At 12:44 PM 6/11/97 -0400, you wrote:
>Attention all Canadians on the list: there is a new support group on the
>Southshore of Nova Scotia. (Send verbal bouquets, rather than virtual
>flowers. Or both.)
>
>The Canadian Parkinsons Foundation, Halifax Branch, came to Lunenburg early
>in May. I imagine they'd had a great number of phone calls, because they
>were offering us an all day Workshop. An amazing 10 persons with Parkinsons
>turned up, 9 men and one woman, with their spouses. And an equal number of
>care workers from various hospitals and neighbouring nursing homes.
>
>At the end of the Workshop, it was unanimous: we WANTED to form a group.
>There is nothing between Halifax and Yarmouth on the Southshore, a distance
>of 300+ kilometers. We set a date for a first meeting on June 10th.
>
>Last night was our first meeting. Not as good a turn out (16 people) but
>it's early days. Again, with help from Halifax, we went about "organizing"
>ourselves.
>Meetings will be held every month, alternating between Lunenburg and
>Bridgewater. We hope to set up an exercise program, and get speakers 3 or 4
>times a year. (We suddenly find ourselves in the tulip business to support
>our needs.) (!)
>Mainly, we want to sit and talk and encourage one another, and cry, laugh,
>and do all the silly things that friends do together.
>
>Anyone out there who has helped to start a group? Your advice, suggestions,
>ideas, will be greatly welcome. As you well know, starting it is OK, but
>keeping it going will take some work.
> Bill and I are the only ones On-Line, and I'll be printing out a lot
>of information from this list to take back to the group.
>
>Thanks for reading this e-pistle.
>("e-pistle..............New Testament version of e-mail") (From the B.C.
>Comic strip.)
>
>Germaine CG for Bill 69/1+
>Lunenburg, N.S.
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The Support Group Leaders Manual available from the
National Parkinson Foundation
1501 N.W. 9th Ave /Bob Hope Road
Miami,Florida 33136-1494
Good Luck,
Russ Ahlstrom
