The Huron Expositor, 1994-02-23, Page 8r
8-T14E HURON EXPOSITOR, Palm/wry 23, 19414
Close-up
v
Canada 'world dis
BY TIM CUMMING
Expositor Editor
_ Canada has a philosophy of
'AEism,' where the rights of one
outweigh the rights of the many, a
former criminal -turned -youth -evan-
gelist said on Feb. 19.
"I bring a message to the govern-
ment that we have some major
things wrong with our country,"
said J. Serge LeClerc to a crowd of
about 150 at Auburn Community
Hall.
The call for individual rights
should not permit individuals to
spread hate, commit violence
against women or distribute serial
killer cards, he told the crowd.
He said there are social epidemics
never experienced before such as
suicide among young people and
teen sexual assault.
"We are dealing with statistics
Canada has never seen before,
statistics that have never happened
since Adam and Eve."
LeClerc painted a picture of ram-
pant social illness in Canada,
including some of the worst child
poverty in the industrialized world.
"We're a world disgrace," said
the former gang leader, a product of
rape born in an abandoned ware-
house to a 14 -year-old mother.
The former career criminal gave
the audience an account of his own
life in which he committed brutal
assaults and repeat escapes from
prison.
At the age of eight LeClerc
skipped school. His unwed mother
was declared unfit despite the fact
that, in her son's words, "she didn't
smoke and she didn't drink and she
didn't swear and I had never known
a slap, I had never known a harsh
word from her."
When his mother was taken from
Moro
YOUTH EVANGELIST - For-
mer criminal J. Serge LeClerc
spoke in Auburn.
him, the young LeClerc decided•the
world was unfair and unjust and
everyone was against him. He was
sent to a training school where he
claims he was placed in solitary
confinement. The speaker, who
graduated -from university while in
prison, was labelled 'irreparably
brain damaged' as a youngster.
He stabbed an adult at the training
facility after what he described as
physical and verbal abuse. While he
forgets the pain of the physical
abuse, LeClerc said the vicious
words stayed with him his entire
life.
"You start to believe the words,"
he recalled. "Your spirit shrivels,
you start to believe you're inferior,
that you're bad, that you're no
good
Parents should be careful not to
say harsh words to their children
even when meant in jest.
"What sarr�( awesome power parents
have, they don't realize they can
tear their children down with one
word."
Society at the time believed that
poor children brought their bad
fortune on themselves, according to
"Parents...don't realize
they can tear their
children down with one
word."
LeClerc.
"Socia i believed if you were
poor or ignorant or living in the
inner city you were genetically
inferior. that you brought it on
yourself, that you were lazy and
bad and ugly and stupid," he said.
"I wonder if we've changed that
much in 40 years."
He told of spending months in
solitary confinement at prison
where "I learned how to hate."
Eighty-three per cent of criminals
return to prison shortly after
release, he said. LeClerc described
prison as the only business that
grows on its own failure rate.
LeClerc said he was changed
from his criminal ways after
encountering a Christian who vol-
unteered in prison. Deciding that he
had nothing to lose he began to
attend chapel.
He had never spent any time in
church and was prejudiced against
religion.
"Like many people, I confused
religiosity with spirituality."
He said the only difference
between his days as a criminal and
today as a youth evangelist was that
he is now a Christian.
"The only thing that has changed
is my belief in God;` he said.
"Jesus Christ isn't my crotch, he's
my backbone." ).
He urged Christians to follow two
simple biblical rules.
"Jesus only told us two things:
love God and love your neighbour.
How hard can it be? Then why
aren't we doing it?"
A veteran of many fights, LeClerc
LeClerc
described to the audience the pain
Josus Christ might have experienced
leading up to his crucifixion.
The former drug addict also spoke
strongly against alcohol abuse in
our society.
"More teenagers die from alcohol
usage than all the World Wars
combined," he said.
According to LeClerc, a powerful
alcohol lobby convinced Parliament
not to add a label to alcohol bottles
warning pregnant women not to
drink. The youth evangelist also
pointed out that alcohol use is very
high in the Huron area.
Fetal alcohol syndrome is a seri-
ous condition with no cure, the
crowd was told.
"The only difference between a
crack baby and one with fetal alco-
hol syndrome is that one (mother)
smoked a pipe."
Children are being bombarded
with negative images from televi-
sion, according to LeClerc. He said
parents must protect their children
from a moral attack just as they
would protect their children from a
physical attack.
"You must fight with every breath
in you," he told the hushed crowd.
"The thief in the night is entering
your home."
"We have major problems right
across Canada," he said. "These are
not problems the school (alone) can
deal with, it is a problem all of us
must deal with."
Christian youth ministry must, be
part of a move to address the cur-
rent social ills, according to the
guest speaker at the Feb. 19 ban-
quet.
J. Serge LeClerc, and musician
Peter Kun, also spoke at the Huron
Chapel Evangelical Missionary
Church on the weekend. The
church, located in Auburn, hosted
the Saturday -night banquet.
Church presents Phantom with organ
by Frances Teatero
On -Saturday, Jan. 29, 1994 a
French Cafe atmosphere was the
setting for a Jazz night. The sell out
crowd enjoyed a meal of French
Cuisine. Entertainment and dance
music was provided by tlWe
"Salesmen", a live Jazz band from
Stratford.
January was a very exciting and
• active month for the parishioners of
St. Thomas Anglican Church.
On Jan. 26, the Ecumenical
service to celebrate the week of
prayer for Christian unity had a
guest speaker Fr. Angelo Povenzi.
Six members of the Seaforth-
Egmondville clergy participated at
the service. Fr. Povenzi encouraged
everyone to look to the meaning of
the Lord's Prayer and Christian
Unity. He emphasized the respect
of all religions and cultures, Music
was provided by some members of
the Harmony Hi-Lites.
Mary Rowcliffe was hostess for
the Feb. 1, A.C.W. meeting. Mary
Ann Snowdon read devotions. The
Soup and Salad luncheon was
cancelled for the month of January
- rescheduled date March 9, 11:30
a.m. - 1:30 p.m. a tentative date
was set for the Spaghetti Supper,
Thursday, April 21.
The A.C.W. was challenged by
the Sunday School to provide a
coffee hour following Sunday
morning service. The A.C.W. rose
to the challenge scheduling a date
of Sunday, Feb. 20.
Shrove Tuesday, Pan Cake Day
was held on Feb. 15 and was
considered a success.
Dorothy Hays will host the March
2 meeting and mystery prize winner
Shirley Dinsmore will provide a
Si
Woyld Day of Prayer will be held
at Eimondville United Church, Fri.
March 4.
Thursday bowling race tight,
Attitude Adjusters leading
-The Thursday Nighters just can't
decide who is going to win this
league as it is a close match
between the top five teams. Eight
points separate the fifth place team
from the top.
The B.F.D's are still in the hunt
by taking five points over the Ulti-
mate Challenge. The B.F.D's got
excellent games from Doug
Lconhardt 266,267,240-773; Debbie
Bedard 216-548; Bonnie Janmatt
541 triple; and Marty Bedard 237.
Neil Beuerman's 226,233,277-736;
Dean Price's 220,226 and Don
Brown's 223 helped out the Chal-
lenge.
The Hot Flashes 5. The Legends
2. Top bowlers for the Hot Flashes
were Terry Gray 226,212 and
Trevor Price 233,212,239-648. The
Legends super scorers were Gary
Bedard 219 and Tracy Bedard 242-
548.
The final match -up on lanes five
and six saw the Pin Heads take two
games and total pins and the Atti-
tude Adjusters just a game. Leading
the way for the Pin Heads was
Scouts attend
winter camp
by Kevin Waddell
and Stephen Mitchell
First Cromarty Scouts have been
busy this month. On Feb. 10, Hilda
Crocker of Dublin a member of the
new Dublin and Area Optimist Club
came to a meeting. We found out
that they help the youth of Dublin
and area and plan certain events
and games for the children to take
part in.
On Feb. 5 and 6 the Scouts
survived a night sleeping in tents
while attending Perth District
Winter Camp held at Sarnia District
Camp Grounds. Everyone had a lot
of fun.
The troop is working hard on
Winter Camping, Citizen and
Arrowhead badges.
Doug Procter 202,248,220-670;
Brian Barry 225,248,21689; Steve
Steep 219; and Jason Rooth 208.
High bowlers were Ittlurray
Bennewies 313,216,300-829; Jack
Ungarian -202; and Pat Ryan 201
for the Adjusters.
Team standings: Attitude
Adjusters - 81; Hot Flashes - 80;
Pin Heads - 80; B.F.D's - 79; Ulti-
mate Challenge - 73; The Legends -
47.
Town & Country
Bowling League
February 15, 1994
Try Hards - 79
Untouchables - 77
Flying Angels - 63
Cutting Loose - 76
Ramblers - 87
Team to Beat - 77
Ladies' high Average
Lila Story - 177
Ladies' High Single
Sue Stokes - 248
Ladies' High Triple
Sue Stokes - 585
Men's High Average
George Johnston - 227
Men's; High Single
John Staffen - 313
Men's High Triple
George Johnston - 757
Personal best for the evening:
Gordon Murray (241);' Calvin
Flood (201); Louise Dick (165);
Carol Johnston (192); Darryl
Smith (207); Sue Stokes (248);
Hazel Beurman (160); Sharon
Evans (191); Orville Story (166);
Joe Veenstra (172); Ruth Duffy
(169); Greta Hoegy (145); John
Staffen (313); Bob Duffy (149);
Wayne Boyd (174); Sheila
Brooker (161); Betty Dale (160);
Reg Dick (250); Terry Smith
(189).
Palm Sunday Service, March 27,
9:45 a.m. The service will include a
dramatic reading of the Passion
Narrative which will involve
readers, congregation and the rector.
Maundy Thursday service, March
31 ai 7 p.m. Holy Eucharist and the
Stripping of the Altar.
Good Friday, April 1, 11 a.m.
Celebration of the Lord's Passion.
This will be a shared service with
St. Paul's, Clinton and will be held
at St. Thomas' Church.
Sunday, April 3, 9:45 a.m. Easter
Day, Celebration of the
Resurrection.
Post Easter Musical Event -_-
Saturday, April 16, 8 p.m. The
Phantom of the Opera, 1925 Silent
Movie Classic Starring Lon
Chaney. Live Organ accompaniment
by Ross McDonald (London,
Ontario). Our newly -restored
Wulitzer pipe organ originally came
from a movie theatre in Windsor
where it was used precisely for
providing musical accompaniment
for silent movies. No one will want
to miss out on this exciting event at
St. Thomas'.
SATURDAY NIGHT
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