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Growth of a Nation Fitzhenry & Whiteside $2.95 ‘

It's happened at laSt. A major book publisher has discovered that Canada has a history, and that's inter— esting. I I

A new history series des-

igned for junior high schools,

is entertaining, interesting and informative. Featuring Such themes as the Gold Rush, Building of a Rail— road, and the North-West Mounted Police, this ser— ies uses people, diaries, photographs of documents, newspaper clippings, and ‘assorted memorabalia to enrich our understanding of these events. Study

ime Cadre, Feb.lZ,l977, page 5

i,

hints, a vocabulary list, and comprehension ques—

tions are some of the aids used to guide the student.

Summaries of the salient points and personalities are scattered throughout the books. These works are very suited to the teacher who wants students to do

projects or activities ass— ociated with their studies.

What we liked about this series is that it takes advantage of the colour-

'ful characters and events in Canada's history to te teach us in-an_interest- ing way. Do you know about Shoohum Charlie, Matthew Begbie, the Hanging Judge or the recipe for Indian

Whiskey —-one quart alcohol,

one pound black chewing tobacco, one handfull of red peppers, one bottle Jamaica ginger, one quart \black molasses and water;

Canadian ' II istor

mix and !i1.— ? If not,

then perhaps you may want / to read this well written

-and witty account of Canada's

history.

The Canadians ' ‘ Fitzhenry & Whiteside $ 2.25 Fitzhenry and Whiteside also have an excellent series called The Canad— ians . Featuring such

,people as Sam MacLaughlin. 'William Van Horne and

Nellie McClung, the book is a collection of fas- cinating biographies of these great Canadians. Written for a higher level, probably grades nine and ten, these books read al- most like novels except f for the odd interjection in the form of a point to consider. These books also tend to introduce through the main character just what was happening in Canada at the time and who

at its best

was making it happen.

This series, which includes over eighty biographies, is a tremendous storehouse of information on Canada’s history.and deserve a pat on the back for

We can only say

that Fitzhenry and White— side deserve a pat on the back for these books.

For any yeacher of history

in grades six through ten,

'we recommend these as -excellent study aids.

Priced at $ 2.95 for the Growth of a Nation series series and $ 2.25 for The Canadians series, you should be able to get your school board to come aceoss. While we would not reco~ mmend these for university level reading, we feel that education students should be made aware of these excellent series for possible future use.

L”Arche:‘Home-~ Versusl‘nustitutiion con’t from page 4]

of these minircommunities is to foster a family atmosphere during meal ﬁme as well as to make evening prayer a more personal and meaningful experience. The special enthusiasm and family p atmosphere that is gen— erated by these‘mini—com—. Imnities provides the sup- port needed to sustain community morale as well as enrich the spirit of the UArche community as a whole. The sleeping quarters are set up in adesignated houses and are arranged in dorm—

hke fashion through—

out the community.

Meal time is a very Emortant part of the day because it is at this time ' Mere everybody shares the goings on of the day,. um community news, etc. Wmn the meal is over everybody pitches in with um clearing of the table mm the washing of dishes. “though the food is simple eWry meal is'a real cel— ebration. Lunch, in- ﬁdently, lasts about one hoUr and forty—five minutes Wiﬁlevery second usefully Savoured., ,

'The spiritual dimen—

S10H of L'Arche revolves SFrictly around prayer, Sllent meditation, the; Euchgristand the parti— Culaf“¥1jeé§‘ﬁiéaéﬁ' ‘hén‘diA i capped eRd”§E§i§%aﬁt ﬁes for Hm Lord. 'ﬁil ‘Clarke, a ‘ksuit priest who.spent» 11/2 years living at L'Arche am Who wrote a book con— CerHing hisfexperience at

L'Arche titled,"Enough

Room for Joy", points.out that L'Arche is a prime

example of the Universal ‘Christian Community con; sisting of laymen and lay- women, religious and priests, married people and single people , widows, believers in God, those still in search ofga vocation that seeks to unify mind, body and soul in a dynamic way, as well as charismatics, Catholics, Protestants, traditionalists, pro? gressive rich and poor, young and old. It is ‘ because of the uniqueness: of the members comprising the L'Arche community, the many religious de— nominations and different levels of faith, there are no specific obligatory rules concerning Mass attendance or recieving certain sacraments. However, Bill Clarke points out that "the prayers gatherings and the sacraments for many is an existenial ob— «ligation and not a question of rules or habit, but 'of surviaval." It is of particular interest to note that it is at the‘ Eucharist, which is widely attended and indeed a very touching experience, where perfect equality among ’ handicapped and assistant is mutually realized. During my five day visit :to L'Arche I was able to meet many of the assist- ants and converse in some broken French with some of the handicapped. I was 'simply amazed to discover the simplicity and spirit‘

that is radiant through- out the community.: It rseems to me that what is special about L'Arche is that it is in the everyday working, eating, praying, playing , suffering and struggling together that brings people to share a common vision of mutual ac- ceptance and commitment to care for each other. It is also the belief that

'somehow and in someway

each person is triving to give the good news of the bible and reveal to each other its truth.

Since 1964, L'Arche houses have blosomed in 9 countries throughout the world. In its own quiet way the mes- sage of L'Arche and the wisdon of Jean Vanier ap- parently makes sense. People are looking for alternative ways to live and are respondint to a calling that cannot be found in the world of materialism,.consumption and competition. My visit to L'Arche was brief but it was a touch— ing experience that gave _me a clearer under-

,standing of the role that‘

Christians must play in our society. The sim— plicity, the living from day to day, the willingness to be open and receptive

to other's needs, and to realize that a person is

of value not because of what he does but because of what he does but be-

_cause he is, is the mes—

sage our world needs so ‘desperately to hear. ’One can learn a temendous

amount from the handicapped. Status, prestige, competi— tion, the desire to ex— cell, the need to win at all costs, does not matter in their eyes. It is the little things that matter to the handicapped. To smile, to be respectful,

to lend a helping hand

out of love in time of need, to give support during periods of lone- liness and depression

and the desire to see the other attain the greatest possible liberty is the ‘message I learned at L'Arche from the handicapped and the assistants.

I have attempted to 1give you a general idea about my visit to L'Arche. :So much has gone unsaid though because L'Arche is a way of life and it is the little things that happen every day that make ~L'Arche work. "Although it is impossible to relate in total "the way of life" at L'Arche, it is not im— possible to understand the important significance that the message of L'Arche has for our time. Therefore, let us proceed into this New Year with a renewed hope in HOPE. Let us give the courage to ask God for the fsith, strength confidence and determination that is needed to resolve the anxieties, insecurities and false expectations which put a damper on our ability to celebrate life in its completeness.

Art Laffin Weert, Hollandt¢gu Jan 11.1977