The Huron Expositor, 1964-04-23, Page 11M
•
r
•
•
0
•
A
0
•
Ti w,.For Cop-m.0W "Y Actip
Suggesting that in today's
complex society, particularly as
it exists in -a, rural area, there
should be a new "framework of
activity," Rev. Cliff Britton in
an address to Seaforth Lions
:C.lub said such a move could
result in a greater use of avail-
able assistance to the end that
the community as a whole
would benefit.
Mr. Britton said changing
conditions have created an im-
pact
mpact greater than many realize.
As social and business units'
crease in size, there is arising
a group of social illiterates who
are the product of mass man-
ipulation.
The, speaker was :introduced
by Rev. Harry Donaldson and
thanked by Elmer Larone.
The meeting was in charge. of
President L. F. Ford, and was
arranged by Mr. Larone and
Irvin Trewartha. A feature was
\„a solo by Elizabeth Smale, of
Staffa, accompanied by Mrs. J.
A. Cardno.
Asking the question, "What
is a rural area," Mr. Britton said
the Dominion Bureau of Statis-
tics deems that it consists of
areas where the population is
less than a 1000. However, in
actual practise, we think of
rural areas as those with 2,000
or less in population, or those
communities where they expect
to balance the budget by
doubling the dog tax.
He went on to speak as fol-
lows:
Let us be aware first of all
that changes have taken place
in our society generally in the
last two decades. The impact
of dertain changes which have
their 'origin outside the com-
munity has been greater than
we think. Everywhere there.
has been the displacement of
the small by the large; the
small family farm has declin-
ed; the villages have declined;
the small governmental units
have • lost much of their sig-
nificance; the sectional ,school
board is- giving way to tpwnship_
boards; many country schools
have closed, as also churches.
Bigger farms, regional admini-
stration, and large -Scale enter-
prises
are on -the 'up'.
Along with this increase in
size of enterprise there is also
the problem of mass manipula-
tion; how to get pegple to be
responsive and responsible in-
dividuals, instead of 'cheerful
robots' or social illiterates.
Of course, general participa-
tion is enhanced by the media
of mass communication which
does not permit any individual
or community to remain isolat-
ed /from some knowledge of
what is going on. Here again
we have a situation by which
he who controls the mass media
controls public thinking, and
for what purpose?
•
Oppose Isolation
No individual or „nation or
institution can long remain h
isolation from what goes on in
the rest • of the world, Com.'
munities must learn an. interde-
pendence as too casual -like anjl
examine at contribution we
can ma_kh to the interdepend-
ence. Do we just accept uni-
formity without..,. a challenge?
Bureauacracy will only be too
pleased to insist on that fac-
tor. (See Bell Telephone and
the way in which they thought
fit to arrange the new direc-
tory for Seaforth and district).
REV: J. C. BRITTON
We are a predominantiyrural
area in Huron County. There
are no large urban centres
here. We are not being • afflict-
ed with the social and geogra-
phic disease known as Urban-
Sprawl. Take a line from Que-
bec to Windsor, about 50 miles
wide and 700 miles long. Here
.we have Urban Sprawl at its
best and ,worst. It is an area
of growth and rapid change.
-Here we have the greatest con-
centration of `population and
about .three-fifths of agricultur-
al production. This area will be
affected by any increase in
population in the next 26 years.
The influence of the true urban
areas are now being felt far
beyond their present boundar-
ies. What is being done in the
large cities has a profound ef-
fect on ,many so palled rural
people (e,g., the water situa-
tion in London). The growth of
the urban area in -the Niagara
fruit belt to the detriment of
one of the , best fruit growing
areas outside of California.
Community, Action
It was not until after the
thirties that people began to
awaken to the fact that forces
beyond the control of -the lo-
cal community determined to a
large degree the destinies of
individuals and groups. Today
we• have cominunity action to
get things done that seems to
be appropriate to the need—
hockey teams organized by com-
munity groups, e.g. Lions or Le-
gion,. etc. Then there are larg-
er needs; such as hospitals,
which may .need more than a
n g 1 e. community .- approach
with large governmental bodies
being brought in to complete
the financing of such a costly
venture. But as .always, we
have •to decide how large-scale
organization will be needed to
stimulate the public to achieve
the essential goal.
How do we relate the ma-
terial accomplishments to the
realization of cherished moral
and social values in the com-
munity? The things which the
community needs must be
achieved through an awakened
:s.
consciousness without a stultify-
ing conformity of action. We
need to he `awakened by Ake
need of some wider area coin=
munity • planning, so that there
iney • be a simultaneous aware-
ness of a common .purpose in
the community that• will lead to
its self -development:
At present' in our own situa-
tion we. have a . lot of organiza-'
tions planning, and at work, but
there is very little in common
so far as the moral and social
development of the community
is concerned. _ Moreover, the
changing emphasis ' on educe,
tion today in this rapidly chang-
ing
hanging world has left us with the
feeling that we are quickly be-
coming illiterates we are
working at tasks Well belgw'T'cir
capacity, or we lack the ap-
propriate forms of stimulation,
or the resources to do the job
at .hand are not appropriate.
It might be a combination of
all three. However, in this day
of rapid change, we must be
aware, in this community, -es
well as in other communities,
that we need a reassessment'of
required action . to create "pre-
ventive" programs.
Consider Factors
We would do well to consider
some of the community factors
at work. We have 100 or better
of our students going to a vo-
cational school at Clinton. What
is the significance of that?
What other projects does the.
government have in mind that
will have a profound effect on
the community at large? - We
could Well consider the Plow-
ing Match for 1966, as an ex-
ample of a community -factor
that must be considered. Then
in this area of Ontario we have.
more than our share of the
aged. Needless to say, there
will be more of the aged in-
stead of less (that will. be when
you and I are in that class).
Do we build more homes for
the aged .and.callthat a job
well done? That may be the
expedient solution, but it has
little of therapeutic value . as
far as the individual is con-
cerned.
What do we do about the
SEAFORTH, ON
Liberals .:
Appoint
Delegates
Huron Liberals at a meeting
in Clinton Thursday evening
named delegates to, represent
Huron ridings , . at -the annual
meeting of the Ontario Libera'1"
Association, being held in To-
ronto, May 15 and 18.
Huron federal, riding associa-
tion president A. Y; McLean,
Seaforth, and provincial riding
president E. B. Menzies, Clin-
ton, presided at the joint meet-
ing.
Delegates named are:
Federal Association — John
Laport, RR 2, Zurich; Cecil
Blake, Dungannon; Mrs,. Alex
Addison, Clinton. Alternates--
Harold Shore, Goderich; John
Broadfoot, Brucefield; and Ivan
Kalbfteisch, Zurich.
Provincial Association—E. B.
Menzies, Clinton; Howard Aik-
en, Goderich; Mrs. Kenneth
Bridges, Exeter. Alternates—
Mrs. Elmer Cameron, RR 4; Sea -
forth; George ,Die.ckert, Zurich;
Larry Wheatley, RR 1, Dublin.
low-income farmer that can't
Make a go of it in the grow-
ing competition for the con-
sumer's dollar? ,What do we do
about the school dropouts?
What do we do about the small
business man who is `being forc-
ed to the' wall in the face of
highly capitalized competition?
What do we do about the small
community church that can no
longer pay its way? The chang-
ing community provides oppor-
tunity for a new framework- of"
activity .which must take' into
account the impact of the broad
forces which are available to.
•the community : as •a• partner in
individual and social develop-
ment.
DISCARDED EVE GLASSES from across. Ontario 'and Quebec' are ding a') new sphere°
of usefulness through an activity of the Seaforth Lions Club. Collected by;fions clubs frpnn,
the two provinces, the glasses are forwarded here, where •Seaforth Lions repac ti n for,'
shipment to India. Shown at a recent packing bee when more than seven :tflousand, glass, F
es were made ready for shipment, are W, D. Stephenso ; - John `iongstaff, Ross `Savauge, L,
F. Ford and W. E.- Southgate. (Expositor photo by Phillips).
Huron 4-H. Giris :Take Part
In Achievement Day
One hundred and• five 4-H i gram 'of demonstrations and
,Club girls held the Achieve- 1 skits was presented, to a large
ment' Day for their project, ! audience that filled the hall to
capacity. Taking part were: for
Dungannon 1, Joanhe Veldhuis;
Brussels Club, Norma Jean
Mair, Brenda Bone, Rosemary
"What shall I wear?" on Sat-
urday in the Auburn Commun-
ity Memorial Hall. Miss,i,Patri-
cia, Damude, home economist
for Huron County, was in Blake; Kintail Club, - Barbara
charge of the day's program,
assisted by Miss Frances Lamp -
man, Toronto, and Mrs. Shirley
McAllister, Zurich. Members
were present 1 from Brussels,
-Tiger Dunlop 1 and 2, Dungan-
non 1 and 2, Kintail, St. Hel-
ens, Zion, Colwanosh and Au-
burn °clubs,
Leaders and assistant leaders
were presented with badges, and
introduced. The afternoon's pro -
Sanderson, Marilyn Daer, Jan -
nett Dobie, Marion Hickey;
Zion Club, Donna Ritchie; St.
Helens Club, Pam' Cooper, Kar-
en Gaunt; -Tiger Dunlop 2, Shar-
on Chamney; Colwanosh Club,
Mary Andrew, Marianna Mac-
Donald,. 'Linda Little, Karla
Riegling, Susan Arnold, Nancy
Irwin„ Rosalene 'Phillips, Lynda
Cameron; Dungannon 2, Ruth
Bere; Tiger Dunlop 1, Pat
Durst, Nancy Ross,•, Janet Fish-
er, Limla Hunter, Suzanne Mit-
chell,-
idchell; tonnie • Young, : Judi
Chamney.
Miss •Dninude presented the.
leadership - award to Mrs. Wes.
Bradnock of Auburn. Mrs. Brad
nock, secretary -treasurer of the
West Huron WI district, , pre-
sented provincial honors ands
pins to Marilyn Deer, 1111. '
Auburn, and Mary Andrew; -'RR
7, Lucknow. County . honors • '
were presented to Anne Ritchie,
RR 3; Barbara hinklater, RR 5,
Goderich; Lynda Cameron, RR
7,, Lucknow; Pat Buchanan, RR
3, Goderich; Barbara Buchanan,
RR 3, Goderich; and Susan
Arnold, 'RR 2, Lucknow.
PHONE -141
Or Call at Office
1
i
i
•
• • • • • • • '• • • • • • • •
m
The Happy occasion-,• . • .. And ' There is a Lot •
Of 'Planning To Do Beforehand .: • Wedding
invitations Announcements Serviettes And
Other Printed Items Are A - Specialty , t
THE HURON EXPOSITOR OFFICE
{