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The Exeter Times-Advocate, 1965-09-16, Page 1EXETER, ONTARIO, SEPTEMBER 16, 1965 Price Pow Copy 10 Cow Nomination meetings planned for Clinton Elston Cardiff Gordon McGavin Rumours spark discussion Principal replies During the past week there have been a rash of rumours in connection with the operation of the South Huron District High School. These rumours have been spread by students, teachers and parents and have had the effect of creating a very disturbing situation. At the regular meeting of the board Tuesday evening, member Irvine Armstrong asked about some of these rumours and requested an answer from the principal, Douglas Palmer. The main text of the comments of these men are shown on the front in an effort to clarify the matter. There have been many changes in the operation of the school this year as well as a great many changes in the staff. There is also a building project underway valued at $1,600,000.00. Hecause of this the Times- Advocate will attempt to report all matters pertaining to the board in depth in an attempt to clarify these matters for those in the area who have students attending this school. This will only be possible if we are given the trust and co-operation of the board. It has already been pro- posed by the board that one of their meetings during the month be held as a committee of the whole _which would in effect block the press from being present. It would prevent us from having the background knowledge needed for good honest reporting. It is necessary to the press, as well as to the general public, to have a knowledge of why a decision was made rather than a report that a decision was made. Rev. John Boyne, member of the board suggested that when criticism of the school principal comes along the board should quietly close ranks and keep all these discussions out of the press. We believe this opinion is wrong and with this in mind we urge members of the board to keep all meetings open to the press as they have in the past in order that the people of this area may have a better understanding of the operation of the school and the board. If only half of the meetings are open to the press, then only half of the work of the board will be known, thus leading to mis- conceptions and misunderstandings. We trust the board will reconsider this matter and allow us to present a complete picture of its workings to the people of this area. Editor's note Board member speaks The election machinery in Huron county is swinging into high gear with the nomination dates set for conventions by both major parties. Interest is high in the area and it appears as though there is a good chance that there will be more than one can- didate standing for nomination at each convention. In the Progressive Conserva- tive Camp sitting member Elston Cardiff indicated this week he will allow his name to stand for nomination at the convention to be held at Clinton. This is ten- tatively set for September 28 at South Huron Central School at Clinton although no confirmation of the availability of the audi- torium had been received by Wednesday. The date for the nomination meeting was set at a special executive m e eti n g Tuesday evening. Mr. Cardiff shares the honor with four other members of the house of being the second long- est sitting member with 25 and a half years of service. Only the Hon. Paul Martin exceeds this If there are sufficient applica- tions night school classes will be held at the SHAHS in Exeter for the first time in 12 years. Mem- bers of the board have authoriz- ed advertisements to be placed in regards to this in an attempt to measure the interest in a pro- ject such as this. The suggestion for night school classes came from p r Inc ip al Douglas palmer who indicated he has had several inquiries as to this. Several board members in- dicated they have also been ap- proached in this matter. Informa- tion has been received from the record with 30 years of continu- ous service. Mr. Cardiff indicated Wednes- day that although he will allow his name to stand there are oth- ers in the county who would like to have this seat, He commented that there are a lot of people in the county who would like to have the position of member of parliament. Information as to who will be the guest speaker at this meeting is not settled but it is expected to be released within a week. lion. Larry T. Pennell will be the speaker at the Liberal no- mination meeting scheduled for Thursday evening September 23. This nomination meeting will also be held at the Central Huron Secondary School at Clinton, Wil- liam Elston, president of the as- sociation indicated this week there is a very good chance that Gordon McGavin, defeated can- didate in the last federal election will again allow his name to stand for nomination. Two other names have also been proposed but Mr. Elston declined to release these at this time. area high school in Clinton to the effect that there have been several inquiries in regards to these classes by Exeter resi- dents. Members agreed that the registration fee should be set at $5.00 for most classes with this money being refundable if insuf- ficient applications were receiv- ed to warrant setting up a class. It is hoped to get applications in by the end of this month to allow a start to be made in October. Mr. Palmer suggested some classes which could be held here and was given authority to draw Douglas Palmer, principal of Sogth Huron District Secondary School, has been subjected to a great amount of criticism as the result of the reaction to new pol- icies and courses which have been implimented at the school this fall, At the regular meeting of the SHDHS board T u e s d a y evening Mr. Palmer defended himself against these charges and indicated he expected strong criticism and is willing to stand it as long as he has the confidence of the board. In his report to the board, presented and discussed be f or e Mr. Armstrong listed complaints from the public, Mr. Palmer list- ed some of the areas which have caused problems during the first week of school. He pointed out one of the problems is the great number of new staff personnel— the principal, the vice-principal, head of guidance, two secretar- ies, chief custodian, chief cafe- teria cook and 21 new teachers. Another area which Mr. Palmer indicated he is concerned about is the lack of knowledge of the old operation at the school by himself and the lack of compre- hension by the staff and students of the new system. In reply to the complaints as listed by Mr. Armstrong, Mr. palmer stated that he did not cancel any textbooks from the local store as charged. He said the situation was brought about by students ordering books which he had not as yet approved. He said that when he discovered that the books were being ordered at the local store he knew there were a great many more to be ordered and thought it would be better if he telephoned to Tor- onto and ordered these direct. He said he had done nothing to affect the orders which had been placed at the local store. He said he had talked to the store owner a few days ago and said he was sorry there was a mixup but he had never managed to get to the bottom of it. (Mr. Armstrong interjected and said that a lady had ordered the book and when the store owner had telephoned the school to see whether the book was on the list for grade 13, he was told the order had been taken care of by the school). In regards to the other text- books Mr. Palmer pointed out that the board did not approve a list of textbooks to be ordered for the fall term. He added, however, that there was a list prepared. He pointed out that these lists must have his approval and are made up by consultation between him- up a list of suggested classes and have these advertised. These might include typing, home eco- nomics, physical education and recreation, general shop work, industrial arts, bookkeeping, and leisure time skills such as paint- ing art, weaving or leathercraft. Members of the board were en- thusiastic with the proposal which they indicated would fill a need in the community and area. These classes qualify for grants from the department of education and while the $5.00 registration does not cover the cost of the classes it is a service many schools offer. self and the department heads. He said that when he arrived here in July there were no department heads here and so the only ones which were ordered were those in which the department head had stopped in during the summer to arrange. He said that when the department heads arrived at the first of September they discover- ed that the textbooks had not been ordered and the book lists were not prepared until September,He said in one or two cases he did go ahead and order some of the textbooks but with others he wait- ed to consult with the heads of the departments. In reference to the students he said he hasn't had too many com- plaints in this regards. He pointed out that in some areas books are in short supply while others are out of print and the school must wait until a new run comes from the press. Mr. Palmer indicated that most of the problems of the textbooks is a case of changeover. This was the first year it was neces- sary to order the books for grades 11 and 12. He said that in some cases the books were purchased second hand but others were not purchased. He declined respon- sibility in this area. Mr. Palmer classed this as awkward for all and indicated it is nearly settled now. In commenting on the matter of textbooks, Mr. Palmer said, "if a principal does not have control over the curriculum then he might just as well not be here. This Is the heart of the program. I work with the department heads in setting up this program. This is the way I have run it and it is the way I intend to run it." In regards to the manufacturer who wished to see the plans, Mr., Palmer said that at the time Mr. Armstrong and the man had called he had the plans tacked to the board on which he and two other teachers were working on the timetable. He pointed out that these two men were working without pay in order to get this set up. He classed this as not the proper time. Still on the same subject Mr. Palmer told members that when he wishes to see a doctor or a lawyer, he telephones and gets an appointment or takes his chance if he goes to see them. He pointed out that the people of this community will have to get to understand that it is the same way with a high school principal. In regards to the duties of the committees of the board Mr. Pal- mer stated he feels the duty of the board is to set policy, not to carry it out. He said that before he ever came to Exeter the board hired a man from Clinton to do the layouts of all the shops and accepted them without question. "Now you question my technical ability" he said. Going further Mr. Palmer in- dicated he thought he and the board had thrashed out the prob- lems of the new building and his role in this last April. Speaking of the vocational com- mittee and its duties Mr. Palmer said the main role of this com- mittee is to help in interpreting new courses, courses which should be set up and the type of equipment which should be used. He suggested that the men should be acquainted with what was need- ed in the labor force of the area so that the classes could corres- pond to this. Speaking of purchasing new equipment and guiding the build- ing of the new addition Mr. Palm- er said this is a job for the pro- fessional. He suggested that this should go through his office. As an example of this he sug- gested in the case of a lathe he and his advisors would bring back two or three choices to the board with information as to manufacture and cost along with their recommendations and allow the board to make the decision. He said he is of the opinion that it is his job to make investiga- tions and recommendations to the board in matters such as this. Mr. Palmer told members he expected criticism In regards to new courses lmpllmented this year fot the first time. He point- ed out that teat year the students in grade nine did not have any choice. lie advocated as much freedom of choide and option for the student aS possible while still giving the student guid anc e. "This involves criticism andrin prepared to take it as long as I have the confidence of the board'', he said, In noricluding his rematks Mt. Palmier pointed out that when he hes to make a lot of decisions he is bound to make a few that are wrong. in regards to any problems with the staff, he said he did Oct know of this and sug- gested It Is too early to tell in this Matter. F/L A.M. Casey F/L Alvin M. Casey CD and clasp, of Goderich, Ontario was honored last Friday (10 Sept) with a dinner by his fellow officers on the occasion of his retire- ment from the service after 24 years. He was presented with a silver chafing dish to mark his return to civilian life. F/L Casey enlisted during the war and served as a Wireless Airgunner up to 1946. His desire to remain in the service nec- essitated his remuster to a ra- dar technician. In this capacity he served on many units in Ca- nada as well as a tour of duty in England. lie later transferred into the Telecommunications branch, and it was in this field he held a position at Central Of- ficers School as an instructor as well as being the Station Telecom Officer for RCAF Sta- tion Centralia. F/L Casey formerly resided at 316 Marlborough Street, Ex- eter. His wife is the former Muriel Irene Glenny of Peter- borough, Ontario and they have two sons, Ronald and Donald. Several civilian opportunities have been offered to F/L Casey but firm plans have not been made as yet, however, residence in the London area has been established. S/L Hollingshead S/L G. R. Hollingshead CD and Clasp, of Edmonton, Alberta, has assumed command of the Pri- mary Flying School at RCAF Station Centralia, Ontario. He replaces S/L R. A. Caskie who recently left for the RCAF Staff College, Toronto. S/L Hollingshead has comple- ted the full cycle in his Air Force career. Upon graduating from Victoria High School, Ed- monton, he enlisted in the RCAF and completed his pilot's train- ing in 1943. He was immediately assigned as an instructor on the elementary Tiger Moth com- pleting a tour of duty in Wes- tern Canada. Subsequent to the war he has filled various in- structor positions within Train- ing Command as Well as an in- structor with the USAF in Ar- izona. Just prior to his trans- fer to Centralia S/L Hollingshead was stationed in Winnipeg, Man- itoba, in the Posting and Careers Branch of Training Command Headquarters. S/L Hollingshead is married to the former Mary Colleen Mac- Phail of Winnipeg and has 2 sons, Robert, who is attending the Uni- versity of Western Ontario, and Richard. They will reside at 119 Columbia Drive, Huron Park, Centralia, Ontario. Murmurings and complaints along the main street and throughout the county in con- nection with matters at the South Huron District High School were brought out into the open Tues- day evening at the regular meet- ing of the board. Irvine Arm- strong, speaking on behalf of the ratepayers listed some of the complaints he has received in the past few days and asked Douglas Palmer, principal, to explain them. Among the complaints listed was a charge that the principal had cancelled an order for a textbook at a local store after a parent had ordered this; that the board committees should look after more work in connection with the school rather than have the principal looking after these details, (painting and drapes were used as examples); that the prin- cipal did not co-operate in show- ing the plans for the new addition to a local manufacturer at the time requested; that the teacher relationship is strained and that the vocational advisory commit- tee should carry out some of the tasks which the principal indicat- ed he planned to do. Mr. Armstrong, in addressing members of the board, prefaced his remarks by stating that he has had more complaints and people coming to see him in this regard in the past few days than ever before. He said he felt it was his duty, as a member of the board, to speak on behalf of the taxpayers. When it was suggested that the board go into committee Battle of Britain parade Sunday MAJOR E. FRANKLIN To commemorate the historic Battle of Britain where "The Few" withstood the onslaught of the Luftwaffe, RCAF Station Centralia will hold a memorial Church Parade on Sunday, 19 September. The parade will be under the command of S/14 G. C. Whittington CD and clasp, who will present the Wing for inspection by Maj. E. M.C. Frank- lin, the Reviewing Officer. Maj. Franklin, a former RCAF pilot during the war, is the senior dental officer at the Station. He has been associated with the RCAF for the past several years serving at #1 Fighter Wing in Marville, France prior to his appointment at Centralia. The parade will form up on the local Station parade square, march past in review order and will be addressed by Maj. Frank- lin. Church services in the Sta- tion Chapels will be conducted by Protestant Padre, S/L J. H. MeAvany and Roman Catholic Padre, F/L J. P. Finn. to hear these charges Mr. Arm- strong indicated that he did not prefer this but would rather that this be brought out into the open. In regards to the matter of textbooks, Mr. Armstrong told members that he had a parent come to him in regards to a grade 13 textbook. The parent claimed that the textbook in question was ordered at a local store and then the principal saw fit to cancel this. He pointed out, that as the parents are the ones who are the purchasers of these books, it could matter less where they are purchased. Still dealing with the matter of textbooks, Mr. Armstrong re- minded members that when he and Mr. Hicks had proposed a motion on June 8 that all text- books should be purchased local- ly, they were "cut down fast". He said, that when the decision was made to purchase all of these through the school, he felt that the matter was in good hands, and that it would be looked after. lie told members he was dis- turbed to hear the principal's report to the effect that some of the books had not been ordered yet and others had not arrived. Speaking on the matter of du- ties of committees, Mr. Arm- strong used the matter of paint- ing and drapery at the school as an example. He said that he felt the principal has enough work to do in his office without looking after matters such as this and that it is up to the committees to look after details such as this. Moving to the next matter, Mr. Armstrong said he conducted a local manufacturer to the school about a week and a half ago and attempted to see Mr. Palmer to show the plans of the building to the manufacturer. lie said, he was unable to see Mr. Palmer although he appreciated how busy he was but was unable to arrange an interview for another time. He said the manufacturer made two or three phone calls in an attempt to see these and finally got to see the plans yesterday. In regards to the teacher re- lationship, Mr. Armstrong told members he hopes this improves. He said he has come to under- stand with talks he has had with teachers that matters are very strained. Mr. Armstrong also indicated he was disturbed over the duties of the vocational advisory com- mittee. He said that he under- stood one of the duties of this committee was to advise and assist with the purchase of new equipment. He pointed out that Mr. Palmer has indicated he plans several trips to Toronto to purchase this equipment and said he did not feel that it was up to Mr. Palmer to do this as much as it was to the committee. In conclusion, Mr. Armstrong apologized to Mr. Palmer for bringing this up in public but defended his stand. He indicated he resented all the talk behind a person's back, and felt that it is much better to bring it out in the open. Expect reports at County council Appointnient of a safety con- struction inspector for Huron, for which Ontario Labor Depart- ment officials have been press- ing for the past year, will be under discussion at the Septem- ber session of county council, and likely will be disposed of, this time. The special committee appoin- ted to report on the regional. government proposals of the pro- viticial government will not bring in its report until November. Clerk-treasurer John Berry will present a financial report for the half-Ayear ending June 30, and forecast the outcome for the full year. Rev. James P. Gandon, new deputy reeve of Exeter, will be sworn as successor to the late Ralph Bailey. Issue warrant for driver Magistrate Glenn Hays of God.: erich Wednesday issued a bench warrant for William Westlake, 20, of Willowdale who failed to appear in court On chargeS arises ing from the traffic deaths of five perSonS Aug. 22. 'Westlake is Charged with deince getous driving and careless drives Five members of aLucanfam- ity were killed when two cart crashed on Highway 86 near Wingliam. NOMISIMMAOMC10%:,:iMiURE,OMMVFMAiNWM. A little help for Alvin Members of the RAP committee voted Monday even- ing to hire a full time employee to assist Alvin Willert with his duties at the arena during the winter months and with the care of parks during the spring and summer months. The decision came after Mr. Willert threatened to resign his position which he claims has kept him working 80 hours per week for the past year and a half. Mr. Willert told RAP, "I only have two hands, I'm not going to clean the toilets, flood the ice, clean the floors, do the repairs and look after the books. I've worked 80 hours a week all last winter and summer. I can't do it any longer. I'll quit. I might look crazy but I'm not that far gone yet". In answer to a query as to what was needed in a man Mr. Willert replied that the committee needed a man that didn't love his wife, who was willing to work six nights a week. Members of the committee agreed that he did need help and authorized an advertisement for this purpose. The committee will meet in the near future to consider applications and make an appointment. Mr. Willert, who is a man of many talents, has been looking after the arena, parks, swimming pool and re- creation program for some time. This summer he has had as many as 14 high school students to supervise, as well as looking after his administration duties. The ill- ness of Claude Farrow, committee secretary, has added further work to Mr. Willert's already busy schedule this summer. WalKaantiMMSMWAIMMIEMMONVORSIE. Night school for SHDHS? Dam repairs underway this week Repairs to the dam on the AuSable river near the conservation office at Riverview park a r e underway and will be completes this fall. A new Wing is being Constructed On the east Side. A WOrkinan is shown here checking where forma will be placed prior to the pouring of cOncrete. The area has been excavated and the forms, which axe under construction will likely be erected in the near future. (T-A photo) New portable classrooms under construction The portable classi•ooins shown above now under construction at the South Hama District Thigh School have aroused a storm Of comment since the building permit for theSe was granted. They have been called everything Ironi "hog pens), to "broiler houses-" and many residents have complained that they spoil the appearance of the neighborhood, The real reason for the Clatsrooms can be seen inside the school where trim classes are held in each gymnasium waiting for the completion of the unitS.(T-A phot0)