The Goderich Signal-Star, 1973-04-26, Page 20PAGE $J1--GODER1CH SIGNAL -STAR, THURSDAY, APRIL 26, 1973
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English is goig down the
drain, going to the dogs, or
going up in smoke these days.
Take your pick. Maybe that
first sentence is what's wrong
with the language. There are so
many idio mlit that nobody
can speak ?' write the real
thing any more.
University professors have
expressed their indignation
publicly. A couple of them
recently announced that
students who expect to
graduate in one of , the
prgfesrions, can't write one sen-
tence without falling all over
their syntax. I agree with them.
But if they think they have
troubles, they., try
teaching English in high school.
There has been such a marked
and rapid decrease in the stan-
dards of written and spoken
English that teachers ,,of
subject can be found ost
any day in the st john,
weeping into the washbasin.
This winter, a teacher in a
city- school decided to prove
something she already knew.
She drew up a list of forty
words, most of them of one
syllable, and tested several
classes. Nobody could spell all
forty. Many of the kids couldn't
spell ten- of the words.
Her experiment and her sub-
sequent indignation were airily
dismissed by a public shcool
principal, who said something
like, "Oh, we don't"trry much
about spelling any more.
They'll learn to spell when they
need to." Hogwash.
What employer of anything
but brute strength wants a
semi -literate lout fouling up his
invoices, order forms and
everything he can get his hands
on?
What printer, for example,
will hire a kid who can't even
spell "etaoin shrdlu" and
doesn't even know what it
means?
I do a fair bit of gnashing
and wailing myself. when I'm
marking upper school papers
and have to sort out something
like, "The women nu were she
was going,. as she when they're
everyday." The thought is
there, but there is something
lacking when it comes to
felicity of spelling.
Everybody blames everybody
else for the sad state of
English, but, as usual, you have
,to read it in this column to get
at the truth.
Let us establish the a priori
fact that the high school
English teacher is faultless.
And, some would add, that a
fortiori, the high school English
teacher is useless. So be it.
Now for the real culprits.
They are not the elementary
school teachers, much as we
would love to blame them.
They are victims, too.
First, English had been
derogated and eroded for the
past couple of decades until it
is now down somewhere in the
'area of brushing your teeth and
saying your prayers.
Remember, you older and
wiser people who went to'
schoiil longer ago than you care
to proclaim? You had spelling
and grammar and composition
and reading, and writing and
orals. This was English.
Maybe you didn't learn much
about sex or conversational
French or ho'W' to copy a
"project" out of the en-
cyclopedia, but you sure as hell
had English belted into you.,
weren't given
uch chance to "express your-
self", but by the time you were,
you had 'some tools with which
to do it.
Nowadays English is prac-
tically crowded off the
curriculum by such esoteric
subjects as social behaviour,
getting along with the group,
finding your place in society,
and the ubiquitous and often
useless "project".
Kids, one teacher told me,
shouldn't have to learn to spell
words that are not in their own
vocabulary: Now, I ask you.
How else do they acquire a
vocabulary?
But, I repeat, it's not the
,..,teachers of our little treasures
who are at fault. It's the
tinkerers, the dabblers in
education. They are rarely
found in a classroom. They are
more often haring after some
"new approach" in education
that has been tried and found
wanting by the Americans or
the Armenians or the Aztecs.
Thus, out went grammar and
spelling drill. The kids are sup-
posed to learn these basic
skills, not through their eyes'
and ears, but in some
mysterious way: possibly
through their skin.
Daily drill is deadening to
"the spirit, so off with its head.
Let the kids be creative, write
poetry:
"I saw the moon ovary the
cloweds
it was sooper. #
Doesn't that give you a unique
experience? The freedom of
spirit, the originality, the
creativity?
Fortunately, .I am able to
shake this off, along with war
and famine, death and taxes. It
has it's moments.
The other day, I threw this
old chestnut at a class, and
asked them to correct the gram-
mar: "Forty cows were seen,
sitting on the verandah."
There was total silence. It
seemed OK to them. Then a
pretty Grade 11 girl flung up
her hand and flashed alt her
teeth. "I got it, Mr. Smiley!"
"Yes, Bonny," I winced.
Carefully she enunciAted: "I
seen forty cows sitting -on the
verandah."
Stratford Boychoir at
North Street United
This,- Sunday North Street
United Church will host the
Stratford Boychoir in a
special concert at 2:00 p.m. in
the church. The choir will be
under the direction of Gordon
Scott.
In the recent Kiwanis Music
Festival the Boychoir
received marks of 92 and 94 for
'their performances and were
highly praised by adjudicator
Dorothy Allan Park who obser-
ved, "It was delightful singing
crisp and , clean. A great
pleasure to hear such precise,
lively and enjoyable work.
Upcoming in June the Boy -
choir has been invited to sing
at Ontario Place as well.
The Stratford Boychoir
was formed in January of 1972
to perform with the Kitchener
Waterloo Junior Symphony Or-
chestra in Telemann's 'cantata
"The Schoolmaster."
Auditions were held and 52
NOTICE
MaitIad Cemetery Board
Effective ImmedIitefy, The Maitland Cemetery Board by
resolution changed the price of lots to 150.00 for
residents and non-residents.
The price of grave openings for residents or property
owners in the Town of Goderlch be -640.00 and for non-
resldonts 180.00
Jack Scaman
Chairman
Harold Walls •
Secretary
boys were selected from the
Stratford area, including 12
boys from Kitchener. Mr. Gor-
don Scott was approached to
direct the choir and Mr. Earl
Clark, music consultant for
Perth County schools was
asked to be the accompanist.
Since the, choir's debut per-
formance in the Avon Theatre
in April, it has sung at the
Rotary International District
Conference in Stratford, com-
ped in the Stratford Kiwanis
Music Festival and pertformed
in front . of three Stratofrd
theatres on "Music for a Sum-
mer Day," when the New York
Philharmonic Orchestra played
in the Festival Theatre.
In February the choir ap-
peared in the concert version of
the opera "Carmen" presented
by the Kitchener Waterloo
Senior Symphony, under Raffi
Armenian with Maureen
Forrester singing the title role.
'With a present membership
of 46 the choir is currently
working to increase its reper-
toire. .,
Bridge
Scores
There were four tables in
play at the Goderich Duplicate
Brdige Club on Tuesday, April
17.
k Winners and their scores
were as Follows: Dr. A. B.
Deathe and A. J. Weerasooriya,
51 1/2; Mrs. J. Cook and Mrs.
J. Chisholm, 47.1/2; Mrs. L
Papernick and Mrs. A.
Galbraith, 43 1/2; Mrs. W.
Duncan and Mrs. D. D. Wor-
thy, 42 1/2.
Superannuated Teachers
hold their Easter meeflng
The April meeting of the
Superannuated Women
Teachers was held at the home
of Mrs. O.C. Armstrong. The
members responded to the roll
call by giving an Easter
thought.
Cards were 'Rent to Miss L.
Harbor
Report
As the 1973 shipping season
moved into full swing two more
ships put in at Goderich harbor
last week.
On April 13 the Pridoc, light
out of Hamilton, docked at the
salt mine and took on 6,000
tons of salt. April 17 the E.B.
Barber arrived out of Sarnia
and took on 12,000 tons.
Goderich
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Durnin, Miss G. George and
,Mrs. S. Robinson who were ill.
Greetings were read from the
London branch.
Provincial fees were received
from the members who were
present. Mrs. Armstrong repor-
ted regarding banking
privileges extended by the
banks to superannuated
teachers.
• Mrs. T. Donnelly was appoin-
ted a delegate to the Con-
ference in Kingston on June 3
and 4.
Members were asked to bring
suggestions for meetings to the
June 20 meting which will be
held at the home of Mrs. D.O.
Sitter.
Mrs. Armstrong then showed
slides of Thunder Bay and the
surrounding area with its many
waterfalls, lakes, parks and pic-
turesque sights. Appreciation
for this was expressed by Mrs.
R. Irwin.
The delightful afternoon was
brought to a close when
refreshments were served by
the hostess assisted by Mrs.
Cline and Mrs. Sitter.
'Skating Club set final
results for season
The Goderich Figure Skating
club announced this week that
in the list of declared winners
for the club competition recen-
tly a number of divisions were
omitted, the remaining winners
are as follow:
In the open free style, Becky
Crawford, first, and Pam
Craven, second. Senior Free
style, Pam Craven , first, win-
ning the Dominion Road
Machinery Trophy and -Pat
Craven, second.
In the Senior Dance division
Pat Craven and Eunice McCon-
nell took home the Craven
Trophy for „first and Vicki
Dierolf and Debbie Jeffery
placed second.
The Raithby Trophy for first
place in Similar Pairs went to
Pam Craven and Debbie Jef-
fery.
Pam and Pat will be skating
in the upcoming London Club
Carnival held at the Gardens.
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The Colasanti family have themselves a nice
greenhouse business near Leamington:
Three and a half acres under glass and a steady crop
of cucumbers and tomatoes. Plus bananas and grapefruit
and cactus on the side. . ..
After 30 years of hard work, it's a. good business. And it's
all theirs. But they need a hard nose for expenses.
Because when you're in business for yourself,
what you don't pay out, you can keep.
So Alex and Joe and Ron Colasanti use natural gas
for heating their greenhouses.
They know it saves them money. There's less maintenance.
And burning natural gas even helps the vegetables grow.
The Colasantis are shrewd famil men too: each of
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them has natural gas for heating and for hot water heating at home.
Natural gas... it makes gcxxl dollars and sense.
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