The Huron Expositor, 1979-12-20, Page 3�inething 4
by glean White
ALTOGETHER NOW = These youngsters `'were keeping,
steady time .while singing their favourite songs at the Huron
Centennial School, Brucefield, This act was part of the
Christmas Concert Monday:
(Expositor Photo)
i
t � message
minister's _
9e
As in years past, devout Christians from,
all over the world. will .be gathering in
Bethlehem, for December 25, to once again
celebrate the'birth'of a baby - a baby born
in a simple man ger in a stable: out behind
an inn. As the Christians gather in
Bethlehem, they won't -come to that same
'manager in a stable,but rather they will,
crowd into the Church , of the Nativity,
which purports to be. the .spot where the
stable stood. It is not important to most
Christians whether or not this . baby was
born on December.. 25, or whether the
Church of the .Nativity is on the actuahspot.
where the manger once stood. What is
important is that this child was seen as the
fulfillment of the prophecies of Isaiah.
"For tons a child isborn, to us ,a son is.
. . and h' name will be Galled
a is
given..
'Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God,'
Everlasting, Father, Prince of 'Peace.
Also:
"Behold a young woman shall conceiver
and bear a son, and shall call his name
Immanuel." (Immanuel • means 'God With
The stage .had beenset and Bethlehem,
the dty of David, was to be the place. A
young, woman was to bear the child;, the
message was to go out to the shepherds;
and a starwould guide the wise men.
So it was as St. Paul would later write:
..when the time had fully come, God
'sent forth •his Son, •born- of a woman".
Matthew tells us that everything took place
it had been told by� theprophet. This was
as
the context in which God's tenderlove for
all, mankind ws revealed.
The name of this child and the purpose
of his birth were revealed to Joseph. "You
shall call his name Jesus, for he wilt save
his people from their sins." God took upon.
%)jfitlself our own nature in order that he
could be identified with and be one with us.
Christ'spresence in the world has meant
that something .is at stake in every
moment in our lives.
In all things, ` God's :. u os
e is being
PrP g
worked out in our lives.
Christmas, then, for the Christian, is
truly a time of celebration - a; celebration of
Y
our freedom in Jesus Christ, and of the. :fact
that our reconciliation with God has been
workedout in Jesus Christ. It is more than
things to who
just a time ofivnthose
g 8
have given things to us. It is a time when
we not only redirect our, concerns and:
rP
compassion for the' orphans, the widows,
P
the destitute and the homeless, but also
that we visibly demonstrate "`that God is of
love, and he who loves is born of God and
knows: God:". .
by the Rev. James R. Broadfoot ,
Y f.
Rector
St. Thomas Anglican Church
Seaforth, Ont.
Sugar and spice
By Bin Smiley
'
(Continued from Page 2)
ni g tlY,by m . 'Wife, who had- thought u
Y
more. Piercing questions and answers in the
intervening 24 hours. And l.hadto talk to
`the grandboys, find out what, they wanted
for Christmas, who had won the latest
fight, and such -like.
Then came a call from my son, 'collect, as
usual, who said he Was in Florida, on the
way home from South America. When he'd
arrive he didn't know. Grind, grind. Teeth.
Then a close relative jumped through the
window of a fifth -floor apartment and was
D.O.A.at the hospital.'This.
pronounced D.O.A.
spewed a frenzied round of long-distance
calls to police, relatives, her son and so on.
It also elicited similar Balis on the in.line
line
for uS.
Just got over this, intermingled with
frequent calls to great-grandad, telling him.
'. beweekend a callfrom
wed over. any wceke now,
a brother-in-law to ask if he could sleep at
otic house on the way back from a music'
festival, arriving at 3 a.m.k a all front
another brother -in -18W to ask W he could
help about the"su'idde, and a de etted call
front daughter to say her conference was
washed out and we wouldn'tSee them until
Christmas.
;Prodigal son phone,s, writ/ 10 miles from
home, collect, lrokei tintepkttant. Hes....
kt
home now, 'driving his mother trazy
because he's a health -food' nut and won't
eat any of the great meals she is busting to
Prepare. Result, shecooks one pork chop
for me with a baked potato, some squash
and Lbit„of broccoli with cheese, she eats
the saw -dust and stuff he eats, and I eat like
a, pig..
Kid brother calls from James Bay project
to tell me he'd alive, but has had serious
surgery and medication,but nowfeeling
great. He's two years y: Lounger than 1; and
is ein to. retire next Jul with '
g ,. g . big, y' �• i a fat
pension. This • goes over big, as you can
imagine. ,i
Sixteenhone Calls' for son,
P prodigal
from friends who seem to have received
news of his arrival by tribal drum. He's
never here when they call. Tliey all want.
him to call back. On our bill. .
As though Ma Bell wants to rub it in. a
Brit telephone crew, complete with huge
trucks, backhoes and other vile machine
rY.
arrives at 8 a.m. every taunting, sounding
Iikelevelations wi11, and teats great holes
in to Tawn, to 'Plant a cable cutting the
Y P + R
roots of my maples, to they'll all die.'
It's nice to have family. But if I'd cult the
phone line 20 years ago, and put the money
into its Steck, Ed be a major shareholder In.
Bell of Canada today.
�a�pQsitor asks_:.
•
he joy of
hike many people this time
,of year. I've been working
late. Then also, like most of
the rest •of you, Wye been .w
rus1l ng around wrapping,
ba, shoppi, decorating
and writing; ad sending
Chris,tamskingcards,
ngn
Sortie how the hours ecinratithe
dad have been expanding
enough for :me to get most of
what, 1 want to do before
Christmas done. With a bit
more wrapping, icing a cake
and writing a few leisurely
rards, i'll have Inv Christmas.
preparuons sewed up;
And it'S just as well too for
the White family is heading
into one of our busiest
Christmases ever. Some
years the prospects of the
weekahead would have
thrown me.
But not, for' some stranee
reason, in 1979 . I've been
busy, yes, but I've been
enioving every minute and
THE HURON EXPOSIT
Christmas .mn:siir,I
I'm really looking forward to
all the Visitng and merry
making that .for. us starts.
Friday.
Tuesday night many of us
here worked til 6:30. But we
came out on a clear starlit:
night. fresh snow on the
ground and the church bells
of Frist, Presbyterian
chiming
It was a touch of the peace
of Christams.
After a quick supper, my
daughter and I did some last
minute shopping downtown
here and had a short all too
rare time together in the
beautifully decorated
Seaforth stores. --
We made - Christmas
cookies together this year too
and that made an,
impression. Every morning
.Gaby and her dad open a
window on her- Advent
Calendar from Germany and
every night whenwe get
hotne he helps her tutu the
tree lights .oto«
Getting ,o4t the ung
machine for the Bort: time it
99; years or so; I've even
;managed to make her a
green velvet jumper., She's
quite impressed at seeing
mother in action. in .the.
strange role of seamstress
and although the thing
doesn't hang quite right,
Gaby thinks it's great,.
When ''I• analyse 'things,
perhaps it`s the presence of a
two Year ..old inthe house.
that's making the prepara-
tio. ns for this Christmas $o
pleasant for me. That's part
of it I think.
But perhaps I've also
learned through the years.
that it's important to slow
down, mentally at least, at
Christmas time and make
`time for that which is
absolutely essential to hu-
man beings.
The clon'key*,compitiin'S,„.
It was Christmas Eve in
the 'Keane family, Nicole
What are you doing for Christmas?
BY DEBBIE RANNEY
Everybody has their own way of
celebrating Christmas with families,
friends and; relatives. This week Expositor
Asks decided to find out just how local and
area people plan to celebrate Christmas
this year..
Mrs. James Glew of 27 Jarvis. ,St, in
Seaforth said, "1 think I'm going, to have
the flu.” She added that she was going to
Brussels to have Christmas with the
family. She - said they would be taking
presents andopening them.: up there and
playing Christmas '.carols and singing,
eating and having fun. ,
Catherine Corden of RR4, Walton said:
she would be celebrating Christmas. "at
home with my family", which includes her
husband, herself and; her mother and uncle
who are coming up from Toronto and will
be staying a few days. •
Linda Wilson of Rrl Brucefieldsaid she
too is, celebrating Christmas at home. '
Her mother and father and little brother
will be coming to her house; and she said
after lunch she and her mother might go
for a walk to wear it off.
She said she hasa nine month old baby
and: she didn't know whether' she will be
tearing the wrappings off presents or not.
Barry Gordon of Eginondville said
they're just staying home and having a
family Christmas.
Ron Doiron of Hensall said that this year
the iii=laws will be coming over to. his
house.,
"We have a fun day in the family," he
said, adding that usually they do whatever
the children; want. to do but now his
children are a bit older so they probably go
skating or do something on their own.
"We play it, by ear," he said. They also
have a big dinner planned and the presents
are opened.
Mrs, Marjorie Dale said, "We're going
away to my parents in London."
She said they .will be there just for the
day, opening presents and her sister and
brother will be there also.
Mrs. Peter Connolly of 33 Jarvis St
seaforth said, "With the usual trimmings,
and everything and the family."
She said they • had had Christmas in
London with her daughter last Sunday, that
• she was also having some of the family . at
her home on Christmas and that they were,
having another Christmas with her
. husband's family this Sunday. '
"We're lookingforward to' a, lovely
y
Ch'ristmas," she said.
Suzanne Clarke of RR4 Seaforth said,
"We go to both of our parents."
She said they celebrate on Christmas day
with her.lusband's parents and that her
„�pparents live far enough away so that they
z• celebrate Christmas with them on Boxing
Day and stay there a few days.
Tuc4kers,ni1h
(Cd i'tifiied from Page 1)
township to cover this. mental affairs suggests that council should
A tetter from the ministry' of intergovern-
A letter from the Ministry ofculture and . give' some thought to giving credit to
,g g g
recreation informed council that, no Wintario,., Vanastra • ratepayers if there shou.!ld be a
grants will be forthcoming for the surplus in the o erations at Vanastra this
construction workat the recreation centre year. It is believed there may be a surplus
until there is a public fund-raising: campaign between '$4,000, and S5,000.
and the grants will be based on the amount When Diane Durnin, manager of
raised by -the public Council was told , recreation centre arrived at the meeting
Wintariogrants are not based •on' the amount
,. a , u abqut 10 p.m. she, she had: a list of
of taxes for raised o project. pc Iect. •w proposed names that might serve on a fund
Council's legal firm of. McConnell, Stewart raising committee for the addition to the
and. Devereaux, Seaforth; is investigating recreation centre. Council agreed "to
the
legality tyof a by=1aW passed in 1974th
that discuss names and relative merits of
should have establisf..:u that the debenture individuals for the committee "in committee:
and operating. deficit of the recreation centre' 'of the whole.
be the entire responsibilityonsibifitY of the toxpayers
,
living in Vanastra. While the intention of the T.
he nine ratepaye.r. rs who were spectators
by-law seems to indicate- that the residents _ at the meeting, road superintendent' Allan
across', the township are responsible. it is Nicholson and this reporter, spent about an.,
P
thought an amendment may be required to hour in a chiliy corridor while counil`
clarify the intention of the by=law. discussed the lista -
Vietnamese attend Brucefield;
The To Tu Luong 'family don't
celebrate, Christmas in their religion, but
this year the family will likely be saying a
special prayer of thanks during the holiday
season.,
. Mr, Luong,his. wife,six, children and is
h,
,sister. are one 'of the Vietna'tnese 'families
who have come to begin a new life in
Canada. The Linings, now living, at RR3,
Bayfield, were sponsored by the Zurich.
Mennonite Church and the family's school
age children are attending Huron
Centennial School, Brucefield.
Accordin : to Clayton S ' a R.R.1
gleeks y of
Zurich, a member of the sponsoring church
the Vietnamesefamilyscaped to a
.......... e
Malaysian refugee camp by boat from
Vietnam, The faniily had lived in the—
capital
he•
cap its
p i city of Saigon, where Mr, Luong
was self-employed in the oil business,
in April, the Zurich Mennonite Church
decided
they wanted to sponsor a refugee
family and bring, them to the local
tiommunity. They worked through the
Mennonite Central' 'Committee and the
Canadian n n Dc,artnent of Manpower and
ImmigratiOn. The only criterion'
was church
Members requested, ti 'family 'with
small children,:
A armhouse
At RR3 Bayfold,
tom let 1yfihishad by the congregation.
hat beconte the home of the Luongs, tvlid
Arrived in Canada' on Dec,. 4. •
Mr. Steckley said at if ., the #airily
. were still *tam* the sandal. they came
in, but riOW they ve'realizcd.r little heavier
defence is peeded against Canadian
winters..
The three oldest children. Kien Hung,
nine years old, Kien Minh who•is eight and
six year old Phuoc. are all attending Huron
Centennial:' School .in Brucefield, where.
they're copitig with 'learninga new
language. Another new experience for the
children is riding the school bus: back and
forth to class. •
The three younger children ,are still at
home with their Mother Mubi Lam and
aunt, 24 year old Muoi Luong..
Mr. Steckley said the adults in' the family
are taking English classes two nights a
week at the Exeter high school; along with
other Vietnamese families who have been
Sponsored in the area by an Exeter church
and the Roman Catholic church in Zurich.
Although the family told an inter reter
P
they don't. celebrate Christmas in their
religion, they have been attending church
and Sunday Sehool services at the Zurich
Mennonite church.
Mr. Steckley Said the church set 'up a
committee of four couples to helpthe
p
Vietnamese family Adjust to Canadian life,
The Coiitmittec members are Mr . and
Mrs. Keith Ging erich of R•12.2, Zurich Mr:.
and Mrs. Bill Steckley of R.R.3. Bayfield"
Mr. and Mrs. Dave Siebert of Zurich and
Mr. and Mrs, Neil Gingerich of R.R.3',
Zurich
The Zurich church is comtnitted for
looking after the family for one year or until
family members find enipioytnent.
•
•
only 7 was excited. to know
Santa Claus 'was comingaSo
Nicole turned off the. 'light
and fell asleep. Her puppy
P P PPY
awoke her early the next
morning, by slurping her ons
the nose. She rushed down
stairs.But she stopped
suddenly, She saw a stuffed
donkey crying. ,Nicolewent
to see if she was dreaming,
she wasn't. Between sobs
the donkey said "Why
wasn't 1 picked to be in the
stable . with, Jesus?" Nicole
just stared finally she
stuttered out some words.
6OOt
�mos,
bureau
•
• Rev. Robert Roberts, cos
ordinator of the , annual
Christmas Bureau campaign
• in the Seaforth area, said this
year the response locally was
"More than. generous."
The Christmas Bureau
campaign is organized an-
nually by . Family and
Children's Services to pro-
vide food, clothing and
financial assistance to
families in need in Huron
County.
This year, S600' was re-
ceived in financial donations
from the Seaforth area. Also,
several boxes of new' and'.
xe s
used.clothing, as well as new
toysgames and and canned
goods were collected for the
Christmas Bureau campaign.
Rev. Roberts said the as-
sistance of Seaforth Lions
Club members who put
boxes for donations in stores
and businesses around 'the
community was particularly
appreciated. The minister
said he hopes the club will'
continue their involvement
with' the project next year.
This season the number, of
families requesting . as-
sistance from the bureau has
tripled. from last year.Rev,
Roberts said. ;this "reflects
the economic situation of the '
community."
.He, said the campaign
locally, was "very success-
ful" and that the Bureau was grateful for the community. `•
support. . .
A spokesman for the
Bureau said it would 'be
helpful for the community to
know there: are pocketsof
poverty .in our .area. They
added •that anyone having
financial difficulty shouldn't
contact hesitate to ' o Family
t F
y
and Children's Services or a
local clergyman for as-'.
sistanee. All requests. for
assistance from the bureau
arc kept strictlyconfidential.
!C
rre. cion;
Q •
The JohnnY . Nielsen f=ield
Meet, which will be held next
May 10, is: not being directly
sponsored bythe Seaforth
P
Legion Track Club, as
erroneously stated in an
Expositor' article last week.
Once the new facilities are
in place at Seaforth District
High school, however, they
willhe at the disposal of
the:• 5eaforth Legion Jrack
Club fir use in their meets.
SDHS coach Terry
',lohnston, meet Organizer,
said "Basically, We're going,
to tryte. Use the affiliation
on
with the Legion as a means 0,
obtain:rants and
g sponsor-
ship,"
The fieldmeet w Will •
l be open
to 'high school athletes from
"Well, you weren't born, oh
sorry I mean made. M m, m,
I've . got an idea,. We don't
have. a. donkey for our
Nativity scene. If you want,
yeti can be the donkey: You
will have to stand, quite still--
Then
till.Then crash,the donkey fell
on the manger. The manger,
wasn't damaged but. the .
donkey's stuffing fell. out.
Nichole got the sewing 'box
and sewed the . whole: up,
Nicole ' then : said
good-bye. She. ' made a
picture book about donkeys
and fell asleep. Every year
the donky took it's place in
the Nativity scene: ,
by Siobhan Keane.
Age9
RR#2 King, Ont
And *II the evidealee
eell$PteeettS consumption to,
the ttery (and we're right'
up there With the rest) that
we see this time of year, the
essentials: are still friend-
ship. family and faith.
May you have Plenty ef al!
three during, ChristMaa' week
and in, the year to come-
******
"1 can't write" is some-
thing that journalists often
hear from v..erY competent
adults.
It's .been my „experience
that everybody can write.
well, simply 'and eloquently
when talking about some
thing that means a lot to
them. However, a ' lot of
adults are afraid to try,
It .takes kids a, few years,
and •Perhaps some low marks
and disparaging comments
before they take part in this.
"I can't. write .syndrome."
Thank Reavens,
Because we have some.
beautiful' examples of poems
and stories from students' of
local schools • in this our
soecial Christmas Expositor.
Obviously writing about
something very important to
them, Christmas the
vturned students � have out
some terzifice work at credit •
to themselves, their teachers .
and' families.
The children's art work too
in this special issue is lovely.
Thanks to all the- young
artists and writers. A view .of
Christmas throughthe .eyes,
of a child should be enough,.
to rekindlesome festive
spirit in the biggest. Scrooge,.
Thanks to Seaforth Public,
St. James; St.' Patrick's in
Dublin, and Huron Centen-
nial for sending their
students' work and we're
sorry we didn't have room for
more.
Mr. John Scott, who is teaching in Jeddah, Saudi,
Arabia; visited recently withhis parents. Mr. and Mrs.
James M. Scott and brother,, Mr.W.J. and Mrs. Scett. and
family.' -
Janice and Julie Carter,' children ..of Don and Carol
Carter, RR2, Seaforth :are patients in Seaforth Community
Hospital. •
Darlene McLean of 'London is spending the week with
Alice. Gibb in. Seaforth.
Mrs. Frank Kling has returned from- Florida and will
spend the holiday season at her home here.,
Mr. and Mrs. Leo Teetero are on a trip to Hawail.
Visiting with`, Mr. and
Mrs. Elmer Townsend
dof
Harpurhey last Sunday for Christmas were Miss Erma
Broadfo'ot of Kitchener, Mr. and Mrs. Robt. Hanes and
sons of Duntroon, Mr. and Mrs. Pete Haswell and family
of Fergus,• Mr. and Mrs. Gerald Townsend and sons .., r a of,
Arthur, Mr. and Mrs.• Alex Townsend and family and Mr.
and Mrs. George Townsend and family of Tuckersmith.
Mr. and Mrs. Lorne Lawson were Sunday guests with,
Mr. and Mrs. Ross Merrill ;of Bayfield attending the; -
Yf g ,
candlelight carol service at Si. Andrews'United Church in
the evening. 8.
weeteitectetectectrectgigtecto
Home:for:.
-
Christrnas.--
Editorshote:A poem for Ch `
stmas contributedby a
reader.
BY EDGAR A. GUEST
[Reilly & Lee Co., ..... o)
Chkawg
ON GOING HOME FOR CHRISTMAS
He little knew the sorrow that was inhis vacant chair;
He never guessed they'd misshim, or he'd surely have
'been there; •
He couldn't see. his mother or the lump that filled her
• throat,
Or the tears that started falling as she read iris hasty note;
And "he couldn't, see his father, sitting sorrowful and
dumb, '
Or he never would have written that the thought he
couldn't come. '•
•
He little knee4the gladness tliat his presence would have
g
made,
would have givenor hewould
And the joy it uid h e , neverhave
.ave:.
stayed,
He didn't know haw hungrey hadthe little mother grown.
Once
Once again to see her baby and to claim him for her own.
He didn't guess the meaning of his visit Christmas Day
Orhe never wouldhave writtenthat couldn't he get arty.
He couldn't see the fading of the cheeks that once were
pink,
And the silver in the tresses; and he didn't stop to think
How the years are passing swiftly, and- 'next
Christams it .might be
There would be no homevisit' '
to and no mother dear to see.
He didn't think about it Ill not say he didn't care.
He was heedless and forgetful or he'd surely have been
there:
Are you going home for Christmas? Platt, You written
you'll be there?
Goin . ho ,' hoW'her that
g tate to kiss the mo#her and to s you
care?
Goinghome to greet: the father in a wav to make hint glndt
you're not',hope ther'll never come >t opine you'll wish.
you had.
mist sit down and write a letter it will tttakeheir Mkt
g
strin s hitt,, t
•, i
. With a tune of',"' trete iadri �. if y ou.lt tell t
R ost; �+ l hath'. tl?wl;
you if comtw ;:•
u ',
around the province.
..,