CANORA - A total of 12 Canora Composite School student delegates attended the provincial SADD (Students Against Drinking and Driving) conference held in Saskatoon on October 21-23.
While there, the students discovered many new awareness ideas, and met with dignitaries and families who fully and wholeheartedly support their efforts, according to Shawna Leson, SADD advisor for CCS.
“They heard keynote/guest speaker presentations, and of course, were rewarded with some entertainment and good-natured fun,” said Leson. “Most importantly, they returned to CCS with some great ideas and ways to further get their message out to the student body and our community.”
Unfortunately, there were many students unable to attend that weekend due to scheduling conflicts but they will have the opportunity to get involved in numerous other related activities throughout the year.
“With the conference being cancelled the previous years, I wasn't sure if we'd be able to go ahead with this year, so we only had a short time to prepare,” said Leson. “Even with short notice, it was great to see these 12 students make adjustments to their personal schedules in order to attend. Their sacrifices do not go unnoticed. Most importantly, I received amazing compliments on their behaviour, and their questions and input into the conference. I am very proud of this group! They were actively engaged, asked the panel well thought out questions and represented our school and community extremely well.”
SADD maintains a clearly defined mission and purpose: Student Leaders Dedicated to Stopping Impaired Driving. The group’s purpose is to initiate, organize, encourage, and facilitate activities, events, and general behaviour that will prevent impaired driving acts, both directly and indirectly, in the following ways:
1. Promoting options to individuals who are impaired so that they will not drive impaired.
2. Educating the public about the legal, social, health, and safety risks, associated with impaired driving.
3. Influence/initiate legislation and public policy in areas related to impaired driving.
4. Providing necessary training and education to volunteers who wish to facilitate the first three purposes.
“While most of the members’ efforts and influence take place outside of school activities, on weekends, and while out with their peers, they still can work together as a group/team and attend organized school activities like the SADD provincial conference,” continued Leson.
“Just as in years past, CCS SADD took the time to rake leaves and tidy up the Canora RCMP Detachment as a token of our appreciation for the valued partnership SADD has with the RCMP. CCS SADD welcomes the appointed RCMP liaison, Const. Baily Potts. We look forward to working together.”
According to information from the saddsask.ca website, SADD was started in 1981 by an American high school teacher and hockey coach, Robert Anastas.
Anastas started SADD after two of his players were killed in separate driving collisions only two days apart. While supporting other students during the grieving process, he came to some important realizations. Because it was the young people and not the adults who were attending the parties, only the young people could intervene to protect their friends.
He saw that the most effective way to work on the issue of youth and drinking was for the students to take charge of themselves. It was also important to increase public awareness about drinking and driving, and to involve the community in the solution.
Anastas travelled extensively with his message and SADD grew rapidly.
In Saskatchewan, SADD held its first provincial conference in 1988 and by the end of the 1987-88 school year had 50 registered chapters. Since then, more than 250 schools have established SADD chapters in Saskatchewan. Approximately 130 are active each year, according to the website information.
In 1997 SADD became incorporated as an independent non-profit organization with Aaron Schroeder becoming the first president of the independent SADD. The principle of students, not adults, carrying authority in the organization became entrenched in the SADD constitution. This included numerous safeguards to prevent adults from overruling decisions made by the students.
