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Times Advocate, 1999-09-01, Page 14DONUT DELI'fE Lzze-cs4o 14e8-820-7775 IRY OUR P'L. Crossroa 14 r BEST G.I.C. RATES Your Investment Shoppers 235-3368 1 year 5.55% S year 6•�5% (subject to change) Exeter 235-3368 Wednesday; September 1, 1999 Ad - Exeter Times Advocate Big Brothers/Sisters celebrates 20 years in South Huron Jim and Dorothy Chapman will be honoured for their service to South Huron Big Brothers/Big Sisters at a 20th anniversary celebration Sept. 17 at the Ranch House inn. By Scott Nixon TIMES -ADVOCATE STAFF EXETER — While they're happy it has survived for 20 years, the Exeter couple who helped found the South Huron Big Brothers/Big Sisters are hum- ble about what they've done for the community.. Jim and Dorothy Chapman of Riverside Drive are quick to credit the many volunteers who have helped. the organization grow and live to see its 20th anniversary, which will be celebrated on Sept. 17 at the Ranch House Inn. Jim and Dorothy will receive honorary lifetime membership presen- a • et oe Barton from #3016 RCAC Corps in \irdrie Alberta (left) gives the thumbs up with cadet 'atrick Foster from #2923 RCAC Corps in Huron 'ark Ontario. Both have just successfully competed a )arachute jump at Canadian Forces Base Trenton Dntario as part of their parachutist qualification _ourse.The Cadet Parachutist Course is based at 2onnaught Army Cadet National Summer Training enter outside Ottawa this past summer tations. September is also Big Brother's month and vol- unteers are needed. According to Jim, South Huron Big Brothers began in the late '70s when a local woman wanted help for her son. Jim then realized having a. Big Brothers service in Exeter was a real need. Once a steering committee was formed, Big Brothers of Canada granted South Huron a charter to start a local branch. In the mid -'80s, the Big Sisters part of the branch was added. Jim says things started out slowly for South Huron Big Brothers, with only about five or six matches in the first year. Since then, the numbers of matches between "bigs" and "littles" has fluctuated and executive director Dianne Beach says there are now about al% 30 matches including the in -school mentoring program, which sees adult vol -et, unteers visit students duringschool hours. Jim said even in the most successful years, there have always been littles on a waiting list. He added that, as principal of Exeter Public School from 1972-1987, he saw many young boys who needed a male influence in their lives. During South Huron Big Brothers' initial years, there were no funds available, so case workers from -Children's Aid were screening all potential bigs for matches with littles. Also, the Chapmans ran the organization out of their home. Eventually, enough funds were raised so Big Brothers could afford their own office downtown. in Exeter. While Jiro was always $ board member with the -. Big Brothers and never a big brother himself, he said on occasion he acted as a stand in when a big brother was needed. Dorothy, on the other hand, was responsible for screening possible big brothers- and matching them with their little. brothers. That position even- tually led to the paid position of executive' director. As executive director, Dorothy saw first hand the effect a big can have on a little. She said the matching process is important and not all matches are successful. In a potential big brother; Dorothy looked for a pattern of commitment in the person's life, a wide variety of interests and a solid back- ground. Also, "sense of humour is a necessity," Dorothy said. In .fact, she used to tell matches who were having a hard time getting along to just go out and have fun and laugh. Being with a big brother makes a child feel good about himself, Dorothy says. After time, the little will feel "unique, needed and loved." When these feelings are missing from a child's life, problems can develop, she explains. . "A big brother just says, 'I care.'. And while the littles get their rewards relatively soon in the relationship, Dorothy says the bigs often get their:. rewards when their partner grows up- and then tells the big how much they benefitted from the relationship. And not only do the little and big ben- efit from the relationship, Ai Dorothy says she sees a change :lc" for the better in the mothers of the littles. 5 +.. c �> ��� rte.. •�-;� i���:��r'' Dorothy remembers the story of one match who, after years of separation, reunited. When the little had no home and, it seemed, no future, the big agreed to take the little into his home and help him - out. He's now putting that person through law school andtheir friend- ship has developed into a father -son --relationship, says Dorothy. - - - According -to Dorothy and Jiro, many matches keep in touch for many years, even after the little has grown and the match has ended: - Of their time involved with South Huron Big Brothers/Big Sisters, Jim says he would do it all• over again the same way. . Dorothy, who also served on Exeter council for nine years, says her 12- years with Big Brothers was "the most heart-warming and, rewarding twig I've ever done. ;. s r She adds there'a nothing more exciting than watching a child grow and blossom and she encourages people to get involved with South.. Huron Big Brothers/Big Sisters. If you want to bring some meaning and joy into your life, reach out to a child who really needs you.* And right now, according to Beach, many chil- dren need . a big brother or big sister. There are 14 children on the waiting list and Beach said most of those are young boys. Beach encourages those interested in Big Brothers/Sisters to call 235-3307. Cadetstrained at National Centre -14-14001 Connaught Army Cadet National Sumer Training Center (Connaught ACNSTC) was created in 1989 to centralize and standardize largebore tar- get rifle training. The first stage of the six week Army Cadet Leader (ACL) Marksman' course -has a national loading of 99 candidates. They are instructed on 5.56 mm C11 target rifle along with an emphasis on leadership train- ing. Placing in the top 40 of the course gains an invitation to the second phase, the Army Cadet Leader Instructor (ACLI) Marksman. The ACLI course uses the 7.62 mm C12 target rifle and candidates receive extensive competition exposure. They participate in the Province of Quebec Rifle Association - matches at St. Bruno, The Ontario Rifle Association match- es at Canadian Forces Base Borden, The Army Cadet National Fulibore Matches (ACNFM) and the Dominion of Cannda Rifle Association (DCRA) annual prize meet at Connaught Ranges. Those finishing in the top 18 of the ACLI course receive an invi- .tation to join the three best competitors from the previous year's National Shooting Team (NST) for the third stage. The NST practices at Connaught Ranges, travels over to the UK to compete in Cadet Matches, the National Rifle Association matches at Risley, then returns to Canada to compete in the ACNFM and DCRA matches and assist coaching the ACL Marksman course. lOn addition to these activities, Connaught also hosts 15 members of the UK Army Cadet Force who join with the ACLI Marksman course and 18 members of the UK Combined Cadet Force. Connaught ACNSTC is also the focus for overseas exchanges for both to and from Canada. Cadets from across Canada gather at Connaught to prepare for their training overseas. The exchanges are a combination of cultural visits and physically demandiu training. This year cadets willg o to En land on S Maple Leaf Exchange, Outward Bound Wales, Outward Bound Scotland, the Federal Republic of Germany and Sweden/Norway. Connaught is also the base for the Army Cadet Parachutist Course. This year candidates are at the Canadian Parachute Center at Canadian 'Forces Base Trenton working towards earning their -Basic Parachutist Qualification. Y=- '+ Further, Connaught acts as the. reception center for Sea Cadet 'exchanges coming from across Canada before departing abroad. . This year Connaught ACNSTC is gaining a Pipes & Drums advanced training band. The band will be 20 members strong. Along with their training to level five musicians they will participate in parades, festivals and displays throughout the Ottawa Capital Region. Summer activities at Connaught ACNSTC conclude with graduation parades on Friday, August 6 for the Parachutist Course and Saturday, August 14 for Exchange, ACL Marksman, ACLI Marksman and the NST Cadets. A highlight of this period is the announcement of the selections for the Royal Canadian Army Cadet NST, 2000.