The Times-Advocate, 2002-10-30, Page 6cents per km. In the transportation service, vol-
unteers transport clients to medical appoint-
ments, dialyses, shopping etc. The client pays the
cost while they are in the vehicle. VON pays the
cost to get the volunteer to that client and back
home again. While delivering hot Meals on
Wheels, VON covers the expenses of the volunteer
getting to the food provider, which may be a local
restaurant or Long Term Care facility, delivering
the meal and then to return home again. The cost
to the client is subsidized as VON staff determines
the need. These costs apply regardless of what
service the volunteer is providing, including pal-
liative visiting or respite for a family living with
Alzheimer Disease. Because of geographics and
volunteer availability, this cost can be quite sig-
nificant. Some volunteers help occasionally and
usually in the same town or village and cost may
not be an issue. But many give their time daily
and often are generous enough to go where there
is a need. Without a doubt, these community
champions would no longer be financially capable
of continuing without mileage re-imbursement.
As a result of insufficient funds to continue pro-
viding service to all in Middlesex County at a con-
stant cost, regardless of where you live or to the
philosophy of providing service to all regardless of
your ability to pay, VON staff are having to insti-
tute changes. It is important that our community
understands how very difficult this turn of events
has been to the staff of VON Volunteer Programs.
It has not been an easy decision to make these
changes and it continues to be an internal conflict
as my staff approach our clients with the need to
institute higher user fees or in some cases may no
longer be able to offer certain services.
Volunteers are offering to provide services with-
out claiming mileage. This is not the answer. To
discontinue the practice of reimbursing mileage is
setting volunteerism back 10 years. We owe
those who give of their talents and time more
than that.
Then there is the moral conflict “should the
aging and adults with disabilities be able to prac-
tice their inherent right to choose where they
live?” Imagine a rural community where only the
well and totally independent could live because
services are too costly to provide to their home.
What a void this would create in our neighbour-
hoods! VON will continue to offer hot meals to
those in the rural communities but the cost may
be higher than those living in the more populated
areas. This will make them unaffordable to many
and thus no longer accessible. This scenario will
apply to many of VON Volunteer Services, while
working within the existing budget. The Core
Values of VON is to serve our communities
through RESPECT, PARTICIPATION, RESPON-
SIVENESS, and COURAGE. We have lived by
these values for over 100 years and they remain
as real and meaningful today. I write this as a
staff of the Victorian Order of Nurses, and a 6th
generation Lewis, living in a rural community in
Middlesex County, where I hope to age with
respect and dignity as I so choose.
JACKIE WELLS, Manager
VON Volunteer Programs
Middlesex-Elgin Branch
Serving Middlesex County
POLICE BRIEFS
Chains and hitch stolen
from field
BLUEWATER – Sometime over the weekend of Oct. 19-
21, two chains and a clevis hitch were stolen from a farm
field off Fansville Line in Bluewater .
Huron OPP report the chains and clevis hitch, valued at
$400, were on farm machinery in the field.
Please call Huron OPP or Crime Stoppers with any infor-
mation.
6 Wednesday, October 30, 2002Exeter Times–Advocate
Opinion&Forum &News
Panther Profile
EXETER — Panther spirit is running high
in the weeks coming up as fall sports reach
their climax.
Boys volleyball and girls basketball teams
are approaching Huron-Perth tournaments
and the field hockey team will be travelling to
Ridley College in St. Catharines for OFSAA.
Thanks to the students, staff
and members of the communi-
ty for supporting this Panthers
team at the WOSSA tourna-
ment last Tuesday.
The Halloween dance is
today. Students must have paid
their $20 student fees and
received their student card to
attend the dance.
Student fees can be paid at
the main office and student
cards are in the front foyer at
lunch hour. On Halloween Day
there will be an assembly. Show off your
costume for this event.
The OA Geography class is going on a field
trip Thursday to UWO to explore and make
use of the university’s facilities.
Hat Day is Friday, so find a cap, visor,
touque, top hat, beret and $1 to cover your
bed head for the whole day.
Parent Teacher interviews are Nov. 7.
Coming events:
Oct. 30 — Halloween Dance - DRESS UP!
— Girls basketball: South Huron at St.
Anne’s
Oct. 31 — Halloween assembly - DRESS UP!
— OA Geography Trip to UWO
— University presentation: Laurier
at 12:45 p.m.
— College presentation: Ridgetown
at 10:30 a.m.
Oct. 31 to Nov. 2 — Field hockey:
OFSAA at Ridley College in St. Catharines
Nov. 1 — Hat Day
Nov. 2 — Boys volleyball: tournament
in Goderich
Nov. 4 — Early dismissal day
— University presentation: Guelph at 9 a.m.
Nov. 5 - Huron Musicfest: SHDHS bands
to Clinton
— Student Health Clinic: 11 a.m.-1 p.m.
— Boys volleyball: Huron-Perth
— University presentation: Trent at 9 a.m.
— College presentation: Fanshawe
at 12:45 p.m.
Nov. 7 — Parent Teacher interview night
Nov. 17 — Panthers Bands hold a concert,
large gym
Nov. 28 — Flu shots
Teen corner
To Sleep or Not to Sleep?
There are a lot of tired high school students
out there every Wednesday. I came across
this observation while sitting groggily in one
of my first classes last Wednesday. By the
middle of the week everyone looks pretty
worn out. As I looked around the room, I saw
people slouched over their desks, blinking
sleepily and drinking coffee. It seems these
days that everyone I talk to is getting low on
sleep, or has been low on sleep for a long
time.
Sleep is a beautiful and important thing,
and, as an admitted night person, we tend to
stay up late and not get enough of it.
However, sleep is vital to... well, everything!
The average person is sup-
posed to get an average of 8-9
hours of sleep per night. Most
people rarely get even that. It
seems, as we get older, we
sleep less and less. Perhaps it's
because we always have so
many thoughts racing through
our brains at the end of the
day. As we get older we view
the world differently, and as
we view the world differently,
sometimes we realize that it's
not always a perfect place inhabited by per-
fect people. We worry, we ponder, or maybe
we just like late night television a whole lot
more.
Sleep controls our ability to think clearly. It
can have a huge influence on the marks we
get in school, our moods, even our ability to
socialize that day! It dictates our reflexes,
our ability to drive, and our ability to do sim-
ple daily functions! Sleep is the body's excuse
to repair things both mentally and physically
from the day before. Our sleep gives us our
dreams, and these are the mental repairs
that you receive from the day's thoughts, past
memories, and concoctions from your own
imagination. Physically, your body gets a
chance to grow, and heal itself.
So let’s stop and smell the roses.... or just
lay down in the flower bed and take a nap.
JENN
BAKER
TEEN CORNER
BETH
HUNDEY
PANTHER
PROFILE
Principal’s Message
EXETER — This Friday, students at South
Huron will receive a Progress Report to give
them and their parents an indication of their
progress in school so far this year.
This is not an official report card since
there will not be a mark or grade provided
for each subject, but it will provide some
valuable feedback and advise students and
parents of any areas of concern teachers
have. The Progress Report will be followed by
Parent/Teacher Interviews Nov. 7. A newslet-
ter accompanying the Progress Report will
provide details on the procedures for arrang-
ing interviews with teachers.
The first official report card will be issued
Dec. 17. This year, all secondary schools in
the Avon Maitland District School Board will
issue report cards on the same dates. We feel
parents and students need to have an idea of
student progress much earlier than
December and that is why we have chosen to
issue the Progress Report. Parents are asked
to notify the school by Nov. 4 if they have not
received a copy of their son or daughter’s
report.
Next week students will receive information
about a flu shot clinic held in the school next
month. A representative of the Huron County
Health Unit will be speaking to the student
body about the importance of getting a flu
shot. We encourage parents and students to
take advantage of this opportu-
nity for students to receive a
flu shot.
Information in paper form
should be arriving home in the
near future. Parents are asked
to watch for it and to respond
accordingly.
The Huron County Health
Unit is also sponsoring a drug
abuse awareness presentation
to secondary schools in Huron
County. The program, called
‘Know the Score,’ features
internationally acclaimed pro-
fessional speaker Julian Madigan, who will
provide first-hand testimony about the dan-
gers of drug abuse. This program was for-
merly known as the ‘Ray of Hope’ seminar
and has been well received by students and
parents.
The presentation at South Huron will occur
Nov. 21, at 9 a.m. Parents and community
members are welcome to attend.
Drug use is a community concern and par-
ents often comment to me they wish they
knew more about drug abuse and what they
can do to prevent their kids from engaging in
this activity. The ‘Know the Score’ presenta-
tion is a good opportunity for parents to get
this information. However, some parents may
be reluctant to attend an assembly at the
school. For that reason, there will be a spe-
cial session with Julian Madigan Nov. 20 from
2:30 to 4:30 p.m. at the Clinton Town Hall.
The seminar is free but participants must
register in advance with the Health Unit at
482-3416.
Finally, I would like to wish good luck to
Mr. Workman, Ms. Farquhar, and our girls
field hockey team as they head to St.
Catharines this week to compete in OFSSAA.
The team has worked hard this year and pro-
vided us with some exciting field hockey
action, especially the WOSSA championship
game against Medway. We are proud of their
achievement and we know they will represent
us well this weekend. Good luck girls!
JEFF
REABURN
PRINCIPAL’S
MESSAGE
Let’s age with respect
Continued from page 5