The Citizen, 2015-09-03, Page 20PAGE 20. THE CITIZEN, THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 3, 2015.
Sunday marked the end of Floyd
Herman’s six-and-a-half year term
as the Musical Director at Blyth
United Church.
Herman said, in an interview with
The Citizen, that as he is
approaching his 65th birthday, he
decided to look at his commitments
and felt it was time to slow down.
“My dilemma, albeit a positive
one, was that I had too many ‘jobs’,
all of which I really enjoy,” he said.
“Besides playing music and
directing the choir at Blyth United
Church, I continue to work part-time
for the [Avon Maitland Board of
Education and I] also am a licensed
wedding officiant and am enjoying
that new role in my life.”
Herman also enjoys being
involved in community theatre and
said that something had to give.
“I’m going to miss my time with
the choir immensely,” Herman said.
“My hope is that your readers will
pass the word about our church now
needing a new music person.”
Herman said that, to be the music
director, no credentials are
necessary, just enthusiasm.
Herman said any information
about his time with the church would
be remiss without mentioning the
quality, talent and experience of the
church’s choir, which boasts some
impressive experience.
“There are choir members, yes
plural, who have been singing in that
choir for over 50 years each,” he
said. “We have 20-plus members in
the choir [and if you] add each of
their years of volunteer singing in
the church choir... you would be up
in the hundreds of years.”
He said each singer adds to the
choir’s sound as a whole.
Herman said that the choir is so
much fun that he has entertained
thoughts of penning a play about his
experience, but he decided people
wouldn’t believe how much fun the
group has.
“Sometimes at practices, I’m not
sure if we spend more time singing
or laughing,” he said.
Herman also explained that he
feels Blyth United Church is the best
church for food, be it of the typical
variety or the kind of food that
serves the soul.
“Thanks to... groups like the
UCW, folks get their bodies well fed
at Blyth United Church,” he said.
“Because of our awesome minister
Gary [Clark] and our worship team,
folks also get their souls well fed.”
Herman said he needed to thank
Blyth United Church and the United
Church of Canada for allowing him
to think ‘outside the box’ with
hymns and music, which made for
some memorable experiences.
“I recall Pastor Gary plotting with
me about his message of ‘You Can’t
Always Get What You Want,’ and
how we would incorporate the choir
singing the chorus from the Rolling
Stones song,” he said.
Herman said he liked using more
modern songs, or songs from other
genres to help praise God.
One of the things that kept him
going at the church was his belief
that people need to focus on creating
the best afterlife possible.
“People spend a lot of time,
energy and money to keep their lives
in shape while here on Earth,” he
said. “Please consider a similar
investment for your next, much
longer life. A church is not the only
answer to making that investment,
but it certainly can help.”
Herman said if anyone was
looking for a church, he highly
recommends his own.
Herman said that he isn’t going
anywhere and will likely still be seen
regularly at the church, especially
with his relatively new wedding
officiant responsibilities.
“A couple of people suggested that
it would be a neat thing to do,” he
said.
Herman, who is known to many as
a former teacher and principal, said
that he enjoys the occupation
because former students call him
and he has the opportunity to
perform their wedding. Having only
started in the past two years, Herman
has already conducted more than a
dozen services.
On Sunday, a special service was
held at Blyth United Church
marking the occasion of his
retirement. Originally, he had said
that Sunday was emotional however,
later, he said it was more than that.
“At times it was really
overwhelming,” he said. “Like when
we sang ‘He’ as the selection for the
Herman retires as church’s music director
Directing the music
Floyd Herman played his final service at Blyth United
Church on Sunday, as he has retired from the position of
music director after a number of years. He says he’s
enjoyed his time in the position and looks forward to
remaining a member of the church’s congregation. (Denny
Scott photo)Cutting the cake
It was time to celebrate on Sunday, as Floyd Herman,
music director for the Blyth United Church, retired from the
position after a number of years. There was cake and
fellowship in the church’s lower hall after the service, which
was enjoyed by Cheryl Cronin and Bodie Craig. (Denny Scott
photo)
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$1.25 GST included Serving the communities of Blyth and Brussels and northern Huron County Thursday, August 28, 2014
Volume 30 No. 34
PICTURES - Pg. 12-13
HC Ploughing Match,
Fare on 4 in pictures
FESTIVAL - Pg. 22
Artistic Director looks
back at her first season
SPORTS - Pg. 7
Aitken places sixth in
Youth Olympics in China
Publications Mail Agreement No. 40050141 Return Undeliverable Items to North Huron Publishing Company Inc., P.O. Box 152, BRUSSELS, ON N0G 1H0
INSIDE
THIS WEEK:
Walton proves excellent host for match
Fare on 4 works to perfection, delights community
An event for the ages
Fare on 4, a Campaign 14/19 initiative to feed 1,419 people
on Blyth’s main street was a resounding success on
Sunday evening as food was delivered hot and Mother
Nature co-operated with beautiful weather. The event, as
seen here from the top floor of The Blyth Inn, stretched
nearly to Radford’s Gas Bar in the south, left, and to the
Blyth post office in the north, right. It was made possible by the
hard work of approximately 100 volunteers and a number of staff
members from The Blyth Inn and Part II Bistro. The night’s hardest
working men, however, were chefs Peter Gusso and Jason
Rutledge who worked overtime to make the meal happen. (Denny
Scott photos)
Huron County Plowmen’s
Association President Brian
McGavin says this year’s HuronCounty Ploughing Match waseverything he hoped it would be and
more, despite concerns about
weather early last week.
McGavin said he received anumber of positive comments about
the level of competition, the site andthe hospitality that Huron County
displayed and he’s so proud of his
community and all of the peopleinvolved in making the matchhappen.The attendance numbers were
about what McGavin expected, he
said, as were the number ofcompetitive participants, but whatsurprised him was from how farsome of the participants came.
“We had people come fromPeterborough, from Owen Sound
and then from the south,” McGavin
said. “It was great to see.”McGavin said that not only did hereceive a lot of positive commentsabout this year’s match, but he also
heard from a lot of people who are
already looking forward to the 2017International Plowing Match, whichwill be held in Walton.McGavin says he was told on
numerous occasions that if theHuron County match at the home of
Val Shortreed and family and Matt
Shortreed and family was anyindication, the 2017 match is goingto be one for the ages.As for the Shortreeds, McGavin
says he had high expectations for the
family as hosts, but exceeded them.“You couldn’t have asked forbetter hosts,” McGavin said. “If you
The road is open, the tables are
cleared and the dust has settled and
the reviews are coming in statingthat Campaign 14/19’s record-setting Fare on 4 was a hit.
“We pulled it off,” said Campaign
14/19 Administrator Karen Stewart.
Stewart, who is being credited byeveryone involved as doing theimpossible by arranging the entire
meal, said that everything came
together as well as organizers could
have hoped, a sentiment that wasechoed by others.“It was awesome, just
unbelievable really,” Jason
Rutledge, Chef of the Blyth Inn
said. “I”m still flabbergasted at whathappened and how smoothly it allcame together.”
“It was amazing,” Peter Gusso,
Chef of Part II Bistro said. “There’s
an old saying about chefs that youeither have a good service or a badservice and that was the best service
I’ve ever had.”
Rutledge and Gusso were the head
chefs for Fare on 4, which saw 1,419people seated along Blyth’s QueenStreet for a massive outdoor meal.
Featuring as much local meat and
produce as possible, the meal has
been counted as a success byeveryone who The Citizen hasspoken to and, according to
Rutledge, that’s because of all the
volunteers who helped out.
“We just couldn’t have done itwithout all the people who helpedout,” he said. “Norpac Beef brought
us meat smokers, the Lions let us
use their barbecue, the volunteers
just really saved us.”Gusso agreed, saying the prepwork was all done perfectly, the
serving was amazing and everything
that could have gone right did.
“I’m still in awe,” he said. “I can’tbelieve it went so well. Everything Ihave heard about it is positive.”
Approximately 100 people helped
with the meal between volunteers
doing prep work and actuallyserving the meal, and that numberincluded Smith, Rutledge and their
respective staffs.
“I’m just dumbfounded on how
well everything went,” Rutledgesaid.More than the volunteers,
Radio :30
an Ontario government agencyun organisme du gouvernement de l’Ontario
Starring Chris Earle and featuring Sam Earle from TV’s Degrassi
1.877.862.5984 blythfestival.com
SEPT 4 - 5pmSEPT 5 - 2pm & 8pmSEPT 6 - 2pm & 8pm
#bfRadio
Phillips Studio Presentation
A Man.
A Mic.
By Denny Scott
The Citizen
Continued on page 15
By Shawn Loughlin
The Citizen
Continued on page 20
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Continued on page 24
By Denny Scott
The Citizen