Wednesday, February 9, 2000 THE OAKVILLE BEAVER B3 Bellringerheps bells in tune, windsclock weekly (Continued from page B1) A wind howls through the louvres. There's a picture of snow covered bells on a full colour poster Tregunno cre ated in 1995 to "to share this seldom seen but so clearly heard heritage o f St. Jude's." The poster was produced as part of a fundraiser the church held a few years ago. Tregunno photographed the bells and the clock for the poster, com plim enting it with a calligraphy script and rubbings. Those who pur chased tickets to a guided tour of the 80-foot tower received one of these colour ful posters suitable for fram ing. He has also sketched the tower. The bells were cast in 1906 by Mears & Stainbank of London, England, makers of the famous Big Ben of London and the Liberty Bell in Philadelphia. The bells, installed in 1907, replaced a single bell which St. Jude's donated to a small church in Glen Williams. `T he bells cost about $4,400 in 1906," continues Tregunno. `Today, these same bells could cost about $250,000, and I'm not going to guess how much it would cost to install them." The St. Jude's Bell Tower was built in 1896, the church in 1883, and an exapsnion was added in 1956. `These English bells are the best bells you can get," said Tregunno, adding the foundry where they were cast has been in operation since the 1400s and is "the pre-eminent bell foundry in the world." St. Jude's is the only church in Oakville to have a set of bells that must be rung manually, and is unique for having one bell which fully swings. "St. James Cathedral is the only church to have a set of full swinging bells in Ontario, and is one of only seven churches across Canada which have them," said Tregunno. He estimates about two dozen churches in Ontario have bells similar to St. Jude's, that are rung using clappers. Up another narrow staircase, through yet another trap door, and over a few beams, and the visitor is rewarded by a rare sight - the clock, also built in 1906 and installed in 1907. This precision instrument con sisting of sprockets, pendulums and weights, "keeps perfect time," says Tregunno proudly, adding he winds it every weekend. "It's an eight-day clock. It needs to be wound every eight days. It chimes the tenor bell every hour." TTiis intricate clock is manu factured by J. W. Benson, Ludcate Hill, London, Clockmaker to the Queen & Prince of Wales, accord ing to the inscriptions. Tregunno picks up a heavy key, and winds this historic instru ment o f time. One side winds the hammer which chimes the tenor bell hourly, the other winds the clockworks. As the minutes and hours tick away, its 200-pound weights drop down through wooden columns inside the tower. `T h is clock has run virtually non-stop since it was installed." The agile Tregunno moves through the tower like a spider, up and down the stairs and ladders, and sideways amongst the bells to keep them clean and in tune. "It's a labour o f love," he con cludes. 100 years of I0PE in Canada Feb. 13,1900 to Feb. 13,2000 Bell ringing to celebrate 100th anniversary of I0DE The year 2000 marks the 100th anniversary of the IODE. And to celebrate, the IODE in Oakville is asking all 45 local churches to cel ebrate Founder's Day on Feb. 13th with a Celebration of Bells. The churches are being asked to join the national carillonneurs in Ottawa at 1 p.m. St. Jude's Anglican Church is among local churches which will participate. The IODE is also raising $200,000 nation ally to fight child abuse and neglect. The money will be used to fund an ongoing grant program to support education and prevention initiatives. According to statistics, 31% of boys and 21% of girls suffer some form of physical abuse, while 4% of boys and 13% of girls suf fer from sexual abuse. It is believed psycho logical abuse and neglect are even more wide spread. In addition, the IODE in Oakville plans to plant a commemorative tree in September. The organization's acronym comes from the name, Imperial Order Daughters of the Empire. Locally, the Angela Bruce Chapter, IODE, is the largest group with about 65 members. It runs the IODE Opportunity Shop at Kerr and Rebecca Streets. Each member is expected to volunteer one weekday afternoon and one Saturday per month. "Oakville did have three chapters at one time, but the White Oak chapter folded about two years ago, and three of its members joined Angela Bruce," said Joan Larson, head of the IODE's Centennial celebrations in Oakville. The other is Sybil Bennett with seven or eight members, she adds. The two chapters will be distributing 1,000 bookmarks at Oakville's three libraries as a Millennium project. The Angela Bruce chapter, formed May 3, 1933, with 24 charter members, is named after a former Lieutenant-Governor of Ontario's wife. During World War II, the chapter provided socks and sweaters to service men and women, and adopted the local Lome Scots Regiment as a service project. It also supported the Women's League, Red Cross, Royal Canadian Legion, and the Canadian Navy ship HMCS Oakville. M embers have also distributed UNICEF coin boxes. The Angela Bruce chapter's IODE Opportunity Shop opened in 1944. Donations of good used clothing and small household articles from members, family and friends, and the general public, are priced and sold by the volunteers. The chapter currently supports the Oakville Re-Entry Home, Sleeping Children Around the World, Oakville Salvation Army, Fareshare Foodbank, Breast Cancer Support Services, VON Volunteer Support Program, SENECA Day Care Centre for Seniors, Halton Adolescent Support Services, Distress Centre Oakville, Oakville Trafalgar M emorial Hospital, Halton Children's Aid Foundation, Ian Anderson House, and the Oakville Library's Talking Books program. In addition, the Angela Bruce IODE annu ally awards bursaries to a deserving student from each local high school plus one to a mature student at Sheridan College. To find out more about the IODE, visit the Opportunity Shop at 154 Kerr St., open Monday to Friday, noon to 4 p.m., and Saturdays 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., or call 842-6338. l()l)l....\ v o m c n w o rk in i; to g eth er to r C anada Happy Centennial! ...odftrt ll/foa. - m n a /0 l Wgu/ar'phj& al acfry32j_it*tou- save on every Seaiy sleep set w e Sell! 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