The Huron Expositor, 1978-02-16, Page 13MOMS.
•
• 0 ti .1
lie Robertson, He native
First woma
The Huron County Health Unit
has named the week of February
-13 as Family Life Week.
The co.-ordination of this year's
theme is under the direction of
Marguerite Falconer and Ruth,
Linton, both public health nurses.
• ."The Week is geared towards
parents," Ms. Linton noted. •
"A, child learns values through
,pai•ents," 'Ms..Falconer noted.
The basic motive behind
Family Life Week is to• remind
parents and encourage accurate
sex education in the home.
"The idea is that the parents
are the primne educators of their
children," Mi. Falconer
explained, "We're trying to
promote a responsible, healthy
attitude towards sexuality."
Sexuality, it was rioted does not
mean "sexy" but is the total
expression and personality of an
individual as a male or female.
"Parents should have free and
open discussions with 'their Bursary. Owing to the Public School children. The
cancellation of the --Janry-- ua children and listen to what they thyste-ry -prize :was -won, by Mrs: ,- — ,.._
are saying," Ms. Falconer meeting the winners of 'the Hilda. Smale. The guessing prize Christmas •draw were announced. explained, "And be truthful _ was The "money doll" )was won by
won by Mrs. Vera Smale. '
above all else." ,
'Het hands aye blue-veitiFcE
knob'-knuckled and shaky nowi .
but Dr. Jennie Smillie Robertson,
who'll be 100 years'old February
10, once put them to use wielding
a surgeon's knife.
She is the first woman in
Canada ever to seek and get
training as surgeon and to
perform medical o_perations. in
Tor4ntii--her first on a kitchen
• f
It's family life wee k .
(A well known, Tuciteisinithx,
native is' celebrating her 100th
birthday and she is the subjeet of
a story in The, Toronto Star , by
classes at the University or , rn .4c -Keigitson continued Alex ReberIson.intan she 11101 Unable these-days to make the
Tdrenie Medical School: , to be associated with Womeh's seen for 20 years but 'whom she'd :nurse who wheeli her,chair jump
Tiwy studied everything' but
Star staff* writer. Doris Hopper. __Today she,',5.1vIne in _Bavyiely . , of the departmen! of gynecology doctors another &twiner es a
wit!, thar the eyes
40410mY together. It was an era 40.1e4/Es of Practising medicine. .:Who'd seen her eff to medical Robertson knewetinies Of knell-
when it was thought unseemly She did mostly Abdominal and ^ schbol With-Ptears in his ayes. a h im silo s that
. .
c011ege Hospital for moSt of her knovin as a Yettlik eri)an and to her cemmands, Jennie Ssnillie .
" ness and fe r 'of e es s
Dr • Robertson is an aunt of Villa Nursing Home, all but ho i i -Hi i i h iar
- at Women's College Hospitaka nurse, a. nattiet its a leadier
sp ta at would-never have one son as a M n . .
of both men and gynecological surgery. He was widowed and Dr. extreme old age brings.
Mrs. James McNaughtont , East forgotten, her achievements •women should simultaneotTsty "I worked. as hard as I could Srnillie decided, "There's .the, Yet constantly surfacing again
is the fighter's spirit. ---. - ' William Street, Seaforth,, ;dud of pearly overlooked, Age has beset existed without her drive. , young jonntoine ted out as a gaze upon the body s parts, gO, she recalls.7 too hard for a man for Me. ,,
.4
1 r
Clatenec- Smillie, Hensall.) her. The mind that once .grasped ' She was plain Dr. Jennie teacher, making $300 ft YOU'• I." "We weren't able to study personal life, too hard to combine . ' He.was a very nice husband, ' "I must be near the end of my
.6 '44r4e4-44 t, p Smillie then, a single . .
Elizabeth Volland
' Linton noted that the parents
don't have to have complete and
extensive knowledge About sex
when a child asks a question but
they can go elsewhere and obtain
information.A:' ,
The important thing, she
explained is that parents should
be appfoachable and Willing to
answer any questions their ,
children might ask. -
For more information, and
guidance on Family Life Week,
"Huron County Health Unit
counsellors may be located at the
Clinton Office, 482-3416 or at the
Christine, Lisa, Christopher and
Greg were Sunday supper guests
with Mr. and Mrs. Ron Brady of
Goderich offi ce, 524-8301.
complex medical data straggles
now to Stay focussed: Theinind-
tapes it plays are frayed with the
years. The thoughts she wants to
retrieve d ha h y • , astray on her.
She raps the Tim of„ her
wheelchair commandingly, one
hand grasps a thigh, she leans
forward authoritatively, and once
again ' Dr. 'Jennie Sraillie
donation of a loud speaker. or the
tape player to the retarded center.
at Vanastra,
',Mr. and Mrs. SaM McClure
spent-the-weekend visiting with
Timmins girl wins Hensall prize , friends in Midland. ,
The Hensall Ladies' Legion Carrie Lynn • Pine of Tipm,ins.
Auttlii..y met on Tuesday Mrs. Hilda Beer won the $10 evening-1n the Legion Hall with-.„ draw., The Men's Legion are the President, .Mrs. Beatrice Uyl. Sponsoring a public ,speaking t, presiding. 'A donatiorfof S507was contest in the Legion Hall Made to the Legion Auxiliary Thursday, February 16th for
(Marini Of-parents who had only
public school educatio yet sjyy
women as surgeons in those late After all, for mere years than -five of their rieVen dildren
days of the 1800s . she can remember she was chief educated: Jennie and a hmther
table 'because the .medical
establishment -closed its doors to
• dinner. • Friends from London visited •
Mrs. Volland hits five her on Wednesday to help
' children -- Clarence -Vol-land- and- -celebrate and contributed, musical
Irene Finlayson both ofTfeni1117—lec ton on e to
Bruce Volland of Goderich, Vera Mrs.'Volland also received
(Mrs. Eldon Johnston) of plaques from Bob McKinley-and
Rrucefield and. Beatrice (Mrs. Jack Riddell for her birthday.
woman devoted te icirte ,at
time When 'women either married
or were "old maids". But she
even fooled them oh that one,
marrying a childhood sweetheart
• at the age of 70 (Alex Robertson
was 70, too) and living happily in
matrimony for the next 10 yearn.
Jennie was born one of seven
children on a farm near Hensall,
How- many people could boast
Of two great•great grandchildren,
36 great grandchildren, and• 16
grandchildren.
Not many- unless they had
reached • .the age of 95'like.
Elizabeth. Oland, Hensall has.
Mrs., Volland celebrated her 95th
birthday on Tuesday, February 7,
so her family took her. out to
with:
ttobertson's, a woman to reckon.
Constance _ .
Correspondent
Mary-Merner
482-7143
Mrs: J. Merner of Kitchener'
visited on Thursday afternoon •
with Mr. and Mrs. Carl Merner
'Michael and Shelley: -
Weekend visitors with Mr.
and Mrs. Frank Riley were Mr.
and Mrs Robert Woods and
Michelle of Ganancititia Miss
Debbie VVoodS and • Cam
Patterson , of London, Mr. and
Mrs. Doug-Riley, Kim and Greg
of Winthrop.
Mr. and Mrs. Frank Van der
Malan, Paul, Mark and Margie of
Oakville; Miss Margie Whyte of
Guelph meat the
Mrs. W.1..."Whyte,and far .„;Harold
WhYte•
Mr, and Mrs. Thompson
and Leisa of Colborne Township
spent the weekend with his
parents Mr. and Mrs. John._.""
ompson Sharon and Bob. • -
Mr. and Mrs. Dave Preszcator .
rws. Volicylci is
tl
wrirroor
Sunday visitors with Mr. and
Mrs. Paul Stevenson, David,
Darren, and Luanne 'on the
occasion of Darren's 5th birthday
were Mg. and Mrs.0 erman,
Betty Ann arid P s of
Shakesptare. M . Wayne
Herrrian -of Toron and Sandy
Ramsbottorn of Acton.
Mr. 'and Mrs. -Larry Scott and
Dwayne of Parkhill visited on .
_Sunday. with Mr. and Mrs. Jim
Preszcator,. Bill, Debbie and
Michael. •
• We are sorry to report that
Mrs. Irene Grirnoldby of Seaforth
(former resident of the village is
, a patient in Seaforth Community,
t Hospital with pneumonia We
would like to wish her a speedy
recovery: --
Court. ,Constantine L1842 met,
on Thursday evening in the Hall.
%Business discussed included a
dessert euchre in the spring,
Family dance in the Kinburn Hall
in the 'early spring and the
Louis Taylor) of Varna.i. '
Mrs. Volland was born in the
Zurch area. She and her lap
husband Henry Volland farmed
for some.30 years east of Hensall
and then' lived in 'Goderich for
about 3 'years. She has lived in
Hensall about eny,ears.
She spept 3 years with Rachel
Schwalm
school. I
She , MIS 25 -in 1903 when she
enrolled Wninen's Medical
College in Toronto, and the. push
.from other women- medical
Pihnecrs befbre her was about
pay off, At. the end a her fi rst
year of studies, the college was
dosed and men and women
Students' Wtent into integrated*
between labour and
n etnent are' now. often resolve
before they become disputes.
Problems
go to a separate room," Dr.
Smillie recalls.
Eager to Learn
u'dyin g ' medic* was one
thing, but learning surgical skills.
was another, No male-Toronto
doctor would trtlin Jennie Smillie,
even though she passionately
wanted to learn. - - - — •
"Men were shy abo aching
a -woma n. I saw we needed t ,get•
a woman who could do the
Operations-on- women. I got the
idea that if there was a woman
who could do women's
operations, people would like it
better." she said.
She also believed that women
Would never amount to inhch in
medicine as long as they had to
hand the surgery over to men.
So she went to Philadelphia
where a female surgeon :at
Women's Medical College took
her in and taught her surgery.
'She can't recall the details-not
*even the name of the••surgeon who
helped her--but echoes of the
struggle it took are wit); her: The
work; I hehowiti,4ci:theldema
of a difficult instructor's
personality in case she lost the
chance to learn. •
Equipped with her new skill
she returned to Toronto, but
found no hospital would grant
surgeon's privileges to a•wqrnan.
"1 did my first operation (for a
diseased oyAry.)---on-ra kitchen
table, It was the middleof the •e*
so there was lots of daylight,." she
recalls.
Again the details are sketchy in
her mind, but there followed a
time of •rallying around, 'Women,
who supported her, medical men
who forsook straight-and-narroW'
notions of what tasks each' of the
sees could perform to help her.
Women came for help--
pregnancies... ovarian ailments,
other female complaints and
append -tornie
Over the years as more women
doctors appeared, pr. Smillie.
Robertson saw the need for a
hospital of their own. Women
doctors handed together and in
-J911, with financial support from %.
friend's, they rented a. house on
Seaton St. Later they'moved to a •
larger one on R.usholme Road.
And finallY Women's College,
Hospital was .buih on US present
Site on •GrenVille Street.
• recalls women doctdrs the
hospital meeting., farmers' wives '
to collect vegetables to 'feed the. • '1/4
It was hard• go' 'n those early
days. Dr. millie Robertson
atients.
4111 th 4 illo l ey le ifltend Medical -anatom y with the men. We had' ' '- " -'1311t then We had a very happy 10 years life. I think God "has been Very to .. career with marriage
suddenly she was 70, retired, and
going crazy without her life's
work to do.
Then .ca me a phone call from
4
Get advice from our friendly
courteous staff or let us do-it for
you.
• Floor Covering
• Wall-Panelling
• Wallpaper or -----
Stucco or Paint
• Design your •new Kitchen
ail-Macaulay L
togethei..."
'White hair held back with a
black- hair band, needing the,
warmth of her . white shawl,
Seaforth 527-0910
Clinton 4824405
Ci,• Hensall 262-2418
is good to me to .extend my life like
this. -1 feel very proud."
Dr. Jennie Smillie Robertson
has lived a life to be proud about.
BOLDING
CEISMitE
•
That's what
• ntarios
PreA;tentive
Mediation is
all about.
Preventive Mediation is a new service
offered by the Ontario Conciliation
and Mediation Service of Our
Ontario Ministry of Labour.
Here's how it works:
Sometimes after contract
negotiations have ended and an
agreement has been signed, there may
,be issues that have left a bad taste for
both management and labour
Positions may harden d these
issues may become
barriers in the next
round of negotiations.
A monitoring
system alerts the
Service to the
need for early
involvement of a mediator in this
kind of situation. The mediator
ontacts the parties and explores the
possibility of discussions before the
next' round of negotiations. Free from
.the atmosphere of crisis bargaining,
the mediatorcan help, the parties
discuss the tough issues, identify the
cause of friction and prombte
understanding and cooperation.
First agreement negotiations are
often deadlocked because cif a
breakdown in the relationship of the
bargaining parties. The preventive
mediator works to improve this
relationship, encourage discussion and
ease the .way to contract settlement.
No mediation service can be
complete that only deals with crisis
bargaining and -ignores the underlying
.-,j-)causes that give rise to the 'dispute.
For more information write to:
Ontario Conciliation and
Mediation Service
400 University Avenue
Toronto, Ontario M7A 1T7
Bette gtephenson, M.D.,
Minister of Labour.
William Davis, Premier
Province of Ontario
4
a
bre Sm
"As soon as a child has learnld
that he has been conned or
mislead, you stop being an
askable parent," Ms. Linton said.
Everything is sold with a sexual
conitation and often children can
get the wrong message from the
television or from his peers, Ms.
L nton explained.
F .1conedded, "That's why
it's important to give accurate
infOrmation,"
Ms. Falconer explained that
'children should be taught
decision making, "They have to
be •aware of the consequences of
their behaviour, expecially • with
unwanted sexual behaviour: Girls
who get pregnant have the
magical idea that it can't happen
to them."
Cable T.V. News
For service orhookup cckll your
operator and ask for Zenith 8211-0
_leaving your nckme, address and
telephone number.
Seaforth Cable T.V.
Piet's PlaCe announces the
To the staff of. its professionals
'Shelly welcomes her friends and
customers to join her in Seaforth;
WE ARE NOW TAKING APPOINTMENTS ON
l'ItOR$tiAV EVENINGS' „ •