zone Cl Mary Hahn of Kincardine and from Thelma Coombs; Seaforth Ladies Auxiliary President who also presented a cheque for S5000 to President Peter Malcolm on behalf of the Auxiliary. She alsolexpressed the thanks for the new addition to the kitchen, which will soon be completed. There will be an official opening some time in • the New Year. TODAY'S FREEDOM WAS WON YESTERDAY.. . 11 .', 416 HILDEBRAND FLOWERS HILDEBRAND PAINT Et PAPER "where quality counts" 15 Main St., Seaforth NOVEMBER 11, REMEMBER .. . Seaforth Automotive and Industrial Supply Owned and operated by Bruce Wilbee and family Seaforth 527-0880 • On Sunday 'past the �c�hltifrch arade was held to the Anglican' Church :'led by the Dashwood-Seaforth Band;; Well'. attended by the Branch members. The theme of the service was Remembrance of servicemen now lying in cemeteries throughout the world and of forgotten heros who were broken in mind- or body and are now living in institutions throughout the country. Some have been thete for as long as 60 years. cTn Suodayaftenwon the poppy canvass of the community Was held by volunteers from the branch.'Ay parts not covered will be done through the week. Anyone not canvas- sed and wishinglto make a donation may do so at Seaforth Insurance Agency. Sports chairman Jim Watson would like to remind the euchre players the stag euchres will start on WednesdayNov. 16 at 8 p,m. and the mixed euchres on Wednesday, Nov. 23. Please sign yournameon the sports board fon or`$50001 the mixed dates so Jim will know how many to expect: a • On Friday, Nov.`'. 11' a Remembrance Service -will be held at .the Cenotaph in .Seaforth to mark the end of hostilities of the first war and now to honor and remember our comrades who never came back and lie in cemeteries in foreign lands and those who have passed on since. In the evening there will be a pot -luck supper between six and seven and an evening of dancing.afterwards. if those who through no fault of their own cannot attend the service at the cenotaph, would pause at eleven o'clock and think recently of those of our comrades who laid down their lives -for sovereign and country. They shall not grow old as we that are left grow old° Age shall not weary them nor the years condemn. At the going down of the sun and 'tithe morning we will remember then: • - ° -Gordon Scott P.R.O. JUST A:MOMENT TO REMEMBER.... ` s BALL-MACAULAY LTD' Seaforth 527-0910 e.