7 c a5 . May 26, 1985 J COMMUNITY NEWS SCHOOL STILL BUSTLING 70 YEARS LATER — Shakespeare's MacBeth The bells of the Abbey mark out the divisions of the day from the long peal to early morning Mass to the single stroke of the evening bef at 9 which marks the end of day. That solitary bell tolled just now and I thought how ill-marked are our daily lives, how blurred and run-together, how rarely are we invited, encouraged to pause and reflect on anything. Perhaps that is why reunions of all kinds are becoming so popular — they reflect a felt need for an opportunity for our souls to catch up with our bodies. Last Sunday, after the provincial Arts Council conference in Castlegar, I met an old friend and former colleague from Victoria High School days. It had been a ‘The crowd of former students and teachers was a bit overwhelming but 70 years is quite a period from which to draw delegates’ proud school with a tradition of academic excellence, good discipline and high esprit de corps among students and teachers. A few years ago it had celebrated in a grand reunion, its 100th anniversary and there were two huge plaques in the entrance hall, one with the names of all of the student council presidents back to its beginning and one for the top scholar of each year. Today, said my friend, the school is a shell, i and psych . “Tm glad I am retired and don’t have to see it.” Ironically, he went on to say, there are more reunions of different classes now than ever in the school's history. More recently, last month in fact, I spoke at the 70th anniversary of Gilmore School in North Burnaby and found quite the opposite situation to be true — the school was bustling with life; the problem lay with me. Lacking sufficient information, I had prepared too detailed a presentation and then lacked the wit to shorten it. However, the event itself had some good cause for pause and reflection. The crowd of former students and teachers was a bit overwhelming but 70 years is quite a period from which to draw delegates. Initially, they formed an undefined sea of faces, but quickly individuals began to come into focus — some of whom I had not seen for more than 50 years. It was the familiar reunion phenomenon once again. Regardless of time or situation, one’s initial reaction at these affairs is usually the same — “Who the heck are all of these oldsters — (forever youthful and unmarred by time) don't know a singid OH6Of tiem. cert alirl hour, however, s strange metatnorphosis takes-place and one becomes convinced that one “knows” the eritire. Test oY 7 : John Charters... Reflections & recollections company. Some, of course, are greatly changed but with your incredible memory (and their name tage at which you take furtive glances) you are able to identify them by a particular smile or a familiar gesture. Others, like yourself, have changed almost not at all, and stand out like a firefly on a dark night, thus making their name-tags almost superfluous, other than the fact that you find yourself calling Bill “Jack” and Jean “Mary.” When it comes to the reminiscing, though, one finds their grasp of early facts a little weak — broad outlines are OK but their grasp of detail is not in accord with one's own. In part compensation for this weakness, the reunion committee had cleverly put together a booklet of pictures, early history of the school and the community, and recollections of former students. Regrettably, for future generations, it does not have a date, but I thought it an excellent idea for any group planning a reunion and I am prepared to make copies on request. Some interesting, and I suspect, almost universal comments to be found in this “Gilmore Generations” include: “Life at school in those days had a certain military flavor to it. Children lined up in the basement ine and one o'clock and were marched to classes. Discipline was striet and punishment sometimes harsh, but considered fair by many who recall it. The emphasis was placed on grammar, reading, writing and arithmetic. In geography, students were expected to draw maps freehand putting in the rivers and mountains. “Gilmore did not have indoor plumbing and we turned over the outhouses every Halloween. “Early residents had to rely very largely on their own resources. There was no electricity and people had to put up their own poles to get it. Mrs. Smedley was the local midwife, nurse and often doctor. “Get Grandma Smedley” was a frequent statement in timepeof trouble. “The Regent Theatre provided Saturday matinees.~ There were silent movies, accompahied by Miss Smedley on the piano. The tempo of the music increased with the tension of the story. “During the First World War our teachers knitted socks for the soldiers. The manual training teacher George Sievers made knitting needles out of sheet metal and the flying sparks fascinated us as he cut the metal. I remember he turned around too fast and accidentally burned Earl Perkin’s neck with a hot knitting needle. Mr. Sievers felt guilty and he gave Ear! 10 cents to spend. We helped him spend it at the nearby candy store.” “Each day began with a Bible reading and the Lord's Prayer. Maclean's handwriting was enforced. Mr. Maclean visited the school once a year to ensure that his ing was being taught. S"Boine of my classmates who lived fay from: the --sehoolcarried jam tin lanterns because during the wiater, “they would have to walk through dark trails after school & on their way home. A hole was cut into the side of the jam tin and a candle inserted inside. “My mother made me wear a pinafore to school. You put it on over your dress. I used to take it off because nobody at school wore “pinnies” any more; I would then hide it in the bush near the telephone office where the Salvation Army is now. I'd pick it up and put it back on before I got home in the afternoon. Finally my mother said I wouldn't have to wear it any longer. I never did find out if she knew what I'd been doing with it, and I never did tell her. “School was chilly, the wood was wet and often didn't burn well. “Every day the janitor’s wife, Mrs. Knowles, could be seen coming across the schoolyard with a boiling kettle for the teachers’ tea. M. Tudge (Taylor) Student, 1911 I had never thought of Gilmore Avenue School as having been at some time a rural school but this certainly was this case. Places may differ but situations remain much the same, particularly when it comes to tin-can lanterns and upended outhouses. I had been asked by the committee to speak about a former teacher, a Miss Margaret Scott — tall, slim, ‘Regardless of time or situation, one's initial reaction at these affairs is usually the same: ‘Who the heck are all these oldsters?' red-haired and stately, immaculately groomed in tailored suits. In my mind, and in those of a number of others I consulted, she still remains the model and standard of excellence. I-eweote: “We respect Miss Scott and enjoy her sense of humor and essential kindness but no one in his right mind puts her sense of humor to the test. Consequences are swift and unpleasant. She represented, I safi a group of people who were totally dedicated to the job for which they got so little. (It should be realized that the principal of the school in 1912 was earning $130 — about the same as the head custodian). “They taught the intrinsic worth, not only of the job, but of doing that job to the best of one’s ability — a philosophical outlook for which they were the best examples . . . Implicit in their teaching was the conviction that the rights and wrongs of morals and ethics tr ds the narrow i and cost- accounting which knows the price of everything and value of nothing. In a word, rights and wrongs an inseparable parts of the same coin to the Miss Scotts of this world, and human dignity and worth over all. ~-Atvending reunions, or even thinking about them has a strange.effect on one. I wonder if we rang the bell hard enough if they would come back? SUPER 98° De’s Ranch House Restaurant WE WILL BE OPEN 11:30 TO 10 P.M. THIS TUESDAY WITH soup & SANDWICH SPAGHETTI! & MEATBALLS includes saled, gorlic toast, tea or coffee Call 365-2722 Super Tuesday Specials re Batting Glove Wilson. Reg. $12.95 GOLF SHOES Men's & Ladies. Reg. $59.95 MEN'S & LADIES JOGGERS - Bover Correra. Reg. $34.95 Mountain Ski & Sports Hut 365-3525 Super Specials |! SUMMER SKIRTS Lodieg GOLF SHIRTS Men's by Wilson & Adidas. Reg. to $31.95 . . Sale 1. 49 Mountain Ski & Sports Hut OSAGA TRACK SUITS Men’s & Ladiés. Reg. to $73.95 CASTLEAIRD PLAZA DAIRY QUEEN STORE ONLY dy OF ade TUESDA Aspirin Children’s Size. 24s Sole sg s 1 9” Ass't Snack Size. 175 G. Reg. $1.99 Castleaird Plaza Tuesday, May 28 CASTLEAIRD PLAZA SUPER 98 Natural Source Calcium From Oyster Shells. 250 mg. Reg. $4.49 Lowney’s Chocolates CARL'S DRUGS Pulpit & Pew By TED BRISTOW Castlegar United Church Expo. At a recent provincial gathering of my denomina- tion, Expo was the topic of a very thoughtful debate. The question: Should we have anything to do with Expo at all? We had been given the opportunity, along with other denominations, to host a Sunday morning worship ser- ice on the site. Those who thought we should go said we should not turn down any opportunity for free television exposure, since thousands might tune in who never attend any church. Those against said that even appearing on the Expo site would seem to say that our church approves of what Expo stands for: tax dollars, perhaps for years to come, thrown into a public relations extravaganza, while thou- sands suffer the agony of un- in the meantime some high- say nothing about the ineq- uities that Expo represents) was given the proposed pav- ilion instead. To compensate us, Expo officials offered us the Sun- day worship time, perhaps to be held during our annual B.C. conference. When we asked if conference delegates would have to pay to get onto the Expo site in order to go to church, Expo officials graciously responded that they'd let the platform guests in for free. When this was reported, someone immediately asked how large we could make the platform! You see, some of our delegates would not be able to afford to get onto the site to attend church. That's the reality of B.C. today. To me, a most interesting aspect of the debate was that everyone who spoke, without necessary . Those for going there said we could always use the op- portunity to witness to our belief that God wants us to put first people and their basic needs. Those against said it's so very wrong to put on a big show while people nearby line up for donated food that we best represent what we believe by staying away, period. Those for going said Expo's no worse than lots of other gross inequities in this sinful world, so let's at least try to do some little good when we can be marel shout going to the ex- pense of hosting Expo in our province at this time. I'm glad that in this larger debate about the morality of Expo there was no disagree- ment, and that our church, with many others in this province, have not forgotten the bread lines. Job openings Details of these and other job opportunities are available ot: reil Canede and speaking up. Like I say, it was a thoughtful debate. Our United Church had originally wanted to be part of a multifaith pavilion, where we with others could, throughout the exposition, represent our belief that God wants us all to put people first. But we would have to pay for that pavilion, and the money was hard to find, and TUESDAY 1 DAY ONLY SALE & Stretch Stitch with carrying case . 50G e 365-5522 SPICE VITAMINS MAY 28 TUESDAY SPECIALS ARE HERE AGAIN AT CARL'S! DEVELOP & PRINT 78° 51% on 98S 4 Ox. Your Choice TAPESTRY WOOL .. THE WOOL WAGON Sew and Knit Shoppe — SAVE! SAVE! 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