Friday, July 19, 1991 - North Shore News - 7 Recognizing the greatness of average folk RECENTLY I sat in the audience as my daughter graduated from Argyle Sec- ondary School. By Sam Louie Contributing Writer What a proud moment it was as I paused to reflect upon the cul- mination of her 12 years of education. After some introductory remarks by school dignitaries, the scholarship and bursary awards were handed out. I never realized there were so many geniuses that attended Argyle. I wish these scholars well, but really they didn’t need the luck; all those other average students are the ones who need support. How easy it is to forget them. Occupants of the far side of the bell curve lay the groundwork against which others shine so brightly. Yet, there were no re- markable awards congratulating them on making it to Grade 12. I'm sure that for some, just graduating was a feat in itself, much less getting into the presitigious faculties of law, med- icine, etc. The average students will te the Approval or that housewives and = methers tomorrow, the husbands work at the mill or shipyard. They have done nothing out- standing and they remain silent. They are everyday common folk like you and me. They form a major portion of our sociciy. They may never shine academ- ically, but please do not forget them. They need our recognition. They need to hear congratula- tions that they made it. They need to hear our wishes that they will find their own way and continue to develop into useful citizens. They are the backbone of our country. if I had the opportunity, ! would have livened up the gradua- tion proceedings with the follow- ing presentation: My name is Sam Louie and I have the honor and privilege of presenting the Order of Wombats Eating Small Marsupials Scholar- ship. This prize is awarded to the student who is average and does not excel in two major areas: aca- demics and citizenship. This per- son cannot have been on the honor roll, or ever have had a grade point average of 3.8 or more anytime since kindergarten. The person does not have any ambition to pursue a_ higher education at Harvard, Oxford, process mired in red tape Dear Editor: As a North Shore resident and landowner, 1 applaud in principle the North Vancouver District housing strategy task force's ef- forts to implement some much needed stimulus into the bureau- cratic process. It was disappoin- ting that council rejected the staff report on Juiy 2 since many of the recommendations certainly focus- ed on the pressing need for provi- sion of housing for all income groups in the district. It is glaringly obvious from our current economic status that gov- ernment cannot subsidize housing to any great extent without further increasing an already crippling debt load on society. It has been proven that ongoing continued dependency on government even- tually causes society to decay. The development approval pro- cess continues to be mired with an ever increasing bureaucracy and delays in producing needed hous- ing do little more than add to the cost the consumer has to shculder. The staff report discusses ‘‘af- fordable housing”? and while this is a much used synonym it becomes more apparent that the focus should be on the provision of market housing that is priced in a range making it available to the average homebuyer. Is it realistic to expect that this type of housing can be produced on the open market? It is my belief that available lands do exist that can support this type of pro- duct. The foresight and leadership of our municipal leaders can demonstrate and set an example by encouraging development within the established guidelines that already exist. Ite is, of course, vital that any growth be implemented with specific care to blend harmoni- ously with our wonderful North Shore environment both in terms of sensitivity to our ecology and to ensure no overburden on our social systems. Let us embellish the basics of the free market system that we cherish and use it to encourage the development community to pro- duce affordable market housing on the North Shore. Victor D. Setton Vancouver NV school cuts distressing Gpen letter to Hon. Jim Hansen, Minister of Education: We, the parents of Cleveland School, have grave concerns about the inadequate block funding for the North Vancouver schools and the negative effects this is having on our children. The effects are compounded by the problem created by Bill 82. The size of School District 44’s block for 1991/92 is inadequate to meet the increased costs the district will face in 1991/92 and is resulting in cuts to the programs and services to our students. In addition, the Compensation Fairness Act has caused unneces- sary distress and uncertainty. On behalf of the children of North Vancouver, we ask you to reconsider the block allocation and repeal Bill 82. Thank you for your considera- tion. Pam und Mark Pedlow North Vancouver MIT, UBC or SFU; he is not go- ing into the faculties of Law, Medicine, Engineering or Fine Arts, and has no ambition to become a pediatric neurosurgeon, corporate lawyer, acronautical space engineer, or prime minister. At no time can this candidate have served as yearbook editor, prom queen or have coached any sports team including tennis, curl- ing, swimming, skateboarding, skiing, cycling, skydiving, soccer, or ringettes. This person must be a poor chess player and preferably has never played before. This caididate must be a con- sistent nonparticipant and show no dynamic leadership. This per- son must be linguistically inept, having periodic difficulty with grammar in their primary and on- ly language. He or she must not be fluent in French, or have any knowledge of Cantonese, Kurdish, Swahili, or Inuktitu. The ideal candidate can- not perform any ethnic rituals, especially any aspect of Eastern Estonian Highland dancing at or near any cultural centre. No musical talent can be dem- onstrated in playing any instru- ment well -- especialy the piano or violin. There should be no participa- tion in activist interest groups like Earthwatch, Amnesty interna- MAILBOX tional, Mothers Against Drunk Drivers, or Gay Women's Rights. No extra-curricular tutoring is expected with Sunday school, candy striping, mentally handi- capped, local neighborhood house, or the blind, deaf, dunid and mute. The recipient of this award musi be of an unremarkable in- telligence and must excel in two important areas: procrastination and laziness. Our winner this year has achieved this Jevel and more. In fact, she has shown some degree of leadership in this regard. There is no abundance of motivation academically, or any sense of what can be considered as disciplined behavior. She can be found pro- crastinating to the nth degree until two nights before the final pro- vincial exam, whereupon intense repentance and cramming sud- denly occurs. She breaks curfew with feeble and unimaginative excuses; she shows lack of respect by talking back to her mother. She often sleeps in. It is a chore for her to do her chores. Since kindergarten, her room has been in dynamic chaos. An examination of this ar- cheological dig leads one to con- clude that the clothes hanger has not yet been invented. She is here for a good time and doesn’t think too far into the future. She is a teenager. She doesn’t smoke, drink, do drugs, or shave her head. She has never been in jail and seldom swears. She searches out, gets and leaves her own jobs. She’s not asked for an allow- ance or handouts. She has a lovely smile. She is compassionate, sen- sitive and possesses something that is often lacking in today’s society: a conscience. She also has com- mon sense. She cares about animals; she cares about people. She loves her brother and her sister, her mom and dad. She’s matured quickly. She’s blossomed into a pretty woman and a good person, one with morals and values. She'll be a good citizen of this society. She respects herself and her family and friends. This person could very well be your daugh- ter/son or your niece/nephew or your neighhor’s child or your friend ... and we’re very, very proud of how she/he has turned out. This award cannot be reduced to monetary terms. This is a spiritual honor that cannot be bought. This is a special recogni- tion for them. Trying to instill important values Dear Editor: I scad Paul St. Pierre’s June 28 column (‘‘You are not yet the centre of the universe’) with some reassurance although I am sure those to whom it was addressed did not. As a parent of three children, my persistent resistance to and/or restriction of what seems to be the current norm in our society — children home alone for hours on end; endless Nintendo; inappropri- ate unrestricted TV and videos; unending supplies of junk food; bigger and better toys; designer clothes; whatever — has often exhausted me and, at times, made me feel like a “stranger in a strange land.”’ Yet, | am convinced that the values I am trying to retain and instil! in my children are wor- thy and important. 1 agree with St. Pierre — we are starving our children morally and spiritually. Kathryn Nicholson North Vancouver Thanks for the informative coverage Dear Editor: Re: The Canada. tam writing to thank you and your staff fer your support of the 1991 Census. The news coverage provided by your paper and others 1991 Census of informed British Columbians about the value and importance of the census to their community. Your assistance in bringing this message to the public has been in- valuable. In choosing to support the census you have contributed to the benefits the province will receive. Thank you for your sup- port. David Rushton, Director Pacific Region Statistics Canada Vancouver