The Citizen, 2003-05-28, Page 24PAGE 24. THE CITIZEN, WEDNESDAY, MAY 28, 2003.
Council reps, school bds. discuss apprenticeships
By Stew Slater
Special to The Citizen
Early this year, only a couple of
meetings into Meg Westley’s term
as chair of the Avon Maitland
District School Board, there were
off-the-record complaints from a
couple of trustees about the new
chair using her position inappropri
ately, to advance her own agenda.
Specifically, Westley neglected to
“pass the gavel” to Vice-Chair
Colleen Schenk, while energetically
promoting the idea of hosting a one-
day meeting of education stakehold
ers, to be facilitated by a Toronto
based consultant whom she had
contacted through a member of her
family.
The event, which became known
as Shaping Our Future: Education
for Avon Maitland, eventually went
ahead on April 26, and there was
praise from at least some of the
approximately 40 people who
attended. But it certainly didn’t go
Obituaries
DARYK BALL
Daryk Stephen Ball of Blenheim
and formerly of RR1, Auburn,
passed away suddenly at his resi
dence on Sunday, May 25, 2003 in
his 52nd year.
He was the beloved son of Ethel
(Dexter) Ball and the late Stanley
Ball (1982). He was the loving
brother of Sharon and Len (Butch)
Hoffman of Hensail, Brenda and
Dave Scholl of Goderich, (twin)
Daryl Ball of RR1, Auburn and
Arva and Randy Machan of Elora.
off entirely smoothly: attendance at
the day-long strategy session was
disrupted by an ice storm-inspired
postponement, and secondary
school teachers refused to partici
pate as part of a work-to-rule cam
paign which concluded just after the
event.
So Westley must have been heart
ened to sit in on an energetic discus
sion between school board officials
and municipal politicians, inspired
by the report from the session, dur
ing a yearly informal meeting held
at the board’s offices in Seaforth last
Tuesday, May 20.
With a limited formal agenda,
almost half of the two-hour meeting
between the two groups of elected
officials ended up revolving around
the Shaping Our Future report’s
reflections on what qualities the
Avon Maitland board should seek to
promote in its graduates.
More specifically, South/West
Perth Trustee Carol Bennewies
described how one group of event
Mr. Ball was also loved by nieces
and nephews, aunts and uncles.
At Daryk’s request there was no
funeral home visitation. Cremation
has taken place.
A private family service will be
held at Ball’s Cemetery, Hullett
Twp. Friday, May 30 at 2 p.m.
Donations to Ball’s Cemetery
would be appreciated as expressions
of sympathy.
Funeral arrangements entrusted to
Beattie-Falconer Funeral Homes
Ltd., Clinton.
participants discussed the need for
graduates who are prepared to enter
into apprenticeships or other forms
of training for skilled trades
employment.
Several of the municipal politi
cians — representing about a dozen
municipal councils in the district —
echoed Bennewies’s statements.
There were several comments sug
gesting that, for too long, the educa
tion system has been geared towards
inspiring students to apply for post
secondary education, at the expense
of promoting the value of learning a
trade.
Board superintendent Marjatta
Longston noted that only about 40
per cent of high school graduates
achieve high enough, academically,
to be accepted into college or uni
versity. She also praised the Huron
Manufacturers Association, as well
as some of the municipal councils
represented at the meeting, for pro
moting apprenticeship and school
15 tables at last Aux. bridge
The Auxiliary to Wingham and
and District Hospital held its final
marathon bridge party for the 2002-
2003 season, on Monday, May 12 at
7:30 p.m. at the Masonic Hall, with
15 tables in play. Players were from
Lucknow, Ripley, Brussels,
Belgrave and Wingham.
Brenda Anger, president of the
Auxiliary welcomed the players and
invited them to enjoy a dessert and
beverage served by the social com
mittee.
During the season a total of 16
tables played from November to
April. Lucknow had six tables play
in the afternoon and Wingham four
tables in the evening.
based co-operative employment
programs.
And she explained that anyone
interested in any type of school-to-
work initiatives should contact the
board’s Co-operative Education Co
ordinator, Glen McGregor.
Huron East councillor Dick
Burgess related his own experience
as he entered the board’s offices ear
lier that day, when he encountered a
former classmate overseeing reno
vations to the building. Burgess esti
mated that the construction worker,
who never achieved high academic
marks in high school, now con
tributed more to the local economy
than a teacher of the same age,
employed by the school board.
That doesn’t mean apprentice
ships will suddenly become all the
rage in Huron and Perth Counties.
Several meeting participants noted
that a lot of parents pressure their
children to pursue post-secondary
education, and put less value on the
The prizes for the season were
awarded to the following: Jane
Treleaven, Lucknow, high aggre
gate, 18560; Dorothy MacDonald,
Lucknow, high single, 5360; Pat
Gaunt, Wingham, high single for
the evening, 4680.
Door prizes were won by Helen
McCreath, Janice Taylor, Pat
Hunking, Dorothy Brintnell,
Dorothy Hamilton, Janet Day,
Stewart Leedham and Mabel
Wheeler.
The group gives special thanks to
the Masons for the use of the hall
and setting up the tables for the final
night and to all who donated door
prizes and the lovely floral arrange
option of entering the work force
directly. And Central/East Huron
trustee Charles Smith, who owns
Seaforth-based manufacturer
Boilermaker, roundly criticized
Ontario’s apprenticeship system, as
well as funding cutbacks which
spelled the end of outreach technical
programs once offered by various
community colleges in such places
as Vanastra.
“Without legislation that causes
the background to change, (promot
ing apprenticeships) is going to be
an awful struggle,” Smith comment
ed.
Still, Stratford Councillor Mike
Joma praised the board’s goal of
promoting the value of apprentice
ships and skills training, as
expressed in the Shaping Our Future
report. He pledged to show the doc
ument to a Stratford-based econom
ic development committee on which
he serves, as a means of spurring
discussion on the issue.
ments.
Hospital bridge will resume in the
fall. New players are always wel
come. The fundraiser for the auxil
iary goes to help provide needed
equipment for the hospital. The pro
ceeds for this season were approxi
mately $1,550.
Cail 1-866-734-9425
or visit www.medicalert.ca
Medic Alert
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