Whitby Free Press, 15 Apr 1987, p. 9

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y 13 ~ WHITBY FREE PRESS, WEDNESDAY, APRIL 15, 1987, PAGE 9 Brookdin Profile ROXANNE REVELER News & Features Editor Phone 655-3637 Reflections of a Golden Age By MABEL M. MÇCABE We are now in another newspaper and seem to be getting around. I hope that this column gets where it is supposed to go as two others have gone astray in the transfer of habitat. The obscenity of the two-cent raise in-postage has begun. Do you think our inefficient postal department will ever get their act together? The public are being ripped off by this organization. Along with this April Fool's joke they are talking of shutting down many rural post-offices. The small rural communities of this coun- try are the backbone of our culture and the source of our strength of çharacter. They are the last ones who should be penalized for the debts a bad corporation has built up. Remember the good old days of the two-cent stamp and twice a day delivery? The days when the mailman was a friend who passed the time of day with you and knew where you lived? Those workers could even read, the ones today can't get the letters in the right box even with the numbers staring them in the face. It's hard to say who is at fault here. I believe it is both sides. The union has pushed for too much and the management has spent too much on fancy trimmings that it cannot use. I can remember the days when a job at the post office was con- sidered the ultimate in security. Then they became unionized and asked for more and more until they emptied the barrel. Management gave in at first and then became belligerent and we the general public are the ones who pay and suffer. We now have a system that does not work and seldom if ever gets the mail where it is going on time or within reasonable time frames. If one wants to send cheques or important articles they call couriers. It costs much more but it is a sure thing. I feel let down by this outfit because we have paid taxes over the years for the right to logical and correct service but we get only higher costs and less delivery. As with everything else this hits the senior where it hurts. We look forward to keeping in touch with our loved ones by mail but when you buy a card or even letter paper and then pay the cost of stamps some of them are left out. I have 15 grandchildren and two great-grandchildren and when you count my six children and spouses, add up what that costs for birthday and anniversary car- ds, and you get my point. I'd be broke before I sent to half of them. I miss that little gesture that means I care and I want to say for all of us that I'm angry. Many in my age group have only the letters to keep us close and I can't understand why this system cannot be run in a more efficient. manner. It could be true that the government is trying to force the postal work into the private sector. It sure could not be run any worse and maybe those who have spent so much time on union business could get back to delivering some letters on time. Brooklin Lions seek additional members By ROXANNE REVELER Africal The very word conjures up thoughts of wild animals, half- naked warriors running through steaming jungles and the throbbing beat of native drums. Although there are many parts of the Dark Continent that are as metropolitan as Canada, large sec- tions are just starting to emerge in- to the twentieth century, and a good part of it is due to the efforts of people like Glenn and Phyllis Webb of Brooklin. Glenn and Phyllis are both retired school teachers who spent four months in Gambia helping teachers there to upgrade their qualifications - sort of a teacher teaching teachers proposition. Alarmed by the percentage of unqualified teachers, the Gambia Teachers' Union, in agreement with the Gambiari Ministry of Education, decided to utilize in- service training for the cer- tification of untrained teachers already practising in their schools. It was realized that the training of teachers had been a serious problem since the early 1950s and had created a situation in which 74 per cent of primary teachers were unqualified. The Webbs became interested in the Project Overseas program af- ter reading an educational newslet- ter. The report intrigued them and they both applied to be members of a future team. . During their interview, however, the Webbs found out that team members cannot come from the same family. If they both chose to be a part of the project, they would be split up and sent to different areas of Africa. They decided it would be Glenn who would apply and Phyllis would accompany him at their own ex- pense. As it would turn out, this was to be far from a vacation for Ph'yllis who ended up teaching three days a week anyway. Between them they taught basic mathematics, 1 psychology, remedial English, science and primary methods. By ROXANNE REVELER The Brooklin and District Lions Club was formed in the winter mon- ths of 1986 with their charter being received last June. Since that time, the club has grown rapidly and is presently looking for additional members to assist in their many worthwhile community projects. In their short period of existance their fundraising projects, with proceeds used for the benefit of the community, has included a mam- moth yard sale last October, a crown and anchor booth at last year's Brooklin Spring Fair, the sale of raffle tickets and a Lions' dance in February. Their community programs in- clude a float in the Spring Fair parade; and a sponsorship of the junior division public speaking competition at Meadowerest Public School (a project they hope to ex- pand to the junior and senior divisions at both Brooklin schools). Financial assistance has been given to the needy within the com- munity where necessary as well as donations to Canine Vision Canada, which provides the training for seeing eye dogs, the Timmy Fund of Port Perry,- senior citizens' euchre nights, Camp Kirkfield, a Lions' summer camp for the blind, and the Dr. Basu eye bank. Lions Clubs exist in over 150 countries around the world and at- tempt to "bring quality fo life," having as their motto "We Serve. " According to their constitution, Lions are men age 18 years and older who have decided to give something back to their com- munities, are dedicated to finding people in need and who meet these needs .in an efficient and caring way. The Brooklin and District Lions Club will be holding an information session on Tuesday, April 21 at 7:30 p.m. at Brooklin Community Cen- tre, Cassels Rd. E. at Church St. Dave Brennan (655-4144) the president of the local chapter, and Herb Visser (655-8894), the Guiding Lion from the Whitby chapter, will be in attendance to answer questions about the world's largest and most active service club organization. Easter challenge There's a "Scrambled Egg" con- test at the Brooklin library. All kids have to do is unscramble the letters to make two special Easter (clue) words in this Easter challenge,, The library will be closed on Friday, April 17 and Monday, April 20 but we will be open Saturday, April 18. Their journey began from Toron- to on a cold Dec. 29 evening. The first few days in Gambia were spent at a hotel on the Atlantic Ocean. During their drive from the airport they got their first glimpse of life in the Gambia : busy high- ways, animals (cows, sheep, goats, pigs, monkeys, chickens) wan- dering at will, palm trees and, finally, seemingly endless beaches and blue, absolutely cloudless, skies. The following week was spent visiting schools "up river" and Glenn says he can still feel the intense heat as they wound their way up the river away from the ocean. Even though this was the cool season, it was decidedly hotter (over 100 F) than anything ex- perienced in Canada. The couple were driven through many native villages where each family had its own compound, in which children and their families live with their parents and gran- dparents in huts surrounded by a wall. Most of the houses are of mud- dried blocks topped with a corrugated tin roof. Others are straw huts made of woven bamboo palm. According to the Webbs, each compound was a beehive of activity with women cooking on outdoor fires, pounding grain or washing. Phyllis says Gambia was quite the "man's world." Women apparently do all of the work...men do nothing. "Being Muslim, men can have many wives and they do all the work," says Phyllis, "And if a man tires of one wife, he sends her on her way with nothing but her children...you see the children always belong to her, but nothing else." It was during this trip up river that the Webbs were introduced to the average school in Gambia and the teaching conditions to which most of their student teachers would have to return. It was a bit of a shock to say the least. The schools at best were made of dried mud blocks or woven palm. They all had earthen floors and many had -no windows, merely holes in the wall. All teaching sup- plies and illustrative materials had to be locked up each night, because when the children moved out for the day...the animals moved in, and either ate, or knocked down what was being displayed. During their trip, they visited primary, high schools, technical and vocational schools, training centres and the Rural Development Institute at Mansakonko. Upon returning to their hotel, they arranged to move into their rented house, "It seemed more appropriate to live in a Gambian community rather than in the more artificial atmosphere of a tourist hotel", says Glenn. Their home was backed by a palm court and the yard had been planted with banana and papaya trees, small palms and many vegetables. Over the wall, they could see cattle, pigs and chickens wandpring where they would, something that would take a while to get used to. Glenn quotes from his diary: "My first day of teaching", he says, pointing to the document and smiling. "First math class - 8:30 a.m. - a class of 76 - Wow! - pupils are clean, courteous and very co- operative - must teach basic math at the beginning." He indicated the level of education was worst than he had anticiapted, but that his students were eager to learn and had a great sense of humor. A typical day for the Webbs star- ted at 6 a.m. when chants from the local mosque woke them up. After breakfast, they climbed into "Ronald the Renault," a 'horrid lit- te car' whose driver took them to work each day. As the temperature usually dropped to aroung 75 F. during the night, the couple was met by their students, attired in parkas and toques, when they arrived to start the first class at 8:30. They taught until 3 p.m. with a SEE PAGE 10 RESPLENDENT in the clothes they war canoe they brought home as a had made in Africa, Phyllis and Glenn souvenir. Webb display thie hand-carved warrior Couple train teachers in Gambia

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