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8 The Canadian Statesman, Bowmanville, December 12,1984 Section Two Lions Member Keeps an Eye on Turkey Roll Byline by Peter Parrott Ever wondered if there was a better way to design kids' games? Are you a little concerned concerned about the board games which involve wiping out your neighbour neighbour in the real estate market? Or what about the video pastimes which include demolishing demolishing entire planets planets with ray guns? Well, there's a small company in Perth, Ontario, Ontario, which is trying to make games that are a little less barbaric. The company calls itself Family Pastimes. Its products are basic board games which stress co-operative instead instead of cut-throat competition. competition. Its motto is "Play together not against each other." In other words, kids who play these games help one another climb a mountain, build a community, or complete complete a space exploration. exploration. There's even a game of cooperative crokinole which allows players to work together together with skillfull bumps, nudges, and bank shots. The inventors of this new concept in entertainment entertainment note that we play games because we wish to to something together. together. In other words, the impulse to play a game is a social one. Ironically, games can become anti-social because because the objective is to bankrupt the other players, destroy their armies, and so forth. The inventors also point out that a cooperative cooperative game can include include participation by all members of the family. family. Little ones can play alongside adults without without being eliminated in the early rounds. The company has over 45 different products products which it manufactures manufactures in a cottage industry industry using simple tools Lions Club Member Mel Putnam keeps an eye on some of the 152 turkeys which were won by those who attended the very successful Bowmanville Lions Club Turkey Roll. The event took place on Friday, December 7 and featured a draw for $1,000 as well as the turkey raffles. Handi- Transit's Growth Amazing Success Story by Diane Pickett Not many companies can equal the rapid growth experienced experienced by Handi- Transit over the last 10 years. In 1974 Handi-Transit was a volunteer organization operating only one van to serve handicapped people in Oshawa. They made some 3,500 passenger trips. That number has increased to over 44,000 in 1984, and eight vans serve Whitby and Newcastle, as well as Oshawa. The driving force behind this organization is Handi- Transit's General Manager, Doug Manuel. In 1972, as a member of the Oshawa District District Handicapped Club, Mr. Manuel recognized the difficulty members had getting getting to meetings, it was, evident evident that a special transit service was needed. The Handicapped Club could not afford to purchase purchase and maintain a vehicle vehicle themselves so they approached approached many service clubs and similar organizations organizations for assistance. The Oshawa Central Lions Club's president at that time was Vic Jenkin- son. Confined to a wheelchair, wheelchair, he relied on fellow Lions Club members to transport him to and from their meetings. This Club donated the first Handi- Transit van in 1974. Over the next three years the volunteers struggled along with Local Initiative Program grants and help from the City of Oshawa. At one point, when the LIP grants ran out, an appeal to 1 HOUR EXPRESS PHOTO FINISHING PHOTOGRAPHY PASSPORT PHOTOS WHILE YOU WAIT Lange's Photo Lab Inc. Your Full Service Pholo Lab 50 KING ST. E., BOWMANVILLE 623-2568 the general public resulted in the owner and manager of Mercury United Taxi operating the night service with his drivers and dispatchers. dispatchers. Most of the financial problems problems were solved when the transit organization incorporated incorporated as Handi-Transit in 1977. As a non-profit business, business, separate from the Handicapped Club, they were taken on as an external external agency of the City of Oshawa. As such they became became eligible for full funding funding from the City. Handi-Transit could at this point "expand service and make it more worthwhile", worthwhile", said Mr. Manuel. More vans were donated by Lions and Rotary Clubs and the UAW in Oshawa. The Whitby Rotary also provided provided a van when Handi- Transit got a contract with the Town of Whitby. With the service becoming becoming much larger and more expensive Mr. Manuel was glad to see the province accept accept the alternative transit services officially and provide provide 50% of the funding. This also meant that all transportation services for handicapped people had to meet provincial regulations, regulations, improving safety standards' across the province. province. In 1981 the Handi-Transit service was introduced to the Town of Newcastle with a van given by the Rota- rians. Demand in Newcastle has increased significantly in the last year and it is becoming becoming more difficult for Handi-Transit to maintain its excellent standard of service with only one van for the whole municipality. Driver Pal Pentland has made over 2,600 trips in 1984 and that means a lot of mileage in a municipality the size of Newcastle. She lakes passengers from as far afield as Newton ville and the Oshawa General Hospital. Mr. Manuel hopes that Newcastle will approve the Handi-Transit budget for 1985 which includes an application application for a new van. If not, the quality service that handicapped people in this area currently enjoy is sure to suffer. An important policy of Handi-Transit is "if you're unable to use city transit you're eligible for our service". service". Passengers do not have to justify their trips, nor are they expected to provide registration or identification cards. It offers same day service if the booking is received early enough in the day, The cost is a reasonable $1 to $3 depending on the area and the distance of the trip. Alter so many years of hard work it is with no false modesty that Doug Manuel says: "I think we provide one of the best (transit ser- Yimkmnlloiilo Christinas Scats Ih'Ijis |H'(i|*! In lavallMi easy. TU I- ^ I .UNCI ASSOCIATION vices for the handicapped) in Ontario!" Ralph McIntyre and Bob Kent, both members of the Bowmanville Lions Club, helped to see that the annual Turkey Roll ran smoothly. The Event provided 152 Christmas birds to those fortunate enough to hold winning tickets on turkeys. and a modest-sized staff. I might add that the manufacturers note these pastimes do not ignore the possibility of failure. For example, in the co-operative game ofclimbing a mountain, the players do not always always succeed. I can sympathize with the ideas behind these co-operative pastimes. I agree it's unfortunate that bickering, egotism, aggression and other latent personality flaws often emerge when games are played. But, I wonder how competitiveness competitiveness can be avoided if a game is to be truly interesting. And some will argue that it's better to work out hostilities with a good game of hockey or monopoly than to bottle them up inside. I think it all boils down to a question of attitude. A person can still be a good competitor and a good sportif such traits are stressed from childhood. childhood. As for the idea of cooperative cooperative games, well I hope they succeed. So much havoc is caused by the aggressive overbearing overbearing egomaniacs of the world that we shouldn't reward these traits through popular games. I especially like the idea that the games I am describing can be played by youngsters as well as adults since everybody is working together. But human nature will have to become a little more advanced than it is today if the cooperative cooperative game concept concept is to really take off. Whether it's tiddlywinks or Grand Prix auto racing, there's nothing quite like the thrill ofvictory. Optimist Club Plans to Give Free Skating Bowmanville's Optimist Club will be launching a free hour of children's skating skating at the Bowmanville Arena in January. The Optimists announced last week that ice will be available available for all children at the arena between four and five p.m. during each Monday Monday of January. The first of the free skating skating sessions will begin January January 7. Bowmanville's Optimists only began their club this fall. However, their community community projects to date have included a float in the Santa Claus Parade and the sponsorship sponsorship of a movie for children children at the Bowmanville Mall on Saturday, December December 8. The price of admission admission to the movie was a toy for the community's needy families this Christmas. Christmas. The Optimists are a service service organization which emphasizes emphasizes leadership in programs for young people among its community service service objectives. I