Page 6, March 14, 1979 - North Shore News 1e first-name game 5s A number of readers phoned recenitly to protest the use of the name “Wacky Bennett” in the headline of a'News obituary on the late former premier of B.C. For reasons which follow I could not personally agree with their criticism in this particular instance -— but the fact that they called at all on the matter does suggest that it may be time to take a passing look at the whole “name pa Grand Opening! once earned his’ livelihood grinding wheat into flour.” To this extent the use of the surname alone, which reached its peak in Victorian and Edwardian etiquette, may actually be a good deal less cont surposes than is game” as it is presently played in Western society. The game is based on the ' practice, which became widespread after World War Two, of calling and referring to mere acquaintances and total strangers alike by their Christian names — a custom formerly . reserved for members of one’s family and close personal friends. — Thus, for example, business men meeting each other for the first — and possibly only -- time preparatory to a session of cut-throat bargaining are warmly introduced to one another as Tom and Dick | and Harry. Bosses and employees . address each other af- fectionately by their first names, without ‘any discernible effect on traditional hiring and firing practices. Sales people call prospective customers by their first names — over the phone and without ever having met them face to face. Students. are even known to‘ hail teachers and professors by their first names. HEADLINE WRITERS Top public figures are fair game for everyone. The Queen becomes “Liz” and the heir to her throne “Charlie”. The office of the prime minister is designated as “Pierre” and that of the keader of the opposition as “Joe” (Whatever). The president of the world’s most powerful country is popularly described as “Jimmy”. According to how you look upon this first-name habit, the media have a lot to answer for, of course. Headline writers are compelled, by the discipline of their profession, to grasp at the shortest possible words in order to compress their message into 72-point type. “Mrs. Trudeau” and “Deputy Premier McCarthy” take up an impossible amount of badly naecded space when “Maggie” and “Grace” will tell your readers whom you're talking about just as clearly. And yet ... there ls a little more to the first-name game than mere — shorthand. Precisely because first names were once reserved for relatives and intimate ane Fa sige Fed es a eg : . a + x er Noel Wright . buddies, their use on today’s much wider scale does denote a certain warmth of feeling, even if only tem- porary. The uninvited user of your first name is, after all, saying “Tm prepared to like you and I hope you'll like me.” The feeling may not survive for long but at least it’s a start in the right direction — in the same way as when strangers shake hands and dogs peacefully sniff one another: SURNAMES RARE Often overlooked, too, is the fact that a man’s or woman’s first name is — historically speaking — their only true name. In England, prior to the Middle Ages, surnames were com- paratively rare. It was only when there began to be too many John’s and Mary’s living in the same com- munity that it eventually became necessary to distinguish between them by adding a parent's name, a place name, the aame of their occupation or a description of some personal trait. Such was the origin of surnames like Johnson, Lincoln, Taylor and Stout. Today, when you greet a man formally as “Mr. Millar”, what you're really saying is: “I'm not interested in your name — all I need to know about you is thal a distant ancestor of yours oy my phone 669 2145 : y 1401 hornby 3t. vancouver bc gommonly supposed. At best it’s a convenient ritual — one step better than not knowing someone’s name at all — whereas the use of the first mame at least denotes a certain genuine interest, however transitory, in that other human being as a person. a ‘All of which leads me think that the first-naming ‘fashion of the past 30 years, despite its many passing abuses, is probably a step in the right direction as far as human relations are con- cerned. Heaven knows, we need all the scraps of warmth we can collect on our passage through today’s often chilly world. GENUINE AFFECTION B.C.’s_ former premier, W.A.C. Bennett, presumably did not share my views. There is no record that he ever permitted even his closest colleagues to address him by a first name. The initials stood for William Andrew Cecil and, to the day of his death, even the probing media were mever quite clear about which of the three was used in his most intimate circles. Certainly the public never was. But the public — in- cluding even many of his . political opponents — had, at bottom, a genuine affection for the leader who, over 20 years, guided B.C. into its greatest era of prosperity. So the public, in the spirit of the times, made up its own first name for him, based on his familiar initals — Wacky. Maybe it was not the most dignified of first names but — given Mr. Bennett's own prejudices in the matter — it was the best the public could do. Like Churchill's nickname, “Winnie”, | think that “Wacky”, all political considerations aside, reflected a great deal of sincere respect and liking for the man himself. That was certainly the Spirit in which it was used in the News headline. For the public at large “Wacky” had a first name warmth that “W.A.C. Bennett” never express. could newest, In the new, bright yellow reception area disco music shimmies over the intercom as you sign the guest register. You are greeted enthusiastically . by your very own instructor who, within the next 90 minutes, will tell you more about your own body than you may even care to know, and have you well on your way to believe that you can lose weight. The scene of all this energy is the New European most luxurious salon in North Vancouver’s international Plaza Hotel. Conversion of the lower level of the hotel began in late 1978. Today, half a million dollars and nine weeks of business later, memberships are selling quickly. It’s no wonder — for $5 to $9 per week, all the latest In professional exercise facilities and a staff who really know thelr product are at your fingertips. “Most women come here to lose weight,” sayS manager Eve Cavvoto. “Others realize that you have to start on a regular exercise program before you're 25 to look good at 30. A lot of men go beyond basic fitness and get into ‘definition’ — contouring certain parts of the body — while elderly people find exercise one of the best ways to combat diseases like arthritis or bursitus. And with these facilities, getting into shape is fun!” The atmosphere of this new Spa Fitness Centre revolves around the body awareness, as evidenced by the numbers of mirrors it contains. A close rapport between in- structors and members is emphasized, and every new member receives = individual consuttation according to his or her weight, physical condition, etc. Even special diet advice is available upon request. Spa’s . Aone hour-and- a-half program is available free to anyone in- terested in a Spa membership and a friend. it begins in one of two large changing rooms, each equipped with plenty of lockers, mirrors and even hair dryers. When property attired, you'll meet your instructor in one of the two exercise rooms containing all the stretching, lifting and peddiing devices your body is ever likely to need. Once your measurements and medical history § are down on paper, your instructor will proceed to work out a per- sonalized set of “goals” with you. Lucky you! Now on to one of those amazing machines, the Lifecycle, for a good bout of exhilarating peddling! The Lifecycle is programmed by the instructor according to your ability. In 12 minutes you cover up and down hill terrain equal to 3 miles of jogging while strengthening the heart, improving _ cir- culation and toning feg and stomach muscles. Your instructor — will spend half an hour of up to six visits helping you become _ familiar with the equipment and exercises. And if you find this routine hard work, you'll appreciate some of the Spa’s more luxurious facilities. Take the 122,000 galion free-form pool for instance. Over- crowding Is impossible and an illusion of even qreater Space is created by the huge glass bubble that covers part of the pool and a large~ exotic garden. Spectators in the Heritage Dining Room will agree — it has all the glamor of some of the famous “California” type spas. The whirlpool, directly accessable to the swimming pool, is another good way to improve circulation and relieve tension. From there you might move into one of three saunas. There’s one dry sauna, the most beneficial for colds, and two steam saunas for those who sometimes find it difficult to breath in a dry sauna. The resident masseur is available for business every day of the week. There’s only one place in the Spa that isn’t bustling with activity — the relaxing lounge, a_ spacious, dimly lit room with nothing in it but several inviting tounge chairs. Two large tennis courts are on the south side of the hotel for those who preter a more balanced indoor-outdoor exerci- se regime. Women’s days at the Spa are Mondays and Wednesdays, from .10 a.m. to 10 p.m. Guys can work out on Tuesdays and Thur- sdays, same _ hours. Co-ed days have proven so popular for members, that they've been extended to three days a week — Friday, 10 to 10 and Saturday and Sunday from 10 to 6 p.m. During co-ed days proper attire, that is either jogging suits or sweat pants and T- shirts for guys and feotards for gals, |s mandatory.