Clinton News-Record, 1971-12-09, Page 4Editoriai cominettt
Putting the spirit in Christmas
Somehow during the rush to get
everything done before Christmas, the
spirit of the season often gets trampled
on.
There's nothing worse than trying to
buy gifts for some long-forgotten relative
in a crowded store, when the weather is
miserable outside and your feet are killing
you.
In the midst of all this, it's good to
relax with friends for a while and
remember just what the Christmas season
is all about.
Such an opportunity will come up for
Clintonians and others from the area
shortly when a community carol sing will
be held at the Central Huron District
Secondary School,
it should provide the community with
a chance to put some of the old-time
feeling of friendship back into the holiday
season. It should be one of those few
occasions these days which bring a
community close together.
Here's hoping the idea works and that
more such projects are planned in the
future.
To set a good example
The incident at the Community Centre
Friday night where a visiting coach
knocked a Clinton Junior player out when
he hit him over the head with a hockey
stick, is just another in a long line of
examples of coaches not doing the job
they were sent out to do.
Too many coaches, from other towns
and from our own too, haven't grown up
yet. To them coaching is just a poor
substitution for being out there
themselves. And they'll do anything to
win.
They forget that they are there to
teach the players how to play the game
properly. They are responsible for their
team's conduct on and off the ice. They
are responsible for seeing the youngsters
under their care realize that playing well
and by the rules is more important than
winning.
Many coaches, however, by their
silence when a player takes a deliberate
penalty or starts a fight or argues with a
referee, promote such action in the future
by others on the team. Some do even
worse. By their own language and
example they encourage the youngsters
into breaking the rules and doing
everything, legally or illegally, that is
necessary to win.
Lou Heinback of Mitchell may be an
extreme example of how not to coach a
team, but there are others closer at hand
that are almost as bad.
There was a high school soccer game
this fall at which the coach of the home
side could be heard yelling obscenities at
the referees from all the way across on the
other side of the field. Granted it was a
championship game and the coach was
excited, but by using such language he
was not only setting a bad example for his
team but hurting them by angering the
referees. He was also giving a bad
impression of himself, his team, the
school and the whole town to all those
present at the game.
There are other coaches who allow
some players to do things they shouldn't
because they are stars and winning means
too much for them to be benched. While
some players sit on the bench all game
long, others play, no matter how they
abuse the rules.
Thankfully, we have many good
coaches here in Clinton who are
concerned about the way their teams
play, not just the score. They are
concerned about how their coaching will
affect the youngsters as they grow toward
adulthood. They know that teaching
respect for the rules and the referees now,
will help the youngsters lead a better life
when they grow up.
To these coaches, who aren't perfect
but try to do the best possible job, we
take off our hats.
500 jobs in Ontario
open to young people
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Stephen again
Bill finds out about a rip-off
haft's !ten, rat Huronview?
THE CLINTON NEW ERA Amalgamated THE HURON NEWS-RECORD
Established 1865 1924 Established 1881 "
Clinton News-Record •
A member of the Canadian Weekly Newspaper Asstciation,
Ontario Weekly Newspaper Association and the Audit Bureau
of Circulation (ABC)
Second class mail
registration number — 0817
SUBSCRIPTION RATES: (in advance)
Canada, $8.00 per year; U.S.A., $9.50
KEITH W. ROULSTON a Editor
J. HOWARD AITKEN — General Manager
Published every Thursday at
the heart of Huron County
Clinton, Ontario
Population 3,475
TEE HOME
OF PADAR
iN CANADA
4 Clinton Neyvs-RecOrd, Thursday, December 9, 1971
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Young people are needed to
fill 500 jobs across Ontario.
These new jobs are being created
by Project 500, a four-month
winter employment program of
the Ontario Department of
Social and Family Services.
"Although the response has
been good in Metropolitan
Toronto," said the Honourable
Thomas L. Wells, Ontario
Minister of Social and Family
Services, "I am very concerned
about the small number of
applications we've received from
other areas of Ontario, Project
500 is arranging jobs all over the
Do you have difficulty in
communicating with young
people? Don't worry. We all do.
I have two of my own, and I
teach the critters every day, in
droves, and I have trouble.
I've come to the conclusion
that it's not out fault, it's theirs,
We just can't keep up with their
everchanging slang,
For years I thought a hang-up
was something I'd had during
the war. It Was what we called
the rather delicate situation
created when one of your bombs
was caught by the tail and,
hanging nose-down, fused,
refused to drop.
I had to land with one of
these babies dangling there, one
day. One bounce on landing and
the aircraft and yours truly went
to glory. As you can see, I
landed like a feather on a
snowbank but it was a little
disconcerting to see everyone on
the air-strip flat on his face as I
was coming in.
Now I realize that I had two
hang-ups that day. There was the
physical one of the bomb. And
there was the mental one: I had
sort of a hang-up about being
blown up.
Now, of course, "hang-up" IS
almost- oId hat in younger
circles, It means anything from
an obtession to a minor worry.
'ou can be hung.up on the
Other sex, on drugs, on scheol
work.
Another term that is enjoying
Province, but few people are
applying for them."
The purpose of Project 500 is
to give unemployed young
people with a high school
education, or more, jobs over
the winter, while at the same
time helping community service
agencies to expand or enhance
the services to their
communities.
The jobs will be in public and
private agencies in all parts of
Ontario, such as day nurseries,
homes for the retarded,
sheltered workshops, homes for
the aged, family counselling and
quite a vogue these days is
"rip-off". Basically, it means
Stealing, but there are milder
forms. It can also Mean talking
Somebody out of something you
Want, conning somebody into
taking something he doesn't
Want, not providing something
you've promised, and so on.
My daughter Kim was home
from college last week. She was
supposed to come home for the
weekend, but it was so pleasant
at home, and the food was so
good, and she enjoyed being
spoiled so much that she stayed
the whole week.
I Observed her manoeuvres as
she prepared to return, and
thought I was seeing a real
rip-off artist at work.
It went something like this.
"Oh, Mom, is that ever a smart
blouse! Could I try it on?"
Momma, With resignation,
"Olt., but you're not getting it.
That's the only decent thing I
have to Wear." Kim, brightly,
"Oh, I don't need it; I have
those crumby old 'T-shirts that
you hate so much. But it really
fits me, doesn't it?"
And so on. I don't think I
need to elaborate, She got the
blouse, our teapot, my
typewriter, various pots and
pans, the only deodorant in the
house and about 64 other items,
too miscellaneous =to list,
The Old Lady finally balked
when Kim tried ,on a fur jacket
and started swanking 'around in
any other community agencies
involved in providing social
services.
Anyone who is between 18
and 25 years of age, has
graduated from high school,
community college, or
university, and is unemployed,
should write to Project 500
immediately for an application:
Project 500, Ontario
Department of Social and
Family Services, 6th floor,
Hepburn Building, Queen's Park,
TORONTO, Ontario.
front of the mirror, cooing,
"ThiS really does something for
me, doesn't it, Mom'?" Her
mother stood her ground and
said, in effect, you get your
rotten hands off that jacket.
Well, as I said, I thought Kim
was an artist at tipping off, I
changed my mind when we took
her to the city and saw the
apartment she and another girl
had rented in the fall. Kim is a
rank amateur, a babe-in-the-
woods, compared to city
landlords. The apartment is on
the fringe of a slum area,
In September, she told us
glowingly that the apartment
was "really neat". It had a' new
stove and fridge. There were
three bedrooms, kitchen, dining
room and living room and
bathroom, all for $145 a month.
It was unfurnished, of course.
Sounded pretty good.
The "new" stove hat an oven
that does not work. The "new"
fridge might fetch $12 at a
rummage sale and the handle is
falling off.
The kitchen is likesorriething
out of Dickens. The bedrooms
are boxes, only one with a
window. There are no locks 'on
the doors. 'The toilet doesn't
work, except when it feels like
it. Etc,
Rip-oft. never be a
wealthy old school-teacher. But
I'm certainly going to look into
, the prospects of becoming a
wealthy old slum landlord.
I fill up with Stephen
Leacock regularly once a year,
always in early December, by
the simple, cheapskate expedient
of buying one of his books for
someone else,
Books make the ideal
Christmas gifts. They're the only
present which may be entirely
consumed by the giver and still
remain intact and perfectly fresh
for the givee.
This year I've bought
"Sunshine Sketches of a Little
Town," first published in 1912
yet as fresh and charming on this
reading as the day it was minted.
I wonder if humor — or, at
any rate, humor which mirrors
human foibles as opposed to the
clever stuff — isn't the most
durable form of literature. The
wrinkles of age seldom if ever
show in the timeless faces of
Leacock or Mark Twain or
Thurber or Benchley,
Bought the book for a young
fishing buddy of mine (he knows
I've got it and doubtless suspects
that I'm shamelessly using it)
and I got it because he's
somehow made his way through
a full 18 years without
-discovering that a fellow
Canadian was one of the world's
wittiest men. I expect there's a
chance here, hi passing, for scene
criticism of the deadly dull
English courses in our schools,
but Leacock has such a
mellowing effect on his readerS
that I'M letting it slip by. A
columnist who read Leacock
Members of the Clinton
Christian Reform Church
provided special music for the
song service on Sunday evening
led by Dick Roorda.
The Wingham Women's
Institute were hosts for the
December birthday party held in
the auditorium on Wednesday
afternoon. Following the
program of Christmas Carols,
readings and musical numbers,
the ladies presented gifts to the
celebrants. Birthday cake and
refreshments were served to
aboet 100 residents and guests
attending the patty.
The McQuaid family of
Seaforth and Junior Girls from
the Walton United Church
provided the program for Family
steadily would never be able to
get mad at anything and might
have to turn to honest toil,
There's always a temptation
to try to analyze effective
writing and Stephen Leacock,
himself, could not resist it,
In a preface to his tender and
touching story, "My Remarkable
Uncle," which he considered his
best, he spoke of achieving "an
inevitable aspect, as if there were
no other way to say what is said.
When this is done," he added,
"even the truth itself sounds a
little better than true, which is
the basis of what is called
literature. Any depiction of life,
as it is, is depressing reading."
Desmond Pacey, another
student of Leacock's work, sees
him as "an ironist and satirist
who, alone in his generation, saw
through the hypocrisy and
pretension of his Society." He
likens Leacock to "a country
squire of the eighteenth century
who revolts against the
acquisitiveness and arrogant
commercialism of the early 20th
century; his values are
eighteenth century values:
common sense, benevolence,
moderation, good taste."
There's a good deal of truth
in that, Certainly the most
effective of the satires seem
directly aimed at stuffed shirts.
But it's always the kiss of death
to read too much social
significance into comedy, I can't
believe that Leacock ever wrote
from malice or with the intent
Night, Mr, and Mrs, Wilfred
McQuaid on the violin and piano
along with their sons, Norman
and Bernard on electric guitars
played several musical numbers
with step-dancing by Anne Marie
and Madonna.
The Junior Girls program
directed by Mrs, Docking
included a one-act play by Patti
McDonald, Jane Liemsing, Mary
Searle and Susan Murray; piano
solos by Susan Murray, Sandra
Dennis; (Quintet) Jennifer
Kirby, Ruth 'natter, Mary
Watson, Carolyn McClure, Beth
McNichol; and several selections
by the chorus. Miss Ina Gray
thanked the entertainers on
behalf of the residents.
of deliberately commenting on
the hypocrisy and pretensions of
society. If he had, these stories
wouldn't stand the test of the
years as they do so admirably.
I think, instead, that
Leacock, like Benchley, was a
gentle man who cherished the
ridiculous and who was
constantly searching for funny
things to write about. And the
really funny things, of course,
are both universal and timeless.
The book shop where I deal
has no record of a Leacock
anthology, a Best of Leacock
collection, and, if this is true, it
may explain why he's not so
familiar to younger readers as he
ought to be.
The "Sunshine Sketches"
stand alone, but the other
Leacock books I've read such as
"Literary Lapses," "Nonsense
Novels," "Further Foolishness"
and "Frenzied Fiction" are
uneven.
It is the nature of humor and,
particularly, of nonsense that
there are bound to be some
near-misses among the
bull's-eyes, especially when the
clown is as prolific as Leacock.
The late G. G. Sedgwick,
himself a writer of brilliance,
Said of him, "He is not one of
the Great Ones, but he May sit
at the same table" and this May
be a fair judgement when
Leacock's tremendous and
varied work is considered, as it
were, in bulk, A single volume of
his work, a distillation of the
pure wit, might guarantee him
greatness.
There's really only one way
to judge humor and Stephen
Leacock certainly passes that
test as tar as I'm concerned. I
laugh aloud when I read him.
10 YEARS AGO
Dec. 7,1961
Celebrating their golden
wedding anniversary on
Saturday, Mr, and Mrs. Frank W.
Andrews were hosts to many
guests Who called to wish them
well. They reside at 45 George
Street, in the farm home where
they have spent all their married
life and where Frank was born,
Rather interesting to note
that on Monday when several of
the male candidates for
municipal office were rushing
around persuading people out to
the polls to vote for them, Mrs.
Fred Thompson was going about
her normal routine and other
jobs. Monday was the Christmas
Fair at Huronview and Mrs,
Thompson is chairman of the
Auxiliary to the Honie. So she
was out there helping a lot of
Huron's senior citizens have a
good time and Mrs. Thompson
got more votes than any of her
opponents or mayoral
candidates, for that matter.
15 YEARS AGO
Thursday, Dec. 13, 1956
Christmas decorations are in
full swing all over town.
Mortgage Lane has sprouted
coloured lights and Santas all the
way. The Air Station has simply
dozens of reindeer and sleds and,
things, all lighted up at night.
And the homes in Clinton where
a decorating contest is being
carried out, are beginning to
take on a really festive air.
Jolly old Santa Claus is
planning an appearance in
Clinton this coming Saturday
and is expected to arrive at
about 1:20 in the afternoon.
Bannockburn Pipe Band will
herald his approach from the
North.
Today George Rumball,
owner of Rumball's I.G.A. Store
is announcing that he is going
out of business. A three day sale,
starting today and ending
Saturday will be held to clear
out the majority of his
merchandise. George's plans for
the future are unknown, but it is
understood that Orville J.
Stanley will take over the
grocery business in that location.
Mr. Stanley, who has a meat
market in the same block, next
to the Bank of Montreal, has had
to make plans to vacate that
premises by early spring to allow
for expansion of the bank
offices,
25 YEARS AGO
Dec. 12, 1946
Reports indicate that the 12
Polish war veterans, who fought
with the British Eighth Army in
Africa and Italy, are making
good farmers on a similar
number of Huron County farms.
Apparently they like their work
and surroundings, and are
looking forward to becoming
Canadian citizens,
What weather we've been
having! Spring seems to be "just
around the corner," but, alas,
winter must come first. People
sitting on their verandahs
dressed in light attire was a
common sight in Clinton the
early part of this week. Country
hikes were in vogue on Sunday,
and some farmers took
advantage of the warm spell to
get in some plowing Monday and
Tuesday.
Wesley-Willis Church was
crowded to capacity on
Thursday evening last for the
final rally of the Crusaders
Cavalcade which had been
meeting in the church. Tuesday,
Wednesday and Thursday. Chief
speaker was Dr. Robert B.
McClure, a returned missipnary
from China who .served in that
country, especially along the
Burma Road, during the war. Pr.
McClure is a very forceful and
.dynamic speaker and held his
audience as few SPeakets could
have done. His sense of humour
was one of the most notable
characteristics used during the
evening.
40 YEARS AGO
Thursday, Dec. 10, 1931
The Huron County Council at
its meeting last week placed
itself on record as being oppesed
to a recent Ord e r-i n-co u n ci 1
requiring hospitals to have at
least 50 beds in order to be
eligible to carry on a nurses'
training school.
From Bayfield News.
The Public School and Young
People's Society of the United
Church are giving a Christmas
concert in the Town Hall on
Friday, Dec. 18. The school will
present a miscellaneous program
and the Young People's Society
will give "A Christmas Carol"
based on the story by Charles
Dickens.
Relief work began with an
appeal from the West for used
clothing. Already 50 tons have
been sent.
Then eastern farmers began
offering food, and The United
Church undertook through its
relief committee, to handle this
also.
Five cars of fruit and
vegetables were en route by the
end of September. Eighty-four
cars had arrived or were on the
way to Saskatchewan by
November 1. Now the total has
reached 109 cars from five
provinces and the need is still
pressing!
The West is proudly grateful
for this sign of unity in a time of
national emergency.
55 YEARS AGO
Thursday, Dec. '7, 1961
Shortage in the nickel crop
has frequently bothered more
than Germany and many a hook
and crook has been devised and
invented to secure the metal.
Oftentimes the dollar bills run as
short as the nickles and we
wonder who is gathering them in
and causing the shrinkage.
If some of the boisterous
lawyers of Perth County who
defend booze takers were told
by Magistrate "where they were
at", said legal talent might be
prevented from making asses of
themselves. It is no credit to be a
rowdy, whether a K.C. or n.g.,
and liberty gives no license for
the so-called "going after" of
respected officials who are doing
their duty. Self-respect should
count for something.
75 YEARS AGO
1896
All towns have more or less
bad boys. Fortunately Clinton
has not very many. The other
day the windows of weigh scale
master Welsh's office were
opened and his lead pencils
stolen. Later, the weigh scale
books disappeared.
The latter were of no
importance to any person except
the official and those he had
dealings with. Three boys
committed the deed and were
'corralled by Constable Welsh and
made to disgorge. Acts of this
kind often lead to more serious
results. The parents of these
"innocent" lads should feel
thankful that the boys have been
allowed off. Parents must look
after their children if they are to
keep them out of trouble.
Opinions
I n order that
News--Record readers might
express their opinions on any
topic of public interest,
Letters To The Editor are
always welcome f or
publieation.
But the writers of such
letters, as well as all readers,
are reminded that the
opinions expressed in letters
published are not necessarily
the opinions held by The
--=
News—Record.
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