The
      Cadre
      ¢
      24
      November
      1998
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Be
      a
      big...You’ll
      be
      Glad
      you
      did.
     
    
   
   
    
     
      By
      KELSEY
      MCINTOSH
      _
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
        
     
     
         
     
     
        
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Eight
      years
      ago
      I
      decide
      to
      become
      a
      Big
      Brother.
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Last
      year
      I
      was
      asked
      to
      be
      a
      member
      of
      the
      recruitment
      committee
      for
      the
      Big
      Brother/Big
     
     
      Sisters
      organization.
     
    
   
   
    
     
          
     
     
       
     
     
       
     
     
          
     
     
       
       
     
     
         
        
     
     
        
     
    
   
   
    
     
         
     
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
      But
      today
      is
      perhaps
      the
      most
      important
      day
      of
      all.
     
     
      Today
      is
      the
      first
      day
      of
      Big
      Brother/Big
      Sister
      awareness
      week
      here
      on
      P.E.I.,
      and
      it
      may
     
     
      be
      just
      the
      day
      a
      waiting
      ‘Little’
      gets
      matched
      with
      a
      ‘Big.’
     
    
   
   
    
     
        
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Asa
      Big
      Brother,
      my
      only
      obligation
      is
      to
      provide
      a
      one-to-one
      relationship
      with
      a
      child
      from
     
     
      a
      single
      parent
      family.
      I
      am
      not
      expected
      to
      be
      either
      a
      disciplinarian
      or
      a
      councillor.
      ‘Bigs’
     
     
      are
      caring,
      reliable
      adults
      from
      all
      walks
      of
      life,
      who
      are
      willing
      to
      share
      a
      few
      hours
      a
      week
     
     
      with
      a
      child.
     
    
   
   
    
     
        
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
     
       
     
     
        
     
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
      As
      a
      Big
      Brother,
      I
      have
      had
      the
      pleasure
      of
      watching
      my
      ‘Little’
      grow
      up
      form
      a
      grade
      two
     
     
      student
      to
      a
      sixteen-year-old
      who
      will
      be
      soon
      getting
      his
      driver’s
      license.
      Some
      of
      our
      time
     
     
      is
      spent
      watching
      movies,
      playing
      sports,
      going
      to
      the
      beach,
      doing
      a
      little
      homework,
      or
      going
     
     
      out
      to
      eat.
      Some
      outings
      may
      include
      small
      expenditures
      but
      ‘Bigs’
      are
      encouraged
      to
      keep
     
     
      spending
      toa
      minimum.
     
    
   
   
    
     
        
     
     
       
     
     
             
     
     
         
       
     
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
      There
      are
      currently
      over
      60
      matches
      here
      on
      P.E.I.,
      but
      most
      disturbing
      is
      that
      there
      are
      over
     
     
      100
      kids
      waiting
      for
      his/her
      ‘Big.’
      Some
      kids
      have
      to
      wait
      anywhere
      from
      3
      to
      5
      years
      to
      be
     
     
      ‘matched.’
      The
      need
      for
      ‘Bigs’
      has
      reached
      its
      peak.
     
    

    
     
      Eight
      years
      ago!
      read
      an
      article
      about
      this
      same
      waiting
      list
      and
      it
      was
      all
      the
      reason
      I
      needed
     
     
      to
      volunteer.
      My
      ‘Little’
      had
      been
      waiting
      for
      his
      ‘Big’
      for
      over
      two
      yeats.
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
         
     
     
       
         
     
    
   
   
    
     
        
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Most
      people
      assume
      they
      are
      too
      busy
      to
      take
      on
      such
      a
      big
      commitment.
      My
      eight-year
     
     
      relationship
      with
      my
      ‘Little’
      is
      an
      exception.
      Bigs
      are
      only
      expected
      to
      commit
      a
      minimum
      o
     
     
      six
      months
      to
      the
      program,
      which
      is
      in
      the
      best
      interest
      of
      the
      child.
      I,
      like
      most
      people,
      have
     
     
      acareer,
      friends,
      and
      other
      responsibilities,
      yet
      I
      actually
      look
      forward
      to
      that
      time
      where
      I
      can
     
     
      do
      those
      ‘kid’
      things
      with
      my
      ‘Little.’
     
     
      Sharing
      a
      child’
      s
      interests
      will
      expand
      yours,
      and
      you
      will
      have
      the
      satisfaction
      of
      knowing
      that
     
     
      you
      have
      made
      a
      contribution
      to
      a
      young
      person’s
      life.
      As
      many
      organizations
      often
      seek
     
     
      financial
      help
      from
      the
      community,
      instead
      I
      urge
      you
      to
      donate
      your
      time
      to
      a
      child.
      Be
      a
      Big
     
     
      Brother/Big
      Sister!
      You’ll
      both
      be
      glad
      you
      did.
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Wiext
      books?
     
     
      Tobacco
      ad
     
    
   
   
    
     
         
       
     
     
          
     
     
       
       
     
     
       
       
     
     
         
     
     
        
     
    
   
   
    
     
        
     
     
        
     
     
        
     
    
   
   
    
     
            
     
     
        
     
     
        
     
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
      We
      Ran
     
     
      Out!
     
     
      If
      you
      do
     
     
      not
      need
     
    

    
     
      yours,
     
     
      please
     
     
      rop
      off
      at
     
     
      the
     
     
      CADRE
     
     
      with
      our
     
     
      /olunteers
      sincere
     
    
   
   
    
     
      DUS
      SL
      |
      thanks!
     
    
   
   
    
     
        
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
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      307
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