The following text may have been generated by Optical Character Recognition, with varying degrees of accuracy. Reader beware!

he came through economist suntribune march 2 1988 c5 hes a shy sort of kid well man nered and eager to please but just a little undermotivated thats why he was sent off to endure the rigors and rigid routine of st johns school in claremont he took to the schools academic program like a duck to water small classes lots of per sonal treatment and no where to hide he didnt know what hit him when he got his first taste of the institutions outdoor program that pits boys from soft urban en vironments up against elements as well as their own lack of tough ness the two week canoe expedi tion in northern ontario proved to be an experience in both endur ance and basic survival but he grew a little and gra dually learned how to hold his own despite his being the youngest in a school of 55 boys some of whom are being sent there as a last ditch effort to straighten out lives heading in all the wrong directions his quiet steadiness led to his being chosen as one of the team captains for the annual st johns snowshoe race a greuling ordeal that sees the kids up at 430 am on race day so they can beat out their 23 miles before sundown he had never been asked to lead anything in his life and there was some doubt hed be up to it after all he was just not a take charge kind of 12yearold the training runs that led up to the big day proved inconclusive one week his outfit would be up near the top the next week they would slip towards the back of the pack was he taking control was he tuning into the requirements of leadership the subtle and some times not so subtle prodding needed to keep his charges from succumbing to the aches and pains that can sour a youngsters attitude especially late in the race when simply finishing can become the only concern race day saw his team holding its own until inexplicably the collective chemistry went sour his dad so hopeful this could be a positive experience to help the boy come into his own watched with disappointment as his sons unit pulled into the midpoint juice break dead last in a four- team race and seemingly without inspiration he took his son aside during the three minute breather and re minded him this was what all the hard work had been leading up to that leadership required one seize the moment and bring out hidden qualities in both the leader him self and those he was assigned to lead give yourself something to remember 20 years from now he told him the team trundled off and soon disappeared in the nearby hills the boys father watched the white sweater with the faded pink stripes that made it so easy to identify his son among the others trying to make sense of what was apparently happening as they faded into the bush now the whole point of the marathon on snowshoes is for the boys to fight their own personal battles and for some those a lit tle more frail than others those who have experienced handicaps like asthma or whatever its truly a victory just to complete the course winning the race is in many ways of secondary import ance but for this boy strong of body and high on potential this was more a test of his ability to prove his worth to himself and others in terms of taking on the responsibil ity of leadership to place last would represent failure for him the parents lined up at days end straining their eyes as the lead teams made the turn that led to the finish line in front of the school liflsbsbbk from where fifld i live wljhuk r bruce dm- stapley the winning team the one that had taken control early and never looked back came clomping down the road about 10 minutes later the second place team came into distant view and as they trudged wearily into sight it was the white sweater with the faded pirk stripes one parent noticed above all the rest somehow the captain had man aged to inspire his troops the comeback had been accom plished i was very proud of my son shane in this years snowshoe race that saturday in february mildrens summer camp fair wednesimy march 2 1988 630 900 pm thornhill community centre john st bayview ave parents and children are invited to meet directors of a variety of summer camps to discuss their different programmes day camps residential camps specialty camps second ski fashions ltd m is pleased to present nina goldman and andrew needhammer of the national ballet of canada on sflturday march 5 1988 from 200 rh to 400 pk your questions will be welcomed and autographs will be available 8100 yonge st thornhill at thornhill ave just south of highway 7 7312629 x j restaurant vm 30 east beaver creek rd richmond hill nightly specials monday burgers wings 15 tuesday pasta dinner wednesday new york steak dinner thursday prime rib roast friday fish dinner 95 dinners include salad or soup vegetables coffee daily lunch specials monday to friday 630 am 1000 pm open saturday 800 am 400 pm richmonds also is available for special occasion parties on saturday sunday for more information call 7646066