Last week, representatives of the Royal Bank presented Southern Frontenac Community Services (SFCS) with a much needed cash donation of $1,000 for its food bank.

A few weekends earlier local branch manager Tina Hinch, along with several staff members and three of their children, had spent half a day washing and reorganizing the food bank shelves. It was this gift of staff’s personal time that led to the bank’s cash donation, part of the RBC’s ongoing policy of participating in the communities where it has branches.

SFCS Executive Director David Townsend, in thanking Ms. Hinch and Mr. Adamcryck, said the food bank provides a week’s worth of food every month to 70 clients; some are individuals, many represent families. SFCS’s crock pot cooking classes, which teach nutritious recipes using food bank items, then sends its grads home with crock pots, is a recent innovation that has proven popular.

With such a high level of need, it’s easy to understand how shelves that are well-stocked one week can develop alarming gaps only a few weeks later. In spite of its name, the food bank is really a form of community food cache, stocked by those of us who are fortunate to have enough, available to those of us who would otherwise go hungry. Donations come mainly in two forms: actual canned and packaged dry goods, and money. The cash is essential to provide fresh food such as bread, meat, milk and eggs. (Through the summer, harvest from the gardens at Grace Centre adds fresh vegetables.)

by Jim Kelly

Two days of heavy rain didn’t stop the expert groundskeepers at the Rivendell Golf Club from having the course in playable shape when the Lions Clubs of Region 11 held their 8th Annual Charity Golf Tournament there on June 13.

One hundred and seven golfers teed just as the rain was letting up and by 2 pm the tournament ended with the sun shining on everyone and the Lions smiling at the success of the event.

In spite of the wet terrain there were still a number of fine displays of golf put on by the participants. First place in the Men’s division went to the team of Joe Bowes, Steve Bowes, Ryan Bowes and Chris Bowes. The top team in the Mixed division was composed of Jim Smith, Carolyn Smith, Ken Johnston and Irene Johnston.

Other winners were Karen Fargo, (Closest to the Pin – Women), Cecil Vrieswyk, (Closest to the Pin – Men), Lynda Derue, (Most Accurate Drive – Women) and Wayne French, (Most Accurate Drive – Men).

The winner of the $500 VIA Rail Travel voucher was John Sauve, who put on a terrific display of putting.

Approximately $9,000 was raised, which means the Lions will be able to purchase new equipment for their Vision and Hearing Screening programs. These programs, which have been in place for over 10 years at some schools, are offered in all the elementary schools of the Limestone District and the Algonquin and Lakeshore Catholic District School Boards. Students enrolled in Senior Kindergarten and Grade One are screened each and every year and if a difficulty is detected parents are notified by letter with the suggestion that their child be examined by a professional from the appropriate field (vision or hearing).

This tournament was co-ordinated by the Sydenham & District Lions Club with tremendous support from the Lions Clubs of Bath, Kingston, Newburgh – Camden, Sharbot Lake, Storrington and Verona. Lions from all the Clubs across Region 11 wish to extend their sincere thanks to the many businesses that sponsored holes and donated prizes as well as to the golfers whose presence and good humour in trying conditions made the day such a success.

Parents with children in the community of South Frontenac might not know it but they are lucky to have one of the province’s best kept paddling secrets right in their own backyard.

The Sydenham Lake Canoe Club, located on the scenic shores of Sydenham Lake right in downtown Sydenham, has a growing reputation as one of the premiere paddling clubs in the province. The not-for-profit club is located just behind Trousdale's grocery store on land that was donated by the Trousdales. It was established in 1997 by Olympic paddler George Jones, who is the club’s acting commodore. The club is run by a dedicated volunteer board who are committed to “providing recreational and competitive paddling experience to youth in the South Frontenac Community.”

The club held its first open house and registration on May 30 and this year organizers are offering up a wide range of summer programming designed for kids of all ages and skill levels, including a more casual day camp as well as paddling lessons. This year kids aged 6-13 can participate in the Canoe Kids Outdoor Skills Camp, a new multi-sports centered day camp designed to introduce youngsters to the sport of sprint canoe and kayak. The camp’s emphasis is on skills development, safety, fun and fitness. Each camper receives 2-3 hours of daily one on one paddling instruction on the water with the goal of receiving a Canoe Kids Award certificate. Older children aged 8-17 can participate in the Kids Canoe lessons where qualified staff teach the basics of sprint paddling.

New this year is a masters paddling program for adults wishing to paddle for both fun and/or fitness and for those wishing to compete in the CKC Masters events, which are held in Ontario throughout the summer season. Also new is a masters war canoe class for 18 years and older, which will take place on Tuesdays and Thursdays. Participants in the war canoe classes will be given the opportunity to participate in three regional regattas and one provincial regatta, and will potentially have a chance to compete at the national level.

Rhiannon Murphy, 14, has been a member of the club for five years now and competes in the K1 (single person kayak) and C1 (single person canoe). She started paddling when she was 11 years old by participating first at the club’s day camp, where she learned the basic skills before moving into the sprint training program. She began racing boats four years ago and has done very well, winning medals at the local and provincial level. Rhiannon lives close by and her mother Eliza said that the club is a great resource for families with kids in the area. “The Sydenham Lake Canoe Club, though small, is well known in the paddling community both provincially and nationally due to the small ratio of coaches to racers, which allows participants a lot of individual attention,” Eliza Murphy said.

That fact has been proven true as many members of the club have won medals at the provincial and national levels, and two past members of the club are currently trying out for the provincial and national paddling teams. Cia Myles-Gonzales, who attended the club for years and will be coaching youngsters and adults this year, is currently trying out for the Ontario provincial team. Similarly long-time club member Genevieve L'Abbe is competing this weekend at the national team trials with the hopes of becoming a member of the national junior paddling team.

The club's vice commodore, Helen Parfitt, said the small club is envied by larger clubs since its home base has deep, clean water, a sheltered bay that makes for less windy conditions, and great visibility. Parfitt said that last year the club received a Frontenac Community Futures Development grant that will enable the club to install brand new certified racing lanes. This will make the course a viable location for future provincial and national races.

There will be a second open house and registration this Sat. June 7 from 10am – 1pm. Programming begins on July 7. The club is located just behind the beer store in Sydenham. For more information visit sydenhamlakecanoeclub.com, email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or phone 613-376-6613.

Photo: members of the current Sydenham Lions club l-r Wray Gillespie, Velma Young and Jim Kelly received awards at the club’s 10-year anniversary event at the Grace Centre on May 24.

Members of the Sydenham and District Lions gathered at the Southern Frontenac Community Service Grace Centre on May 24 to feast, remember and celebrate their 10-year anniversary of serving the community.

For many of them, however, it was in fact a celebration of their second installment as an organization. The original 31-member Sydenham chapter ran from 1959 until 1972, but then folded as a result of other clubs starting up in the surrounding area. The present club was founded in 2004.

Claude Silver, who club members joke is a “born again Lion”, was a member of the original Sydenham club and he was thrilled to see the club start up again in 2004. He said that of the original charter members there are only six members still living.

Ron Kendrick, who is a charter member and currently is the membership chair, said he and others realized prior to 2004 that there was enough interest to get the club up and running again. The new chapter was sponsored by the Verona Lions and acquired eight members in its first year. Since then membership has increased more than three-fold, with the club today boasting 26 members.

The May 24 anniversary event, which was organized by Lion Christine Kennedy, was catered by Linda Bates of A Phone Call Away and emceed by incoming president, Dave Plumpton. It gave members and guests a chance to celebrate the good work that the organization does in the local community. Guest speakers included Rev. Vernon Scott, who gave a slide presentation about the missionary work his churches do in Haiti and Egypt, as well as numerous Lions from clubs near and far. Speakers included Lions District Governor Albert Munneke from the Millbrook & District club; District Governor-Elect Linda Duffie of the Bowmanville club; John McDougall of the Verona club who also spoke on behalf of the township; and Sam Camarelli, past president and member of the Kingston club, who spoke about the history of the new Sydenham and District chapter forming.

Steve Williams of the Newburg Camden Lions jokingly presented a $5 cheque to the club for the funds he lent them to get the club started and George Fournier of the Kingston Lions presented a much more substantial cheque to Sydenham Lions President Allan McPhail, who said it will be donated to Southern Frontenac Community Services for their seniors’ programming.

Past District Governor Dave Hansen of the Sharbot Lake Lions was given the opportunity to roast a number of the Sydenham and District members. The final presentations of the evening were given to three members of the club for their dedicated service to the community over the years. Members Velma Young and Wray Gillespie both received the Melvin Jones award and member Jim Kelly received the Helen Keller award.

In the words of organizer Christine Kennedy, “This was a project that was a year in the making and I think it was a success judging from the fellowship, laughter, and the reconnecting of numerous friends throughout the evening.”

Sydenham High School's Drama Club opened their new theatre last week with one of the most edgy, innovative performances that SHS has produced in years.

Mcdeath sets an old yet still current tale of the consequences of greed and ambition in the grunge scene of ’90s Seattle. The script was written in collaboration between drama teacher Eirik Rutherford and the cast, and fine-tuned through workshopping. In one slyly hilarious sequence, MacDuff escapes to hide out in Vancouver: “We can’t take guns across the border; Canada’s a fortress of solitude!” There, he plots Mac’s downfall in a room decorated with crossed wooden skis.

The relatively young ensemble works together well: some of the most memorable performances are by first-year students. Daniel Karan carries one of the most difficult roles for a young actor; as a very convincing rock music promoter he consistently seems much older than his years. The three witches: Violet Skuce, Shelby Eves and Ashley Macdonald, are baffling, unsettling, and dangerous. In a small role played to perfection, Amy Walton pantomimes a bored bartender. When she finally speaks, she reveals herself as Hecate, powerful mistress of the witches. Jess Sherman and Colton Haligan do well in the demanding roles of Lady and Mac.

This is a multi-media production: throughout, a four-man rock band beside the stage performs well, providing introduction, scene changes and back-up accompaniment to singers. Several TV screens introduce or connect scenes by showing newscasts and interviews.

Unfortunately, the new theatre space disappoints: the comfortable well-raked audience seating is perhaps the best part. Lights were rented, curtains were makeshift. Once when several players made a running exit, offstage thumps and giggles illustrated the lack of adequate room backstage. The theatre has neither storage room nor bathroom facilities.

Despite the theatre space’s shortcomings, cast and crew provided a most enjoyable evening’s entertainment. The final-night performance was enhanced at intermission by fruit crepes and coffee prepared by food service students in their new commercial style kitchen across the hall.

A capella choir, Melodia Monday, will perform a benefit concert on Sunday May 25, 3 p.m. at the Grace Centre in Sydenham. The concert will feature a wide variety of exciting spirituals and wonderful harmonies. Cost is $15 per person. Tickets are available at the Rural VISIONS Centre - 4419 George Street, Sydenham, ON K0H 2T0; 613-376-6477. All net proceeds support Southern Frontenac Community Services’ Enhancement Campaign.

Melodia Monday was formed in September of 2002. The choir originally consisted of 11 singers, and they rehearsed around the kitchen table of a country home north of Gananoque. Early repertoire consisted of madrigals and some sacred music like “O Magnum Mysterium” by Victoria.

Over the years the choir has become larger and performs a wider repertoire. Concerts now feature jazz, spirituals and folk songs in addition to traditional classical choral music. Melodia Monday endeavours to feature Canadian composers and arrangers. One of the tenors in the group, David Adams, has arranged a number of pieces for the choir including the sea chanty “Spanish Ladies” and the folk song “Donkey Riding”. Melodia Monday has also performed several pieces arranged by Mark Sirett, musical director of the Cantabile Choirs of Kingston.

In its early years, Melodia Monday performed without a conductor. The number of singers was small enough that one of the members could guide the choir while singing. As numbers increased, such conducting became impractical, so in 2008 Melodia Monday recruited Carol Ramer, an experienced and talented choral director, to conduct the choir. Under Carol’s leadership membership grew again, with singers joining the choir from Brockville, Maitland and Kingston. The choir now has more than 20 members from as far west as Newburgh and as far east as Maitland.

During Carol’s tenure as conductor, Melodia Monday took part in the Kiwanis Music Festival in Kingston where the choir won the Shelagh Leach prize for SATB choirs. Melodia Monday also performed at the final concert for the Gananoque Concert Association in April of 2009.

In June 2010, Carol retired as conductor of Melodia Monday and one of the founding members of the group, Doug Routledge, took on the role.

In April, 2013, the choir performed the final concert in the Gananoque Concert Association series. The programme for that concert included “Breathe on Us”, a work commissioned by Melodia Monday from Dr. Mark Sirett, musical director of the Cantabile Choirs of Kingston.

Melodia Monday is delighted to have been asked to perform at the Grace Centre in Sydenham in a concert to benefit the Southern Frontenac Community Services. This concert will be held at 3 p.m. on Sunday, May 25. The repertoire for the concert will include a mix of classical pieces, spirituals, jazz and folk songs. The women of Melodia Monday will be featured singing “Garden Song”, a piece with music by Jennifer Bennett and lyrics by Wilma Kenny of Sydenham.

May begins the yard sale season and in Sydenham on May 3, close to 25 tables were filled with all kinds of great arts and craft and garage sale-style goodies at the Southern Frontenac Community Services' (SFCS) Grace Centre. The event included two separate sales, the first in Grace Centre's main hall where members of the Sydenham's Women Institute set up tables of their fine arts and crafts. A second sale was being managed downstairs and outside by the SFCS's volunteer coordinator and board member, Jennifer Linton. Proceeds from both sales went to support the SFCS's first ever Enhancement Campaign. I happily came away with a trumpet, and my purchase was made even better knowing that the funds are going to good cause.

The SFCS 2014 Enhancement Campaign comes as the organization is celebrating 25 years of serving members of the community. It came about as a result of a huge increase in the demand for health and social services in the community. It is the first time in the SFCS's history that staff have felt the need to set up a public fundraising initiative. The campaign's aim is to raise $50,000 by June of 2014.

Kathryn O'Hara, the SFCS's funds development and promotions coordinator, cited some numbers that demonstrate the increased need for services in the community. “Last year we served 726 seniors and in the last two years alone we have seen a 16% increase in the number of clients we serve in the community,” O'Hara said. In addition the organization assisted 260 low-income households, an increase of 213% in the last two years. In the same period of time there was an 80% increase in the number of households who used the food bank, and last year alone 762 families required its assistance. O'Hara said the need for the campaign came about since the organization's regular funding sources have remained flat. “Basically we had two choices: we could either turn people away, forcing them go without the community supports that they need, or else we could make an effort to raise the necessary funds in the community.” The choice was obvious. O'Hara estimates that the increased need for support will continue into the future. She estimates serving an additional 178 new clients in 2014 alone, which will likely mean that the enhancement campaign will become an ongoing annual one.

The Enhancement Campaign was officially launched in February 2014 and O'Hara hopes to see the $50,000 goal reached by June 2014. Anyone wishing to make a donation can visit the SFCS website at www.sfcsc.ca or call 613-376-6376.

While students and staff have been enjoying the new 14,000 square foot addition to Sydenham High School since February of this year, the official dedication ceremony just took place earlier this week.

On May 6, Vice-principal Brent Pickering welcomed representatives from the design and construction firms that built the addition, representatives from the Limestone District School Board, dignitaries, councilors and staff from the Township of South Frontenac, staff from Southern Frontenac Community Services, and the local OPP as well as members of other local school groups. The dedication ceremony, which took place in the school's brand new 90-seat theatre, paid tribute and gave thanks to the many individuals and organizations who helped make the new addition a reality.

The new wing was designed by HM Sardinha Architect Ltd. with construction overseen by David J. Cupido and it includes a brand new gymnasium, a theatre arts centre, a state of the art hospitality/culinary arts facility, and a brand new computer lab, each of which is as aesthetically pleasing as it is functional in serving the students and staff at the school.

SHS teacher, Jeff Sanderson, thanked the many individuals who helped make the dream become a reality. He spoke of the naming of the new addition as the WELLness wing, the intent of which is to promote an innovative Live WELL program that will include Work, Exercise, Love and Learning for students both during and outside of class hours. The program, which is well underway in the school, already recently received a $20,000 grant from the Ministry of Education that will go towards supporting further initiatives to increase the number of students participating in physical and other wellness activities outside of regularly scheduled class time. Others who spoke at the ceremony included Director of Education Brenda Hunter, Board Chair Laurie French, Trustee Suzanne Ruttan, South Frontenac Mayor Gary Davison and the school's student co-president for the 2014/2015 academic school year, Connor Bayers. Drama club students Noland Beattie, Taylor Drake, Colton Halligan, Daniel Karan and Max Karan under the direction of drama teacher Eirik Rutherford performed a scene from the school's upcoming production “MacDeath”. Following the ceremony students from the school's hospitality/culinary arts program under the direction of Tabitha Kirby offered up an impressive array of delicious hors d'oeuves in the new kitchen facility, after which LDSB representatives posed for photos at a brand new dedication plaque marking the official opening of the Wellness Wing.

Principal Jessica Silver was unable to attend the event due to a family emergency.

At a meeting of Council on Tuesday (April 1), Mayor Davison announced that the location of the new Sydenham Sewage Treatment plant will be revealed very soon.

“We’ve given this a lot of thought, but hesitated to make it public until all the requirements had been met, and the kinks were worked out. This will finally allow Sydenham to grow into its full potential.”

“Without the need for septic fields, most lots in Sydenham will become eligible for subdivision”, he said. “Apartment complexes, not to exceed five stories (except in extraordinary circumstances), will also be encouraged.”

“Think of the tax base we’ll achieve,” added CAO Orr.

Public Works Manager Segsworth said a turning lane will be required for the proposed Rutledge Road laundromat, car wash and strip club.

The population of Sydenham is anticipated to grow rapidly. At least five Toronto-based developers have expressed interest, and two proposals are already working their way through the rezoning and planning process.

To date, none of the current Sydenham residents who were approached for comments were able to say anything suitable for publication. Several said they were too busy packing to discuss this exciting new change coming to their (formerly) quiet little village.

On March 10 over 20 guests attended a talk in Sydenham given by Thomas Martin TegTmeyer on “Ultimate Wellbeing”. The presentation was part of Southern Frontenac Community Services’ third Speaker Series.

Organizer Lorraine Creighton said that she is pleased with the number of listeners the series is attracting. Creighton decided to host a speaker series at the SFCSC back in February 2013 as a way to engage local residents on a number of health topics and issues that concern them. “I thought that a speaker series would be a great way to offer information to residents in the rural community here since often we can tend to miss out on information sessions that are more readily available in larger communities. My goal has been to bring people in from different sectors to provide information on a number of different topics,” Creighton said on March 10.

The information sessions, which take place every Monday in March and are free of charge, often will include two speakers on related topics. Creighton said that she aims to match up topics that relate to one other so that listeners can get a wealth of information in any one visit. The series is definitely growing in popularity.

TegTmeyer is a practitioner of Touch for Health, an alternative health practice that originates from traditional Chinese medicine, specifically acupressure. His practice originates from a practical guide book written on the subject by John Thie and Matthew Thie titled “Touch For Health: A Practical Guide to Natural Health with Acupressure Touch”. TegTmeyer gave an in-depth talk and demonstration on the technique, which aims to “facilitate the flow of energy and communication between all of the cells, organs, and organ systems in the body as well as between the conscious and unconscious mind.” He said the system includes using metaphors based on the five elements that are identified in traditional Chinese medicine as a way of “realizing a more holistic sense of what exactly is happening in one’s life.” TegTmeyer invited participants to explore many of the movements associated with the practice and he performed a demonstration on one volunteer from the group.

The speaker series is for anyone, not just seniors, who is looking for information on a variety of health-related topics. Mary Gaynor-Briese, who heads up caregiver and bereavement support as well as palliative care at the SFCSC, will be speaking at the next installment of the series on Monday March 17. She will speak on the topic of caregiver support in a talk she has titled “Taking Care of You”. In it she will focus on how caregivers should take the time to care for themselves. “My thrust will be on how to keep a balance in our lives in order to stay contented and happy. I am a firm believer that unless we take care of ourselves first, we will not be able to care for others.” Briese said her talk is not only geared to caregivers but to all who want to maintain balance in their lives. The talk will focus on exercise, sleep, diet but also on taking the time to have fun and play.” Her talk will coincide with Evelyn Sideen’s talk on the practice of Reiki.

On March 24 topics will include “Hypnosis for Relaxation” and on March 31 the staff from KFL&A Health Unit will present a talk on “Falls Prevention”. The talks take place from 1 –3pm at the Grace Centre, located at 4295 Stagecoach Road in Sydenham.