....... PAGE 6, WHITY FREE PRESS, WEDNESDAY, APIUL 22,1992 jý w w The ont>' Whitby Newspaper owned and operated b>' Whîtby residents for Whitby residents! Pubiished every Wednesday by 677209 Ontarioa mc. at 131 Brock St. N., Whitby, Ontario Li N 5S1 Phone 668-6111 Toronto Line 427-1834 Doug Anderson - ,Publisher Maurioe Pither - Editor Alexandra Martin - Prod 'uction Manager 2nd ,Class Postal Registraticon #05351 mo ksute diior.. A thank you to region volunteers To the Edîtor: April.26 ta May 2 is accclimed as National Volunteer Week in order ta recognize the great contributions volunteers give ta their community. Statistics Canada's 1987 survey of volunteer activity states that 5.3 *million Canadians warked In, unpaid jobs for charitabiè organizations. Volunteers freely chose ta serve thepublic wlth no expectatiop i monstary gain. They braught- *cammitmsnt, enthusiasm and carin 9ta these volunteer jobs. This survey states that nine out of 10 Canadian volunteers had four very Import ant reasons why they volunteer: ta help others, ta help a cause that they believe In, ta do something that they like ta do and ta feel that they have accompiished samethlng. The Durham Region Assacation af Vlunteer Administrators (formsriy the Volunteer 'Ca- ordinators ai Durham Region) wouid.like ta publicly express aur' appreciation ta the many individuals fram youth ta seniors who give their time ta our member organizations. These volunteers help ralse funds, work on administrative committees, supervise childrsn's fprograms, teach skills, pravide frie ship for the elderiy, organize leisure programs, give knawledge and always provide tender loving care. During a recession, we hear alot ai bleak news, but the gaod news has been that aur arganizatians have increased aur volunteer manpower foundaxtions that allows us to build up our services and programs at an Important time of need. On behali of the Durham Region Association Of Volunteer Administrators, we thank the residents of Durham Region for their volunteer time. lf you are' an Individuai who Wouldlike ta look Into volunteer appartunities, visit your community Information centre for a listing of agencies who require 'voIlute heip or look through your local newspaper. for public service announfcernents. Mary-Jams Nettis Mary Dumnals Co-chairpersons, Voluntoor Approclation Cammîttos Thanks for clean-up To the odîtor: We wouid lîke ta thank the Kînettes for the fine Job they did cleanlng our windows. This kindness Is very much appreciated. Reedaîre Ct. Rosldonts DOROTHEY MACNAUGHTON- was presented with the 'Commuilnity Good Neighbour Award' reoently. MaeNaMghton is the foumder and president of thé Whitby chapter of the widows/widowers support group and is avtively involved with the Whitby Seniors' Activity- Centre and St.- Andrewso Pre9byrtertan Church. Mlayor Tomi Edwards presents the award. -,ot masrk WhJU>yFtr. re» Viewpoint b Whitby teenagers flot wanted (part 1Il) By Stophon G. Leahy- Teenagers are Young aduts and no longer children. They are physicail mature, caabè af sexuel, reproduction an i most sacieties, are consldered ready for aduit respansibilities. Our saciety,. 100 years -aga, treated teens as aduits and recognlzsd themn as such. While aur teens are not an y different physically than their counitsrparts af 100 years past, the saciety and culture ln which thy were ralsed is dramaticall different. As described last week, these differences inclùde the fact that parents no longer work ad home and have given the vital raie af teachlng over ta the sohools.-1 These two factors not oniy mean1 that parents'spend much iess time with their chiidren, but as the child goes through the school system,1 the parent's raie as a source ai' learning lessens. These lacts af modemn I11e contribute greatly ta the erosion af the parent/chiid relatianship. This Iack of a close connectian with parents leaves teenagers with a very immature sense ai self. As at chiid grows and matures into a young aduit, he or she needs a strang sens. ai who they are, and whsre they, havéà came from. This can bu best accamplished throuçh a close land vital relatlonship wth their parents. Sending children ta school at age 4, and then having bath parents spendlng -10 ta 12 hours a day. away fram home, makes t very difficulita sustain this klnd cf reiationship. Wlthaut a close and strang connection that resuts fram parents being a major part of their frstl12 years af iearning, teenagers will not have the Internai strength their growing sense af self needs. They are a roof supported by crudiely constructed walis. When the'winds af peer pressure blow,. theycollapse and go with the flow. Without the close connection, teens wili not came ta their parents' for the support or for help that wili aliow thèm ta strengthen themnselves. nstead, they will seek the advice ai their friends. These friends are' not liikeiy ta have any butter sense af who they are but may bu butter able ta disguise-their confusion. Where cari teenagers go ta learn about themselives, ta develop their sense ai self, ta leamn about who they are? Where can they go where their skiils, energy- and creativity will bu safeiy challenged? ls iR anly the mal or the school? is Volunteer a wards WHrITYS LUCIENMICHAUJ) wasone, of 160 local volunteers recognized by the province at a recent volunteer awards ceremony in Oshawa. Michaud bas 15 years of consocutive ser-vice.with La Federation des Femmes Candiennes-Franca- tees d'Oshawa., ithat ailîthers Is? 1In Whitby there- are ver few choices for teenagers. WIt hthe sole exception af sparts, mostiy oiiered through the high sohoals, this town allers litile for aur young adults. Is Rt any wonder there are gans araund local strip plazas? Shauld we bu surprised that bored and f rust rat ed teens cause trouble? lncreasingly, aver the past 40 or 50 years, kids go to achoal sooner and ionger. Parents are away from home' longer and longer. We move lram one community ta the nexita I he next.- Thus the deep connection of child ta parents and lamiiy becomes Increasingiy rare. Anid any deep cannection ta ane's cammunity la now extremeiy rare. This fact ai modemn Ilfe Is a big part af the reason for the existin and Increasing damage buIngdns ta aur enviranment. Ail af thîs ieads ta a simple and lagical 'conclusion: Ri s *Impossible ta consistently cars about the earth "hen your own sense of self is weak and shallow. iHyo do not have a sense that the plce where you live is unique, special and a part aif ou, will you truiy cars for it and give It the reverence it deserves? Caring for the earth and ail aofiUs inhabitants, including its peoples, requires a s*rng0ensOa self, ans that is firmiy ratdby deep and close connecions ta fam land communily. Teaef ew aduits today have these connections. As a resuli we are repeating -the. same mistakes with aur children. That Is why teenagers vandalize parks, and race their cars around tawn while tossing empty buer cans out the window. The solutions ta the lack of a deep sens. af connectedness ta famiiy and community are not simple nor easy. Vo start with, w. must iead by exemple, not words. This may bu the hardesi ai ail. For t00 long we have tald chiidren thal adulis can break the ruies w. want them ta live by. W. tell them they should walk ta the store ta save gas, or they shauld pick up their garbage but we don't, especialiy If they aren't around. 0f course, when they are adults they'l bu just like US. W. must spend time wilh aur children. We must f id every way we can ta bu a part af their lives, and ta invalve them iln ail aspects ai aur own -lives. We. muaitstach them svsrything we cen and ta aliaw them ta teach us. Thers is no greater gita give enother than ta ask them ta teach some afwhat they know. Young childrsn have wids open syss that can explore aur world as w. once knsw iR. SEL? PAGES 9 »i,-w qu A New Spirit of Giving Aim qiý,llaI progla lit lý. etitttir.ig,- I,-iiiig 910L ...........