text:
Whyte: Father Robert Whyte csb
Father Robert Whyte csb
Picture from obituary (Rosar Morrison Funeral Home and Chapel)
Robert J. Whyte
Robert Joseph Whyte
Basilian priest. Ordained 1947. Teaching at St. Michael's College School, Toronto during his formation and prior to ordination in 1947. Sent for "treatment" in 1977 then back teaching. 1990 GUILTY plea. Died 22 July 2014
1990: GUILTY plea. Convicted on 18 charges related to sexual abuse of boys age 11 to 17 – abuses perpetrated between years 1962 and 1982 — involved boys between 11 and 17 who were altar boys, church members or Whyte's students. Sentenced to 4 years in prison.
Cardinal George Flahiff was elected Superior of the Canadian Basilians in 1951. From 1954 to 1960 Flahiff served as Superior General of the Basilian congregation worldwide. The current Bishop of London, Ontario, Ronald Peter Fabbro csb, was Superior of the Canadian Basilians from 1997-2002
Paul John O'Byrne was Archbishop of Calgary 20 June 1968 – 19 January 1998
22 July 2014: Father Robert Whyte, C.S.B Obituary
9:30a.m. – 10:00a.m.
Cardinal Flahiff Basilian Centre
95 St. Joseph Street
Toronto, Ontario M5S 2R9
Mass of Christian Burial
June 1934: A very young Father Robert Whyte csb serves as page to Cardinal Villeneuve in 1934 (pictures)
Father Robert Whyte csb was chosen as one of eight pages to attend Cardinal Villeneuve during a 1934 visit to Toronto. This page is from the 1950 edition of The Blue Banner 1950. Scroll down to bottom right. (Cardinal Villeneuve was Jean-Marie-Rodrigue Villeneuve, an Oblate priest who served as Archbishop of Quebec city from 1931 to 1947. He was elevated to Cardinal in 1933. )
Basilian Chart – showing dates and known whereabouts of the following four known or alleged Basilian molesters: Fathers William Hodgson Marshall,Robert Whyte, Leo Campbell and Kenneth O'Keefe
Media coverage & BLOGS
31 January 2016: Man suing Catholic church over alleged abuse by priest
15 April 2013: BLOG He was just learning to spell paedophile?
22 January 2013: BLOG And there you go…
16 November 2010: BLOG Trepidation
15 November 2010: BLOG Uncanny?
21 October 2010: BLOG Who knew who?
12 August 2010: BLOG I cringe at the thought
28 July 2010: BLOG Delay. Delay. Delay
23 July 2010: BLOG The camp
20 July 2010: BLOG The hunter
19 July 2010: BLOG Out of the ordinary
18 July 2010: BLOG Another Basilian teacher
06 July 2010: BLOG New info
28 June 2010: BLOG Think again
25 June 2010: BLOG Hard to deal with
The following dates are drawn from the Canadian Catholic Church directorties (CCCD), St. Michael's College School (SMCS) yearbooks, information found online, and comments blogged on this site
1944: Teacher XI-4 at St. Michael's College School (SMCS yearbook)
1945: teaching Religious Knowledge at St. Michael's College School (SMCS yearbook)
1946: teaching Math at St. Michael's College School (SMCS yearbook)
1947: ORDAINED (several directories list date of ordination as 1948 but then correct and are consistent with 1947)
teaching religion at St. Michael's College School in Toronto. (SMCS yearbook)
1948: Teaching Religion at SMCS. Toronto (SMCS yearbook)
1949: No SMCS yearbook available
1950: teacher at SMCS (SMCS yearbook)
( MR. William Hodgson Marshall csb on staff)
1951: "Guidance" at SMCS and responsible for publication of the Religious Bulletin. Note in yearbook advises that Whyte "was forced by the bitter blow of pneumonia to head south"
(MR Hod Marshall csb on staff, teaching Mathematics and coaching football team )
1952: Not in SMCS yearbook, but CCCD lists him as at SMCS.
1953-1956: Holy Rosary Church, Toronto, Ontario (CCCD)
1957: Assumption College, Windsor, Ontario (CCCD)
(Father Hod Marshall csb also at Assumption)
1958-1961: St. Mary's College, Sault Ste Marie, Ontario (CCCD)
1962: St. Mary's Boy's School Calgary yearbook (blog – http://www.theinquiry.ca/wordpress/2010/06/28/think-again/comment-page-1/#comment-58487) (CCCD)
1963: St. Mary's Boy's School Calgary yearbook (blog – http://www.theinquiry.ca/wordpress/2010/06/28/think-again/comment-page-1/#comment-58487)
St. Agnes Church, Carstairs, Alberta (CCCD)
1964: St. Agnes Church, Carstairs, Alberta ("Historical notes online: http://www.archive.org/stream/historicalnotesc18scoluoft/historicalnotesc18scoluoft_djvu.txt
St. Mary's Boy's School Calgary yearbook (blog – http://www.theinquiry.ca/wordpress/2010/06/28/think-again/comment-page-1/#comment-58487)
1966: teaching at Bishop Grandin Secondary School in South-West Calagry (Historial Notes CSB (Volume 48)
1967 -1969: St. Mary's Boy's School, Calgary Alberta (CCCD)
1971-1972: listed as teacher, address 1818 First St.S.E. (address for Basilian Fathers of Calgary) (CCCD)
1972-1979: Teaching at St. Mary's Boys's School in Calgary, Alberta and pastor at St. Mary's Church, Cochrane, Alberta (History of St. Mary's Parish – online http://www.stmaryscochrane.ca/history.php
1977: according to media (scroll down) received "treatment" in Toronto for five months
[According to media reports (scroll down) sometime between 1962 and 1982 served as parish priest at St. Pius X Church in Calgary. According to the article Whyte was teaching at two schools during those years.]
1983: address 2424-24th Avenue N.W., Calgary, Alberta (address for St. Pius X Church, Calgary, Alberta) (CCCD)
1985-1986: 95 St. Joseph St., Toronto (address of St Basil Church, Toronto, Ontario – Pastor Father Gerald T Gregoire csb) (CCCD)
1990: GUILTY plea. Four year sentence
1991: JAIL? address St Basil Church,Toronto, Ontario (Pastor Father Gerald T Gregoire csb) (CCCD)
1992: JAIL?: address St Basil Church,Toronto, Ontario (Pastor Father Thomas B Mailloux csb) (CCCD)
1993: JAIL or Probation? address St Basil Church,Toronto, Ontario (Pastor Father Thomas B Mailloux csb) (CCCD)
1995: address 95 St. Joseph St. (Cardinal Flahiff Basilian Centre, Toronto) (Superior General Robert J Barringer csb) (CCCD)
1997: address 95 St. Joseph St. (Cardinal Flahiff Basilian Centre, Toronto) (Superior General George Lapierre csb) (CCCD)
Assistant Director of the Basilian Fathers residence (25 June 1997 Basilian newsletter )
1998-2013: address 95 St. Joseph St. (Cardinal Flahiff Basilian Centre, Toronto) (CCCD)
22 July 2014: Died
January 18, 1990 19.18 EST
By Sylvia Strojek
CALGARY (CP)
The Roman Catholic Church cannot be blamed for an apparent lack of action years ago when it first became aware of a priest's indecent assault of several young boys, says the Superior General of the Basilian Fathers.
Rev. Jack Gallagher said the church was under the impression Rev. Robert Whyte's pedophilia was under control after he received treatment for five months in Toronto in 1977.
Whyte, a 68-year-old member of the Basilians, was sentenced to four years in prison Thursday after pleading guilty in provincial court last week to 18 counts of indecent assault and one count of attempted indecent assault.
The incidents involved fondling the genitals of boys who were altar boys, church members or Whyte's students between 1962 and 1982.
He was a parish priest at St. Pius Catholic Church at the time and a teacher at two high schools.
"I believe that it is unfair to blame authorities in the past because they did not act with the kind of awareness that we have today," Gallagher told a news conference after the sentencing.
"Second, I can assure you that during my short time dealing with this case it has become apparent that Bishop Paul O'Byrne of Calgary has acted correctly and with a great sense of responsibility. Certainly there has been no suggestion of a coverup. "
O'Byrne is the bishop of the Calgary diocese, which covers all of southern Alberta and has more than 160 priests serving almost 200,000 people. He has not been available for comment.
SUPPORT PRIEST
The Basilian Fathers will continue to support Whyte, Gallagher said. They will also help him resume therapy after he is released.
He may eventually be allowed to go back to a pastoral setting where he would not be in contact with young people, Gallagher added.
Whyte's conviction, at a time when there is growing evidence of physical and sexual abuse by priests, has prompted the Basilian Fathers to create a committee to review the issue. Policies on how to deal with indecent assault within the church are expected by May.
In the meantime, the order has pledged to investigate any alleged incidents promptly and send suspected offenders away for therapy immediately.
Gallagher said he is not aware of any other priest under suspicion.
The Basilian Fathers have also offered to help Whyte's victims and their families if they come forward. But Gallagher admitted there are some rifts that will be difficult to heal.
"There is some damage to the trust one hopes people would have to the ministers of religion," he said. "Obviously I feel terrible about it. One wants to bring anybody back that was alienated from the church."
Whyte's conviction also means the church will keep a closer eye on its priests as it in turn falls under the intense scrutiny of its congregation.
"It will happen in the future inevitably that many innocent and useful and profitable contacts will be viewed with suspicion.
"People simply will be viewed with some suspicion, and certain things will simply not be done because of that."
A Roman Catholic priest who admitted to indecently assaulting young boys over a 20-year period clutched his Bible Thursday as he was led away to start serving a four-year prison sentence.
Rev. Robert Whyte, 68, pleaded guilty in provincial court last week to 18 counts of indecent assault and one count of attempted indecent assault.
Eleven of the charges resulted from incidents in Calgary while Whyte was a parish priest at St. Pius Catholic Church and a teacher at two high schools. The other offences took place in and near Radium, B.C.
Judge T. B. McMeekin said Whyte used the goodwill of parishioners and students to help him prey on young boys.
"It would certainly appear that he was well regarded . . . and in certain quarters a much-beloved priest," McMeekin said of Whyte, whose eyes were fixed intently upon the judge. "But it is clear that he used this goodwill to assist him in preying on the victims. "
The incidents — which occurred between 1962 and 1982 — involved boys between 11 and 17 who were altar boys, church members or Whyte's students.
Whyte is a member of the order of Basilian Fathers. Evidence in court indicated the church was aware of Whyte's problem but did not seek help other than to send him for treatment in Toronto for a five-month period in 1977.
Whyte's conviction comes at a time when an inquiry has been investigating claims of physical and sexual abuse at the Mount Cashel orphanage in Newfoundland. Evidence shows some members of the Christian Brothers running the home made deals with police to suppress charges against several members of the Roman Catholic lay order in the 1970s.
BEFRIEND FAMILY
Court heard last week that Whyte would befriend a boy's family and at some point ask him on an overnight excursion to British Columbia or to sleep over at the rectory. He usually made sure the two slept in the same bed. He would then fondle the boy's genitals.
McMeekin said Whyte's age, his remorse and willingness to continue treatment for his pedophilia worked in his favor. The judge also said the fact Whyte pleaded guilty, sparing his victims the agony of testifying, was a mitigating factor.
But he added he could not ignore the number of charges, the breach of trust committed and the fact Whyte kept putting himself in situations where "he could succumb to his temptations.
"The case must be catergorized as a serious sexual assault," McMeekin said.
Defence lawyer Noel O'Brien said he was disappointed the sentence did not include provisions for treatment.
"This problem is a problem that's becoming very aware to the public, and I think it's time now that we address forms of treatment," said O'Brien. "This sentence does not deal with aspects of treatment. I find that somewhat unfortunate."
O'Brien had asked for a light sentence and probation.
SUPPORT WHYTE
Rev. Jack Gallagher, Superior General of the Basilian Fathers, said the order will continue to support Whyte.
"We will provide him with all the help he needs to continue his success in recent years in controlling his addiction," Gallagher told a news conference. "Robert Whyte continues to be a valued member of our religious community."
Gallagher said the order has created a committee to come up with policies on handling indecent assault within the church.
Bishop Paul O'Byrne of the Calgary diocese has not been available for comment.
Priest charged with indecent assault
The Edmonton Journal
CALGARY (CP) — Calgary police have charged a Roman Catholic priest with four counts of indecent assault.
The charges against Father Robert Joseph Whyte of Toronto were laid Wednesday morning.
The incidents were alleged to have taken place from 1962 to to 1982, when the 67-year-old priest worked in Calgary. They involve boys and girls from 10 to 15- years-old and were alleged to have happened at a Calgary church and a church school.
Calgary police investigators worked with RCMP in Nelson, B.C., who have charged the same priest with seven counts of indecent assault. Those charges arise from incidents alleged to have occured seven years ago near the southern British Columbia town of Radium.
Whyte appeared briefly in Nelson provincial court Tuesday. He was released on several conditions and is to enter a plea June 29.
48 Responses to Whyte: Father Robert Whyte csb
TH says:
This man was also at Assumption High School in Windsor in the mid to late 1950s (1956 or 1957 to ???). I had no contact other than classroom contact with him, but he was possibly there for a short time while Hod Marshall was also at Assumption.
Brunelle Brenda says:
another Basillian Priest.
Very upsetting to read this.
Thanks TH.
IS there anyone out there who attended Assumption in the mid to late 50s who can confrim what years Whyte was there?
Does anyone have access to a library with the Assumption year books?
Sorry I Can't Say says:
I have access to the Assumption year books for 51/52, 53/54, and 54/55. I have not looked but I was just now told that Fr. Whyte did not arrive until the very late 50's or possibly even 1960. Don't know for sure. I could find out. He was not at Assumption at the same time as Hod Marshall.
I understand he was known to celebrate the "Feast of the Circumcision" with selected boys from his classes. A very holy feast day I am sure though I myself have never heard of it. It apparently required the boys to take their pants off to ensure they were "correct". I've heard the story second-hand but I may be able to get it straight from the source if need be.
Is Whyte still alive? Is he being investigated?
Sorry I Can't Say,
I know that Whyte was alive in January 1999.
I don't know if Whyte is under investigation. He was convicted in 1990. Those convictions relate to his time in Alberta as a parish priest and teacher in Catholic schools.
I personally am hard pressed to believe Whyte started molesting when he arrived in Alberta.
As for the Feast of the Circumcision, it disappeared in 1970 with the advent of the Novus Ordo Mass and was replaced by the Feast of Mary, the Mother of God. The Feast day for both is 01 January.
I gather from what you say Whyte's ruse was to see if the boys were circumcised?
What a sick and novel approach to satiating his perverse desires
Whyte taught me in either Grade 10 (1955-1956) or Grade 11 (1956-1957) at Assumption HS in Windsor.
Thank you for posting this information. When I was an 11 year old alter server (1979) this man befriended me and asked me to stay over at the rectory one Saturday night. Only because my grandfather happened to call and talk to my mother was I made aware that, "sometimes a priest might ask you to do something you don't want to do". Thanks to that conversation I refused to sleep in his bed after he watched me have a shower. Though I was not molested I did not sleep at all that night and have carried this secret with me my whole life. Thank you for posting this information.
Thanks you for sharing that DR. How fortunate for you that your grandfather called. I am sure you have thought of that countless times.
1979? Where was he when you knew him DR? Was he teaching at St. Mary's Boys School in Calgary and/or pastor at St. Mary's in Conchrane, Alberta?
Claire Quinn says:
I was a student at Holy Rosary School in Toronto from Grade 1 to Grade 8. This priest (Father Robert Whyte) arrived at our school in 1953. I was in grade 8. He was young and athletic and I guess charismatic. He began to organize baseball & basketball teams & tournaments against other Catholic schools in Toronto for girls & boys. He made sure he got to know the parents of a lot of the kids and everyone loved him. In grade 7 or 8 rumours began about his "sex talks" where he'd invite a girl or a boy to the sacristy, alone, to have a "talk" During these "talks" he had the victims remove their underwear so he could explain the "facts of life" What a sick man. He preyed on kids of single parents mostly. My father died when I was very young and my mom didn't remarry and had to work so many of us kids of single parents (boys & girls)were perfect targets for him. During my entire 8th grade, he tried to get me to go to one of his "meetings" but I always found an excuse and spent the year afraid of him and trying to avoid him. He continued to "harrass" me all year and finally towards the end of the school year, sent a note to my teacher during class (Sister Mary Francis) saying he wanted to see me after class in the rectory (priests' house). I was absolutely terrified and felt sick. My self preservation instincts kicked in and I asked my classmate Margaret (whose parents were very vocal & outgoing and very involved in Holy Rosary church matters)to come with me. So we both arrived at the rectory after school and when he opened the door, his chin dropped. I guess he thought I was a pushover – easy target. Little did he know. He brought us to his office, then left immediately. He returned 20 min. later and said he had to leave to give someone "the last rights" – a final blessing before death in the Catholic Church. As a result of all this harassment by him, I almost failed my 8th grade. I could not concentrate on anything and spent my energy avoiding this creep. Fortunately, I had enough self preservation to save myself from his sick intentions. But I was traumatized and felt betrayed by a man whom I, at first, thought of as a kind "father figure" I'd like to know if anyone reading this was at Holy Rosary school during that time and was victimized by him and if so, would they be interested in somehow seeking monetary compensation against the Basilian fathers. ….or from Rome! They owe us for letting this pervert continue to work among young, vulnerable kids. They knew all about his sick obsession but protected him!
If what you say is true, and I have no reason to disbelieve you, how fortunate you were Claire that he never laid a wayward hand on you. That was quick thinking on your part to bring along a friend. I'm sure it was scary year. but you made it through. Others may not have been so fortunate.
I'm no lawyer, and I stand to be corrected, but since you were never actually physically or sexually abused I don't think your fear of being abused and the sense of betrayal you experienced that year would be grounds for a lawsuit. Does anyone out there know?
xxxxx xx xxxx says:
Well it was about 60 years ago and I thought about it again yesterday at Mass. I thought I would google his name as I remember reading a newspaper article in the Toronto paper when he was arrested. I wondered if he might be still alive.I was surprised to see how much information had accumulated. I wonder just how much time he spent in jail. Likely with good behavior he was out in a year and a half. My purpose in writing is just to confirm some of the things mentioned by others herein.
Yes it did happen long before he was sent to Alberta. It was about 1952 when I was an altar boy at Holy Rosary Church in Toronto. I was rather close to Father Whyte and he asked me to drop by one Saturday afternoon. I thought he might want me to consider becoming a priest although I was only 13 or 14 at the time.
I had no idea that it was for a sex talk but later, after my experience ,I overheard other boys talking about it during a ball hockey game. I remember the talk very well and I recall him telling me that if I had an erection that was a sign that I was committing a sin. How was I to know differently when in those days we had no sexual information either at home or at school? During his "instruction" he had to show me something and asked me to approach the side of his desk where he removed my belt, trousers and lowered my underwear. [alleges Whyte then checked his testicles "as if to see if there was sperm inside" and pulled his foreskin "to show me what was removed at circumcision"] however I never heard of him having a Mass on January first where he checked the boys to see if they were circumcised. I find that rather hard to believe,and would like to hear from anyone who had that experience.
Some many years later I was in Calgary and visited him at his school. As we crossed the foyer of the School, a young student crossed our path and gave Father Whyte a look that I have never forgotten. I knew what the boy was thinking.
I did not know that he had sex talks with the girls. Does anyone know if he also took a look at their genetals?
I must say that I was not harmed emotionally by the experience and I guess I was one of the lucky ones.
xxxxx xx xxxx
Thank you for filling in a few more pieces of a puzzle.
You say you were note emotionally harmed and that you guess you were one of the lucky ones. That is something to be thankful for for sure.
What do you mean then when you say that when you were in Calgary visiting Father Whyte, and the young student crossed your path, and he gave Father Whyte a look that you have never forgotten, and you add: "I knew what the boy was thinking"?
What was the look?
I have edited xxxxx xx xxxx's blog. The edit changes nothing but does eliminate what I personally felt was a graphic and perhaps inadvertently sympathetic depiction of an act which, for a Roman Catholic priest, was, sick and perverted. It was possibly also criminal. I can think of no rationale for a priest to engage in such behaviour with a child.
xxxxx xx xxxx, I fear that your account will upset victims. I am sure that is not your intent.
Finally, since the act you describe could be grounds for criminal charges I believe it is not appropriate to provide such detail.
Well ,to answer the question about the young boy in the Calgary school who gave
Father Whyte a look that I will never forget, let me say that it was the look one would reserve for someone that was despised. Since I had the experience described above , I presumed that the young boy either had heard stories of the sex talks or he had been a victim emotionally harmed by the experience.
( I was in Calgary on business and during some time off I had arranged to drop in and see Father Whyte who I knew was stationed in that city. It was years before all the news of sexual pedophiles ,who were priests, broke in the papers. While I felt my experience was intrusive, I had no context to see it as a sexual assault or as criminal behavior. As I said, I was not emotionally scarred, as others have been by such experiences, so I still considered Father Whyte as a friend.)
Thank you xxxxx xx xxxx. I understand.
What were your thoughts in 1990 when you heard of Father Whyte's conviction ?
Sean O'Neill says:
Sylvia,
I don't know who you are. I came across you as I was researching Fred Henry the Bishop in Calgary and his more than coincidental sitting on the board of a recovery home for priests. My mind turned to, "You can call me Bob, or Robert..or Father Bob", and I wondered if he was still hiding out at The Basilian House in Toronto. I had the strange thought of going there and offering to hear his confession. Reading these earlier posts, I can tell you that his methods adapted by the early seventies. He explained that due to Vatican II, masturbation was not a sin. Then the inquiries…do you know what masturbation is? Do you know what sperm looks like?
I don't know about the Feast of the Circumcision, but when I met him his way to turn the conversation that way was somewhat more subtle. He told a story about a very funny scene in a movie he had recently seen. He described a man running naked from a bed who looks down realizing the Nazi's in the film will discover his true identity. He thought this extremely funny.
I realize that if he is still alive, he may be reading this. If that is the case: Father Whyte, There are many people who think four years in jail to be insufficient punishment. I don't share that opinion. It is not for me to punish. There is a certain justice in merely being exposed. Sadly, the complicity and encouragement by the Archdiocese of Calgary has yet to be addressed. I could easily have sued you and the Diocese long ago. I chose not to. Your sins against me are of little consequence. They are your transgressions, not mine. However, your silence regarding your accomplices at the Archdiocese concerns me because it allows others to still be victimized. What I know about that rather makes me an accomplice doesn't it? We both know this has nothing to do with an addiction. Your sexual desires are deviant from what could be considered normative. Whatever the mitigating circumstances, of your own personal history which may have brought this about, they're irrelevant. The important issue is the planned movement of men from parish to parish. In the larger scheme of things -the enlightenment of human consciousness- you have been little more than a pawn. Your personal weaknesses were used by your superiors for decades. You thought all along their hiding your secret and moving about was to help you? They served themselves. You didn't get real help until the Crown Attorney came along. It was the day of light which afforded you the humility to admit who you were. Wasn't it humility that you were supposedly selling as a Catholic priest? Sell them some of their own medicine..turn them over. Don't be afraid that they won't be there to protect you anymore. They have only been protecting themselves.
You are quite right Sean about the complicity of the Archdiocese of Calgary. Father Whyte was shipped off for "treatment" and then recyled right back into the Archdiocese. Did not a soul in the Archdiocesan offices know?
The same of course holds true for the Basilians. One can only wonder what reports they received regarding Whyte's circumcision perverse fixation during his early pre-Calgary years in Toronto. We have heard of that from xxxxx xx xxxx. I would say that perhaps this was Whyte's ruse to molest?
I wonder where he got the notion that due to Vatican II masturbation was no longer a sin? Convenient for him I suppose, but not at all true.
(I just added the fact that Paul John O'Byrne was Archbishop of Calgary 20 June 1968 – 19 January 1998)
Please use just C.K. says:
I am 71 now. I was molested many times in the rectory office by this man. Attending Holy Rosary Catholic school 1946- 1954 in Toronto, the sisters of St. Joseph were the teachers. I would be sent by the principal to what she called education lessons, to this priest. This was during school time. At that time at least 1/3 of the grades 7 and 8 had problems. To this day I do not worship as a catholic. This is the first public record of my sexual assaults. To those who are victims keep your faith in God, the priest was sick and knew no sense of reality. As I do not have much time left in life. " You must let go and let Jesus carry the burden". For the record I have over come forty years of mental illness and still trust "Jesus"
CK, I am so terribly sorry – that is a long time to carry the shame and pain. I am glad however that you have finally found the courage to speak publicly.
What was Whyte doing at Holy Rosary Catholic school? Was he a regular teacher? Did he go back and forth between Holy Rosary and St. Michael's College School? Do you hava any idea?
Fr. Whyte was a resident parish priest at Holy Rorary Church. He did not teach in the school.
He started baceball teams for the grades 7 and 8. The grade 8 teacher and pricipal Sister Ann Francis and the priest were close. She would send boys and girls daily to the rectory. The nun was pointing out to him any child that came from a single parent or alcohol disfuntional home. For the record she would take me to a room on the landing above her class room twice a week and use a rubber strap. This was done across the wrists with the comments open your mouth and it will be daily. The priest had free run until he raped the daughter of a medical doctor at the school. At this time it would be in poor taste to say more. I will contact you soon with the whole night mare privatley as other priests were as bad in the parish. I must keep in mind others will read this and they could suffer emotionaly.
Patrick McMahon says:
As one who was abused as a child by another horrible Basilian priest – Hod Marhsall, I commend you for speaking the truth. I hope, if it is in you to do so, that you continue to speak all that you know of this child molester Whyte and others if appropriate. Hearing the truth can be hard for some but that doesn't make it wrong or deliberately hurtful. Do what is right for you. You will be surprised at the good it does for both yourself and others.
Whyte was indeed mentally diseased in some way but not one that excuses his actions. Worse than that are the actions of the Basilian order and the catholic church in protecting these men even to this day. They are the ones who need to be held to account for what has gone on and is going on. Your speaking may have little or even no effect on the man who did this but it can have an impact on other victims of this man and those like him and on all the victims the catholic church continues to harm through both their actions and their indifference.
I hope we hear more from you. Trust in those you love to support you.
*I am only just beginning to deal with the impact that this pedophile had on me. I was sickened to learn that his attempt to grope my genitals in 1971 was clearly after the time that the Basilians knew of his other abuses – yet had not seen fit to act on them appropriately. Had he been arrested then, my abuse and that of many others, would have been avoided.
I recognized is pattern of "grooming" his victims and their families was the same. I found these descriptions difficult to read. In my case, he actually visited me in the hospital, brought be baseball magazines, and then, after I was discharged, took me to baseball games. Ultimately, he took me to a secluded beach by a river outside of Calgary.
I also find it interesting, and disturbing to see that Bishop Paul O'Byrne was "in charge" in Calgary at this time and also when Father Frank Van Tighem was charged for sexually abusing two of my female relatives. The Good Bishop never had the guts to reply to the girls' mother. The Calgary Catholic School District subsequently saw fit to name a High School after O'Byrne. Sick.
JM, I am sorry to hear that you too have a story to tell about Father Robert Whyte, but also glad that you are now dealing with it and speaking out.
What parish and school was he at when you knew him?
*Sorry, I don't where he was posted then. I just remember him visiting me in the hospital at the time.
Mike Mc says:
Once again I am floored. To those above who were abused, I sincerely commend you for speaking out in here. I believe part of the inner healing process is1) speaking out, 2)identifying abusers, 3) possibly helping others to do the same, and 4) putting away for good these abusers. (even if they are already dead).
As for the recurring theme of Superiors/Bishops "moving abusers around" and "keeping secrets about these very sick or evil priests), I am becomming only too well aware that this was happening all over the place. It really makes me angry to know my revered leaders in our RC Church were doing this. And to think even today some of those abusive priests are still functioning or being "fed and housed" quietly by the Church. Shame on the RC Church!
Please tell your stories in here. It may help others. I am sure it will help you to free and remove that corner of your consciousness that still haunts you. We must put a definite end to sexual abusive priests in our Church once and for all. This site is part of that cleaning up plan.
J. Mc. says:
*I attended Bishop Grandin High School from 1973 to 1975 in Calgary. Father Whyte was my teacher for- get this- religion class. I had no personal interaction with him, but recall having a strange feeling about him and did not respect him. Years later, when I saw that he had been arrested I discussed this with my sister. She said she wasn't surprised. She said the common warning at our school (to the boys) was "Don't go bowling with Father Whyte!"
I remember the newspaper article on his arrest had quoted Father Whyte as saying he wasn't feeling too bad about the charges because "God forgives sinners." While I believe this is true, it struck me that he was saying, he could do whatever he wanted, ask for forgiveness and then just carry on with more abusive acts… How convenient for him.
I was raised a Catholic but am not currently practicing. One of the main reasons for turning away from my church is the "pedophile priests" and how those in authority have dealt with them. My heart goes out to anyone who has been victimized by both the predators and those who have covered it up. I pray for your healing.
JF says:
Was thinking about this excuse for a human the other day and found your site. I went to St Mary's Boys High School in Calgary . Yes that is right " Boys High School". He was the Guidence counseller. Yeah right!!!
Was asked down to his office for a talk. Turned into one of his "sex ed" classes. Did not touch me or do anything but was sure he was fondling himself under his desk the whole time. Did not ever return to his many recurring requests. Whew — Lucky.
One of my best friends many years later made the comment " Gee J aren't you glad Father Whyte never liked us?" Yes for sure. Hope he rots in hell!!
All the church cares about even to this day is how they can help their poor priests who have a problem. No concern at all for the abused!! Disgusting.
I have so much disgust and hatred for the church today that it can still after all the news of abuse be so evil and unconcerned about the abused children.
Robert J. Whyte was the priest that married me back in 1985 at St Basils Church. I am Greek Orthodox, my fiancee was Catholic, and wanted to be married in a Catholic church. Robert J. Whyte was the uncle of a friend of ours and agreed to marry us at St Basils church. He gave me a book to read on catholic religion and I was to meet with him several times over a two week period to discuss my learnings. Each time I would arrive for the meeting I would have to introduce myself again as he could not remember who I was or why I was even there. Very Strange!
Once a Catholic says:
It is due to my brother's courage and rage that Whyte was finally tried and charged. The 'priest' took one of the my brothers, J, 'camping' in the 1970s while at Pius X in Calgary; J didn't tell anyone and was away a few years later when my brother 'P' was taken 'camping', so couldn't stop it. P wrote to O'Byrne about it a few years later when he was 16, but never received a response.
P and I were talking over coffee after a movie one night in 1987 when it came out. P didn't know that I knew, but I did. I'd long had a wrong feeling about Whyte: he tried to interest me in another boy at the church of whom he spoke admiringly – one too 'cool' to go camping with him, luckily – then one night I walked into my third brothers room (he was 3 at the time) to find Whyte sitting up close to him on the bed. Being naive I sat down next to him and he ran his hand all the way down my back to the bottom. I stood up fast and he left the room. I've always wondered what happened before I walked in … So when J confessed to me what had happened to him, later that same year, I wasn't surprised. By then Whyte had disappeared from St Pius overnight – turns out it was because another boy's family had gone to 'talk' to the other parish priest about an incident. This would have been in about 1982.
As soon as P and I had talked, in 1987, he resolved to do something right away before anyone else could be attacked. At first our mother insisted that it be done solely though the Basilian Order, as so many of them were family friends (oh yes, Father Leo had drunk more than a bit of our scotch, alright!). But the Order's response was so slow and weak – some pathetic, sickening, non-apology 'apology' letters from Whyte come to mind – that P and our father eventually insisted on the police being involved. The police were great; we made them a list of all the other kids we could think of that went to that church then, and they did a great job of investigation. Pity Whyte was so old by then, and spent so little time in prison.
This is not my story to tell, it is my brothers' story, their pain, which is why I said nothing for years after J told me; why I had no direct involvement with the court case; why I rarely speak of this. I will never reveal our names. But I want you to know how brave P was. And I want you to know that there was very definitely a cover-up, inertia, denial, on the part of the Order and the wider Church, all of which left these trust-abusing monsters free to carry on and create more victims. O'Byrne never responded to P's letter and later claimed never to have received it. The Order just moved Whyte from our parish to one in Toronto with a 'largely older' congregation (what, no altar servers? No grandchildren??)
Typing that last sentence has reminded me how uncomfortable I used to feel as a girl server in the changing area; Whyte always seemed to hanging around while I took my robes off. Always had full clothing on underneath thankfully! He mostly preferred boys, anyway. May he burn in hell.
Once a Catholic, thank you so much for passing that information on. I have often wondered about the brave boys who cam forward back then. And two and possibly three of your brothers were molested by this wolf in cheep's clothing. This must have been an absolute agony for your parents when they found out?
I hope and pray your brave brothers have been able to pick up the pieces of the lives. And, yes, they were brave. You are justifiably proud 🙂
I know of other victims – they are not, for various reasons, prepared at this time to come forward. There are, I believe, a lot of Father Whyte's victims out there, both in Calgary and in Toronto.
You mention Father Leo. You must mean Father Leo Campbell? Did you ever hear of or suspect anything about him?
Another question. Do you know if Father Leo and Father Robert Whyte good friends?
No one in the family is now, needless to say, a churchgoer. My brothers were of course marked by their experiences, but are good, stable men with lovely families.
As for Leo Campbell, he seemed an affable fellow, he and Whyte definitely knew each other but I don't know to what extent. I never heard of anything untoward about him. But then other Basilian priests, lovely men, were around as well and surely their presence alone kept the others in check at least some of the time. (I read something interesting elsewhere on your site about John Malo – I met him shortly after he was ordained, a very good person and I'm sure sickened by all this). Then again, none of those good men put a permanent stop to any of this evil!
Buckle in Once a Catholic. Here is the page on Father Leo Campbell I have had contact with several of his victims. He too left a wake of destruction and devastation
Yes, I've read all that. Makes me wonder whether Whyte and Campbell divied up their 'spoils'. I can't get over how the Order cared more about them than the victims. For example, in that article above, Gallagher (also a 'friend of the family') saying: "Robert Whyte continues to be a valued member of our religious community." !!!! A community he dishonoured, despoiled and tore to shreds. Its good to know there are people like you to shine a light on what was hidden for so long.
Sassofras says:
Fr. Whyte is a distant relative and believe me his atrocities came as a unbelievable shock. Never had anything to do with him since the day he was charged. Certainly changed my perspective of the Church. I do believe he is still alive.
Bless all of you who were affected by this creature.
mark shenfield says:
I was just checking on the intronet looking for a Basilian friend of mine and came across your site and to put it into a phrase of Robert De niro what a crock of %$#@ WHEN everyone else had abandoned him including the( man who knew nothing about what was transpiring) Bishop Paul J Obyrne ( Bull) another family and my wife and i walked the walk with Father Bob even though our children had been victims I dont want to get into the hypocrisy that exists on this site If Our Lord had acted in the same way The Adulterous would not have stood a chance. I visited along with my wife Fr Bob AT Prince Albert Penitentiary(odd penitent is A derivative)Do not begin to judge the man rather judge the hypocrites who do nothing but see opportunities for gain .I have never heard of a wound healed by a dollar bill. IS'NT IT ODD NOT ONE PRIEST VISITED THE MAN WHO CARED, ONLY A MENNONITE ELDER .WHO BROUGHT HIM HOLY COMMUNION myself and my wife and HE Cried (A PRIEST FOREVER OF THE ORDER OF MELCHISADEC) LET HIM WHO HAS NOT SINNED CAST THE FIRST ASPERTIONS
How unfortunate mark that you are unable to speak with and hear the tears of those victims who have never come forward but suffered at the sullied hands of this predatory priest. Father Whyte was molesting young lads before he ever landed in Calgary.
Several years ago I spoke to a 72 year old man who had been abused by whyte in Toronto. For various reasons he did not want to lay charges – he just wanted to tell someone. He cried.
There are others.
I can only hope and pray you offered as much sympathy, understanding and compassion to your children as you did to this Basilian wolfanunderstanding to
In sheep's clothing. I pray too that your children do not shed the same tears shed by the 72 year old of whom I spoke – the man who was sexually abused by Father Whyte before he preyed upon your own terribly unfortunate children.
Father Whyte has left a trail of human destrction in his wake. There are many who suffered at his hands. Many who have never come forward publicly. He is unfit to be a priest.
Perhaps you could see fit to offer prayers for the many who continue to suffer and weep because they had the misfortune of being robbed of their innocence by this predator? And perhaps you could give him a call and suugest he do likewise? You might aldo suggest he contactand and offer an apology to every single one of his many victims. If he is truly repentant he will be anxious to do so.
Sylvia:
Nothing you can say will be truly heard by shenfield…he has blinders on for sure. And if what he wrote about his own children being victims is true, then I feel sorry for them because their parents are fools. Shenfield is a great example of why many victims don't come forward!
C K says:
On Jan. 25, 2014 I posted a distasteful experience with the deceased.
I'm am now 74 still awake in the night writing again.
As there is only one God who is all merciful and forgiving everyone will agree. So this message is to let everyone know that Robert is sitting beside Jesus this very minute.
I have never seen a father turn his back on a child and not over look there failures.
Jesus gave us free will at birth some keep it and some give it back. Those who give it back become " Spiritual" explained we follow gods will.
I am now at full peace with myself and God and yes , I will tell Robert of my forgiveness if and when I meet him in the next life.
I am glad that you have found peace CK, however, as much ss you might wish it I don't believe that you or I or anyone else can say that Father Whyte is in Heaven. That is for God to decide. You can implore God to have mercy on Father's soul. You have forgiven,and you want God to forgive, but I believe you must leave God's forgiveness in God's hands.
Point well received.
Error date Jan. 26 , 2012 posting
I attended St. Augustine school and later Bishop Grandin HS in Calgary.
In 1974 Whyte was present at St. Augustine. He had an office on the second floor behind the library. This office was in the wing of the school where the Elementary aged students (ages 6-11) were taught. I was in the other wing where the Junior High students (ages 12 – 14) were taught. I don't know what his position or role at the school was, to my knowledge he never taught a class, but he was definitely there.
Even then there were rumours about him. My older brothers warned me about him.
The next year when I started at Bishop Grandin he was a religion teacher there. I did have him as a teacher in Grade 11. He was quite odd. I do remember him criticising a student for wearing a 'loud' Hawaiian shirt and then being amazed on the last day of school, when a pal and I went to find out our final marks, to see him walking the school halls in a 'loud' Hawaiian shirt!
Lots of rumours which my mother got quite angry at us for discussing at home. Mom was quite devout and didn't like priests being bad mouthed. Just a part of the system of denial and disbelief which these criminals took advantage of.
whom ever PJ is,blinders are what Sylvia is wearing french law is french law. Why don't you contact the victims who have forgiven him. Oh that's right sorry they also have blinders on For your info he is now deceased( aww are prayers in order)Oct 2014
No prayers from me…and as I said before shenfield, if what you said about your children having been abused, I'm shocked that you would be so cavalier about them. Not sure what you meant about french law but whatever. And thanks to Sylvia's efforts, pervert collars like him are found here for all to see. At least someone has the balls to do this since that church and all it's pervert collars/protectors never grew the balls to do the right thing.
1abandonedsheep says:
Mark it is you who needs the prayers. Willfully blind is not an excuse, nor is deliberate stupidity ! What did you say about who should throw the first stone?
Father Whyte died 22 July 2014 Mark. His obituary has been posted above for over a year.
Dear Sylvia,
I was sexually fondled by this man on one occasion in Sault Ste. Marie in 1960 or 1961 in his office at St. Mary's College. I was 13 yr old … playing Saturday morning basketball in that school gym, when he took me upstairs.
I have a photo published in the May 8, 1961 edition of the Sault Star (everyone is named in the photo) … he is presenting a trophy to the seven of the boys on "his basketball team". I am one of those boys – and was never a student at that school (my brother was).
I found this photo today hidden in a bible that my parents gave me in 1955.
My online search led me here. Thank you for this opportunity to disclose.
I rejected catholicism many years ago.
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Longfellow turned to the story of Absolom to console a friend who had lost a son. "Chamber over the Gate" captures the grief in a supportive way.
A visit to the Wayside Inn in Sudbury, Massachusetts made me aware of Longfellow's collection "Tales from the Wayside Inn." Like Longfellow's storytellers, I had a good time there.
Eating stories enthrall my grandchildren because they reenact the childhood drama of separating from the parents and developing autonomous selves.
For Americans, wilderness is a more unkempt affair than it for Europeans.
If they win the Super Bowl, Brady and Belichick will become as legendary in the sports world as that patriot of old, Paul Revere.
Longfellow's "Children's Hour" may be overly sentimental but, as I played with my grandson, I found myself not caring.


Learn about Seattle's public parks (we have over 400 of them!) with Linnea Westerlind, author of Discovering Seattle's Parks: A Local's Guide. March 20th at the Royal Room, get tickets.
Catch the works of local, artist savant, Gregory Blackstock, at the Greg Kucera Gallery through March 31st. One of our all-time favorites!
Shellfish foraging with Langdon Cook and Bainbridge Parks. If you've always wanted to know how to dig for clams and harvest oysters, this is the season to do it! To learn more, go here.
Seattle Art Museum's REMIX March 30th -- a night of art, story-telling, performance and dancing with DJ Riz Rolllins (!!!) -- don your color and sparkles and don't miss this feast for the senses!
Arboretum Loop Trail grand opening, April 8th from 12 - 3. After three years in the making, the newly opened trail will create a 2.5 mile loop through the Arboretum, just in time for viewing the blooming azaleas, rhododendrons and fruit trees.
The Mariners (opening day March 29th) and Sounders are back, catch a day game and cheer on Ichiro's return.


From time to time we publish articles that appear in the programme which contain news that hasn't been published on this site. The following article updates fans on the club's decision to go full time. It appeared as Erik Samuelson's page in the Tamworth programme.
Good evening and welcome to the fans, officials and players of Tamworth.
Tonight I want to look forward to next season and some exciting changes. We've had a great season, our first in a national league, and whatever the results of our last two games we will end up as the highest placed part-time club. But we want to progress, and as recent games have made clear, we need to be full time if we are to compete with the top teams. So I am delighted to say that at their recent meeting the Dons Trust board agreed the club's plans for doing so.
This is a significant decision that fits into our longer-term ambitions. We recruited Terry as a full-time manager with this step in mind, and after careful consideration we believe that the time is right. But going full time is only part of the plan. We've also made the decision to invest in young players and build a team, not buy one. In plain terms, this means that despite pressures on costs we are continuing to invest in our Youth Development Programme (YDP), and next season we are moving to having professional coaches for all the youth teams.
Recently you may have seen some of our young players making their mark in the first team. But we can't expect to get all our new players via the YDP. So for the past couple of months our talent scout, Luke Dowling, together with Terry, Stuart and Simon, has been checking out the best young players around, and we are already in negotiations to sign some of them for next season.
When Alan Hansen famously said "You can't win anything with kids" he might have been better saying that a young team needs a few experienced players to provide the backbone. In the next week or two, we will be talking to the players Terry wants to retain and offering them new terms.
Going full time means that we need to have additional training facilities, extra coaching and physio time, and to provide food for the players after training every day. All this costs money, and since we aren't owned by a rich man who is happy to throw money at the club, we need to fund it ourselves. So we are taking a number of steps to raise more money, including raising entry prices next season.
For season tickets, I am delighted to say that we've been able to extend last season's innovation and offer payment in monthly instalments. You can collect an application form from the complimentary tickets window before or after tonight's game. Season ticket renewal notices will be going out next week.
We are taking some other initiatives to try to give Terry as much money as possible to recruit the players he wants. We will announce these new ideas as soon as we have completed the detailed planning.
We aim to regain a place in the Football League, and by going full time we are taking a giant step in that direction. The plan is to have a young side, with more and more players coming though our own youth set-up, and playing – as Terry has often said – without fear.
Our other key ambition is to have a new stadium of our own. There is a summary of the various processes that need to be completed to achieve that objective and an assessment of where we are in each case here: A stadium fit for the Dons.
So, there are enormous challenges facing us – but we thrive on challenges, don't we, or we wouldn't have started this club eight years ago. These are exciting times.


NEWTON - Gary Wayne Klassen, 63, died Jan. 24, 2013. He was born July 30, 1949, son of Pete and Lorena (Heibert) Klassen.
He married Carolyn Graber July 10, 1970. She survives with his parents; sons, Patrick, Timothy and Nathan; brothers, Charles, Rodney, Warren, Russell and Roger; and granddaughter, Kodi Rose.
Memorial service 2 p.m. Monday at Grace Community Church, Newton. Visitation 1 to 5 p.m. Sunday, with family present 2 to 4 p.m., at Peterson Funeral Home, Newton. Graveside service 1 p.m. Monday in Restlawn Gardens of Memory. Memorials to Medical Ambassador's International.


I went last year and had a blast, be sure not to miss it this year!
Design Vendetta – four student designers compete for one spot in the Designing Dreams fashion show 2011!
Each designer will be given a bag filled with fabric, notions & who knows…a few thingymabobs & widgets as well! These items & the theme will not be revealed until the timer starts. Designers will have an hour to design, construct & design a garment that will then be judged by the crowd & local fashion gurus.
Please RSVP soon since space is limited.


Watershed Center crew member upslope of a brush pile created as part of a fuel management project on the Trinity National Forest.
In California, where the Watershed Center's local work has been centered for the past two decades, we're experiencing a year of firsts—winter never showed up to shut down our stewardship crews for the season, and now half way into June, we've been shut down due to the USDA Forest Service Region 5's Project Activity Level* fire risk seven times. Compare that to a typical season where you might have one or two "shut down days" in the whole month of June, and it's pretty clear that the extended fire season our climate adaptation plan references is here. Now we have to learn how to get work done in spite of it.
Like the Watershed Center, many FAC practitioners are implementing fuel breaks, plantation thinning and other landscape treatments as part of their integrated FAC strategy. So how do you adapt your implementation strategies to cope with record drought and an extended fire season? Luckily, we're no strangers to adapting to complex systems. Learning to navigate public lands management in a way that creates local community benefits and creates a culture of stewardship has taught us to be nimble. Accepting change, openly communicating and problem solving with partners (like the USDA Forest Service), and committing to outcomes rather than rigid outputs are a few of the strategies that have been critical to sustaining our program. That said, it's pretty easy to list off some broad strategies, but at the operational level it is no small task to deal with shut down days and the additional equipment, fire watch and care required to implement a project when conditions are extreme. Not only does it cost more, but the logistics of reorganizing a crew's schedule and workflow can cut down on production, and be taxing on personnel.
So what advice do our crew leaders have for those of you coping with difficult implementation conditions?
Invest in cross-training your workforce. If your crews have a range of skills you'll be able to use them to implement a more diverse program of work. We've seen the added benefits of cross-training when the same crews who mark, cut, pile and burn an area participate in all of those aspects of a project. You learn to build a good pile when you know you have to come back and burn it later!
Secure a diverse program of work with projects that you can do at different times and under different conditions. If you've cross-trained your workforce, this becomes a lot more feasible. Once you have diversified the skills of your crew and the kind of work you can secure, your program becomes a lot more resilient in the face of growing restrictions. For example, our crews will be working on trail maintenance and noxious weed management as part of their implementation season this year.
Build enough flexibility into your contracts and agreements to cover costs associated with additional fire requirements. Once you've trained your workforce and secured flexible project types, make sure the contracts or agreements you've developed include the additional costs that extreme fire conditions may incur. Check on equipment requirements like water pumps, and build those costs into your budget.
Keep lines of communication open. Talk about conditions with your crews, make sure they understand the risks and are taking proper precautions, and make sure that their observations and experience are communicated to the land manager. Communication also helps keep expectations realistic. Tradeoffs are inevitable, and with a more diverse program of work often comes a reduction in production rate.
Make sure you have safety, response and escape protocols and plans in place in case a fire does break out. Most of our implementation projects are pretty remote, on the fringes of the community. It is critical that our crews have radios and can contact our USDA Forest Service partners and other emergency personnel if needed. Ensuring that our crews know what to do in an emergency, and that they can communicate with response personnel provides for their personal safety and lets us all rest easier knowing there is a plan in place if an incident does develop.
California is certainly experiencing extreme conditions this year, but regardless of where you are climate change and other pressures are requiring land managers to adjust the ways they implement projects. What tips or lessons do you have to share with people working on stewardship implementation as part of their FAC strategy?
Wildfire Community Preparedness Day 2017: What Happened?


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August 19, 2014 1:04PM ET
Aeropostale Rehires Julian Geiger as CEO
By Angela Velasquez
As we settle into the new year, our Sourcing Summit Companion Report looks ahead at ways to optimize processes and performance.
Teen specialty retailer Aeropostale Inc. announced Monday that Julian Geiger has rejoined the company as chief executive officer, effectively immediately. He will also continue to serve as a board member.
Survey Names CEOs' Biggest Worries Right Now: Week Ahead
Geiger was CEO of the retailer from 1996 to 2009 and drove up sales at Aeropostale to $1.9 billion in 2008, from $140 million in 1998, Reuters reported.
The move is a tell-all sign that the struggling retailer is banking on Geiger to apply his magic touch to its sluggish sales. Aeropostale, along with other teen-centric retailers like Abercrombie & Fitch and American Eagle Outfitters, have been struggling to compete with fast fashion makers H&M and Forever 21. On Monday, the company reported that sales at stores open for at least one year dipped 13 percent, making it the eighth straight quarterly comparable sales decline. Second quarter revenue dropped 13 percent to $396.2 million.
Karin Hirtler-Garvey, chairperson of Aeropostale's board of directors, said, "Julian's previous service in the role of CEO combined with his passion for the Aeropostale brand make him an ideal choice to lead this organization." She added, "Julian was the leader of Aeropostale's strategic direction during a period of significant growth, and we are confident in his enthusiasm for the business, his understanding of today's teen retail marketplace and his intuition regarding teen fashion. We are pleased to have Julian back to help guide Aeropostale, Inc. and further enhance each of the Company's sales channels."
Geiger replaces Thomas Johnson, who mutually agreed with Aeropostale's Board of Directors to step from his role as CEO and director of the company. Johnson will remain available for the company to help with a smooth transition.
Geiger said the decision to return to Aeropostale was easy to make. "The opportunity for sales and profit growth; the ability to reinforce the Company's special culture; and the chance to work closely with, and influence, the management team and the field organization combine to create a compelling and dynamic challenge. It is with enormous excitement that I prepare to lead the Aeropostale team into a future filled with optimism and opportunity."
Angela Velasquez
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So much of what my students and I do either stems from our journals or revolves around using them. It's a seemingly small thing with an enormous impact. But here's the catch to journaling- it has to be every school day. And I mean every school day.
My classes and I have finally reached the tipping point with our journals. It took work. It didn't start out as everyday. We did it every day of the week before Christmas break. We have done it every single day in January. It hit about this time last year as well.
It's just not the same if we do it almost every day. It really does have to be every day. If we only journal four out of five days in the week, it's still only something we sometimes do. It's 80% of the time. But journaling everyday turns it into just something we do. Don't miss that. It's huge.
Journaling the lifeblood of our classroom. It's one of those things that must be done everyday to get the most impact. That's what it takes for journaling to become a habit- daily writing. That's exactly what I want for my students. I want writing to be a habit.
It's just something we do. Everyday. Without fail.


To introduce myself for those of you who do not know me, I have been with RDC for almost nine years, but this is my first opportunity to testify in front of your committee as executive director. I am originally from Nome, graduated from Chugiak High School, and went on to graduate from the University of Alaska Anchorage. My husband, son and I live in Anchorage and we hope to live and work here in Alaska for the rest of our lives.
While I don't have a presentation today, I think it is very important for me to be here to offer RDC's perspective on HB 247.
RDC is a statewide non-profit business association comprised of individuals and companies from Alaska's oil and gas, mining, forest products, fisheries and tourism industries. RDC's membership of nearly 400 corporate members and hundreds of individual members, includes the 12 land owning Alaska Native corporations, local communities, organized labor and industry-support firms across the entire economy, all of which depend on a healthy oil and gas industry. RDC's purpose is to encourage a strong, diversified private sector in Alaska and expand the state's economic base through the responsible development of our natural resources.
As you can see, RDC members are truly the life-blood of Alaska's economy. We believe the best approach to expand the economy and generate new revenues for the state is to produce more oil, attract more tourists, harvest more fish, and mine more minerals. Increasing taxes on our natural resource industries will not increase production for the Trans Alaska Pipeline System, it will not encourage the development of new mines in Alaska, it will not attract more tourists, and it will not increase investment in the fishing industry. Higher taxes in this low-priced commodity environment will likely deter investment and lead to lower state revenues and a weaker private sector over the long run.
With regard to HB 247, raising taxes on companies that are reporting record losses and are in negative cash flow is not sound fiscal policy.
According to the Energy Information Administration, oil prices today are not only the lowest we've seen in a decade, when adjusted for inflation, they are the lowest since the mid-1980s. In less than two years, oil prices have fallen 70 percent. This obviously has impacted state revenues, but also the industry, which receives 100 percent of its revenue based on the commodity price.
This is clearly not the time to raise taxes on the primary engine of Alaska's economy. The oil industry is struggling with low oil prices and tight capital markets. Companies are cutting budgets and making tough investment decisions. Increasing taxes on the industry at this time will compound a bad situation and jeopardize new investment, further damaging our private sector economy and shrinking the economic pie for everyone.
The oil industry is truly the foundation of Alaska's economy and keeping it strong is the key to sustaining the private sector, Alaskan jobs, state government, and the overall economy. A healthy and strong oil and gas industry is also vital to progressing the Alaska LNG mega project. To sustain our economy, Alaska needs to encourage new investment, jobs and production by maintaining a stable, competitive tax structure.
When you incentivize something, you get more of it. Look at the current tax policy. It has brought new exploration, jobs, and continued investment to the state. It has stabilized North Slope production and has somewhat shielded Alaska from the massive cut backs that have occurred elsewhere. Following the enactment of the new tax law in 2013, Alaska saw $5 billion in new investment across the state from legacy companies to new companies that have made big investments in good faith under the current regime. The sudden and dramatic drop in oil prices have slowed progress as companies struggle with low cash flows, but Alaska is in a much better position because of those investments. The tax policy has done what it was supposed to do: increase investment.
Conversely, HB 247 moves us in the wrong direction. It represents the sixth major tax change in Alaska in the last 11 years. Raising taxes when prices go up, and then raising them again when prices are down, creates instability and fails to provide investors with any fiscal certainty. HB 247 will make Alaska less competitive for global investment and risks future projects that would put more oil in TAPS, which should be our number one goal. Alaska needs a plan that grows the pie bigger for everyone.
RDC's members are not only the oil companies that will be directly impacted by HB 247, but also companies in the support industries and native corporation ventures. Alaska's Native Corporations (ANCs) are, and will continue to be economic engines in Alaska. A large part of the ANC success we see today is a result of purchases or joint ventures of oil and gas support industry companies in Alaska.
These investments not only create jobs for Alaska native shareholders, but often result in job training, education, and opportunities where few others exist. In addition to these benefits, oil production on native-owned land directly benefits the shareholders of all 12 land owning ANCs and some 220 village corporations.
Other RDC member companies, some of whom you have heard from already or will hear from today, will further explain to you the negative impacts of HB 247 on their companies. These companies, both big and small, rely on a healthy and stable oil and gas industry.
Another major concern that we have with HB 247 is that the administration has not conducted a risk analysis on the bill's impact on the oil industry. The effect of this tax proposal must be fully reviewed and unintended consequences, including potential impacts on future investment and production, considered.
Our members are not asking for a tax decrease during this time of low commodity prices like other states and countries are considering, but we do request that as the state considers changes to tax policy, it do no harm to the state's largest industry, an industry facing significant economic hardship. Otherwise, we may soon learn that the more Alaska taxes companies, the less likely a company will invest here – and the more likely its limited capital will go to jurisdictions that do encourage investment.
We are deeply concerned HB 247, if enacted, will force industry to reduce investments, which will lead to reduced oil and gas production and ultimately result in less revenue for the state, exacerbating the revenue crisis.
In closing, it is important for Alaskans to remember that the oil industry is a major revenue producer for the State of Alaska, and is the largest producer of revenue for the North Slope Borough, the City of Valdez, and the Kenai Peninsula Borough.
Co-chair Nageak, co-chair Talerico, and members of the House Resources Committee, I thank you for the opportunity to offer RDC's perspective on HB 247 today.


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Building a successful product means getting good at saying no. But exactly how do you say it? When you're on the front line, representing your company's product decisions, how do you deliver that news successfully?
Working as part of our Customer Support team, I've experienced first hand just how tricky this can be. Ultimately, the information that you're about to share is not going to be what the customer wants to hear. However, there are a few key things that can help you make that "no" a bit more palatable for your customers.
Like any negative conversation in life, context is key. If you can explain why you're saying no, it's an easier pill for your customer to swallow. Without it, customers feel entitled to be angry, upset and disappointed. With context, they can still feel all these things but deep down they'll know they're a little less entitled to.
A common consolation is the knowledge that something isn't a mistake, but a deliberate decision. Customers feel frustrated when they believe a sloppy oversight has led to a feature they would love being overlooked. The simple reassurance that this decision is tied to your company's end goals and is in line with your overall mission can completely change how the news is received. Never underestimate the power of why.
A good relationship between support and product teams can really help provide this context and solidify the why. At Intercom, the Customer Support team members will regularly jump into product team Slack channels and run through logic of decisions with engineers to make sure we fully grasp the details of any given decision. Having that open line of communication means you can get that extra sliver of insight and say no with even more detail and confidence.
When you're chatting with customers about how great your product is and how much they love your newest feature it's easy to be personal and for conversations to be all sunshine and gifs. But something I've seen happen to lots of my teammates is the second they have to have an awkward or undesirable conversation with a customer, they stiffen up and their language completely changes. When the conversation takes a turn for the worse it's easy to let all that personality go and default to formal speak. But this is when being personal is most important.
People are afraid of conflict and are uncomfortable saying no on behalf of their company, so they become overly formal and in turn, somewhat robotic. From the frustrated customer's perspective, a stiff "no" reply can be interpreted as you not having any empathy for their situation and simply parroting off a stock company line.
Remain friendly and personal when saying no. Resist the urge to hide behind formal language and try to continue to be yourself as much as possible. If in doubt, ask yourself if you'd use the same language to explain the situation to a friend or colleague. If it would feel weird speaking to them that way, then don't speak that way to your customer.
Things go wrong and mistakes happen. Funky and frustrating bugs crop up and customers are negatively affected. We'd all love to have a clear and solid explanation for every issue customers face but the reality is sometimes that just isn't possible.
If, like Intercom, most of your customers are running businesses themselves, appeal to that business sense. Involving the customer in the resolution helps them empathize with you. It also helps you get a fuller picture of the fallout and allows you to appreciate and understand why and how they were affected. Asking things like, "What do you think would be a fair compensation to get us past this?" or offering a solution and then asking "How does that sound to you?" can really bring the customer into the situation and help them feel empowered in the resolution.
Sometimes a hard line has to be taken and you need to push back of course, but when you involve the customer in finding the solution it can be the catalyst for them taking a more pragmatic approach to the entire situation.
At Intercom, we really discourage our Customer Support team from simply saying, "You can't do that at the minute, but we'll pass it on as a feature request" to our customers. Granted, sometimes that is the response that makes most sense but typically we try and dig a little deeper. It's far better to try and move the focus off the feature a customer is asking for and on to what they're actually trying to achieve. Ask a few more probing questions to find out exactly what their end goal is. Best case scenario, you'll know a work-around. Worst case scenario, you now have extra context to pass on to your product team.
The idea of telling a customer that it's okay not to continue using your product and to perhaps check out other options instead can be a really tricky thing to get your head around.
There are reasons why you built your product the way you did and it would be silly to expect that to align with the needs and wants of every customer and company out there. Nobody wants a frustrated, disillusioned customer who constantly contacts your support team because they're struggling to use your product in a way that it's simply not designed to work.
At Intercom, if we know a customer is paying us good money we want them to love our product and really feel the value from every penny of their monthly subscription. There will be ups and downs during their lifetime as an Intercom customer, and those things we can get around. However, if what the customer wants to do is something that our product fundamentally is not built to do, then they're never going to feel happy and satisfied and we're never going to fully 'get around' it. They're never going to feel they've gotten bang for their buck and they're not going to enjoy using our product. In those cases we'll be sad to part ways but we'll definitely suggest it if we know it's best.
Always strive to show empathy to your customers but never to the point that you end up throwing your engineering or product team under the bus. It's fine to agree that you'd also love to see a certain feature added. But try balancing that with a shout out to some of the cool features that have been recently shipped or improved on. This can help hammer home the deliberate nature of how your team builds and can remind the customer that you didn't just forget or overlook building the features they'd like, you simply decided that others took priority for now.
This is another example of the benefit of having a strong relationship between support and product teams. Being close to your product team, knowing and appreciating what they're working on, and working hard on, means you prevent your customer support team from developing a biased perspective with one-directional empathy.
Being able to say no and say it with confidence is certainly not an easy skill to master. It takes time and practice and even the most seasoned pro will get it wrong from time to time. However, if you have a solid and deep understanding of your company's core values and can genuinely say that you're on board with them, the odds of a successful no conversation will be significantly higher.


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Facebook Weathers Benefit Fraud Privacy Storm - Social Songbird
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Facebook Weathers Benefit Fraud Privacy Storm
Thursday, July 23, 2015 Facebook, social media
gizmondo.com
It's going to be very difficult for me to get through this one without getting riled. Prosecutors in the States have started putting Facebook under more pressure to release account details for potential benefit fraudsters. Currently they are being forced to turn over 381 accounts' worth of information, based on the notion that people are claiming disability benefit, whilst posting pictures of themselves engaging in 'vigorous activities' on the site. The warrant would allow prosecutors to delve into profiles and find out whether or not this is the case.
Facebook initially flatly refused the demands (issued by New York state), with Microsoft and Google fighting in their corner, but they were subsequently ordered to comply by the court. Among the people targeted by the warrants are police officers and fire-fighters, some of whom are accused of faking illness in the wake of the September 11th World Trade Centre attack. Facebook argued that the request was too nonspecific, and would lead to the government mining data that wasn't actually pertinent to any crime.
Civil liberties groups also argued that by ruling on Facebook's right to block the order, rather than the actual legality of the warrants, the court had sidestepped the real crux of the matter. This fight has been raging back and forth since 2013 and Facebook were well within their rights to push back, so it's a little disheartening to see them being forced to comply like this. One of the biggest issues with this is that any information turned over to the authorities would remain in their hands indefinitely, with the user having no real say in it, even if it turns out the data is useless to them.
Clearly, Facebook aren't thrilled about the way this has turned out and are currently considering filing an appeal. It's easy to see where they're coming from, if authorities can just pull data from the site at any time they want, where's the line? The disparity between the exponential growth of the internet and governmental attempts to control it seems to be increasing with every passing day. It's these kinds of cases that show that as far as social media and privacy laws are concerned, the rulebook almost needs to be thrown out.
It's a cautionary message to active Facebook users, more than anything else. The state of play with privacy of information doesn't sit still for more than a minute at the moment and if you put something incriminating online, any number of things could happen to place it in somebody else's hands.
Callum Davies
Callum is a film school graduate who is now making a name for himself as a journalist and content writer. His vices include flat whites and 90s hip-hop. Follow him @CallumAtSMF
Facebook Weathers Benefit Fraud Privacy Storm Reviewed by Unknown on Thursday, July 23, 2015 Rating: 5