WINTER NEWSLETTER
2015
STANDARDBRED RACE TRACK
CHAPLAINCY OF CANADA
Box 331,
Campbellville, ON.,
L0P 1B0
home 519 928 3015
cell 519 942 6641
www.rtchaplaincyofcanada.com
As I write this newsletter, the winter is over
2/3 over according to the calendar but you
would never know it. February has been the
coldest month on record. Thank God we have
global warming or just imagine how cold it
would be. You know it’s cold when the races
are cancelled because of the temperature. It has
even been colder than usual at the training
centres in the south.
CHRISTMAS DINNERS: It seems like a
long time since Christmas but the weather
reminds us that winter is far from over. Wiarton
Willy’s prediction this year is away off base. A
special thanks to Vi Dennis and Jean Posthuma
for preparing and delivering the meals and
Christmas gifts to about 15 grooms at the
various training centres. They were well
received and appreciated.
PASSING OF DOUG HYATT. It was with
much sadness that we heard of the passing of
Doug Hyatt. He has been a valuable asset to the
chaplaincy with his insight and wisdom as well
as his passion for those less fortunate in the
horse industry.
Life has been compared to a beautiful
decorative rug. That rug has two sides: The
under-side- full of dark mangles, threads that
make no sense to us, knots with no pattern at
all.
This is sometimes the way we see life- from the
under-side. Full of confusion, knotted lives, no
patterns as to why things happen the way they
do.
When we look at the rug from the top-side, we
can see the beautiful patterns, everything
blended together, the designers true work.
God sees life from the topside. He sees the
finished and full picture.
I remember when I first started as chaplain. I
didn’t know Doug but as I walked through the
paddock one morning, Doug waved me into the
kitchen and introduced himself. He handed me
an envelope and said he wanted to support the
work we are doing. That was the beginning of a
great friendship.
Doug supported me and my family through
many difficult times. When I was feeling down,
Doug would call and say: “Meet me for lunch.”
Doug knew what we were going through, he
had already been there and done that. I always
left feeling so much better.
Doug always had a heart for the grooms and his
focus was to make things better for them. He
knew that the grooms are the backbone of the
racing industry. I can’t say enough about the
support he has provided for the chaplaincy.
As director, he planned the barbeques, working
hard to make sure everything was provided,
worked diligently getting hole sponsors,
golfers, and auction items for the golf
tournament. Every year he paid for 2 foursomes
of golf for the grooms who otherwise would be
unable to play.
As I think of Doug’s life, I think we tend to
see his life now from the under side with the
struggle and suffering he endured over the past
years.
I really believe Doug wanted us to see his life
from the top-side- all the positive events of his
life and focus on them. He was always positive,
always willing to go the extra mile. He was
friendly, always smiling and happy as he went
about his work.
The wisdom and insight he brought to our
counsel has been invaluable.
NEW DIRECTOR. We are pleased to
announce that Ken Middleton has joined the
chaplaincy as director. Ken makes his home in
Cambridge, Ontario, was introduced to harness
racing by his late father Ken Middleton, Sr., at
a very early age.
The popular and multi-talented Mohawk and
Woodbine race announcer called his first race
at age 16 at Elmira
Raceway. He became
WEG’s Standardbred race
announcer in 2006 and
hosted many of their
Standardbred television
simulcast programs.
Ken is also a horseman. He
is involved in racehorse ownership and
currently assists his fiancée, Stacey Reinsma,
train a small stable of horses.
THE STABLE THAT GOD LOVES. Bill
Galvin has been busy working on a new stable
of horses. So far he has 22 owners who are
committed to the program. They have agreed to
donate 1% of a horse’s earnings to the
chaplaincy. There are some top horses in many
of the divisions. Every time one of these horses
races it will be a news item promoting harness
racing as well as supporting the chaplaincy. Bill
has formed a committee to work on this that
includes Norm Clements, Harry Rutherford and
Ken Middleton.
If you are interested in participating in the
program or want more information contact Bill
Galvin or one of the committee members.
Devotion: A trumpeter was once captured by
the enemy. He pleaded with his
captors: "Please spare me! I have no gun. I
am not guilty of any crime. I have not killed a
single one of your soldiers. I only carry this
poor brass trumpet and play it when I'm told
to."
"That is the very reason for putting you
to death," his captors said. "For, while you do
not fight yourself, your trumpet stires up all the
others to battle. It causes others to kill."
So it is with our criticism of others. We
may not hate, mistrust, or avoid the person we
criticize, but our criticism can cause others to
manifest these feelings and behaviors.
There once was a woman to whom
gossip and criticism were so utterly distasteful
that whenever a visitor brought up something
negative about a person, she would say, "Come,
let's go and ask if this is true." The tale-bearer
was always so taken aback that he or she would
beg to be excused. But the determined woman
would insist on escorting the reluctant soul to
the subject of the tale to verify its truth or to
hear the other point of view. After awhile, no
one repeated a tale or voiced a criticism in her
presence!
Build up your friends . . . don't tear
them down! Or, as one fellow put it: "Pick
your friends, but not to pieces."*
Smile Time:
My Favorite Animal
Our teacher asked us what our favorite
animal was, and I said, "Fried chicken." She
said I wasn't funny, but she couldn't have been
right, because everyone else in the class
laughed. My parents told me to always be
truthful and honest, and I am. Fried chicken is
my favorite animal. I told my dad what
happened, and he said my teacher was probably
a member of PETA. He said they love animals
very much.
I told my teacher that I do, too,
especially chicken, pork and beef. Anyway,
my teacher sent me to the principal's office. I
told him what happened, and he laughed,
too. Then he told me not to do it again.
The next day in class my teacher asked
me what my favorite live animal was. I told her
it was chicken. She asked me why, just like
she'd asked the other children. So I told her it
was because you could make them into fried
chicken.
She sent me back to the principal's
office again. He laughed, and told me not to do
it again. I don't understand. My parents taught
me to be honest, but my teacher doesn't like it
when I am. Today, my teacher asked us to tell
her what famous person we admire most. I told
her, "Colonel Sanders."
Guess where I am now…???
Maybe this will be one of our future stars.
Scripture: A man who bears false witness
against his neighbor is like a club, a sword, and
a sharp arrow. Proverbs 25:18 NKJV
*God's Little Devotional Book