The following text may have been generated by Optical Character Recognition, with varying degrees of accuracy. Reader beware!

pAGE Ati? WATERLOO CHRONICLE. WEDNESDAY. AUGUST 7, 1991 Some unfortunates. such as moralista, are sadly lacking in th:s very human mm The Puritans were a case in point. Fansxder how appalling it must have been to live in such a gum rulden socrety where fun and laughter were believed to be tilrlyi of the flesh Thur lack of a sense of humor left a vacuum that was filled wrh .ntnlerancel hate and cruelty Some humorist has sug. awn-d that It might have been better for posterity, if Plymouth Rock had landed on the Pilgnms? Thankfully, there are only a “M rvmnants left. and they are to be pitied, Kahlil Gibran wrote: "A sense of humor is a sense of prwpurtmn ,. And Emerson said, "health is the condition of w ,-dnm and the sign IS Cheerfulness bt Pump"; who are healthy, physically and emotionally, are slur-r-rY'u. people They tend to look upon the bright Side of things ind we d lot of humor in their daily lives. They are realism. in; knuw what is gmng on and that a lot of it is not at all Karin) but they have a sense of proportion and don't permit the dark suit. of things to dominate their attitude .t Hymn? I‘hvrc- li something S0 healthy about laughter when directed J! wurwlvys It prevents us from becoming pompous and critical tr,' when Thus was the function of the Court Jester who had Arr-nu: rldlcule the mnghty. and most stand-up comics carry on thxs tradmon by pokmg fun at our human fonbles. DO you remember the wonderful ending to that rue movie, The Treasure ofthe Sierra Madre?After months of back-break- xng work, and constant danger of death from bandits, they find that they have lost all the gold and are right back where they started Samuel Butler sand that “a sense of humor keen enough to snow. d man hrs own absurduties, as well as those of other people W111 keep a man from the commission ofall sms C , . save those that are worth commlttmg " It took a sense of humor to write that; and only those with a think space where therr sense of humor ought to be, would Find And auddenly they all begin to laugh, they almost faint from laughlng. and you realae that they've seen themselves in their true perspectlve and the absurdity of the situation that their greed had brought them to. And Just as suddenly you realize that vverythrng ls all right agam, as they part and go their weparute ways l m sure that most of us have experienced those times when nothing goes right, Murphy's Law seems out to get us and one thing after another goes wrong until the whole mess becomes so ruliculom that we Just have to sit down and laugh at it It h at these times that a sense of humor can relieve our exasperatlon It is our emotional safety-valve that prevents an explosion of negative feelings which we might regret. Laughter " the greatest antidote for stress: a deterrent to many physical and mental ailments; and a powerful form of therapy Ot'cnurse. there are tttttes for all of us when all the laughter In the world seems to be gone There are times for sadness. but we shouldn1 let them take over our hves and the sooner we can tind somethmg to laugh at, the better When we haQe Iostoilr sense ofhumor, we've lost our sense of behavioural balance Those that cannot ridicule themselvesw wdl, apPeerpdieulous to others, - - 1ielgt Fellows operates the Human Resource Development Institute, PO Box 642. Cambridge, NIR 5W1, providing effectiveness trammg for busmess and industry). Since 1974 Whirlpool Clearouts, Seconds Deals on Display Models Some are Clearing at Cost 45% To 60% OFF Spas & Whirlpools from $599. - WAREHOUSE t CLEARANCE SALE Camp Smalla-Bigga Unique camp program offers fun for all ages When junior citizens and senior citizens get together to participate in recreational activities, a gogd Irmris had by all, - - _ - Proof of this is' in the success of the City of Waterloo's many intergenerational programs oper ated out of the Wing 404 R,CAr,A, Rotary Adult Centre. Deborah Crandall Chronicle Staff And the success of intergenerational events such as Christmas and Halloween parties and Easter egg hunts has inspired program coordinators to initiate attintergtnerttiopal camp, Camp 'srnwaaigga", ihe first of its kind offered in this area. aims to foster the interaction of ages m n ctoperqive.recyational putdoor setting, "Camp Stnalla-Bigga really got going after sever al intergenerational events that were held I at the Adult Centre) proved to be very successful," says Christine Barker, supervisor of the Wing 404 R.C.A.F.A. Rotary Adult Centre. “I have some very good part-time staff leaders, and they would come out to help plan and participate in the intergenera- tronal events. I asked them how they would like to work on developing an intergenerational outdoor camp experience for seniors and kids - grandpa. rents. aunts. uncles, families, whatever." Camp Small-Bigga director and chairman Jan MacPherson has been working with four part-time program leaders since last April to develop the camping weekend. Over the past several weeks, the group has been recruiting camp resources from various people in the community, Those offering camp resources include Howard and Evelyn Weir of the city's senior adult camping program. who will be coordinating square dancing activities; Earl and Connie Johnston of the Old Salt's Canoe Club, who will provide canoe and sailing instruction; Tom and Joanne Rand of the Happy Harmonica Band, who will coordinate the camp's campfire sittg.rlong program; and the Dirt Road Blondes, Susan Tschirhart and Holly-Anne Holste, who will coordinate and present a story-tell. 210 Regina St. N., Waterloo The benefits of intergenerational programs are many, Barker says. Both young and old can learn something from one another, and can experience the joys of being in each other's company, - fl Camp SrnallmBigga will be held Aug. 24 and 25 at Camp Belwood. a YMCA camp located on the shores of Lake Belwood. Camp fees for the weekend are $34 for adults and $29 for children 12 years old and younger, and adults 65 years old and older, Fees include accommodations, four nutritious meals and all smacks. ing program "All these people are bringing to the camp experience specific activity skills - the Johnsons with their canoeing and sailing background, the Rand's with their music background, and the Weir's with their dance background," Barker says. Selecting the activities was done carefully, and every effort was made to offer activities which would provide enjoyment for people of all Mes, MacPherson says. "We tried to look at range of activities that would be of interest to all ages. so we thought of things that everybody could do, such as hiking and swimming," MacPherson says. "We think this is a good opportunity to kind of bridge across the ages and have people get to know people of different ages. -0ther activities to be held throughout the week end include: rowing, oriertteering, games, sports, a nature lore and crafts. "As a program coordinator in this field, I've never been one to believe in segregating ag " Barker says. "l think we can all come togeth? and play together and work together in the community. This will be an opportunity for families to experience an outdoor camping experience, to blend together and share skills" Campers may either arrange their own transpor mitten or book transportation on the Camp Srnalla, Biggs bus for $5 (return). AV more inro/mation' or to register for Cam? Smalla-Bigga. call the Wing 404 R.C.A.F.A. Rotary Adult Centre at 8886366. * 6 Grades of Cedar Decking . Cedar Lumber & T&G * Cedar Gazebos $400. OFF * Odd Lots & Clearouts * The Area's Cedar Super-Store