IONA PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH

IONIAN The

Volume 14, Number 1 June 2010

The next Sunday, July 4, is our first sum-mer joint service with St. Cyprian’s. I would ask you to note that there is a new time for the summer ser-vices - 10:30 a.m. There is a full schedule of the summer services elsewhere in the newsletter. There are also some events already sched-uled for September for which I would like to give you advance notice. Our annual welcome back corn roast will be on September 19 after the service. September 21 is the first TCW (Tri-Congregational Women) meeting this fall. Linda and I will be show-ing pictures and talking about our trip to teach Eng-lish in China last summer. September 25 is also a big day as it is our annual Garage Sale - so save your treasures up and bring them to the church in September so we can have a successful event. Iona will again be participating in the sale, so please save that day (or the Friday before) to help set up and sell things. This event is much appreci-ated by our community, especially those on fixed incomes. On a personal level, while Linda and I don’t have anything as exciting as China up our sleeves for holidays this year, we ar looking forward to our time away in August. We are going to Florida and also take a cruise for a week. Cruising is our fa-vourite way to holiday. Right now we are spending a lot of time with our family and thoroughly enjoying our little grandsons. Noah is actually playing soccer this year, and it is fun to go and watch. Mason wants to get out there and play too, but there is no league for one-year-olds. As we prepare for summer, I would ask that you consider how you can all be as faithful to Iona in the coming months as you are the rest of the year. We are down about $ 3000 so far this year, heading into the most difficult financial time for us. Please make every effort to be at worship when you are in town, and if you are away a lot, I would ask (cont’d Page 2)

Greetings in the name of Jesus to our

whole church family. As summer approaches, it has been our custom to send out a newsletter informing everyone of upcoming events, summer services, etc. June is a very busy month at Iona. June 6 was a wonderful service attended by our friends at St. Cyprian’s, as their priest, Allan Kirk, was off sick. Because of health issues, Allan had already announced his re-tirement as of the end of June, but the problems escalated and he had successful procedures to un-block an artery on June 4. He faces another such procedure, or possibly some surgery, but all looks very promising. I would ask that you keep Allan and his wife Janet in your prayers as they go through this difficult time and begin the transition toward new phases in their lives. I also ask for your prayers for St. Cyprian’s as they begin to search for a new minister and plan for a new chapter of their congre-gation’s life. June 13 is the baptism of Eric Kenneth Cuthbertson, son of Scott and Carolyn Cuthbertson. Eric is Gloria Cuthbertson’s grandson, and Sadie Moore’s great grandson. June 20th will be the service where we celebrate the 40th Anniversary of our Tri-Church Building. It will be an outdoor service, so bring your lawn chairs or a blanket to sit on, sunscreen, hats, etc. Dress is casual. After the service we will have a luncheon together. There will be lots of food, lots of deserts, sandwiches etc. Iona’s part of the lunch is to provide the sandwiches and perhaps some vege-table trays - so please help out with some food so we can have a great feast. June 27 is our last 11 a.m. regular Iona service before Summer Starts. After our service we will have a joint fellowship time with St. Cyprian’s, as it is Allan’s last service before retirement. Iona will make a presentation to Allan during that time, showing our appreciation for his ministry and friend-ship among us.

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that you consider keeping up your offering by mail-ing it to the office, or making a monthly or one-time donation that covers the summer. Our expenses remain the same in July and August, but our reve-nue does go down considerably. Please prayer-fully consider what you can do to help out. As the warm weather hits and many have their holidays, I pray that you will have a wonder-ful, safe, joyful summer. May God bless you all. PS Please keep this newsletter so you can keep up with all the upcoming dates. Please also check our website, www.tri-church.ca (and click on the Iona link) and you will see the events posted there, as well as some pictures and information after the events take place.

Schedule of Summer Services 10:30 a.m.

Iona:

July 4, July 11, July 18, July 25, Sept.5 Iona: Holy Communion July 4, Sept.5 St. Cyprian’s Aug 1, Aug 8, Aug 15, Aug 22, Aug 29

The Solution Whenever I’m disappointed with my spot in life, I stop and think about little Jamie Scott. Jamie was trying out for a part in the school play. His mother told me that he’d set his heart on being in it, though she feared he would not be chosen. On the day the parts were awarded, I went with her to collect him after school. Jamie rushed up to her, eyes shining with pride and excitement. “Guess what, Mom,” he shouted, and then said these words that will always remain a lesson to me…... “I’ve been chosen to clap and cheer!” Teaching children to be polite and courteous in the home is problematic, when they grow up they’ll never be able to merge a car onto a freeway. Two can live as cheaply as one, for half as long.

TOO LATE

God’s help we ask when troubled, In crisis or in grief;

Sometimes as a last resort While searching for relief.

The shame it is that often It’s the only time His name Becomes focus of attention When dealing with our pain.

He’s always there when needed,

A moment’s thought away, Prepared to hear our prayers,

Any time, night or day.

Today His world is troubled, It’s people are depressed,

There’s much injustice practiced, But little is addressed

The affluence keeps growing,

And science rules the day; The effect is constant striving,

Shoving many out of way.

We’re losing sight of morals, Self-indulgence now holds sway, Faith in God no longer needed;

Human ego wins the day

Turmoil and strife increasing, More violence with each day: God’s will ignored - our peril, For that’s the price we pay.

Our arrogance far extended, We constantly challenge fate, No signs of learning lessons:

We’ll likely learn too late.

JMB

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Samsung Electronics: Caller: “Can you get me the telephone number for Jack?” Operator: “I’m sorry sir, I don’t understand what you are talking about.” Caller: “On page 1, section 5, of the user guide it clearly states that I need to unplug the fax ma-chine from the AC wall socket and telephone Jack before cleaning. Now can you give me the number for Jack?” Operator: “It think it means the telephone plug on the wall.”

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Parish Nursing Ministry AHHH…..Summer!

Summertime and the livin’ is easy to quote Gershwin. It’s time to get out and really enjoy God’s Creation. Wonderful food, outdoor activities, time with family and friends, and oppor-tunities for spiritual growth abound. A few simple safety rules can help us avoid problems. As a recipe for body-mind-spirit health, it doesn’t get much better than this! Summer joys start with being outside. This is my Father’s world – green grass and trees, colourful flowers, beautiful bird songs. It is relaxing time whether you have an exciting trip planned or just want to laze around the backyard. Listen to music. Read a good book. Ride a bike. Whatever relaxes you. Concentrate on being in-stead of doing for a while. It is also a great time for outdoor exercise appropriate to your physical condition. Walk, hike, ride a bike, skateboard, swim, play sports (tennis, baseball, golf, etc.). Even with limited activity tolerance, you can find some form of exercise that will increase your fit-ness and improve your spirits if done in small amounts in the cool times. Hot weather brings its share of risks: sun-burn and skin cancer, insect bites, sports injuries and falls, swimming or boating accidents, dehy-dration, and extra strain on the heart and lungs for those with pre-existing heart and breathing problems, to name but a few. Most of these prob-lems can be minimized by adhering to the simple safety rules we already know. Wear sunscreen and a hat when out in sunny weather, and avoid the hottest part of the day (approx. 10:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.). Wear insect repellent (one of the natu-ral types) especially near water or forests at dawn and dusk. Wear appropriate safety equipment for your activity. Don’t swim alone and wear a life vest when boating. Watch young children very carefully around any open water (pools, lakes, etc.). Drink 6 – 8 glasses of water daily, unless you are on a fluid restricted diet. In the hot, humid weather, stay inside and relax, especially if you have heart or lung problems. Summer meals can be wonderful! Locally grown fresh fruits and vegetables taste so good. Some nutritional superstars include sweet pota-toes, grape tomatoes, broccoli, butternut squash, beans, wild salmon, and spinach. Then there are the summer fruits – strawberries, blueberries, cherries, grapes, etc., and, of course, nuts (almonds, walnuts, etc.). Almost any green salad

can become gourmet food with the addition of some fruit and nuts (e.g. baby spinach with straw-berries and almonds). Just finish with a little light dressing. Easy to make and so good for you! Bar-becuing is a great way to cook without heating up the kitchen. Cook the meat/ poultry/fish through but avoid drying (tough , flavourless) or charring (risk for prostate cancer). Ramp up your social life. Invite family or friends over for a barbecue and let them bring some of the food. Everybody has a good time and no one is stuck with all the work. If you live alone, call a friend or neighbour and suggest coffee or a walk. Learn to separate what is truly important from things that only seem urgent. If your dying friend wants to see you, does it really matter that the house may not be spotless when your com-pany comes tonight? In this time of activity and socialization, we also need quiet time to renew ourselves. Time spent with God wherever we may find Him. Go where you feel close to God, whether it is at church, reading the Bible, sitting in the garden or by the lake, and let your soul be nourished. Health consists of nurturing all aspects of our being – body, mind, and spirit; of loving and being loved; and of maintaining community with others and our Creator. None of us lives without problems and sometimes we can’t see beyond them. Summer is a great time to look up and let the beauty around us do its healing work. May you have a safe, relaxing, blessed summer!

Margaret E. Black, Parish Nurse

TAKE HEART! DECREASE YOUR RISK OF HEART

ATTACK & STROKE Cardiovascular disease is one of the leading causes of death in Canada. Due to our growing population of seniors and the twin epidemics of obesity and type 2 diabetes, especially among the young, public health authorities are warning of sharp increases in the numbers of heart attacks and strokes in the near future. Come to our Par-ish Nursing Ministry presentation in October to learn how to protect yourself and family to the greatest extent possible against these conditions.

October 31, 2010

Watch for details in the September church bulle-tins and the posters.

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Announcements 40th Anniversary - Tri-Church Building

Sunday June 20th @ 11:00 a.m.Sunday June 20th @ 11:00 a.m.Sunday June 20th @ 11:00 a.m.Sunday June 20th @ 11:00 a.m. A combined service of all three churches will be held outdoors to celebrate the 40 years that have transpired since the Tri-church Building was officially opened in April of 1970.

Summer Services Summer joint services with St. Cyprian’s will begin on Sunday July 4th, with the joint ser-vices beginning at 10:30 a.m. throughout July and August. Individual church services will re-sume on September 12th at 11:00 a.m. Fur-ther details appear elsewhere in the newslet-ter. We respectfully request people to remem-ber their summer offerings to ensure we are able to continue meeting our obligations.

September 19 September 19 September 19 September 19 ---- Iona Corn Roast Iona Corn Roast Iona Corn Roast Iona Corn Roast Our annual corn roast will take place immedi-ately after the worship service.

Saturday, September 25Saturday, September 25Saturday, September 25Saturday, September 25

TriTriTriTri----Churches Garage SaleChurches Garage SaleChurches Garage SaleChurches Garage Sale The sale will take place within the church building from 9:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. with all three congregations participating. Have you anything to sell at the sale? Watch for an-nouncements regarding new guidelines.

Tuesday, October 26Tuesday, October 26Tuesday, October 26Tuesday, October 26

Waffles/Bake Sale/Silent AuctionWaffles/Bake Sale/Silent AuctionWaffles/Bake Sale/Silent AuctionWaffles/Bake Sale/Silent Auction This event will be held on Tuesday evening from 6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. Further informa-tion will be forthcoming in the fall in church bulletins and on posters in September.

Sunday, October 31Sunday, October 31Sunday, October 31Sunday, October 31

Take Heart! Take Heart! Take Heart! Take Heart! A Tri-Church Parish Nursing Presentation dealing with decreasing your risk for heart attack & stroke. Full details will be forthcoming in September.

Plans For Next Year : 2011 In the month of February, plans are afoot for a Chocolate Strawberry & Bake Sale event. There is a possibility of another visit from the Village Voices choir sometime in April. Another Strawberry Social is being planned for June 15th.

Chicken Pies In the planning stage is another day to pro-duce chicken pies sometime in the month of November. More information, date and a re- quest for volunteers will be forthcoming in the fall. Note: Daylight Saving time, which is now leg-islated, ends on the first Sunday in November. It will begin again on the second Sunday in March 2011.

Technical Support Support: “ I need you to right-click on the open desktop.” Caller: “ Ok.” Support: Did you get a pop-up menu?” Caller: “ No.” Support: “ Ok. Right-click again. Do you see a pop-up menu?” Caller: “ No.” Support: “ Ok, sir, Can you tell me what you have done up until this point?” Caller: “Sure. You told me to write ‘click’ and I wrote ‘click’” Did you hear about the man in Paris who almost got away with stealing several paintings from the Louvre? After planning the event, getting in and out past security, he was captured two blocks away when his van ran out of gas. When asked how he could mastermind such a pro-ject and then make such an obvious error, he re-plied, “Monsieur, I had no Monet to buy Degas to make the Van Gogh.” I had De Gaulle to put this one in.

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PHOTO & BIBLICAL CAPTION CONTEST

Here is a chance to look through your photos and get creative with finding biblical cap-tions that fit them! Here is the the first entry (caption courtesy William Williams) just to give you the idea. Please give your photo(s) and biblical caption(s) to an Ionian editor in September for publication in the fall Ionian. All photos will be returned. Please note that all photos will be rendered into black & white as our copying facilities cannot han-dle colour. Photos can be cropped if desired. The congregation will be asked to vote for the best presentation. The winning entry will be announced in the spring Ionian.

“ The wolf will live with the lamb “ Isaiah 11:6

Recipe of the month It would be interesting to share some of your fa-vourite recipes. Here is one from Bora United in Regina, SK for a popular salad - romaine with mandarin oranges and pecans. > 2 heads of romaine lettuce > 1 can drained mandarin orange sections or 2 fresh oranges peeled & sliced > 3/4 to 1 cup of lightly toasted pecans Dressing: > 1/3 cup of vinegar > 1/4 cup of sugar > 1/2 cup of salad oil > lemon juice & dill weed to taste

> 1/2 tsp salt > 1/4 tsp pepper > 1/2 red onion chopped > 1 tsp dry mustard > 2 tbsp water Wash and tear lettuce into bite-sized pieces. Add pecans & oranges (strawberries & almonds can be substituted), Combine remaining ingredients and pour over the salad, Toss to ensure coating and serve immediately. (Recipe courtesy of Cheryl Atcheson slightly modi-fied by Margaret Black)

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Start Low, Aim High

An Immigrants Story - JSLIM

WHen a colleague heard that I was going

to emigrate to Canada, he asked me if I had a job arranged. I answered, nonchalantly, no. He bluntly told me I was crazy. I understood where he was coming from because I was leaving a good position which he knew would not be easy to come by in a new country. My father’s reaction was more subtle and philosophical. He quoted a proverb, ‘It is better to have a bird in the hand than two in the sky.’ I was aware of the problems I would have to face. About a year before getting my landed immigrant visa, I visited Toronto and fell in love with the city. I even tried to get a job offer, without success. At the age of 43, I was still convinced that somehow I would get a job. My determination was firm. My goal was not alone to satisfy personal ambition, but to give my children a better future. I was deter-mined to do anything to raise my family in Canada. For an immigrant getting a job is the #1 priority. Going immediately to employment offices and agencies, and writing resumes and submitting applications was my daily routine. I could not apply for an engineering position because the profession is regulated here. For that reason at first, I tried applying for a mechanical designer’s job. As it turned out, my 15 years of experience in engineer-ing and management in my home country meant nothing because I lacked Canadian experience. I also found out that being overqualified is also an obstacle to getting a lower paid job. Strange as it may seem, one can be under qualified and over-qualified at the same time, and used as reasons for not being considered. When companies hire per-sonnel, they usually want someone with local ex-perience. Question - how can a new immigrant have experience if they are not given the chance to acquire it? That is the frustration most immigrant must contend with. After six unsuccessful months of search-ing, our cash reserves were now a major concern. Now I knew I had to start over again at the bottom. My father had commented on my choice of Me-chanical engineering as my profession. He said that, should employment ever be a problem, I was equipped to work in a machine shop fixing cars, machines and so on. He was right. My past experi-ences had been in a workshop environment where I had an opportunity to observe German tool and die makers at work. I admired their skill and work-manship. Upon a visit to Germany, I was able to observe their apprenticeship system, which is their

source of skilled workers. I was now regretting not having had hands-on experience. I knew that I needed training if I was to find employment. I de-cided to start a new career as a tool and die maker. In industrial countries, this is a profession that is always in big demand in the job market. George Brown College offered a 2-year Tool and Die Technician course. Having a family to support did not allow me to undertake school full time for two years. Since I still wanted my engi-neering licence, I decided to take the 40-week ma-chine shop course, just to get going. It taught the basics of machine shop practice with hands-on training for enough skills to get employment. I was the oldest and most educated student in the class. Much to my own surprise I did quite well, although a lot of it I had seen before. During the original interview with the school I was asked if I needed financial help. There was a government grant for students taking certain courses at the college. It was a pleasant surprise for it enabled us to cover most of our (simple) living costs. As I was taking the course, I also started preparing for the admission examina-tion of the Association of Professional Engineers of Ontario. It was required that I had to do examina-tions in 4 subject areas; two technical, ethics and Canadian Law. I decided to take them in two years. Night courses were available at U of T and commu-nity colleges, but I decided to study the material myself. I was familiar with the technical subjects, and since there was little homework connected with the machine shop training, I had plenty of time to study in the evening. Nearing completion of the college program and while I worked on my last project, the training head called me into his office to ask if I was ready for work. I told him I was. He picked up the tele-phone and called a company looking for a worker with machine training. I was accepted without a problem. The starting rate was only one dollar above the minimum wage but it was a break-through, and my wife was pleased. My attitude now was - START LOW, AIM HIGH. I had no intention of letting this be a dead-end job. Fortunately, the company grew rapidly and we had to put in long hours. Doing blue collar work, in constant exposure to oil and grease while standing for ten hours, was something I had to learn to endure. My skills devel-oped rapidly, and I received pay raises accordingly. Five years later I was promoted to salary staff, which was uncommon at the time for the type of work I was doing. Dedication had paid off in real terms. During this period I asked for and was granted permission to undertake a formal Appren-ticeship Program……… (cont’d overleaf Page 7)

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….to obtain my Certificate of Qualification. This was to ensure any future job change. The school fee was paid by the government, and apprentices receive benefits from EI while attending school. Upon finishing the apprenticeship program, I tried and passed my exams for the APEO. There is a rule that does not make sense to foreign gradu-ates. After passing exams one can only be ac-cepted as a member if he/she has an engineering position. In other words, in the beginning the title is not to be used to find a position. I was tempted to seek out other job opportunities, bit I liked the job I had and I had the feeling there was still room for advancement within the company. The founder of the company I worked for was a machine designer from Europe. The firm produced a variety of technical products. The ma-chine shop, where I was employed, built special purpose automatic machines needed to produce parts. When the owner developed health problems, an engineer was hired. I had not told anyone in the company about my engineering qualifications, but when the hired engineer left I let the VP know I was interested in the job. He said he was undertaking the designing tasks himself (he was a tool & die maker himself with considerable technical knowl-edge) and suggested in good faith I might seek employment elsewhere. I told him I liked the com-pany and had no intention of leaving. I had noticed there was an area where our company was heavily dependent upon an outside company for the controls (brains) of the automatic machines we produced. It was an opportunity for me to get involved. It would be beneficial to the company to solve the problem, and would better my chances for advancement.. However, the con-trols were based in electronics, a field in which I had no knowledge base. I took night courses at Seneca College to study, and researched exten-sively. I soon discovered that machine control tech-nology was changing from logic electronics to pro-grammable logic controls programmed by com-puters. I studied books and manuals after work to know more about this new technology. When the founder passed away, there were big changes made in top management. The VP, a partner in the company, left and a new VP was appointed. I was asked to take over the engi-neering position. This was a real breakthrough. After seven years working in Canada as a machin-ist, I could now apply for membership in the APEO. Not only did I get a boost in salary and a company car, the new management of the firm said they be-lieved I would be a stabilizing factor while the …..

company was undergoing a major shake-up. It was a new era in which the company was going to in-corporate new ideas into products, this time de-signing and building its own machine controls. When the VP left the company, the sons of the original founder took over top management. I was appointed to the position of VP engineering. It took 13 years of hard work and luck to finally get a position comparable to my last position in my home country. I designed and developed a device which made our machines more versatile and productive. It was the most innovative, complicated and effec-tive design I ever produced. Along with my engineering responsibilities, I took charge of the machine shop. It gave me the opportunity to train apprentices. From the knowl-edge and experience I had gained, I came up with an effective method for training. The basics follow: When choosing apprentices, pick people based on their talent and eagerness to learn the trade, but not on their current capabilities. Teaching should be combined with training, and it should start from the beginning. I prepared detailed instruc-tions for them, incorporating the knowledge of my experience and insisting they follow these until they were able to start developing their own skills. The only time I interfered was when problems occurred. I found that, after the first year or so, most had gar-nered enough skills to do routine work on their own. The results proved the success of the method used; and we had top-notch skilled workers in a relatively short period of time. This work was very satisfying for me. I believe there is a misconception about apprenticeship. The whole idea of appren-ticeship should be to nurture a person from the be-ginning by teaching while working and learning in the proper environment. There are many professional immigrants who are doing menial jobs to earn a living because their certification is not recognized in Canada, nor is there much attention paid to their skills capabili-ties. More apprentice programs are needed to fit the skills of the person to the needs of the Cana-dian workplace. There should be incentives (e.g. tax credits, subsidies) for participation in a program to help get them started. In that way the expertise and skills of the immigrant is not wasted, and the family, society and country benefit. I worked for the company, mentioned pre-viously, for 25 years, and retired at the end of 2002. I started low because I had to, but kept my sights on higher goals. Now I can look back at those fruitful years with satisfaction and gratitude.

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The Ionian

Editors: Rev. Jim Biggs & Jim Black Web-Master: William Williams

Parish Nurse: Margaret Black Published by: Iona Presbyterian Church

1080 Finch Ave. East, North York, Ontario, M2J 2X2

416.494.2442 Fax: 416.494.6476 E-mail: postmaster@tri-church.ca Web Site: www.tri-church.org

Name & Address

label

The News

A biker was visiting the zoo in Calgary when he noticed a little girl holding the bars of a lion’s cage. Suddenly, the lion’s paw shot out and its claws grabbed the cuff of the little girl’s jacket. The parents were a short way away and saw the event and the mother started to scream. How-ever, without hesitation the biker ran to the cage and struck the lion heavily on the nose with his fist. The lion jumped back, and the biker grabbed the girl and handed her to the parents. They thanked him endlessly. A CBC reported witnessed the event, and spoke to the biker, “Sir, that was a very courageous thing you did and the bravest act I’ve ever wit-nessed.” The biker responded, “ It was nothing, really. I was the nearest when it grabbed her and I had to react quickly.” The reporter took out a notebook and started jotting information saying, “I’m a jour-nalist, and I’ll get this on the front pages in tomor-row’s newspapers. What do you do for a living, and what political affiliation do you have?” The biker thought for a moment, then answered, “I’m with the Canadian army and a conservative.” The following day, the biker made it a point to get the first edition of the newspaper. He found the article on the first page under the heading: CANADIAN SOLDIER ASSAULTS AFRICAN IM-MIGRANT AND STEALS HIS LUNCH. This sums up the media’s approach to news

THE CONCEPT

A task is set within the mind, No previous reference of a kind

To guide the way, or bring to bear; No prior efforts to compare.

The problem in, mind-frame set,

Conceptualize, while brain is whet. At first define the scope desired,

Then postulate, new views required.

A search begtins in cranial spheres, Experience brought from former years;

Reasoning then, is brought to bear; New conjured theories to compare.

Then, slowly, leading thoughts array;

Direction gleaned from judgement’s sway, Now seeking out best path to take;

Then planning steps for method’s sake.

Assurance builds, and doubts recede; Now reckon with what might impede. The concept forms, it’s fast to breed;

New birth of thought to fill a need.

JMB

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>All I ask is a chance to prove that money can’t make me happy. >Experience is the thing you have left when eve-rything else is gone. >One good thing about egotists, they don’t talk about other people.