December 15, 1998
Stand-ins sub for grandparents at elementary
By Cathy Willoughby
Staff Writer
So no child would be alone on a school's special day, a group of retired men have volunteered their time to ''sit in'' for someone special.
Ten years ago, Ron Ruffing, principal of Lincoln Elementary, was faced with a dilemma. The annual Grandfather's and Grandmother's days celebrated in the school's kindergarten classroom may have some sad and lonely faces of children whose grandparents could not be there, for whatever reason.
So he called on friends Dan Orwig and Bill Harischfager for help.
''I was involved since the beginning when Ron Ruffing contacted me and asked if we could line up some grandpas for both the morning and the afternoon session,'' he said. ''I asked some neighbors and some members of the Elks Club. It was a role that most everybody can play, and we have had a lot of repeats over the years.''
Orwig said that the children seem to enjoy their substitute grandpa and that the grandfathers enjoy it just as much as they do.
''It makes an old man feel useful,'' Harischfager said. ''A lot of their grandparents are still working, or they live far away. You don't know.''
The youngsters color pictures for the honorary grandfathers, they work together to make decorations for the class tree and put on a little performance for their visitors.
''It really is great,'' he said. ''Everybody that I've gotten to help have really enjoyed it. This year I was grandpa for two little girls; one was up for it, the other was really quiet. But as the day went on, everything broke loose and we were joking and having fun.''
Grandfather's Day was Friday and Deb Gardner's classroom was full of excited voices, young and old, as kids and grownups put sprinkles on bell ornaments to place on the tree.
''They help us by making the patterns for the new bells,'' Gardner said of some of the grandpas.''They help to make the decorations that we put on the tree, then we entertain them with songs and a story. We all eat cookies, and they show the grandparents their school stuff.''
Allie Allman, a grandpa who said he ''drifted in from the Elks,'' has been a substitute grandpa here for the past half-dozen years.
''The kids are a lot of fun,'' he said. ''They seem to enjoy it and that is the most fun.''
John Maddox has been participating for about three years.
''They just called and said that they needed help. I have three of my own grandchildren, but they don't live in town. One goes to Hopewell-Loudon, the other two live in Huron. I just enjoy it,'' he said.
''This is the first year that they asked,'' Lions Club member Gene Hill said. ''And I thought it would be fun. It takes a lot of patience; I don't have any children or grandchildren. I just enjoyed the day. It is a good program.''
And as the grandpas watched the youngsters' version of ''Twas The Night Before Christmas,'' fellow Lions Club member Tom Distel took it all in.
''It's the second time that I have been here,'' he said with a smile. ''It's fun. I have 15 grandchildren; there's not that much that is new to me.''