1945-1946
Enrollment: Bible--32
At a fellowship meeting in Radville, June 30 to July 2, the reports
regarding proposed organization were given by the committee
selected the previous autumn. Finally, on July 2, 1945, it was
agreed to organize a society of shareholders for "The promotion of
Christian education in accordance with the principles and tenets of
The Church of Christ," and "To establish, maintain and conduct
schools and other institutions for the promotion of Christian and
higher education." (These excerpts are taken from the Charter.)
Shareholders in the society would be faithful members of the
Churches of Christ, over eighteen years of age, who had purchased
a five dollar share. From and by these shareholders a board of
directors with two-year terms was to be elected. On this July 2,
1945, the first board of directors was selected: G. J. Pennock, St.
James, Manitoba (chairman); Wilfred Orr, Radville, (vice-chairman);
J. C. Bailey, Radville (treasurer); H. E. Peterson, Radville; and
Manley Jacobs, Horse Creek, Saskatchewan.
Would you like to meet the Directors of R. C. C.? They were a
capable group. I respected and admired them very much: Gordon J.
Pennock, chairman (preaching for the Burnell Street Congregation,
Winnipeg), the youngest of the five, was a good organizer, mighty
in action. He had faith in the school: "I believe that the Bible
Schools have been the greatest factor responsible for the splendid
condition of the work in Saskatchewan. Brethren have learned to
take their place in sustaining the work of the local congregation
largely through the school."
Wilfred Orr, vice-chairman (evangelist and builder). For him no
sacrifice was too great for the cause of Christ. Like Chaucer's
poor parson, "But Cristes lore and his apostles twelve he taught,
but first he folwed it himselve."
J. C. Bailey, treasurer (evangelist, publisher, and editor of the
_Gospel Herald_), was aggressive, hard working, with a burning
evangelistic zeal.
H. E. Peterson was a successful, practical farmer who had a
layman's deep interest in providing a Christian education for the
young people of Saskatchewan. From experience, he knew the
difficulties involved in sending high school children away from
home.
Manley Jacobs was a plain-spoken farmer preacher who often
untangled the knot with his blunt common sense.
On Tuesday, July 3, the first meeting of the Board of Directors was
held at the home of J. C. Bailey. One of the major decisions made
at this meeting was the choosing of a name for the school. No
charter could be procured from the government without a name.
I shall long remember one amusing incident at this meeting. As
Gordon J. Pennock wanted a Biblical name, Wilfred Orr was reading
a list of names from the Bible concordance, and the other directors
were listening attentively for a name that would suit their fancy.
He read, "Bethel, Bethesda, Bethaven"--(a pause). "That's a good
name," said Brother Pennock, "What does Bethaven mean?" After a
search, Brother Orr replied, "House of Wickedness." Needless to say
that name was rejected. (I was present because I was the first
secretary for the Board).
It is rather interesting to note here that two of the names
suggested that day were "Western Christian School" and Western
Canada Christian College"--names very similar to the one our school
bears today. The name chosen that day was "Radville Christian
College." It seemed presumptuous to call our school a college, when
it had only one three month term of Bible study in the winter and
another three week term in the summer. Moreover, these courses were
conducted in two, very small, unfinished buildings. The people of
the prairies have long been known for their faith in the future,
and these five directors surely had great faith when they named
their little school, Radville Christian College."
During the fall of 1945, the Board, directed by its chairman,
Gordon Pennock, obtained a charter on a non-profit basis from the
province of Saskatchewan under the Benevolent Societies Act. The
Board did not plan to immediately extend the services of the
school. Its energies were devoted toward making the new building
suitable for winter occupation. Aided by several brethren who
volunteered services, Brother Wilfred Orr, the building supervisor,
worked faithfully to complete this latter task.
That winter, during the Bible school term, Radville Christian
College had several "first" milestones. The first winter Bible
classes were taught in the new building on the new campus near Long
Creek. The first cook, Mrs. L. Gamble, was hired. (The students of
the Bible school had cooked previous winters.) The teacher was paid
a first set salary. He and his family were to live on seventy-five
dollars a month. The first lectureship was held with Brother Claude
A. Guild of Texas as the guest speaker.
The principal, Morris Bailey, reported that the total number in
attendance at Radville Christian College was thirty-two. Of this
number, twelve were enrolled for the entire term and several others
attended the last two months. Board and tuition for students that
year was twenty-one dollars a month.
1946-1947
Enrollment: Bible--4; High School--11
The first annual meeting of the shareholders was held at Horse
Creek, Saskatchewan, on July 2, 1946. At this meeting, the
shareholders requested that the directors investigate the
possibilities of opening a high school department in September. I
recall that Roger Peterson eloquently urged the need of a high
school where young people could obtain their education from
Christian teachers.
Why were the shareholders anxious to have a high school as part of
R. C. C.'s work? In this country of sparsely settled areas where
our severe winters create travel difficulties on country by-roads,
parents are often obliged to send their children away from their
farm homes to attend high school in a neighboring town. These
parents are concerned about their young teenagers away from home,
and would be relieved to place them in a residential school where
the supervisors are consecrated Christians.
Furthermore, it is well recognized by educators that young people
in their early teens are more concerned about obtaining the
approval of their own age group than of their parents or teachers.
During these critical years, wise parents try to place their
children in an environment where they are able to associate with
the kind of young people who will encourage them to better living
rather than with those who would deter them.
Moreover, while most parents realize that the public school may
give sound teaching in academic subjects, Christian parents know
that education is incomplete without the inculcation of deep
spiritual values as well.
These views among many others were heard at the Horse Creek
meeting. After the prayerful consideration of the arguments in
favour of establishing a high school and of the problems involved
in the project, the Board decided that classes in all the high
school grades would commence at Radville Christian College on
September 16, 1946.
I was asked to be the teacher. The Board did not have much choice
in the matter of securing teachers, as I was then the only
qualified high school teacher among the brethren in Saskatchewan.
It is rather interesting to recall, more than twenty years later,
that I taught for several years at Radville Christian College
without any written contract; in fact, without any motion in the
minutes of the Board meetings officially engaging me as a teacher.
Not many residential high schools of modern days have opened with
facilities as inadequate as ours. In our school building (the one
on the banks of Long Creek) only three rooms, the classroom, the
dining room and my bed-sitting room, had the finish plaster coat.
We had decent flooring on one floor-our classroom. We had few
chemicals for our laboratory and fewer books for our library shelf.
In spite of the many inadequacies of our physical plant, I
anticipated the opening of school with glowing enthusiasm, because
I had dreamed of teaching in a Christian high school for fifteen
years.
Under the direction of Wilfred Orr, a crew of volunteers worked
many days before the opening of school, painting, carpentering,
plastering and cleaning. On Sunday, September 15, I wrote in my
diary, "The Johnson girls, Kay and Beverley, arrived last night. We
have to make our own meals as we have no cook as yet. Am tired out
but the school looks nice." I must have been like the doting mother
who always thinks her children look lovely, because Mrs. L.
Anderson later told me that when she arrived with her daughters she
was so disappointed with the condition of the dormitory that she
almost took them back home again. We didn't even have a coal stove
in working order in the kitchen of the dormitory.
When school opened on Monday, September 16, I had six students.
They were Kay and Beverley Johnson, Pauline Perry, Bernice
Peterson, Harold Orr and Raymond Lock. As five more students
(Sheldon Jefkins, Leo Seibel, Murray Cutting, Gordon Taylor, and
Mabel Knutson) enrolled later, we had a total of eleven in the high
school that year.
I taught the eight required courses to each of the four grades of
high school. My fifteen minute lessons had no time for long winded
jokes. There were no wasted words! Under my direction, the students
studied a great deal by themselves. This was modern individualized
study because of necessity! As well as teaching school, I acted as
supervisor for the girls who were living upstairs in the school
building. The boys lived across the river up town in the old Bible
school dormitory, under the supervision of Morris Bailey. The daily
Bible classes for the high school students were taught by Morris
Bailey, Wilfred Orr, and J. C. Bailey.
We had many vexing problems that first year, such as how to keep at
least one gas lamp in running order (we had no electricity), how to
wash bedding without a washing machine, how to keep warm in a
blizzard without storm windows, and how to keep the water out of
our dining room during the spring thaws. I remember that one of the
students, Leo Seibel, carried ninety, five-gallon pails of water
out of our furnace and vegetable rooms one day. As the water seeped
into these rooms, it had to be carried out, or else it would
overflow into our dining room and kitchen which were in the
basement of the building.
Notwithstanding our many problems, we did have a successful year.
In spite of our lack of books and laboratory equipment, in the June
Provincial Department of Education examinations, one of the
graduates received the highest marks in our school unit of ten high
schools, and another student received one hundred percent in both
algebra and geometry.
From the very first year, our students have written the standard
and departmental examinations set by the Provincial Department of
Education. The answer papers of our grades XI and XII students were
shipped to the Department of Education at Regina where they were
marked by a group of sub-examiners. Those students who passed these
examinations were granted diplomas, and no questions asked
regarding library and science equipment or teaching certificates of
the instructors. Without question, from the very first year of
operation, our graduates could enter Teachers' College, Nurses'
Training Schools, or any University of Canada (if the graduate had
taken the matriculation course). In fact, the grade XII
matriculation course of Saskatchewan is recognized as first year
arts in our Canadian universities and in American colleges.
In spite of the small enrollment that first year, many extra-
curricular activities flourished. Mabel Knutson, secretary of the
Students' Assembly, reports as follows in the May issue of the
_Messenger_ (a publication of the Board of Directors):
"In January we had a panel discussion on 'The attitude of
Young People Toward Religion.' It was a pleasure to us
all to study and organize material on this topic.
"In the early part of February, a bazaar was held to
raise funds for the treasury of the students' assembly.
It was a definite success. Several people remarked on the
variety, originality, and number of articles displayed.
"There were many dejected faces when it was announced
that we were each to write a four page essay on some
suitable topic, later to be given as a speech at an
oratorical contest. However, we lived through it and I
know that each of us benefitted a great deal by it. Social
evenings which included a short program followed by a
session of games and lunch were held every month
throughout the school term. We also had an outdoor party
this spring that was enjoyed by all.
"The first period of school every morning is devoted to
Bible study and memory work. During the year the books of
Matthew, Acts and James have been studied. A written
synopsis of Acts, which we memorized, was a great help to
us in remembering the contents of that book. It is really
wonderful that we have the opportunity of going to a
school under Christian supervision. The Lord needs
sincere, earnest workers in His vineyard and I can think
of no better way to prepare ourselves to fill this
station in life than attending a school like Radville
Christian College."
A highlight of that year was our spring lectureship. Brother Don
Morris, president of Abilene Christian College, was our guest speak
er. We shall long remember the encouraging words of Brother Morris
as he looked over our small, unfinished building and muddy campus
and declared with such evident sincerity in his voice, "You have a
wonderful opportunity here, a wonderful opportunity."
In March of 1947, a war surplus airport building at Estevan was
purchased by the board of directors for the sum of one thousand
dollars. As it was estimated that the original cost of erecting
this building was twenty thousand dollars, we were exceedingly
pleased with this bargain. The major problem of the Board for the
next year was to raise enough money to pay for the building and to
pay for its transportation to Radville, a distance of nearly one
hundred miles. For some time, because of the difficulty in
obtaining a company that would be willing to move the building,
there was some talk of moving our one small building from Radville
to Estevan and establishing the school there. This idea of the
school leaving Radville did not gain much favour as the two chief
workers in the school, Wilfred Orr and J. C. Bailey, had their
homes in Radville, and we could not envisage the school progressing
favourably without their energetic support. Finally, in order to
raise enough money to pay for the Air Force building and in order
to decrease the moving problem, one wing had to be sold.
In May 1947, Radville Christian College held its first graduation
exercises. The _South Saskatchewan Star_, Radville's weekly
newspaper, gave this account of the event:
"About forty guests and students gathered in the dining
hall of Radville Christian College Saturday evening (May
31) for a banquet in honor of the grade XII graduating
class. After the meal the student body sang the school
song which was followed by a short talk by Wilfred Orr,
vice-president of the board of directors, who acted as
master of ceremonies. The guest speaker was Cecil T.
Bailey, principal Rush Lake School near Moose Jaw. His
subject was 'The Power of Little Things'. The valedictory
address was given by Miss Mabel Knutson, one of the
graduates, who took for her subject, 'Heaven is not
reached at a single bound.'"
"H. E. Peterson spoke for a few minutes on the value of
education. Raymond Lock, president of the students'
assembly, gave a short talk and read last wills and
testaments of the departing students. J. C. Bailey
presented the two graduates, Kathleen Johnson and Mabel
Knutson, with gifts of books from the board of directors
and gave a talk on the future of the school."
"The program was interspersed with songs by a trio of
Mrs. J. C. Bailey, Leo Seibel, and Roger Peterson, a duet
by Bernice Peterson and Leo Seibel, and a Norwegian song
by Martin Knutson, Sr. The evening closed with 'Blest be
the tie that binds.'"
During the summer holidays, the basement for the Estevan airport
building was partially constructed. Also arrangements for
transporting the building were completed, but there was further
delay because the highway from Estevan to Radville was undergoing
extensive repairs.
1947-1948
Enrollment: Bible--19; High School--17
In the fall J. C. Bailey became head of the Bible Department and
business manager for the school. There were nineteen students
taking the special five month course in Bible that year. Brother J.
C. Bailey continued to be head of the Bible department until the
spring of 1955, when he moved to Carman. During the years that he
taught at Radville Christian College his optimism, courage, and
zeal encouraged many of our students to dedicate themselves to
Christ's cause.
As business manager, Brother Bailey worked ceaselessly to raise
money for the school--to pay for the moving of the building from
Estevan, for the installation of electric lights (a special line
had to be built from the town of Radville), and to obtain other
much needed equipment for the school. In his efforts he wrote
hundreds of letters and made many trips to different parts of
Canada and the United States. He appeared on the Lectureship
program at Abilene Christian College several times speaking on our
behalf, acquainting the many thousands of brethren who visited
Abilene with the needs of our little school. A news report from the
_Trumpet_, January 1948, says:
"Brother J. C. Bailey and five of the boys from the Bible
department attended the lectureship at David Lipscomb
College at Nashville, Tennessee, during the last part of
January. This week the five boys have been giving talks
in chapel service telling about their impressions of the
trip."
Another excerpt from the same issue of the _Trumpet_ reads as
follows:
"The students of Radville Christian College in both the
high school and the Bible department are starting a
competition to see which department can raise the more
money. This fund is to be used for a new building which
will be erected next summer. Brother J. C. Bailey brought
this idea for the campaign back from the Christian
College in Nashville, Tennessee. I am sure that these
donations will be a great help to R. C. C. and if we all
put our effort into raising this money, we will benefit
by it. The quota for the high school is set at
twenty-five hundred (2,500.00). This campaign is to last
from March to November."
With J. C. Bailey's determined encouragement, the students did help
to raise a big portion of their quota. They wrote letters to
friends and relatives, or they pleaded with them during the
holidays. Brother Bailey spurred the students to greater activity
by progress graphs on the bulletin board and by regular
announcements in chapel. I suppose the greatest factor that has
contributed to Brother Bailey's success as a fund raiser for the
school is that he believes in his cause so implicitly that he gives
most liberally himself.
It is difficult for people who have attended only the public
schools of this country or our Christian Colleges in the United
States to visualize the pitiful inadequacies of the equipment of
our school in those early days. Imagine that a reporter of the
_Trumpet_ during the second year of school considered the addition
of a pencil sharpener to the school of sufficient importance to
report the fact in the October issue of the paper!
The three highlights of the spring term were the installation of
electric lights, the fire scare, and the flood. I shall long
remember the cheer that arose on the eve of the spring banquet when
the girls discovered that they could turn on the electric lights.
No more smoky kerosene lamps in the bedrooms; no more gas lamps for
study hall; no more trudging with gasoline cans across the railway
bridge (there were no cars on campus); no more frustrations when
flying insects destroyed our mantles. We were enjoying the miracle
of electricity.
One morning during chapel service, while Brother Bailey was away at
the David Lipscomb Lectureship, I smelled smoke. Very quietly,
without disturbing anyone, I ran downstairs to the furnace room.
There, flames were leaping to the ceiling. Again, quietly I ran
upstairs and whispered to Ray Lock, our fifteen year old janitor
sitting in the rear of the classroom, "There is a fire in the
basement." Without disturbing the chapel service, we rushed
downstairs to put out the fire. On the way, Ray grabbed a fire
extinguisher and I hurried to the pump in the basement. As soon as
I started pumping, Harold Orr (grade XI) sensed there was a fire
and ran upstairs for another fire extinguisher. The three of us
worked quickly for a few minutes before the other students realized
the building was on fire. With the help of all the boys, the fire
was soon extinguished without much damage except the burning of
some sacks stored in the furnace room. After the smoke cleared
away, classes resumed; but I was somewhat shaky all day, especially
when I considered what might have happened.
I remember the excitement on the campus in April, when the boys
built earthen dykes around our one building to hold back the water
that was overflowing from rampaging Long Creek. The boys rotated
for service on the dykes during class hours. Since the road had
been cut off by high water over the bridge, our boys rowed the boat
across the widened Long Creek to obtain certain necessary supplies
from town. During the night, in order to watch the dykes more
closely, they slept on the classroom floor. Those were tense hours
for us all. Then late one night, the water broke through the dykes.
As we looked through the open door, we could see the water swirling
madly around the building. I hastily called the girls from their
beds upstairs. At the time, I marvelled at their speed in dressing.
Later, one girl told me that she had been lying in bed in her jeans
waiting for me to call. Except for one student who was upstairs
weeping from fear, the entire student body (sixteen) worked
feverishly to clear the basement floor, where our dining room and
kitchen were located, of all the supplies, movable furniture and
more than a hundred heavy bags of cement. Once I saw a little girl
carry alone a bag of cement up the stairs. The final trip was made
in water reaching the arm pits. The task was completed in less than
thirty minutes. I have never seen young people work so efficiently
nor so rapidly as upon that occasion. After a gab fest, discussing
the amusing incidents of the evening, we sang a few hymns and
retired for the remaining hours of the night.
Next morning, because the spillway below the campus had broken, the
water receded to its normal course and we were left with a dining
room full of water and a disorderly array of dishes, food, and
cement in the hallway and on the Bible classroom floor. We
laboriously carried the necessary kitchen and dining room equipment
to the empty Orr house nearby, (the Orr family had moved to Moose
Jaw), and used it as a dining room for the remaining months of the
term.
We had student cooks during those two months. They rallied gaily to
their task, but three items--chocolate cake, prunes, and string
beans--occurred rather frequently on the menu. Their frequent
presence engendered much good-natured repartee and I recall with
amusement that the first course of the Farewell Banquet that year
consisted of an inch square of chocolate cake, one prune, and four
pieces of string beans!
1948-1949
Enrollment: Bible--20; High School--19
In the fall Cecil T. Bailey and Doris Lewis were added to the
staff. Brother Bailey taught for two years, and afterward went to
Winnipeg to further his education at the University there. Miss
Lewis taught for nearly three years, and then she left to marry one
of the Board members, George Husband.
I used to say that if my bed-sitting room in the school could talk,
it would relate some interesting tales. It was used as classroom,
committee room, counsellor's room, reception room canteen, and even
the room where our popular young commercial teacher received a
proposal of marriage on a cold, blizzardy February evening.
In the late fall of 1948 one-half of the H shaped Air Force
building from Estevan finally arrived on the campus. Immediately
after the Christmas holidays, this building was used as a Bible
school classroom and boys dormitory. The following summer the other
half of the building was attached to it.
From the _Messenger_ a report on construction reveals the problems
that confronted the school at this time:
"Considerable progress has been made in developing the
physical accommodations a Radville Christian College. The
present building has been improved by the addition of
storm windows which were sorely needed. Several more
students' desks are on order and a washing machine has
been purchased. Students' laundry problem has been a
real one because the only laundry in Radville closed shop
some months ago.
"The foundation for the building purchased from the War
assets Corporation has been completed with the exception
of the floor, and one half of the building now has been
moved into place. The other half is still in Estevan,
ninety miles away. It will be impossible for the mover to
complete his contract until the roads clear up in the
spring. The moving of the building has been a trying
proposition. Many months of negotiation took place before
we could get a mover who was able and willing to
undertake the job. We were finally successful when we cut
the building into halves so that they could be moved
separately. This, of course, considering the cost of
cutting it, and then having it rebuilt intact, has run us
into a further expense. It will be still a very cheap
building to us when the job is completed.
In the meantime, while we are waiting for the completion
of this work, many inconveniences and hardships are being
borne both by teachers and students. Without their
willingness to bear these burdens, R. C. C. would never
have been born. We should ever be grateful to them.
In the spring of 1949, Radville Christian College had an influenza
epidemic. Many of the thirty-nine students (nineteen high school,
twenty Bible department) became seriously ill with the disease. As
girls' supervisor, I attempted to nurse the sick girls. One evening
during the siege, I became rather frightened when a student
reported that a girl who had been well enough to eat supper in the
dining hall, now two hours later, had a very high fever. Although
worried, I tried to appear unconcerned because I have lived
sufficiently among young girls to know that an adult must maintain
an outwardly impassive attitude toward sickness or their
sympathetic imaginations will often leap forward to a tragic
ending. Upon further examination, I realized the report had not
been exaggerated. Hesitating to call the doctor, because he did not
appreciate night calls, I decided to act as doctor and nurse
myself, giving remedies and nursing treatment suggested by a home
doctor book. Because I had so very little previous nursing
experience and because I felt so responsible and alone in the
night, I can yet recall very vividly my intense relief when much
later in the evening the patient's temperature had dropped to 100
degrees.
The sick girls fared tolerably well with our attempts at nursing,
but I really pitied the boys those March days. Except for the first
year the school was in operation, the boys did not have a
supervisor living with them until Brother L. Anderson came in the
fall of 1952. Although a staff member was responsible for their
general behaviour, the boys managed their dormitory lives except
for an occasional check by the staff supervisor. This year fifteen
boys were lodged in one room of the Air Force building, and the
others lived in a tamped-earth house a few rods away from the
school. In cold and disorderly rooms, the sick boys had to lie. I
remember that Doris Lewis and I went to visit one sick boy in the
Knutson house. Since the fire in the coal heater had gone out, the
room was cold. I am sure the room had not been swept for a week,
yet the patient was cheerful and uncomplaining. He informed us that
his roommate would build a fire as soon as he came home. No fire in
the stove in March in Saskatchewan!!!
In those years, the students grumbled less about their really poor
living conditions than they do now when conditions are
comparatively good (Young people are not alone in this failing!)
The Knutson house was an extremely cold and drafty building because
it was unfinished. It did not improve the comfort of the building
to have forgetful boys in charge of refueling the coal heater. In
spite of all the imperfections of their dormitory, the boys
cheerfully joked about life there.
In the winters when the boys lived at the Knutson house and the
Torkelson house (another unfinished tamped-earth building on the
river bank), the chief topic of conversation at the breakfast time
was how cold their dormitories were. It was so cold, they said,
that their words froze as they came out of their mouth. The boys
would discuss what these words would sound like when they thawed
out in the spring. Alice Orr states in her valedictory speech
entitled "Memories of Yester-year:"
"I remember hearing the tall tales told by the boys each
morning of how cold it had been in their dormitory, now
Miss Torkelson's home. One I couldn't quite believe was
that it was so cold the flame in the stove froze and each
morning they had to light a match to thaw it out."
We had heavy snow fall accompanied by fierce blizzards during the
first years our school was at Radville. Some winters the roads were
blocked to the school, so that the mail, bread, milk and other
necessities had to be hauled over to the school on a hand sled. For
years, visitors complained about the inaccessibility of our campus.
In winter the side roads were closed by huge snow drifts, and in
spring we sat in a sea of mud.
We always attended church services up town at the meeting house.
Although the walking distance, even by crossing the river on the
ice, was almost a mile, the students were always present at all
services no matter what the weather was like. No faint heart would
have dared to suggest that the weather was too cold or too stormy
to miss worship services--the other students would have been
shocked at the suggestion. The _Trumpet_ says that when Amy Perry
sprained her ankle in January 1950, she was able to get to meeting
on Lord's Day because several of the boys volunteered to take her
in the hand sleigh.
1949-1950
Enrollment: Bible--18; High School--18
For a few years, I directed the cleaning of the classrooms and
dormitories in preparation for school opening. I recall that this
August, Myrtle Bailey (Mrs. J. C. B.) from Radville and Ann Johnson
from Estevan were assisting. Looking at the drab, brown walls and
ceiling of the northwest room of the girls' dormitory, minus the
finish coat of plaster, we determined to plaster it ourselves.
After persuading J. C. Bailey to mix up the plaster, we lugged
bucketsful upstairs and cheerfully began plastering. As he felt
sorry for the inexperienced plasterers, J.C.B. soon began to assist
us, though he had other pressing business. You can well imagine our
problems, especially mine, as I am awkward with anything in my
hands, except a piece of chalk. Eventually, I fell to smoothing the
plaster with my bare hands. When the job was completed, we were
rather proud of the only slightly bumpy effect, but my plaster-
eaten hands were sore to the touch and sharp pains shot through
them when they contacted water. I shall never forget how grateful
I was to Kay Johnson '47, then a young teacher at nearby Great West
School, when she washed all the floors for me on Saturday.
This year (1949-1950) we had a lively grade IX class. When I heard
of the escapades on the river of four of the boys, I shuddered and
then reflected that all boys in their early teens must assuredly
have guardian angels, and that those angels must needs work
overtime.
In all our years at Radville, with our campus on the river bank, we
were fortunate never to have had a major water accident or even a
minor one that had any serious after effects. Those four boys, that
year, delighted in riding logs almost before the ice had broken up,
or in paddling old Air Force oil-drum boats.
Some river incidents could have been serious. During the first year
of high school at the time of the spring thaw, the boys had a
special game of hopping from one ice floe to another (the staff did
not know of this game). One floe sailed away from the others too
fast for the two boys on it to be able to get near another. There
they were on a small chunk of ice, having a free ride down the
river. They began to yell for help and another student, hearing the
yells, rescued them with a row boat.
Two other boys, skating on forbidden thin ice near the bridge, fell
in and escaped with only a few minor cuts made by the sharp edges
of the ice. Every year some enterprising students were punished for
going on thin ice too soon in the fall or too late in the spring.
We always breathed a sigh of relief when the dangerous periods were
over and all students were safe. I hope you can understand why I
believe that young boys have guardian angels.
In spite of our worries, the river at Radville was a great source
of pleasure to our students. They skated and played many hours of
hockey in the winter, and swam many hours during the months of May
and June. Some students had a longer swimming season than that.
Rumour says that Harold Orr and Raymond Lock had their first swim
in the spring the day the ice broke up and that their last swim in
the fall was the evening before the river froze. During the
1946-1947 term, one boy made a kayak and all the boys had to try
using it. For a few weeks, we had many wet clothes and dripping
boys until the boys had mastered the technique of balancing the
craft.
One year, two boys (Warren MacLeod and David Williams) built a
sturdy cabin near the river out of scraps from the nearby nuisance
ground. Here during most of their free hours, they entertained
their guests and lived unmarred by the sins of civilization. The
cabin was behind the trees on the far corner of the campus, out of
ear shot of all school bells and other distracting forces.
Often, when I think of the river at Radville, my mind turns to
hockey games, and then I have an amusing recollection of Jim
Williams' first hockey game. In the early winter of 1952 when he
arrived on the campus from Cortez, Colorado, the boys at R. C. C.
were organizing the hockey team for their first game of the season,
but they lacked a goalie. Why not ask the new student? A good idea,
except that Jim had never played hockey; in fact, he had not even
been a spectator at a hockey game. These minor disqualifications
did not deter the enthusiastic spirits of our youthful sportsmen.
After a minimum of oral instructions, big Jim was persuaded to
stand guard at the goal net. As he acquitted himself well during
that first game, Jim remained the star goalie for the R. C. C.
hockey team during the two years he attended high school.
Now to return to the 1949-1950 term. It was in the spring that our
aforementioned lively grade IX class wrote a play for the
graduation banquet. "The Worm Turns," with David Lidbury as the
"worm," is lost to posterity but lives in our memory.
While students enjoyed the river and their amateur theatricals, the
Board of Directors was attempting to raise money to improve the
physical plant. It is interesting to read an article in the
_Trumpet_ written by assistant editor, Roger Peterson, describing
the needs of the school that spring:
"Radville Christian College is in its fourth year of
operation. During these four years a great deal of
progress has been made. The pioneering years have not
been easy either for the teachers or for the students.
Nor are the pioneering years over, but they are well on
the way out.
"A great deal of time and money has been spent in
building Radville Christian College to its present
condition. It is estimated that present property can be
valued at twenty thousand dollars.
"But we have not yet reached the end of the road. As
students we are not complaining about our lot, but we
would like to see both of the buildings of Radville
Christian College completely finished before the
beginning of the fall term in September.
"In order to accomplish this we must have your (The
readers') help. About half of the cement in the new dorm
has been poured. It must be completed before fall. A
large entrance, now partly constructed, is to be finished
on the front of this building. The basement, to be used
as kitchen and dining room, is to be plastered and
decorated for this purpose. Each of the four large rooms
on the ground floor must be decorated and painted.
Besides this, there is a host of other jobs which must be
done before the opening of the new term.
"Friends, we need your assistance. Any financial help
that you could give would be greatly appreciated. Why not
have a part in building a place in Canada where young
people can come together to study from God's word and
better prepare themselves for service in the vineyard of
the Lord?"
1950- 1951
Enrollment: Bible--11; High School--25
Though Roger had ambitious plans for the construction work for the
summer, very little was accomplished because of lack of funds. The
October issue of the _Trumpet_ carries a short descriptive notice
of improvements:
"Before the students arrived, Miss Torkelson directed the
cleaning of the buildings. Assisting her were Mrs. J. C.
Bailey, who also cooked for a few days, Blake Van Horne,
Brother Boyer and Alice Orr. The walls and ceilings in
both the classrooms, the hall and stairways were painted
or varnished. Brother Boyer cleaned the boys' dormitory.
"A helpful addition to our equipment was some book-
shelves built by Brother E. Perry."
We welcomed to our campus that fall Brother and Sister Eugene
Perry. They were hard working and capable members of our staff for
two years. I think people with low salaries should take lessons on
how to live comfortably from the Perrys. They surely knew how to
stretch their few dollars.
Because we had no caretaker, the grass and weeds had grown waist
high by the time the Perrys arrived. Although they must have been
stunned by the sight of our unkempt campus, they said very little.
Great self-control on Eugene's part!
Brother Perry, a graduate of Abilene Christian College, became
full-time instructor, sponsor of a very popular mechanics club, and
boys' supervisor. Mrs. Perry was girls' supervisor and was given
the sum of five dollars a month for her duties. In 1952 the Perrys
left R. C. C. to join the faculty of the newly established Great
Lakes Christian College at Beamsville, Ontario, Brother Perry's
home town.
I have not previously mentioned the salaries of our high school
teachers. They were of necessity very low because the Board had
very little money to give. When Cecil T. Bailey first taught at
Radville Christian College, he received eighty-five dollars a
month. He and his wife had five children to clothe and feed on that
sum. To supplement the income, Mrs. Bailey taught in a nearby
public school. The staff members never complained about their low
salaries and became embarrassed when visitors commented on their
sacrifices.
In the spring the water seeped into our basement dining room and
kitchen more than usual. Mrs. Tinlin, our cook, wore rubber boots
while she was preparing the meals. The building had been built too
close to the river and because the cement was cracking, it was not
possible to keep the kitchen dry. In desperation, we moved all the
kitchen and dining equipment, except the stove, over to the new,
empty Bible department classroom in the Air Force building. There,
Mrs. Tinlin cooked for twenty-five students under very adverse
circumstances for several weeks--no stove but a hot plate, no
cupboards but a few boxes, and no refrigerator. Yet, Mrs. Tinlin
cheerfully maintained that cooking that way was better than walking
around in two or three inches of water.
After we moved from the basement, the water continued to rise. When
school closed, Bernard Straker used the row boat to enter the
vegetable room of the basement and collect his mother's fruit jars.
He was very proud of his accomplishment! Needless to say, that
basement was never again used for our dining room and kitchen.
That spring, Roger Peterson became our commercial teacher, and
director of our A Capella Chorus (following in Miss Lewis'
footsteps). During the first five years Roger Peterson taught at
the school, with the gradually increasing enrollment, he developed
a fine A Capella Chorus which sang at public concerts, Teachers'
Conventions, and travelled to other towns and cities to present
musical programs and consequently advertise our school. In many
ways our A Capella Chorus has been our school's best advertisement,
as few small high schools in the province have chorus groups.
That was the year Lois Orr took all of her grade XII and half of
her grade XI. She received a good A average on the twelve
departmental examinations written in June.
1951 - 1952
Enrollment: Bible--4; High School--31
During the summer, H. E. Peterson, chairman of the board and
building supervisor, together with the help of others, finished the
basement of the Air Force building sufficiently so that it could be
used as dining hall and kitchen for this term. Mrs. J. C. Bailey
had the pleasure of being the first cook in the new quarters. The
enlarged dining room and the kitchen free from water seepage were
enjoyed by both students and cook. In all their years of labouring
for the school, that was the only one in which Brother and Sister
Bailey lived on the campus. The boys especially enjoyed her
home-made buns and cinnamon rolls.
Brother Peterson, a farmer living ten miles from Radville, was one
of the five original members of the Board of Directors. He remained
on the board for ten years. During that time he laboured tirelessly
for the school. Since he is a good carpenter, he spent hours
finishing the buildings, laying cement floors, hanging doors and
making many necessary repairs during the term. Even though he did
not live on the campus, he did much of the work of a custodian.
>From its very first year, Radville Christian College had its annual
oratorical contest, and it has always been compulsory for all
students to participate in this event. Our winners would then enter
the Unit competition, but we won no awards until the 1951-52 term,
when our representative placed second in the school unit contest
(our school unit had ten high schools). We were very proud of Mavis
Bailey and her silver cup. Her topic was "Learning to Bear the
Burden in Our Youth."
In the fall, the merit system was introduced into our school and
for many years we found it an effective (though not perfect) way of
encouraging the young people to strive harder in their academic
life, extra-curricular activities, and character and personality
development. At the annual farewell banquet where the staff
entertained the students on June 21, 1952, a number of awards were
given to the students for the first time in the history of the
school. "Esprit De Corps" crests were presented to the students who
were prompt, cooperative, courteous, and obedient. Achievement bars
in various fields were presented to many students. The Bible
Scholarship winners in each grade were Mavis Bailey, Carole
Krogsgaard, Alice Orr, and Ruth Rogers. The presentation of awards
for the year has since become an integral part of the annual
Farewell Banquet.
1952- 1953
Enrollment: Bible--3; High School--38
During the summer holidays, Roger Peterson, with the help of Walter
Straker and Bernard Straker (two Radville Christian College
students) built the kitchen cupboards and the apartment for the
Andersons. The large rooms at each end of the Air Force building
were divided into bedrooms and washrooms for the boys. The two
middle rooms became our classrooms. The old classroom in the girls'
dormitory had been divided into a new bedroom and a living room.
The credit for decorating and furnishing the new living room
certainly goes to Mrs. H. E. Peterson. When school opened, we were
surely proud of that room. For the first time in the history of the
school, we had a common living room where students could visit,
play quiet games, and have their numerous hymn singing sessions.
That fall Brother and Sister L. Anderson were added to our staff.
Brother Anderson was the first boys' supervisor who actually lived
on the campus with the boys, and he was also the first caretaker of
the school. Sister Anderson was in charge of the kitchen and taught
cooking and sewing to the home economics girls. For five years
Brother and Sister Anderson created a fine home-like atmosphere for
the boys. Brother Anderson cared for the boys like a wise and
thoughtful father, and Mrs. Anderson managed the kitchen very
efficiently during those years, taking time off to repair trousers
or sew on buttons for the boys and play the occasional game of
Scrabble with them.
Sister Williams was also added to the staff that fall. She came as
girls' supervisor and part time cook. The _Trumpet_ says the
following about her arrival and work:
"From way down south in Cortez, Colorado, has come our
new supervisor, Sister Ruth Williams, (Aunt Ruth as some
of the girls call her). Sister Williams is interested in
art and is sponsor of our Artists' Club. We feel that
this year is going to be one of the most enjoyable and
profitable years for both girls and supervisor."
Mrs. Williams served seven years and during that time she was truly
a mother to the girls and a very loyal and conscientious member of
our staff. I shall let the _Trumpet_ describe the arrival of the
Donald Perrys too:
"Brother and Sister Donald Perry arrived at Radville
Christian College on September 16 and moved into the
house formerly occupied by the Eugene Perrys. Brother
Perry is busily engaged in devising various ways and
means of interesting his students in physics, biology,
geometry, and the like, while Sister Perry is getting
accustomed to the routine of housekeeping.
"Brother and Sister Perry have been married recently.
Sister Perry was formerly a nurse in Toronto (a graduate
of the University of Toronto school of nursing). The
Perrys met when Brother Perry went to Toronto to study at
the University there and to preach for one of the Toronto
Churches of Christ. They were married shortly after
Brother Perry decided to teach at Radville Christian
College.
"Sister Perry, besides managing her new home, is teaching
a course in home nursing to the grade IX and X home
economics classes. The only regret the older students
have is that they cannot take the course.
"We extend a hearty welcome to the 'new' Perrys and hope
that they will enjoy their stay here at our college."
The Perrys stayed three years. After leaving Radville, Donald Perry
has taught several years at Great Lakes Christian College and now
(1969) is in his seventh year as headmaster of the Mawlai Christian
School at Assam, India.
We did appreciate the more complete staff and better facilities
that year. One great benefit of starting with few advantages is
that every addition, no matter how insignificant to others, seems
such a marvelous blessing.
We won the Field Meet Trophy again. During the entire eleven years
our school was located at Radville we won many awards in Local and
Unit Field Meets. In the parades, our school placed first or second
every year. In the track and field events, our students won medals
and crests for receiving the highest number of points in their
division from the very first year (1947) when Kay Johnson won a
medal. We have had many R.C.C. students participate in the
provincial semi-finals at Estevan, and one of our runners, Daryl
Tucker, received a placing in the Provincial finals at Saskatoon.
H. E. Peterson had long argued that as Radville Christian College
existed for the purpose of educating children of parents who paid
taxes to the public schools, Radville Christian College property
should not be taxed. Brother Peterson, together with Ernest
Andreas, discussed the matter with government authorities at Regina
and after a period of negotiation, in March 1953, the provincial
government passed an act to incorporate Radville Christian College.
This act also provided for the exemption of taxes on all land and
all personal property owned by our school "while used for school
and education al purposes."
That year we were very proud to have ten graduates. The _South
Saskatchewan Star_ carried the following account of the graduation
exercises:
"More than one hundred guests attended the annual
graduation banquet and exercises of the Radville
Christian College held on Saturday, March 28, 1953. For
the occasion the dining hall was beautifully decorated in
mauve, green and white. The dinner was pre pared and
served by the students.
"Verna Floyd read the last will and testament of the
graduating class and Carole Krogsgaard read the
prophecies.
"Alice Orr gave the valedictory address. She recalled
amusing and interesting incidents of school life, and
from these, suggested some worthwhile lessons learned.
"Donald Perry was the faculty speaker. He pointed out
that opportunity favours the prepared mind and said that
the lives of the graduates would prove the worth of their
instruction at Radville Christian College.
"Chief speaker of the evening was Alvin Jennings of
Saskatoon. He emphasized the need to study oneself and to
continue education after graduation.
"Two plays were presented: 'Fixers Incorporated' and
'Paul Splits the Atom.'
"The girls' Sextet sang 'Precious Memories.' The girls'
chorus sang 'Mah Lindy Lou,' 'My Curly Headed Baby' and
'There's a Balm in Gilead.'
"Five selections were given by the mixed chorus, 'Smilin'
Through,' 'Ol' Man River,' 'Deep in My Heart,' 'Bluebird
of Happiness,' and 'Goin' Home.'
"The choruses were directed by Roger Peterson and student
Bernard Straker was chairman for the evening."
These ten graduates are all good citizens today serving God and man
in their various communities. Among them, we have our first
graduate to receive a college degree, John C. Bailey; the first one
to be awarded a doctor of philosophy degree, David Olson; the first
graduate to become president of the Women's Service Club, Shirley
Lewis Straker; a co-worker of our first mission team to the Indians
of Northern Saskatchewan, Alice Orr Williams; and the first dean of
our Junior College, David Lidbury.
Graduation has always been a memorable day for the undergraduates
but this was especially true at R. C. C., because the activities of
the day were their responsibility. With a minimum of direction, the
food, decoration, and program committees carried out their tasks.
Visitors were frequently amazed to note that our regular cook had
a holiday on that day, and the preparation of three or sometimes
four course meals for 125-140 guests would be done by students
under the watchful eye of some sixteen year old Grade XI girl. The
After-Grad party was washing, sorting and packing all the dishes
they had borrowed from friends in Radville! Radville church
building 2 miles from campus. Students walked here for worship 3
times a week.
At the time of the 1953 graduation exercises, the Radville
Christian College alumni Association was organized with Raymond
Lock of Saskatoon as first president, and Doris Lewis Husband of
Wawota as our first secretary. This association has been helpful to
our school in many ways, such as purchasing books for our library
and partly financing the building of the telephone line to the
school. The largest single gift to our library while located at
Radville was a nearly three hundred dollar set of books from an
alumna--Leona Start Fleming.
1953- 1954
Enrollment: Bible--6; High School--50
At the annual meeting, there was a lengthy discussion regarding the
possibility of constructing a third building on the campus. With
our increased enrollment, the dormitories were filled to capacity.
In fact, the boys were over crowded. Six boys slept in one room the
size of an ordinary bedroom. Moreover, the Board realized that if
the fifth year of school work should be added, as Donald Perry was
so urgently requesting, more classroom space was required. At the
conclusion of the discussion, a motion was made and carried,
authorizing the Board to make plans for starting the construction
of a $50,000.00 school building and made plans for a $15,000.00
boys' dormitory. Roger Peterson was replaced by Gladys Gibson on
the teaching staff, and starting April 1, 1954, he devoted
full-time travelling among the brethren to raise money for this
project. The Board planned to employ the "Broadway Finance Plan."
so called because the Broadway Church in Lubbock, Texas, used it.
Let me explain the operation of this plan. The school would sell
interest bearing bonds of different denominations and maturing at
different dates. The interest coupons would be honoured by the
Radville Bank of Commerce, and in this bank was also set up a trust
fund into which donations would be deposited to pay for the bonds
on their maturity dates.
Roger Peterson spent six months travelling among our Canadian
brethren selling bonds and gaining pledges for regular monthly
donations. While he raised several thousand dollars in this manner,
the money had to be used to pay off pressing overdue debts rather
than constructing our much needed boys' dormitory.
During the summer while Roger Peterson, J. C. Bailey, and the
various members of the Board of Directors were struggling to raise
the school out of financial quicksands, a new idea arose that
aroused considerable interest among the shareholders. Alvin
Jennings, a young evangelist from Texas who had established a
congregation in Saskatoon, our University City, had received an
offer of fifteen acres from the town of Sutherland, a suburb of
Saskatoon, for a school campus. The mayor of Sutherland and other
officials of both Sutherland and Saskatoon showed by letter and by
direct interview that they would willingly support in many ways the
establishment of a Christian school in that area. As there was no
public high school in the town of Sutherland, all the high school
students were taken by bus to Saskatoon. Brother Jennings and the
other brethren of Saskatoon considered Sutherland's offer a
tremendous opportunity to enlarge our enrollment. Brother Jennings
widely publicized the offer in his _Saskatoon Star_, and he urged
the Board of Directors to move the school from Radville to this new
location. The suggestion stirred up a genuine interest in the
school. "To move" or "not to move" was the conversational topic
among us all.
Finally, on September 4, a special meeting of the shareholders was
called to consider the question. The largest attendance of
shareholders present for a meeting was recorded at that time. Many
who had been shareholders for several years attended for the first
time. Many present had very decided opinions regarding the best
location for the school. Raymond Meneer was chairman of the
meeting. We had several very eloquent and persuasive speeches.
After a long day of debate and discussion the final outcome was
that the school would remain in Radville; for if we had been unable
to raise $15,000.00 to build a much needed dormitory, how could we
reasonably expect to raise sufficient money to build a completely
new set of buildings on the vacant campus at Sutherland?
Although Brother Jennings and other brethren from Saskatoon were
disappointed at the turn of the vote, their campaign really
benefitted Radville Christian College in many ways: It aroused a
more definite support upon the part of the local congregations,
made the Canadian brotherhood at large more aware of the value of
the school, and awakened the town of Radville itself to the
benefits of such a school in the neighbourhood.
When our school first began, the town was indifferent and a few of
the citizens were antagonistic toward us. One public school teacher
later told me that he objected at first to the word "Christian" in
our name, as if suggesting that those who taught in a public school
were not Christians. The small boys sometimes derisively referred
to us as the "mud rats" and the "river rats." But as the years went
by and our students proved their success in the Department of
Education final examinations, harmonized so beautifully in the A
Cappella chorus, won many awards at Field Days, worked so
faithfully picking stones for the local farmers, and played so
strenuously at their hockey games, opinions in Radville were
changing. J. C. Bailey wrote of some incidents that reveal the
changed attitude:
"Last winter ( 1954) just after our hockey team skated
onto the ice, a coach for one of the other teams said to
me 'I did not know there were that many gentlemen left
among young people today.
"That same year I once overheard this conversation
between two men as our boys came onto the ice for another
game.
'There will be no fighting in this game.'
The other man asked, 'How do you know?'
The first man replied, 'The Christian College
is playing.'"
As concrete evidence of their friendliness to our school, the day
the shareholders met to discuss the possibility o moving to
Saskatoon, the Radville Town council met with the Board of
Directors, openly expressed its desire that the school remain in
Radville, agree to use the far end of the nuisance ground, to build
a new road into it, and give us a ninety year lease on the road
leading to our school.
For many years, one of the bones of contention between the town
council and our Board had been the nuisance ground located across
the road from our campus. This nuisance ground was a breeding spot
for rats and flies and a horrible stench would sometime cross our
campus when the wind came from the east. In the spring of 1947, I
remember thinking wearily as I was crossing the campus hurriedly to
escape the nauseating odour, "Must I endure this smell for twenty
years?"
As the years went by, the town council had made war on the rats and
had eliminated the stench, but the unsightly mess of a town
nuisance ground still existed. Therefore, we were very happy when
the town council made the above mentioned agreement with the Board
on September 4, 1954.
Using a bulldozer, the council got rid of all the trash and
consequently we had a more pleasant entrance way to our campus.
Thereafter, I laughingly told visitors that complained about the
difficulty of finding our campus--"The road to our campus is really
well marked. Turn right at the sign 'Cattle Crossing;' turn right
again at the sign 'Nuisance Ground, 1/2 mile east;' and then turn
right at the sign 'No Dumping here,' and you are at the Radville
Christian College campus."
1954-1955
Enrollment: Bible --12; High School--45
In spite of our crowded quarters we had a good year. Club
activities--Debating, Melody, Home Nursing, Athletic, Art,
Literary, and Drama--flourished that year.
To the consternation of the older members of the local
congregation, James Williams and Jelsing Bailey grew beards for the
play "Pipistrelle of Acquitaine;" Mary Bailey was the dynamic Maria
in the same play; Donna Meneer as Grandma O'Hara was mistaken for
a boy in her cowboy scene; and Reta Lewis was the "Lonely Lady."
Since the beginning of our school, amateur theatre has played a big
part in our extracurricular activities. With an attendance of
forty-five, we would often present then or eleven one-act plays
besides skits and pantomimes during the year. All students who
wished to participate, regardless of ability, were always given
parts in plays at R. C. C. We never strove for perfection in stage
performance, and we were not interested in making professional
actors out of our students; nevertheless, we encouraged this
activity because we believed that amateur drama was a very good way
of teaching speech, developing poise, and encouraging certain
qualities of good citizenship. We believed that young people
became better citizens who were subjected to creative rather than
spectator entertainment. At one of the public entertainments given
by our school in the Radville Memorial Hall, a businessman was
overheard talking to one of the local policemen. They were
commenting on the quality of the program and the policeman ended
the conversation with these words, "If there were more of this sort
of thing, I would not be kept so busy in my job."
As usual this year the students published a year book. At Radville
Christian College, publishing the year book meant not only taking
the pictures, writing and arranging the material for it, but also
printing the book and binding it. When Roger Peterson was a
student in the Bible department, he learned the printing trade form
J. C. Bailey who was then editor and publisher of the _Gospel
Herald_. That winter (1949-50) the first year book, ten pages was
published under the Precious Memories, with Roger Peterson as
editor and publisher. The following year the name was changed to
the _Northern Lights_, which is still the name of our annual
publication. Our book has become bigger and better one with the
passage of time and many students have learned the rudiments of the
printing profession by working in the print shop on this book.
While yet a student in high school, John Bailey published two year
books and Roy Davison and Alex Muller Published three. Both John
Bailey and Alex Muller have put to good use their printing
knowledge since high school graduation.
1955-1956
Enrollment: Bible--4; High School--46
During the summer the east end of the Air Force building was change
from boys' dormitory rooms to a much needed third classroom. The
tamped-earth Orr house just off the campus accommodated the
overflow of boys from the other dormitory rooms. Ellis Krogsgaard
was responsible for the greatly improved appearance of the
classroom area when school opened that fall.
Ellis Krogsgaard was then a teacher on the Radville public school
staff. We are very grateful to him in many ways. For several
winters, Brother Krogsgaard coached our hockey teams. One tern he
taught our boys wood-working and drafting. Some of the furniture
in our present campus common room reminds us of the work he had
done for our school.
The fall term opened with clean, bright looking classrooms, but
other points of our school landscape were rather dark and gloomy.
As one views the past, certain incidents and years are recalled
with pleasure and others with depression. I shall always think of
1955-56 as the Teacher Trouble Year. Do not misunderstand me. It
was not their personality nor their character that disturbed me,
but their elusiveness.
Early in the spring, Brother Donald Perry had resigned from the
faculty with the intent of continuing his studies in a college of
education. Although we regretted his impending departure, we
realized that his reason for leaving was legitimate. The problem
was--"Who will replace him?" To our surprise, very soon we had
hired a young man from Central Christian College. In July, news
arrived that because of an accident, he would be unable to teach.
Through advertisements in various papers, we contacted another
young man, Mr. X, who promised to be at Radville for the beginning
of September classes. When Mr. X had not arrived, the Saturday
before school opening, or business manager telephoned him only to
learn that his present employer would not release him from his
duties before January.
What a quandary! Teachers have always been difficult to obtain for
our school as there are so few in Saskatchewan who are members of
the church. For a time, no solution to our predicament seemed
available. One classroom had no teacher the first day of school.
Then Richard Dacus, evangelist from Estevan, came to our rescue
promising to teach one month. Next, Ernest Hillman of Regina
helped us by offering to teach until Christmas time. These
gentlemen motored to Radville Monday morning and returned to their
homes Friday afternoon.
In the late autumn we received word from Mr. X that he would be
unable to be with us for any of the present term. Another search
for a teacher! A former graduate David Lidbury, became our "man of
the moment" by offering to complete the spring term.
Why were the courses of this one teacher not divided among the
other three teachers? We were busily occupied teaching the classes
that the Department of Education requires. Besides teaching all
day, without any spares, I regularly taught evening classes for
nights a week.
There was one very bright spot in the fall of 1955 and that was the
installation of our telephone system. As we lived two miles from
town by car road, not having a telephone was extremely inconvenient
at times. Financed by the Alumni and the Board of Directors,
Robert Peterson, aided by our students, built a telephone system to
our campus and installed six telephones in various buildings. I
still remember the first long distance telephone call received at
the Girls' Dormitory. It was Ernest Andreas calling from Gladmar,
but I would not have been more thrilled if it had been a man from
Mars.
That fall the J. C. Bailey print shop was moved out onto our
campus. During Christmas holidays, an office was made form a
portion of this building and in January, Shirley Lewis, another
Radville Christian College graduate, became our first full-time
campus secretary.
Anxious moments over the seemingly "ever changing" faculty and over
a few boys who needed a stern father rather than an irritable
mother, encouraged me to resign as principal of Radville christian
College. I had occupied the position for ten years. At an early
spring meeting of the Board of Directors, I acquainted the members
with my decision. My resignation as principal was accepted and I
note that the minutes of the board meeting state that I was to be
retains a "normal" teacher. (Some students feel that teachers are
never normal.)
1956-1957
Enrollment: Bible--5; High School--46
Brother Cecil T. Bailey of Winnipeg was hired to replace me as
principal; his duties commenced in September. For six years
Brother C. T. Bailey had been living in Winnipeg, preaching,
attending University and teaching in one of the city high school.
During that time, encouraged by his wife, he had completed his work
for his Bachelor of Arts degree, Bachelor of Education degree and
almost completed the requirements for a Master of Education Degree.
Brother Bailey already had the reputation of an excellent gospel
preacher and was well liked by young people for his kindly and
humorous ways.
During the summer holidays, through the untiring efforts of Ellis
Krogsgaard, Lawrence Anderson, Allison Parker, Earl Jacobs and many
other kind friends, a running water system was installed in the two
main buildings of the campus.
You who have lived where you have accepted running water and
bathroom facilities as a necessary part of decent living, cannot
truly imagine life at a residential school without it. Through the
years, it had been a constant battle with hand pumps that would run
dry, melting of ice and snow and with tattle tale grey in sheets
and even sometimes in a few faces of younger students. I note that
one issue of the _Trumpet_ headlines "Prominent Winter Sports at R.
C. C." "Cutting ice, hauling ice, filling water barrels. Saturdays
are busy days for the boys who volunteer for the ice cutting bees."
On Saturday evenings, a chief occupation for the boys was heating
water or melting snow or ice on the kitchen stove so that they
could revel in their weekly bath. We became very modern when a
makeshift hot-water system consisting of two barrels attached to a
stove could be used as a hot water supply. The boys had to haul
water or ice from the river to fill the one barrel and in return
the girls would do all the washing and ironing for the boys. Boys
who attended R. C. C. in those days could tell tall tales about
water carrying expedition.
We drank the water from the kitchen well. R. C. C. drinking water
had a reputation all of its own. Certain types of medicine were
never required by its drinkers. One of the most spontaneous roars
of laughter I ever heard n the dining hall was in June 1956 at the
Farewell Banquet with the staff providing the entertainment. In a
short skit, Mrs. Williams and I, as char-women, were relaxing on a
park bench when we noticed a man (Lawrence Anderson) apparently
contemplating suicide by drinking from a bottle. After our
struggling with him a while, I wrenched the bottle from his hand
and read the label in a puzzled voice, "R. C. C. water." That joke
was thoroughly appreciated by our audience.
I could not truly describe how happy we were to have all the
comforts of a running water system in our dormitories when it
arrived in November 1956.
We had many blessings that fall: a new principle, C. T. Boll; a
sports director; David Olson '53; and a Bible Teacher, R. Pectol,
from the very first school day. (Recalling vividly the worries of
the previous year I was especially thankful for that last
blessing.) I was very happy with the progress and development of
the school.
Imagine my chagrin, when Principal C. T. Bailey threw a bomb shell
into our peaceful midst--our school should move to the airport at
Weyburn. There were good buildings there and the government would
rent them to us at a very nominal rate. This suggestion was an
answer to the problem of lack of accommodation that had disturbed
us for several years, but it was not the answer that many of us
desired.
Leave R. C. C. Campus with its trees and river an its thousand and
one memories--bonfires and sing songs by the river, campus radio
broadcasting, twenty wiener roasts at a nearby hiking spot, the
dear old battered buildings where boys had given their hesitant yet
inspiring speeches at morning chapel services, where study periods
had sometimes been conducted by candle light, where mistakes had
been made and victories had been won--it just could not be done!
Nevertheless, at the annual meeting Brother Cecil T. Bailey
proposed that the school move to Weyburn. A Committee consisting
of Cecil T. Bailey, Ernest Andreas, Edgar Ashby and Mickel Jacobs
was chosen to investigate the Weyburn situation. As a result of
these investigations, a special meeting of the shareholders was
called in March 1957. There were ninety shareholders present for
this meeting. The morning had been devoted to conducting tours of
visitors through the proposed buildings at the Weyburn airport.
The first part of the afternoon meeting consisted of hearing two
reports--one stating the advantages of the Radville site and the
other stating the advantages of the Weyburn site.
In his report, Brother E. Ashby listed the following advantages of
establishing the school in Weyburn: more and better accommodation,
better transportation connections, better mail service, more
opportunities for work, new radio station there, better staff
accommodations, outside influences on the students offered a
challenge for better training to cope with such influences. (Many
people had questioned the wisdom of exchanging the present very
private campus for one near a factory area and near a city.)
After a lengthy open-forum discussion, the shareholders voted on
this question, "that we move our school to the Weyburn buildings if
it is possible." The result of the balloting was 68 in favor of
the motion and 15 against. With my heart heavy at the thought of
leaving our beautiful campus on the banks of Long Creek, I cast my
vote in favor of moving because I knew that our beloved school
would have more room for expansion at Weyburn.
The committee chosen at the fall meeting was to continue its
negotiations with the provincial government, while a new committee
consisting of Dryden Sinclair, Allen Jacobs and James McCuaig was
chosen to raise funds to liquidate a debt of $11,000.00. At the
meeting, James McCuaig personally obligated himself to paying off
one-tenth of the debt. Other liberal donations were made at the
same time.
All the opposition to the proposed move was not overcome in a day.
One gentleman declared that the only reason for the move was that
Cecil Bailey was "more windy than J. C." (I might say right here
that J. C. Bailey could see that the move had proved beneficial to
the school, he admitted his mistake and is a very loyal supporter
of Western Christian College.) The provincial government was very
gracious to our committee and soon an acceptable agreement was
concluded between the two parties.
By means of a rental agreement, the government of Saskatchewan
through its Department of Public Works, made available to us four
buildings at the Weyburn airport for a period of five years at the
very nominal rate of seventy-five dollars a month. Furthermore, we
were given assurance that our agreement could most probably be
renewed at the end of this period with perhaps even more attractive
terms.
When it was later learned that all of these buildings needed new
electrical wiring, the Department of Public Works cams to our
rescue in arranging to have this work done with the department
financing the project. An agreement was arranged whereby we were
to pay the amount of six thousand dollars, the cost of this work,
at the rate of one hundred dollars per month, without interest.
The question of moving to Weyburn over-shadowed all other events of
the year. The teacher problem loomed on the horizon for awhile
again when Brother Pectol was force to leave Canada because of
draftboard requirements, but it was solved when John Bailey, a
former student studying at Abilene Christian College, consented to
come and be a member of our faculty.
1957-1958
Enrollment: Bible--3; High School--84
Brother A. Parker and his sons, Elgin and Douglas, were the first
people to move to the new campus at the airport as they started
preparing the buildings for occupation in July 1957. Soon
afterward, Ernest Andreas and his family moved into the second and
only other prepared suite in the for large buildings which we
rented. Whereas Brother Andreas had been the school business
manager since March 1954, he had not lived on the campus before.
Even before Brother and Sister Andreas lived on the campus they
served our school well, but since they have moved to the campus
they have most loyally laboured toward making our school lives run
more smoothly.
During the summer of 1957, Brother Andreas and Brother Parker had
the herculean task of transforming two huge buildings with long,
barren, empty halls into classrooms and dormitories. Occasional
visitors to the campus wondered how it possibly could be done. Our
workers were hampered by lack of funds to buy much needed material
and by lack of time. They dared not incur further expense by
hiring extra carpenters. The opening of school had to be postponed
until September 16. Brethren from Estevan and Regina came to help
build partitions and scrub floors. Parents who visited the school
one week before school opening, expecting to choose the room for
their son or daughter, were greeted by long halls, piles of lumber
and sawdust strewn everywhere. It was amazing that one week later
there was cleanliness and a semblance of order everywhere.
However, Brother Parker had worked such long hours, straining every
muscle and nerve to prepare the buildings, that he was sick in bed
the day school opened.
Those first few weeks of school on the new campus were hectic ones:
many of our school books and supplies were still at Radville; we
had no commercial teacher until finally Ray Lock, a former student
from Saskatoon, was persuaded to come; no furnaces running in
either dormitory or classrooms, therefore no warm water; and a cold
spell necessitated the wearing of overcoats during classes. By
Christmas time, we had found places for everything and unearthed
many lost articles, and long before that time we were all revelling
in the heat of the furnaces and in the spaciousness of our new
location.
Our new home consisted of five buildings, including our print shop
moved from Radville, located in a group on the east side of the
Weyburn airport. The campus is located close enough to a small
city to benefit from city life, yet far enough away to have the
quiet and peace of a rural community.
After years of struggling without certain modern conveniences, we
surely did appreciate having them here, but assuredly our greatest
blessing was the adequate space. We had classrooms for each grade,
a typing room, a large library, a science room, a Bible room and a
home-economics room. (Compare theses rooms with our three
classrooms and typing room at Radville.) We had a game room near
our classrooms. For our chapel services there was an Assembly Hall
with a seating capacity of one hundred and twenty persons. There
were large dormitories that would eventually accommodate 180
students, a dining hall which would seat the same number,a nd a
large gymnasium for physical training classes. The gymnasium with
its good stage and its seating room for four hundred is still used
for programs and special services of the Church. Though I had been
reluctant to leave our small buildings at Radville because of their
dear memories, I was more than pleased with our new home at
Weyburn.
Although we were very happy with our improved accommodations we
were not living in luxury. in fact, I heard of parents who refused
to send their children to Weyburn because the buildings were
inadequate. They were not attracted by the weather beaten,
unpainted shingles of the old barracks, nor by the long narrow
dimly lighted classrooms, nor by the dormitories where the only
walls between the rooms were imaginary ones except for the clothes
closets built between every two beds.
Yet, in contrast to our quarters in Radville, we thought our new
ones good. My own unfinished apartment with shoulder high
partition separating my bedroom from Baileys' hallway to our shared
bathroom was a decided improvement over my damp, never-warm-in-
winter, tamped-earth house in Radville, simply because it was
always comfortably warm.
Building do not make a school. It is nice to have good buildings
but not imperative. When T. C. Douglas addressed Teacher's
Convention one fall, he told of his visit to a famous school in
Scotland that had produced many great statesmen, scientists, and
literary giants. He mentioned his surprise to discover staircases
worn with the pounding of many feet, dull faded rooms, and desks
creaking with age. No, buildings do not make a school. The two
essential ingredients for a good school are eager students and
dedicated teachers.
Eighty-four students attended the school in 1957-58. The
enrollment was double that of the previous year. Many opponents of
the move to Weyburn became more reconciled because they realized
that the increased attendance could not have been accommodated in
the Radville buildings.
The official opening of our school at Weyburn was November 8, 9.
The afternoon of November 8 was Open House. Touring parties were
conducted by various students through all the buildings and then
tea was served to visitors in the Assembly Hall. Brenda Meneer, a
grade XII student, was in charge of the Open House. Morris Brown
ironically described her fine work in the _Trumpet_ in these words:
"It is well worth noting that under brenda's excellent management
only four touring parties managed to get lost and all but two of
these have been located since."
In the evening, a banquet was served in the dining hall. Besides
the board members and their wives, staff members and wives, there
were guests from the city of Weyburn. Our guests of honour were
the Honourable Mr. W. S. Lloyd, provincial minister of education,
and Mrs. Lloyd, and His Worship Mayor J. H. Staveley and Mrs.
Staveley.
At eight o'clock that evening, the banquet guests, together with
many other friends of the school, assembled in the gymnasium to
witness the official opening ceremony. For the occasion, the stage
had been beautifully decorated in the school colours, green and
white, under the direction of student Loretta Williams.
The following program was presented.
- O Canada
- Choral Singing--directed by Mr. John Bailey
- Chairman's Remarks--by Mr. C. T. Bailey
- Piano Duet--Noreen Johnson and Gaylene Mellum
- Address--Mayor Staveley
- Vocal solo--Betty Bailey
- Address--Mr. R. Meneer
- Piano Solo--Yvonne Laycock
- Octet--directed by Mr. David Olson
- Address--Honourable Mr. W. S. Lloyd
- Official Opening Ceremony--Mr. R. Meneer
- The school song--by the students
- God Save the Queen
In his address, Mayor Staveley sincerely welcomed the school to the
Weyburn area. He stated that in this age of materialism, a school
that stressed the development of spiritual values would be ana
asset to the Weyburn community.
The Honourable Mr. W. S. Lloyd also wished us success in our new
location. In the course of his address, he mentioned that a nation
whose educational system stressed scientific and technological
advancement was doomed unless those advancements were directed
toward the service of mankind.
The official opening ceremony was simple but impressive. After a
few appropriate remarks, Mr. R. Meneer, chairman of the Board of
Directors, cut a white ribbon held by two students, Janice Mooney
(secretary of the students' assembly) and Lloyd Hotchkiss
(president of the students' assembly.)
In that manner our school was officially opened at its new
location, but the activities of our official opening were not yet
complete. The following Saturday morning, the alumni and the
school football teams had their annual battle; the alumni defeated
the students by a score of 14-7.
At the annual shareholders' meeting in the afternoon "Western
Christian College" was chosen as the new name of our school. In
reality three names were selected that day, but because two of them
were illegal for us to use, automatically our choice was Western
Christian College. In March 1958, by a special act of the
provincial government, the name became legally ours.
In the evening of November 9, a variety concert given by the
students of the school was the final event of the two-day Opening
Ceremonies. Two plays, "The Keeper of the Land" written by a
Saskatchewan Dramatist, Mrs. Arps, and Moliere's "The Doctor in
Spite of Himself" was produced by the Drama Club. The same musical
items that had been enjoyed on the previous night were given as
well as a tumbling act. All the students and staff members had
worked in the big co-operative effort of producing two days that
will linger long in our memories.
An innovation, introduced by Principal Cecil T. Bailey that year
received favourable comment from many people. All residential
students were required to donate a number of hours each week (4) to
the school. If a student worked above that number he would be paid
at a reasonable rate. We believed that this phase of our school
life was excellent training for our students. They would learn now
to be responsible "on the job." While a few students tried to
shirk their duties, the great majority worked very faithfully to
"put in their hours." Sometimes when staff members became
discouraged with careless workmanship, we suggested that if we
could teach students to work well at these jobs we have really
helped to educate them. Today (1969) the system has been revised
so that while all students still have kitchen and dormitory duties,
no record of time on the job is kept.
In February 1958, a new staff member was hired--D. W. Dryden
Sinclair as Public Relations director. The previous year he had
been chosen one of a three-man committee to raise funds to
liquidate a debt. The committee had accomplished a great deal of
the school during its year of operation, with travelling to
different places, speaking publicly and privately, advertising in
the _Messenger_ and inaugurating the Pay-for-a-day Plan.
Nevertheless, to provide for further expansion, the Board of
Directors realized that a full time Public Relations Director was
necessary. An important forward step was taken by choosing Brother
Sinclair for this task. With his sincere devotion to God, great
faith in the worth of our school, and his gift of making others
realize their good fortune by sharing in the work, Brother Sinclair
is ideally qualified for his position. During his year on the
staff, he travelled thousands of miles and made many friends for
the school.
Assisted by Allan C. Mitchell during the summer holidays, he raised
money needed to pay off pressing debts and to prepare and equip our
buildings more completely. Probably his two outstanding
accomplishments of the year were the organization of the W. C. C.
Women's Service Club and the American Western Christian Foundation,
Incorporated.
The W. C. C. Service Club was organized on November 10, 1958.
Brother Sinclair suggested to the ladies gathered at the gymnasium
at that time that they could "render service to the school that
would be directly beneficial to the students." Mrs. Allan C.
Mitchell was elected to serve as president, while Mrs. Eric Johnson
of Estevan became the secretary-treasurer. The first project that
the group chose was the decorating and furnishing of the boys
common room in the boys' dormitory. When this project was
completed, I know the boys were grateful to the ladies of this
club.
The Western Christian Foundation, Incorporated, is a non-profit
organization incorporated in the state of Texas, set up to receive
funds in the United States to be used for Christian education..
These donations are tax exempt by the government of the United
States. The first president of this Foundation was James W.
Kennedy of Rankin, Texas, and its firs vice-president was H. M.
Holmes of Sheffield, Texas.
It is interesting to note here that Brother Kennedy and his family
visited the old R. C. C. Campus in the summer of 1947. At that
time he had been so very much impressed by the tremendous effort
put forth there, and by the very fine hospitality shown his family
by Brother and Sister J. C. Bailey and others that he remained a
friend of out school throughout the years.
Jim Kennedy always a loyal supporter of Christian education ,
continued as president of the Foundation until his death in June
1969. Western Christian College owes much to Jim Kennedy--"a big
man with a big hears, a man of service."
Besides the official opening, two other red letter days in the
first year of operation at the Weyburn airport were the "Bible
School Closing Exercises" and the "Graduation Exercises."
The _Messenger_ carried this account of the Bible School closing:
"On March 28, the closing exercises of the Bible
department were held in the school assembly hall. Mr. C.
T. Boll, principal. acted as Master of Ceremonies. In
his opening remarks, Mr. Bailey emphasized the importance
of the Bible Department in our school. He praised the
progress of this year's student body and urged increased
enrollment for next term.
"Larry Hoff, Vancouver, B. C., represented the students
and spoke on 'The Abundant Life.' He suggested that, in
order to live the abundant life, one must have good
health, build a good home, and have a deep interest in
spiritual values.
"Guest speaker for the evening was Brother R. Dacus,
Estevan, Saskatchewan. His subject was taken from the
miracle of the loaves and fishes. Just as the little boy
was willing to share his food, and just as his
unselfishness resulted in a blessing for thousands so we
should be willing to share the little that we have, so
that others might be benefited.
"Two plays were presented: 'Pyramus and Thisbe' under the
direction of Gordon Hobbs and 'Corn-Fed Babies' directed
by Shannon Pawlak. Acting awards went to James Johnson,
Faye Mooney, and Bernice Johnson.
"Musical items were also on the program: piano solos by
Phillip Bailey; vocal duet by Sharon Fisher and Fred
Brehaut. The chorus, directed by Mr. J. Bailey,
concluded the program.
"After the program, Mrs. Brandt and some of the students
served lunch and the wonderful evening was concluded with
a devotional service conducted by Mr. D. Olson."
The _Trumpet_ gives this description of the high school graduation
exercises:
"Western Christian College held its first annual
graduation exercises on Saturday, May 10, 1958. There
were fifteen graduates.
"One hundred and twenty guests were served at the
banquet. Grades nine and ten students were in charge of
the banquet with David Williams as convener of the
committee. Three short speeches, given at the table were
made by Miss Torkelson, vice-principal; Mr. D. Sinclair,
public relations director, and Mr. R. Dacus, chairman of
the Board. These speakers brought forth valuable
messages intended for the graduates.
"Following the banquet, the graduation exercises began in
the gymnasium. After the ceremonial march of the
graduates, Betty Bailey gave her salutatorian address.
There were several musical items including songs by the
Octet, Chorus, and Glee Club, a vocal solo by Betty
Bailey; a piano solo by Jean Harkness and a piano duet by
Noreen Johnson and Yvonne Laycock.
"The graduates then gave their Last Will and Testament
and presented a skit written by Morris Brown.
"The ceremonial passing of the Torch was made by Lloyd
Hotchkiss to Dale Start, a grade XI student.
"The speeches for the evening were given by Roy Davison,
valedictorian, Dan Wieb, the Board of directors
representative and John A. King, our guest speaker. The
program concluded with the presentation of diplomas by
Mr. Dacus. Our principal was master of ceremonies for the
occasion."
1958-1959
Enrollment: Bible--6; High School--8
In the summer, the Board purchased the former Air Force school
building. This building was partially demolished and we were able
to save thousands of dollars by using its valuable mate rial to
make partitions in dormitories and build several new staff suites.
There were three work bees during the summer. At one bee, seventy-
five men were present to help with the task of demolition.
One wing of the purchased building was moved onto a foundation near
our dining hall. This building, larger than our dining hall, was
used as a waiting room for our newly constructed outdoor skating
rink as well as storage and work room. Now, we have six buildings
on our campus.
In order to distinguish more easily in conversation among the
buildings on our campus, the Board decided at its fall meeting
(1958) to name a number of them. The Board used this opportunity to
honour a number of pioneers in the church work of this area and in
the work of our school.
The Assembly Hall was to be known as the H. A. Rogers Chapel in
honour of Brother Rogers who preached the Truth to so many of us on
the prairies.
The dining hall was to be the H. C. Morgan Cafeteria in honour of
Brother Morgan of Carman, who left our school a generous bequest
($5000.00) in his will. A portion of the money was used to install
the much needed running water system in Radville.
The J. C. Bailey Library was to be a memorial to Brother Bailey who
has worked in so many ways to help our school, and who has done a
great deal to build up our library by donating all profit made
through the sale of religious books.
The Wilfred Orr Residence (boys' dormitory) was to remind us of
Brother Wilfred Orr and his sacrifices for the school in its
beginning years. The school was first located on land given by him,
and classes were first held in a building built by his volunteer
labour or by volunteers working under his direction.
The girls' dormitory was to be known as Torkelson Hall, probably to
honour the staff member who has stayed with the school through all
these rich and rewarding years.
This year marked the appointment of the first president of the
college. Our first president was Richard Dacus, a native of
Oklahoma, U.S.A., then engaged in evangelistic work at Estevan,
Saskatchewan. He had been a member of the Board of Directors since
1956 and a substitute Bible teacher at R.C.C. for several weeks at
various times. Although a non-resident president during his two
year term of office, he brought a stability to the administration
that was appreciated by us all.
In the fall we were pleased to welcome three new faculty members.
For a long time, we had felt that Grade IX students needed special
attention because they were away from home for the first time and
because they were entering the new high school situation. Mrs. C.
T. Bailey, wife of our principal, became their home room teacher
and did a very commendable job of orientating the class to its new
situation. I have always thought that she was the best grade IX
teacher I have ever known.
Mr. and Mrs. Allan C. Mitchell were the other two members added to
the faculty. They came from Helena, Montana, where Brother Mitchell
had been a preacher of the Gospel for a number of years. Brother
Mitchell, a graduate of Harding College, became our capable dean of
boys and grade ten home room teacher. Mrs. Mitchell added new life
to the home economics classes as their instructor.
A new activity of this fall term was the organization of the
Personal Evangelism group managed by Thomas Eaves (local evangelist
who arrived in October from Tennessee) and Allan C. Mitchell, and
sponsored by the local elders of the church. This group met every
Saturday evening at 6:30 and on Sunday afternoon. The students sang
together, prayed together, learned of the work on mission fields,
and considered how they could be of service to their Lord. Every
Sunday afternoon they went to the Saskatchewan Hospital at Weyburn
to sing for the patients or visit with them there.
This activity was only one of the many on the campus designed to
bring the lessons of the great Master teacher before their lives-
the regular chapel services, the evening devotionals in the
dormitories, the Friday night hymn singing after "mixed" snack, (C.
T. Bailey could not figure out if the food were mixed or the young
people) and the regular Bible classes by dedicated teachers. If our
students ever get so that they cannot enjoy spontaneous singing of
hymns while doing dishes or ending an evening's entertainment with
a few moments of devotion, then I believe the faculty and staff
will need to take stock of both their purpose and their methods.
The mental hospital visitation project continued for eight years
with a few changes. Twenty to forty students participated each
year. When the patients who profited by this visiting began to be
sent to half-way houses, our visits ceased. During those eight
years several staff and students from Western received pins to
honour their more than one hundred hours of visiting. The hospital
administration was grateful for our interest in their patients, but
I shall always contend that our students were the real
beneficiaries of this project. As a result, there are hundreds of
young people scattered throughout North America who have a better
understanding of mental illness and a genuine sympathy for the
patients.
In contrast to the rushing excitement of moving into new quarters
the year before, the second school term at North Weyburn seemed
comparatively uneventful. Two events of importance in the fall were
the visit by T. C. Douglas, premier of this province, and our fall
Lectureship. We were greatly honoured by the presence of Mr. & Mrs.
Douglas on October 8. A program of chorus singing was held in their
honour in the Assembly Hall. Mr. Douglas then gave an inspirational
talk "The Secret of Successful Living." In his speech, Mr. Douglas
suggested that the success of our lives is not measured by the fame
we attain, the wealth we accumulate, or the knowledge we acquire,
but by the personality and character we develop. In addition to
charming the students with his ready wit, Mr. Douglas impressed
them with their great privilege of attendance at a Christian
school. At the conclusion of his address, he presented the coveted
Douglas Trophy to Betty Bailey, the daughter of the principal.
Since that time the Douglas Trophy has been presented annually to
the grade XII student who has won the highest marks in the June
examinations set by the Saskatchewan Department of Education.
There is an anecdote concerning Mr. Douglas and Western students
that I tell occasionally:
The first year we were at Weyburn, Mr. Bailey arranged with Mr.
Douglas, who was also the Weyburn member of the Legislative
Assembly, for the grade XII students to spend an afternoon annually
at the Legislative Buildings in Regina during the Assembly session.
Mr. Douglas was always the gracious host of the class for luncheon
at the cafeteria there. One year when I was in charge of the
touring group, we discovered that there was no water on the table
after we had sat down to the table in a small private dining room.
Just as I was about to ask a student to fetch a tray of water
glasses, Mr. Douglas, the premier of the province, jumped up and
insisted that he would get the water for his guests. The students
were greatly honoured by his attention and thoroughly appreciated
his natural, easy manner with them.
The outstanding event of the 1958 fall term was decidedly the
lectureship held November 8-11. _The Western Christian Messenger_
carried this account of the event:
"How does one measure the success of any venture? To say
that the first annual lectureship at Western Christian
was a success is to deal in understatement. If we are to
measure the success of the lectureship by the number of
visitors who attended, then we must say it was successful
beyond the dreams of the most optimistic. Over 500
visitors registered over the week-end. Roughly speaking,
this comprises between 40 and 50 percent of the
membership of the church in Western Canada. Besides our
own Canadian brethren we had visitors from Montana, North
Dakota, Minnesota and Texas. Canadian visitors came from
distant places such as Edmonton and Calgary. One hotel in
the city of Weyburn was filled by visiting brethren and
the campus was overcrowded as well. On Lord's Day, the
largest single gathering of brethren ever to assemble in
the West met to worship God. As nearly as could be
counted, 450 were present for the service. Yes, if we are
to measure the success of the lectureship by those who
attended, we must admit great success.
"If we want to measure the success of the program by the
calibre of the lectures themselves, again we must
announce success. Brother LeMoine Lewis of Abilene,
Texas, presented a series of five lectures on the great
theme: "A Changeless Gospel in a Changing World!' The
challenge that he presented to the church will long be
remembered. Those of us who heard each of these lectures
will be strengthened and encouraged by them as long as we
shall live. The lecture by Brother Harvey Childress of
Minneapolis on "The Scope and Value of Christian
Education" will likewise be remembered for a long time.
The challenge that we have to make a success of our
Christian schools is a huge o~e and Brother Childress
certainly made us aware of our obligations along that
line. Equally to be remembered and prayed about is our
Brother J. C. Bailey's challenge: 'The next ten years
will be the greatest for the church in Western Canada.'
This lecture upon this theme will challenge day by day
those who heard it and are working to make it come true.
"If we measure the success of the lectureship by the
number of good men who had part in its program, we must
again admit success. We shall never forget the part
played by these men.
"The classes, too, were very successful with increased
attendance at each session and lessons presented which
will help each of us to better live the Christian way of
life.
"So we must say that in every department, the First
Annual Western Christian College Lectureship was a
success and we want to thank each one who had a part in
the planning and execution of the plans. Without
your help we could not have been successful." (The
planning committee consisted of A. H. Beamish, R. Meneer,
and E. D. Wieb.)
A visitor and teacher at the Lectureship, Robert Boyle, Sheffield,
Texas, was so impressed with our need for more religious books in
our library that he raised $1,200.00 to be used for that purpose.
This was the largest gift our library had received thus far.
For several years after moving to the almost barren, flat prairie
of the Weyburn campus, we sorely missed the Radville river valley
for hikes and picnics in the spring. To fill this void, in 1959, we
began our weekend picnics away from the campus. Students motored to
Lumsden, Pasqua, Katepwa and Kenosee to be near trees, water, and
hills. At first, each grade went to different areas for the
week-end; however, as arranging for accommodation became
increasingly difficult, the undergraduates settled for a one-day
picnic, and only the grade XII class picnic continued for the
week-end.
I shall never forget the seven glorious week ends I spent at Pasqua
Lake in beautiful Qu'Appelle Valley during the years I was grade
XII
home-room teacher. With comfortable accommodation in a friend's
cottage and a neighbouring cottage or boat house, we enjoyed hiking
up the steep high hills, boating and swimming in the cool waters,
the games of archery, horse shoes and croquet on the sandy beach,
and the pleasant wiener roasts with the evening sing-songs. The
quiet lake frequently rang with shrieks of laughter as daring boys
pushed timid girls off the rafts.
As interest in the class picnics waned, 1969 witnessed the debut of
the Spiritual and Recreational Retreat at the site of Clearview
Christian Camp on Kenosee Lake. Once more enthusiasm ran high as a
bus load of eager campers from all grades participated in a week-
end program packed with discussions, devotionals, quiet times and
organized outdoor games. The weather was forbidding with its
drizzling rain and unusual coolness during most of the weekend, but
this was no damper on high spirits during the ball game nor during
the discussions on Romans. The campers hope the Retreat will be
repeated next year.
As a result of this week-end away from campus, the students seem
better able to cope with the intensive study required during the
month of June for the much dreaded yearly final examinations.
1959-1960
Enrollment: Bible--6; High School--127
In August, Mr. and Mrs. Roger Peterson were welcomed back to the
faculty after an absence of three years. During that time Roger had
completed his studies toward a Master's degree in Bible at Abilene
Christian College. Roger came to teach science and Bible, while his
lovely wife, Helen Marie (Sinclair) '49, became the new dean of
girls.
Roger Peterson is a versatile man. During his eighteen years at the
college (by 1969), three as a student in the Bible Department, and
fifteen as a teacher, Roger has successfully occupied most
positions available when the need arose, except kitchen cook and
history teacher. He has been printer, chorus director, boys' dorm
supervisor, telephone line builder, commercial teacher, science
teacher, math teacher, Bible teacher, home-room teacher, vice-
principal, principal, and mushroom grower.
Two additional courses were added this term. Ray Lock began a one
year commercial course with eleven students. (Ray Lock has the
distinction of being the first graduate to become a member of the
Board of Directors.) His commercial course was a success.
Among those eleven students was Alma Schiller, who very soon began
to work in the public relations office at Western. Since that time,
Alma has been with us in one office or the other. Her cheerful
manner, in spite of rugged physical handicaps, and her genuine
interest in others, especially the homesick and the lonely, have
been an inspiration to staff and students alike throughout the
years.
The second course added for this year was Grade XIII, as we called
our second year college work. The small class of five students
consisted of Leslie Anderson, Fred Brehaut, Manley Gilpin, Warren
MacLeod, and Bill Muirhead. The courses offered, together with
their instructors, were as follows: Bible--Roger Peterson; history-
-Allen Mitchell; psychology--Cecil Bailey; calculus--Lillian
Torkelson; English--Cecil Bailey. The texts and course outlines
were those used for second year college work at Abilene Christian
College. Although our college graduates could not receive credits
at the University of Saskatchewan, they would obtain credits at
A.C.C.
While grade 13 was a very interesting experiment for both students
and instructors, it was not repeated in succeeding years for the
administration deemed there was insufficient demand for the courses
to merit their continuation.
During the 1959-60 term, a rather elaborate citizenship program was
instituted under the leadership of Dryden Sinclair, public
relations director, and Principal Cecil T. Bailey. From among the
students, each month, the faculty chose the Citizen of the Month.
On Citizenship Day, the chosen student was presented a Citizenship
Certificate during an assembly. Prior to the presentation, some
Weyburn or provincial personality addressed the assembly on some
phase of good citizenship. During that year we had some outstanding
messages by such men as Judge Thompson from Weyburn, Mayor Henry
Baker of Regina and Dr. Riddell, Dean of Regina College.
To encourage further interest in the development of good
citizenship, the Lock family decided to present annually the W. M.
Lock Shield to the best citizen of the year. This shield was
donated by the family in memory of their husband and father who had
been actively concerned with the welfare of R.C.C. in its early
struggles. In June the first student to have his name engraved on
this shield was Ernie Jacobs of Manson, Manitoba. Ernie was editor
of the _Northern Lights_, president of the Debate Club, a judge of
the Student Court, and a member of the volley ball and curling
teams.
In addition, at the Farewell Banquet in June, five special crests
were awarded to the top citizens of the school, together with ten
achievement bars to another group of fine citizens. The students
are still honoured to win these awards each year, but after two or
three years the Citizenship speeches were discontinued.
Among the memorable Citizenship Days stands out January 29, 1960,
when our guest speaker was Mayor Henry Baker of Regina. While Mrs.
Bailey, Mrs. Mitchell, and I awaited the assembling of the
students, we were dismayed to realize suddenly that no preparations
had been made to entertain Mr. Baker after the program. Then
decisively, Lavine Bailey turned to me, "Delay Mr. Baker after the
program a few minutes while Mrs. Mitchell and I prepare at my
apartment. We'll invite the faculty and the Citizen of the Month
for coffee with Mr. Baker." At the conclusion of the address, the
two ladies slipped unobtrusively from the building to make hurried
preparations for an unexpected twelve to fifteen guests.
When the students were dismissed, Mr. Bailey and I considered ways
and means of lengthening a tour of our small classrooms,
concentrated in one wing of the building. I amusedly recall that
Mr. Baker seemed restive over the delay. Finally, when we could no
longer find excuses for procrastinating, we walked to the nearby
Bailey apartment less than one-half hour after assembly dismissal.
Imagine my surprise to find a bright and shining living room with
delicate china cups and saucers attractively arranged on a tea
table covered with a beautiful cloth. A gracious smiling hostess
stood at the door. After a slight delay, the ladies served hot
chocolate cake, ice cream, and coffee to the room full of guests.
The cake had been mixed and popped into the oven after the program
and the ice cream had been purchased from the canteen! We had a
delightful afternoon of conversation ranging from the light-hearted
to the serious. Mr. Baker seemed unaware of the last minute rush.
Henceforth, plans to entertain our guest speakers were made well
ahead of time!
During the Christmas holidays the old Air Force drill hall was
converted into an indoor ice skating rink. Assisted by students
Elgin Parker, Douglas Parker, Bill Muirhead, and Gordon Patterson,
Mr. Parker built the dressing rooms and waiting room inside the
building. To make the ice, they covered the floor with packed snow.
Then daily they sprayed the snow with water until a layer of ice
was formed. To level the ice and fill the cracks, next they covered
the rough surface with hot water a few times, allowing freezing
between each dousing. Saskatchewan young people often wish for cold
weather so as to reduce the time required for ice making.
On January 5, the opening night of the winter term, the new rink
resounded to the laughter of young people and the clash of skates
on ice as Western celebrated the opening of the rink. Master of
Ceremonies, John C. Bailey, led the students in a whirl of skating
activities. He introduced variations from regular skating that
encouraged the students to mix with one another. In the waiting
room, Mrs. Andreas and her helpers served hot chocolate and hot
dogs to the guests. This gala night was the first of many skating
parties on the first day of school after the winter holidays.
We have been very thankful for the indoor ice-skating rink. Young
people always need exercise, and especially this truth is obvious
in a residential school where living and educational quarters are
close together. Many a time, the skating rink has reduced the
headaches of the deans of the dormitories.
Our students achieved recognition in two sports during this school
term. In the first place, the football boys (touch) won the South
Saskatchewan Championship for the first time. The final game was
against St. Oliver of Radville one cold, miserable day in October
on the Weyburn Collegiate playing field. We won with a score of
14:13.
In the second place, the girls' curling team not only won the South
Saskatchewan Championship, but almost captured the provincial
crown. In the final games against Saskatoon, our girls lost in an
extra end of the third game. After defeating fourteen other teams
in the playdowns, they met their only set back in Regina. Shirley
Hanson, the skip, said that she played the last end of the final
game in her dreams all night--the result could have been victory if
she had thrown her last rock in just a slightly different manner.
The other members of the rink were Heather LaBatte, Yvonne Laycock,
and Ardith LaBatte. John C. Bailey was coach.
Prior to the last game, Western sent a telegram to the girls signed
by the entire student body, staff and faculty. Besides many
telegrams of congratulation, the girls received pins, crests, and
trophies and were entertained at luncheons and banquets in Regina.
Although the curlers lost their final game, Western was intensely
proud of the girls, because they won the reputation of being fine
young ladies and good sports.
In the spring, our campus received its first side-walks. They were
board walks with the boards just far enough apart to wreck the
narrow high heels of careless pedestrians. Still these same board
walks reduced the janitor's work considerably during the June
rains.
For her fine dramatic ability, Marilyn Covell, grade XI, was
awarded an all-expense paid trip sponsored by the Canada Council to
the Shakespearian Festival in Stratford, Ontario. She was one of
the thirteen Saskatchewan students selected by the Department of
Education, Regina.
In June, as a protest against certain Board decisions, Cecil T.
Bailey shocked everyone by resigning as principal of the College
after four years in that position. Both parties acted in good
faith, with high purpose, but the disagreement could not be
settled. This resignation had far reaching consequences, not only
because Western lost an exciting teacher loved by young people and
a Christian gentleman who had devoted many years preparing himself
to fulfill a dream, but also because some brethren blamed the
College for his resignation so that for a period of time the
College did not enjoy the wholehearted support of the Western
Canadian brethren which it had previously sustained.
My heart will always ache a little whenever my thoughts turn to
Cecil's resignation and its aftermath; nonetheless, I am firmly
convinced that all things work together for good to those that love
the Lord.
I am reminded of Milton's "On His Blindness." "His state is
kingly; thousands at his bidding speed and post o'er land and ocean
without rest," and the sonnet concludes with "They also serve who
stand and wait." We should be slow to say how we can serve Him
best or what serves us best.
1960-1961
Enrollment: High School--100
ln September E. D. Wieb was appointed president of the College.
During his first year of office, he spent one-quarter of his time
at the College and the remainder in Winnipeg where he was minister
of the Erin Street congregation.
After graduating from high school in Winnipeg, Brother Wieb engaged
in the printing business there for several years before he and his
family moved to Texas where he enrolled at Abilene Christian
College. He received his bachelor of arts degree in 1955 and
returned to Winnipeg to become minister for the Erin Street
congregation. Brother Wieb had been a member of the Board of
Directors of Western Christian College for three years.
He is married to the former Dorothy Stebbings and they have four
children, Linda, Karen, Kent, and Allen, a chosen son. Another
adopted son, Tommy, died in 1964.
The Wiebs have faced family adversity without bitterness. Karen,
afflicted with polio at an early age, has endured surgery many
times throughout the years, and Tommy's incurable illness was a
lengthy one. These unhappy experiences have strengthened Danny and
Dorothy's faith and deepened their purpose. Because Danny is an
excellent Bible teacher, I regret that he cannot devote more time
in the classroom. I share Aristotle's opinion:
"Those who educate children well are more to be honored
than even their parents, for these only give them life,
those the art of living well."
Some students will remember Brother Wieb for his informative, well-
organized and thought provoking Bible classes, others will remember
him for the personal counselling sessions in his office; still
others for the curling games he organized but all students will
remember him for "Jingle Bells."
During his years on the campus Brother Wieb has acted as master of
ceremonies at many student gatherings. At the very first one in
September, 1960, he opened the evening's entertainment by leading
the assembly in the song "Jingle Bells." Since that time, winter
or summer, "Jingle Bells" has been sung at all student social
gatherings when he is present. Twice the chorus learned the song
and sang it, as a surprise, to honour Brother Wieb. Several times
at important basketball games the students have burst into "Jingle
Bells." So has developed another heart warming tradition at
Western.
The Daniel Pauls family came from Carman, Manitoba, to work at
Western and have been here ever since. Brother Pauls is another
example of the type of staff member a struggling school needs--a
man willing to serve wherever necessity requires. He has been at
various times dean of boys, kitchen supervisor, carpenter, and
maintenance manager. For five years Mrs. Pauls cooked at the Morgan
Cafeteria and is now (1969) available for special jobs of painting
and cooking. Danny and Clara Pauls attended winter Bible school at
Radville in 1942-43.
In the autumn, two other buildings at the air port were prepared
for occupancy. The building south-west of the Administration
building became the new chapel--Rogers' Chapel. Its foundations
were repaired and gas heating was installed. Men of the
congregation of the local church put up v-board for the chancel and
painted the chairs, walls and ceiling. The chairs were discards
purchased cheaply from Regina College. An electrical firm in
Weyburn offered to supply the wire at 20% discount and let the men
do the wiring under the supervision of its foreman. The renovations
were made by volunteer labor as the local Church of Christ planned
to have its worship services in the Chapel.
While the men were working at night in the Chapel, the students
spent every spare moment renovating a low Air Force building
located east of the Chapel to become a much-desired Student Centre.
Sometimes there were tasks that required more experienced hands
than the students could provide. When this occurred, they came to
the chapel and in exchange for a carpenter or plumber, they sent
over as many as twenty students to wash windows, walls or floors in
the Chapel building. Because of very fine co-operation among
students and staff, both buildings were ready for use at the
November Lectureship.
On the cool, shivering afternoon of November 11, one hundred and
twenty people stood outside the Student Centre to witness its grand
opening.
Just five months before, plans had been laid by the student council
directed by John Muller, grade XII student, which culminated in
this grand opening. The students had organized a campaign to obtain
money for the project. They mailed one thousand letters during the
summer and contacted personally many friends of the College.
John C. Murray was chosen by the student council to be head of the
construction committee and student council president, Verner
Ulrich, believed that J. C.'s organization of the work was the key
to its punctual completion.
As the suggested opening date, November 11, drew nearer, student
activity after school, after supervised study period, and into the
wee small hours became feverish. David Sawyer was the electrician;
Vaughn Warriner, the carpenter; while Dale Elford and James Parker
say they were jack-of-all-trades. Marilyn Hope organized the girls
into groups each with specified tasks such as sewing curtains,
washing windows, walls and floors. The tired, yet elated students
finished on the late night before or rather early morning of the
official opening.
Because of his responsibility in organizing the work and
encouraging the workers, in addition to working industriously
himself, student John C. Murray was honoured by having the lounge
bear his name.
Besides the lounge, the Student Centre included a canteen with
counter and stools, a game room for ping pong, darts and small
games, offices for student publications, "The Northern Lights" and
"Trumpet," and a club room. The student council was to be in charge
of the canteen and supervise the Student Centre.
At the official opening on November 11, President E. D. Wieb as
Master of Ceremonies mentioned the value of such a centre to the
students. J. C. Murray expressed appreciation to the students for
their splendid co-operation. Then Mayor Onstad of Weyburn cut the
ribbon and declared the student centre officially open. The guests
rushed into the Centre to get out of the cold and to inspect the
new quarters. Soon student groups were busy playing various games.
Free refreshments were served to all students and their guests at
the canteen that day.
The Student Centre project demonstrated once again that teen-agers
will accept responsibility and will gladly devote much of their
time to hard work in a Cause.
In January, D. W. Dryden Sinclair, vice-president and public
relations director of the College, and family moved to Wichita
Falls, Texas, where he became executive director of Western
Christian Foundation, Inc., organized in 1958. Because Dryden
Sinclair and Western Christian College were both unknown among the
brotherhood of southern United States, he had a struggle awakening
an interest in the financial need of the College. In a report to
the Board, May 1961, he stated that in three months, after
travelling seventeen thousand miles, he had raised only nine
thousand dollars. In those discouraging days, Dryden wrote:
"Have faith in God, Mark 11:22. It seems to me that we
need these words so much these days. Always we try to
figure out how am I going to do this or that. We are apt
to forget about God...I am begging you, my brother and
fellow worker for souls, let us pray more and as Jesus
might say to us 'Have faith in God.'"
As we dip into the future, we can see that Dryden's perseverance,
kindliness, and faith have made many friends for Western. There
have been times when Western's financial crises have been weathered
successfully only through the assistance of Dryden Sinclair and the
Western Christian Foundation. We are deeply grateful to him and our
kind and generous American brethren.
For the third straight year Vaughn Warriner of our boys' basketball
team was awarded the most valuable player plaque. Our boys made
history in basketball that year too. For the first time they
participated in the provincial finals (March 18). The team won the
consolation. Naturally, the boys wondered whether the out come
would have been different if Vaughn Warriner had been playing. At
the time, he was lying in the hospital sick with pneumonia.
Another first for Western-we entered the provincial drama
competitions. On February 9, the students presented "A Game of
Checkers," written by Coy Roper, one of our teachers, and directed
by his wife, Sharlotte Roper, at the South-East Saskatchewan High
School Drama Festival Marilyn Covell won the best actress award and
Marilyn Hope and Timothy Hotchkiss received honorable mention.
Marilyn Covell was convincing as an emotionally disturbed, middle
aged woman who played with a beautiful big doll. During the five
years (1959 1964) the Ropers were at Western, we participated in
several provincial drama festivals and won awards in all of them.
In 1963 we reached the provincial semi-finals with "Footfalls" and
Martin Harvey as the blind shoemaker received the most promising
actor award at this contest.
Still another first for Western-Sue Wilson with the topic
"Upheavals in the Congo" won the Weyburn Unit Oratorical Contest.
In our fifteen years of high school operation, Sue was the first
to win the school unit contest.
There is a rather interesting side light regarding Sue's Africa
speech. Two years before, Sue had won the all-school contest with
a speech entitled "The Story of Africa". Later, when Sue went to
Michigan Christian College, she met and married a young man from
South Africa. Now Mr. and Mrs. Ivan Uys are missionaries in East
London, South Africa.
1961 - 1962
Enrollment: High School--79
Rumour said that Western Christian College might not open in
September, but as usual, rumour was unreliable. True--the College
was suffering from both financial and public relations problems.
The Board and Administration were fighting indifference and some
open antagonism in the brotherhood. At a special shareholders'
meeting in June (1961) it was stated that $25,000.00 must be
secured before August 31. The Western Christian Foundation
volunteered to raise half of this amount. As Canadian donations for
the month of June and July totalled only $1,811.08 prospects looked
gloomy. Nevertheless, classes did begin and the financial pressure
had eased somewhat at the time of the shareholders' regular meeting
in November.
We were able to pay the Saskatchewan government the obligatory
three thousand dollars on our building agreement through the
efforts of Jim Kennedy and Dryden Sinclair of the Foundation. Total
donations during the past year were $38,294.60 with approximately
$12,000.00 coming from Canadian donors.
Furthermore, at the annual meeting, J. C. Bailey once again
accepted nomination on the Board. J. C.'s faith in the worth of
Christian education and the faith that the brethren had in him
became valuable assets of the College.
The Board stood together during those trying days. "The storm was
weathered and a new dawn is breaking for Western Christian College"
wrote a retiring member of the board.
"What hopes are these, what dreams! But surely there is
yet a hope that sixty-two can be indeed a pleasant, happy
year, that Peace may reign and Joy and all Prosperity.
Wherein such hopes? What right to dream of such a year?
Wherein thy Trust? On what depend? Surely not in man! If
not in man, then where? In God!!"
Students arriving this year were pleasantly surprised to find newly
painted bedrooms, because so many ladies generously responded to
the "paint the dormitories" campaign of the Women's Service Club.
The entire upper floor of Torkelson Hall and one-half of the
Wilfred Orr Residence were painted. In addition, the classrooms had
been remodelled and redecorated to improve lighting and teaching
facilities. An inspector from the Health Region Office previously
had given a very critical report of the lighting in our classrooms.
In December the dormitories were converted into hospital wards and
Mrs. Cutting, the Dean of Girls, became a Florence Nightingale over
night when an influenza epidemic that swept across the North
American continent struck our campus. Nearly every student became
ill before the epidemic left us. All eventually recovered with no
after-effects except the dining hall personnel's difficulty in
recovering all the trays they had toted to the dormitories.
Marian Stewart, a grade XII student from Lloydminster,
Saskatchewan, reigned as Queen over our first annual three-day
Homecoming festivities in February. On Friday evening, February 2,
following a basketball game with Radville, Marian Stewart was
crowned by alumni president, David Lidbury. Her princesses were
Erna Seibel of North Weyburn and Carol Long of Missoula, Montana.
The _Messenger_ reports:
"The homecoming program was the first and was considered
to be a success by those involved. About fifty exes
returned to the campus along with seventy-five junior
high and high school students as prospective students.
The activities of the week-end centered around sporting
activities and other pro grams by the students of the
college.
"One of the highlights of the eventful week end was the
construction of snow displays. The winning display was a
huge snow man who belched fire from the top of his head
to proclaim a welcome from the 'Fireballs' to the campus
visitors.
"The students were victorious in each of their homecoming
basketball games but were narrowly defeated by the alumni
in the ice hockey game.
"A one-act play 'Pink and Patches' and chorus program
rounded out the festivities and a Sunday blizzard added
a real northern touch to Western Christian's First Annual
Homecoming."
Among the many events that have been added to the festivities since
that first Homecoming in 1962 are the annual banquet, basketball
games for the alumni, the tea at Miss Torkelson's, honouring the
Alumnus of the Year, and special guest speakers on Sunday. But the
alumni boys still have their traditional moonlight hockey game on
late Saturday night!
Homecoming has become a popular event, assuredly one of the
highlights of the school year. Alumni declare that there is no
better opportunity to renew friendships with so many former
students.
This was an unusually cold winter. Small irritating problems and
big serious problems developed because of the weather.
"Because of the age and construction of these buildings,
there is a constant need for repairs and renovation.
Especially in a severe winter such as this one has been,
there is a need for this. For instance, one morning when
the temperature dropped to 35 degrees below zero, some of
the steam valves froze. Our custodian worked several
hours to restore heat to the buildings.
"It is expensive to operate in such a winter. Besides the
natural gas used in some buildings, our coal furnaces
consume about 600 tons of coal during the winter.
Heating, lighting and other utilities run into great
expenses."
To aggravate further the financial situation this year, the
enrollment was low. In fact, this was the lowest enrollment during
all twelve years the College has been located at Weyburn. In the
fall (1961) we started with 79 pupils but we concluded in June with
only 66. When facilities exist to accommodate 100 pupils and there
are only 66, the budget is upset. It takes just as much heat and
rent; and we still have to pay the same faculty and staff salaries,
yet the income is reduced by one-third.
Why the low enrollment? Several reasons, but I wish to mention two
that may not be obvious:
When the College first moved to Weyburn, many parents of the
surrounding area enrolled their problem sons and daughters--
problems socially and academically. The school gained the
reputation as a place where problems can be solved. Because the
faculty and staff were Christian, they wished to help these
youngsters become good citizens and successful students. In many
cases we were rewarded with favorable results, but sometimes
through lack of wisdom we failed to benefit the students. Those
unhappy students withdrew from school, or we dismissed them for
fear their companionship might corrupt the standards of the rest of
the student body.
These actions caused a boomerang. Tales, often exaggerated, of the
misdeeds of the uncooperative students spread far and wide.
Consequently, some good Christian parents hesitated to send their
children to Western for fear they would become contaminated. Thus
our enrollment decreased. The smallest enrollment during our years
at Weyburn was in 1961-62.
For several years, the administration was criticized for admitting
so many problem students. Picture its dilemma. Christians must
always be ready to seek and save the lost; yet, they must provide
an environment conducive to spiritual growth of all entrusted to
their care. For such a program to succeed, there must be a high
percentage of good students or their influence will not permeate
the whole. Possibly for a few years the ratio between the weak and
strong students was not at its best.
At present (1969) the College gets students who are slow learners
or who are poorly motivated, but the tough, social problems do not
enroll, for the administration discourages the enrollment of all
applicants not interested in our religious and spiritual programs.
In spite of doubtful interest from some quarters, an unusually cold
winter, a flu epidemic, financial crises and discipline headaches,
we had a very good school year (1961-62) with a Lectureship kindled
by Otis Gatewood, an exciting first Homecoming, an enthusiastic
visitation program at the Saskatchewan Hospital, a lively Drama
Night, a memorable Spiritual Emphasis week with A. H. Beamish, a
successful academic program with Tom Ulrich receiving the highest
standing in seventeen years in June Departmental examinations, and
with twelve students dedicating themselves to mission work.
What Two Southerners Think
of Western Christian
by Sharlotte and Coy Roper
"When we moved to Canada two winters ago, the first question asked
by everyone was, 'Well, how do you like Canada?' Since we had been
raised in the sunny climate of Texas and Oklahoma, the first answer
that occurred to us was, naturally, 'It's nice-but cold.' It has
remained our standard reply to that standard question.
"And indeed it is cold. We have adopted an entirely new concept of
the weather. When after a cold spell it gets up to five below, we
think it's positively warm. If it gets up to thirty-five above in
the winter, it's almost hot. Two of the first words Dee Ann (who
was born in Weyburn) learned to say were, 'Cold outside'. Our car,
a solid southern vehicle, suddenly turned into a model of
contrariness which only ran when it felt like it. Usually, during
the winter, it didn't. It still hasn't become acclimatized.
"However, there are compensations for the cold. We have gone ice
skating and tobogganing. We have curled (curling, by the way, is a
game played on ice, not a method of setting one's hair). We have
learned to enjoy Canada's most popular sport, hockey. Besides, we
have learned to really appreciate warm houses, warm clothing, and
hot food.
"But the things that really warm us in this cold weather are more
intangible than clothing or houses or food. They are the inspiring
things that happen almost every day. For instance, we can remember:
...cool spring nights when we have student devotionals around camp
fires...spontaneous singing of hymns erupting on many occasions...
outstanding performances by students in chorus, in dramatics, in
sports...the improvement of student's attitudes toward good
things...pleasant recreation at parties with staff and students...a
student's suggestion that we have prayer before ball games...great
moments of inspiration at lectureships and meetings and in our
weekly worship services...the decision of twelve students to do
mission work abroad.
"There are discouraging moments, too: when students are
unreasonable or lazy, when the staff just can't seem to get along,
when differences in customs do make a difference, when there is too
much to do and too little time to do it, when the winter seems to
stay too long, when prize pupils disappoint, and when we fail to
help problem students. But of the things that really count--
wholesome recreation, Christian fellowship, the opportunity to
serve, a knowledge of permanent and perhaps, eternal good being
done--there is an abundance, more than enough to outweigh the
discouragements.
"Or, to put it another way:
"A boy came here three years ago who was a prime prospect for
reform school. He showed no interest in Bible and little in
anything good; he was almost sent home that first year for
misbehavior. Last fall he was baptized. Today he is a dedicated
Christian, often erring, but always trying. We taught him, we
coached him, we visited with him. When he became a Christian, all
the trials, and disappointments seemed worthwhile. It's easy to
forget daily struggles in and out of the classroom, but it's
impossible to lose the memory of young feet set upon the path of
righteousness.
"Our friends in the South sometimes comment upon our 'sacrifice' in
coming to Canada. But we are doing what we want to do, we enjoy
doing it, and we are richly rewarded for doing it--not in money,
but in satisfaction. Therefore, we are making no real sacrifice for
we have given up none of the important things of life. We are part
of a great work and proud to be part of it."
1962-1963
The Year Of Renovations
Enrollment: High School--90
The Morgan Cafeteria was large enough to seat two hundred people
comfortably, but the building required a great deal of renovating.
The sanitary inspector pronounced the plumbing unsatisfactory;
there was no proper kitchen area; facilities for dishwashing were
inadequate.
Spurred on by the Women's Service Club's purchase of a natural gas
food table, the administration remodelled the Cafeteria during the
summer holidays. The dining room was painted in attractive tones
of turquoise and yellow. New yellow drapes were hung at the windows
and four large, beautiful landscape prints gave the dining room a
cheerful, home-like appearance.
The work area of the building was subdivided into four rooms: the
receiving room, the grocery storage, the kitchen and the
dishwashing room.
All the work of renovating was done by the college staff. This work
included renewing sections of old plumbing as well as the
installation of new plumbing. If contractors had been engaged, this
job would have cost the College a large sum of money.
Besides giving a new look to the Morgan Cafeteria, the
administration spent several thousand dollars to provide facilities
urgently needed in three academic departments--science laboratory,
woodworking shop and home economic department.
Roger Peterson built laboratory tables to accommodate experimental
equipment. These tables made it possible for sixteen students to
work independently on their experiments. Estimated purchase price
of each table was four hundred dollars, but by building them on the
campus from used materials, the cost was much less. The Alumni
Association decided to equip the laboratory with twelve hundred
dollars worth of much needed science materials. Everyone was proud
of the now comparatively up-to-date laboratory.
For our Woodworking Shop, Norman Straker built some four-place
benches. Again, by using old lumber, they cost only a fraction of
the three hundred dollars each if purchased at a school supply
house. More than a thousand dollars worth of tools were placed in
the shop for our new shop teacher, Bernard Straker, and his
students. We are eager to show this reasonably well equipped
building to touring visitors.
After many years of shifting from the college kitchen to the
apartment of the home economics teacher, the home economics classes
finally found a home of their own, equipped with cup boards, stove,
sink, refrigerator, tables and sewing machines. Compared with
modern home economics rooms in provincial collegiates, this room
seems very primitive, but compared with previous facilities at
Western, it seems to be an improbable dream come true.
In early July the staff and faculty began renovations on the
gymnasium, formerly the RCAF recreation hall. This project
continued until November.
The entire interior was very shabby because of the lack of paint;
"Old Smoky," the furnace, was faulty; since there was no ceiling in
the building, it was very difficult to heat. During a basketball
tournament the previous winter, the teams played with a cool 35
degree temperature within the building. The _Messenger_ reports
the various phases of renovations that were made:
"In July, work began with the tearing down of the balcony
and the laying of hardwood flooring to extend the floor.
Materials obtained from the dismantling of the balcony
were useful in laying the floor and much of the lumber
was used as strapping for the ceiling.
"The next project was to equip the building with a lower
ceiling. By removing some plywood panels from one of the
unused buildings on the campus, a full ceiling was placed
in the gym. At least one thousand dollars was saved by
dismantling and rescuing this used material.
"Then the entire area was given a coat of paint.
Twenty-five gallons were required to cover the walls and
ceiling.
"The old furnace was overhauled and a new motor purchased
to insure heat for the winter.
"Sanders were rented and the floor was completely sanded
to remove the old varnish and paint. Then lines were
painted for basketball, volleyball and badminton courts.
Next the floor was given two coats of varnish. The gym
floor now has the appearance of a new floor.
"New, sturdy frames were constructed of pipe to hold the
basketball hoops. The frame at the stage end of the floor
is equipped with pulleys and a winch so that it can be
raised to clear the stage front."
By using our own staff plus used materials and volunteer labour,
the cost of providing this adequate recreational facility that some
Unit high schools envied, was 10% or 15% of the cost if the job had
been done by outside contract labour.
Whenever I think of remodelling old buildings on the campus, I
always think of Ernest Andreas, our bursar, for he has made the
plans for the remodeling and then has saved money for the college
by working long hours at plumbing and other tasks rather than hire
outside artisans at high wages. ln addition, he has travelled many
miles among the brethren raising the money to pay for these
renovations.
A special meeting of the shareholders was called on November 17,
1962, to consider by-laws regarding disposal of assets in the event
of the dissolution of the organization. It was agreed, "that the
Board shall distribute all assets of the society to another
organization or organizations to be used in such manner as the
Board's judgement believes will best accomplish the purpose of this
society, and no shareholder or group of shareholders shall benefit
financially therefrom; or the assets shall be sold by tender or
auction and the proceeds given to the organizations that in the
judgement of the Board will best accomplish the purpose for which
the society was organized."
February 1963, was victory month for Western. "Footfalls," directed
by Coy Roper, won the South-East Saskatchewan Drama Festival at
Oxbow and Martin Harvey won the best actor award. Later, at the
provincial semi-finals, Martin won the most promising actor award
in the same play.
Our boys' and girls' basketball teams also tasted victory at the
East District tournament at Avonlea.
Derald Staveley won the Bryant Public Speaking Contest zone finals
in Regina with his speech "The Training of an Astronaut" and
proceeded to the provincial finals in Saskatoon. Although he did
not bring back the provincial cup, we were proud of Derald as he
was our first student to reach the final contest. In fact, only
once before had a student from Weyburn ever reached the finals in
forty years of Bryant Public Speaking history.
For the first time in College history, Western girls played in the
Provincial basketball tournament. Although they were defeated by
Lebret, they were happy they had reached the finals. After the
games, Western played host at a banquet to the four participating
teams.
It was a good year with improvements in the buildings, and with
victories in sports, public speaking and drama. School spirit ran
high. This was the year also of S.O.S. (Students Organized for
Service Club.) Martin Harvey, class president, valedictorian, and
first winner of the President's Award, expressed the sentiments of
the graduates: "The class that leaves this year is a class full of
gratitude to our parents, our teachers and our Lord. Thank you all.
We shall do our best, and as you have been of service to us, we
promise through skill and good faith to be of service to all."
1963-1964
Enrollment: High School-109
The Clinton Brazle family arrived from Tulsa, Oklahoma, to work
with the Weyburn Church of Christ. Clinton and Faye Brazle have six
children; the two girls enrolled at Western.
When the College was located at Radville, Brother Brazle had
conducted a special gospel meeting for the church there. At the
time we were so impressed with him that when we were scouting for
our first college president, we contacted him. Brother Brazle
declined the offer. Now we are happy to have him on the campus in
a different capacity.
Straightway, he revitalized the Mission Study class which met on
Sunday evening. Its theme, song became "I know the Lord will find
a way for me." Soon the class became infected with Brother Brazle's
ardent evangelistic spirit. His messages to the class this year,
and in succeeding years, created a mission-minded student body.
Among the number of the charter class who will be witnessing for
Christ in their daily lives in later years were Eleanor Pauls, in
a summer campaign-for-Christ in Germany; Sharon Parker, wife of a
missionary in India; Dorothy King, Bible study teacher in her
nurses' residence; Marilyn Brazle, counsellor and teacher at summer
camps; Ron Surry, minister for the church at Brandon, Manitoba;
Ervin Nelson, establishing the Lord's church at Thompson; Orland
Wilkerson, studying Bible at A.C.C; and...
Furthermore, Brother Brazle initiated another program that he has
continued faithfully in succeeding years--the Preacher Training
Class, later renamed the Young Timothys. Twice weekly, before
breakfast, a volunteer group of boys from the College, together
with pre-high school sons of faculty and staff meet to learn how to
serve their Master better from the pulpit. In addition, Brother
Brazle arranges speaking appointments for the older boys at seven
nearby small congregations. During our Lectureships and our gospel
meetings, the guest speakers always give a special message to our
Young Timothys.
The charter class of twelve boys (average attendance throughout the
years is seventeen) were Bob Andreas, Mark Brazle, Mike Brazle,
Arden Start, Ervin Nelson, Orland Wilkerson, Don Straker, Ken
Floyde, Ron Surry, Bob Parker, David George, Bryan Meneer.
Dipping into the future, I see Bob Parker as missionary in India;
David George preaching in Duke, Oklahoma, Bryan Meneer studying
Bible at A.C.C.
I maintain that Brother Brazle's work with the Young Timothys is
one of the finest programs on our campus. Only the judgement day
will reveal the extended achievements of this project:
"Our echoes roll from soul to soul
And grow forever and forever."
No account of the influence of the Brazle family on the campus of
Western Christian College is complete without referring to Mrs.
Brazle's Teacher Training Class with the high school girls. Before
her illness, she conducted these classes on Wednesday nights in the
chapel. As soon as her affliction from multiple sclerosis subsided
somewhat, Mrs. Brazle taught the classes bi-weekly on Sunday
afternoons at her home. This training series included not only
discussion periods, but also practice teaching sessions. Countless
little children will have more effective Bible teaching through
Mrs. Brazle's efforts.
The autumn statistics for the college this year were as follows:
A 22% increase in the student body enrollment; 28 students in the
largest graduating class thus far in College history; 50% more boys
than girls; Roger Peterson, the new principal.
The salary schedule adopted in the spring came into effect this
term. The schedule is 75% that of the Weyburn School Unit. Each
salary will depend on educational attainments and years of service.
Teachers are entitled to twenty days of sick leave annually; the
unused portion of sick leave may be carried over to the ensuing
year. A teacher on sabbatical leave will receive 2/3 of his salary.
This new agreement eases the financial burdens of the faculty.
Before the adoption of this schedule, faculty members with several
children lived on a very restricted budget and in some cases found
it necessary to ration certain foods such as meat, to a once a week
appearance on the menu.
Western Christian College has always had to struggle to obtain
qualified teachers. It is hoped that this new agreement will
encourage more teachers to apply. Hitherto, many young ~Christian
teachers already handicapped by debts incurred during college years
could not possibly afford the luxury of teaching at Western.
At the October shareholders' meeting, Walter Straker, reporting for
the Board, expressed satisfaction with the progress of the school
in the past, but encouraged consideration of the establishment of
junior college work. During his president's report, E. D. Wieb also
suggested that in the very near future, junior college courses
should be included in the curriculum.
The seed of an idea is sown!
At the annual meeting of the Alumni Association held during the
Lectureship, a new constitution was adopted. The purpose of this
constitution was to develop a more orderly pattern for managing
alumni business, and to provide a framework within which the Alumni
could better assist their alma mater. "Nothing is more important
than the critical and knowledgeable interest of our alumni. It
cannot possibly be measured in merely financial terms" declares one
university president.
I was appointed the first executive secretary of this association.
One of my pleasant new duties is to publish quarterly the Alumni
Reporter. Another incidental blessing derived from the office is
receiving invitations to many weddings.
In February, the first annual Bible Reading Contest was held. To
encourage better oral reading of the scriptures, the Sinclair
family donated a trophy to the winner. This trophy was donated in
memory of their father, D. A. Sinclair, who read the holy
scriptures with beauty and reverence. The finalists in the contest
were Brian Braithewaite, Gregory Close, Bryan Meneer and Orland
Wilkerson. The trophy winner was Orland Wilkerson.
Excerpt from the class prophecies:
"I was passing near Italy, so I stopped in to see the
former Eleanor Pauls and her husband who run an Italian
restaurant. Their specialty that day was government pork,
creamed onions, beet pickles and hot chocolate. Somehow
the meal evoked memories of the cafeteria at WCC."
No story of Western Christian College is complete without reference
to government pork. In 1960 the Saskatchewan Government decided to
dispose of a meat supply held in storage by the Emergency Measures
Organization, to institutions of the province. Western received
1320 cases, each containing 24 cans of pork. Because money was
scarce and the meat was free, this so-called government pork
appeared on Western's menus rather frequently. At first the
students ate it enthusiastically but soon their appetite dwindled.
In their Last Will and Testament the graduating classes bequeathed
tons of government pork to the cooks. Even when the meat was
prepared in tasty fashion, the standard remark became, "What!
government pork again?" Since it is estimated that that supply will
last the college twelve years, several graduating classes will
still have to endure the delicious aroma of government pork!
The most impressive ceremony of our high school graduation
exercises is "The Passing of the Torch" introduced by Cecil T.
Bailey when he was principal. This year Principal Roger Peterson
remodelled the torch so that a real flame could be lighted.
Although I have witnessed this ceremony many times, I am deeply
stirred at each performance.
When the lights grow dim, from back stage, appears the senior class
president holding high the flaming torch. As he walks solemnly
toward the front of the stage, the grade XI class president comes
to meet him from the audience. The flaming torch is presented to
the undergraduate president standing a step or two below the senior
president who gravely reminds the undergraduates that this flame is
symbolic of the light that must be kept flowing in the hearts of
the student body. During the presentation and acceptance speeches
only the torch and faces of the two class presidents are visible in
the darkened hall. After his acceptance speech, the grade XI class
president walks slowly down the centre aisle holding high the
lighted torch while the graduates sing spiritedly, "Ho my
comrades." At the first notes of the class song, the audience rises
to attention. A truly unforgettable experience!
Because the presentation speech of Barry Ellis in 1964 is not
available, I'll record that of Bob Andreas(1969) as a composite of
all the speeches delivered by senior class presidents:
"As each senior class passes from the campus of Western
Christian College, it must surrender to its
undergraduates the responsibilities it has shouldered for
the past school term. This torch symbolizes one of the
most sobering tasks laid on the grade 12 class, that if
creating and maintaining high conduct. It is not to be
taken lightly. It demands the concentrated and unfailing
efforts of the whole student body and you, the leaders,
must be doubly determined to succeed. We trust as you
ceremonially accept this torch, you will also accept the
sometime common and unpleasant duties of fostering a
healthy atmosphere on our campus.
"As president of the graduating class, I charge you to
keep an active school spirit, an enthusiastic optimism
and, above all, a living Christ both in your hearts and
on this campus. We place our confidence in you!"
It was a good year with the Mission Study Class, Preachers'
Training Class, the welcome parties, class picnics, chorus tour,
sports, sing songs, the flaming torch ceremony and even government
pork. "Our deeds shape our destiny."--Motto of the graduating
class.
1964-1965
Enrollment: High School--107
When the College first moved to the Weyburn campus, we rented all
four buildings used, at the nominal rate of seventy-five dollars a
month. This rental was insignificant considering the size of the
buildings and the facilities provided.
After a few years the Administration began negotiating for the
purchase of those four buildings and of eleven others located at
the airport. There was delay in making the final agreement because
the land was owned by the federal government while the buildings
were owned by the provincial government.
In the spring of 1964, unexpectedly we received notice that we
could gain ownership of the buildings if we paid $36,733.30 by July
15. This was a saving of $10,600.00 from the originally suggested
price as all accrued interest would be dropped.
Immediately, the Opportunity Campaign went into full gear. Here was
an opportunity for us to own our college buildings that we had
occupied since 1957. President E. D. Wieb and Ernest Andreas
committed themselves to contact personally every member of the
Church of Christ in Western Canada to give them an opportunity to
assist in this great campaign.
On July 14, a certified cheque for $36,733.30 was sent to the
Department of Public Works for the Province of Saskatchewan as
complete payment for the fifteen buildings on our campus. A day of
jubilation! A day of humble gratitude!
To make this day possible, 275 separate contributions were received
in less than ten weeks from Canadian donors. This represents a
majority of the wage earners in the churches of Christ of Western
Canada.
During our campaign for building fund money in Canada, Western
Christian Foundation undertook the task of raising sufficient money
to balance our operational budget.
At the end of our fiscal year, it was revealed that Canadians had
given almost forty-thousand dollars to the College during the past
year and that donations from Western Christian Foundation totalled
thirty-five thousand dollars. Canadian donations had increased
150% over the previous year and Western Christian Foundation
donations had increased 90%. This is the only time since the
foundation was organized in 1958 that Canadian donations have
exceeded those from the foundation.
The Opportunity Campaign is one of our big success stories, "275
persons gave nearly $30,000.00 in 60 days." E. D. Wieb and Ernest
Andreas declared that never had the work of fund-raising been so
rewarding. Our Canadian brethren proved that they needed the
College, wanted the College, and were determined to own the College
campus.
When the Student Centre was first opened in the fall of 1960, it
was supervised by the Student Council. This supervision included
responsibility for housekeeping. This system of supervision worked
well for two or three years. Then as the novelty of the Centre
wore off and the student council had more difficulty in obtaining
the co-operation of the student body in housekeeping jobs, the
faculty and staff were supposed to rotate as supervisors. As the
periods of supervision came only infrequently, sometimes the
faculty and staff neglected to do their part. Consequently, the
Student Centre was becoming a dismal-looking place that students
did not visit except during canteen hours.
To remedy the situation, during the summer of 1964, the
administration decided to build two apartments in the souther part
of the Centre. One apartment housed a young couple, Ken and Bev
Bolton from Winnipeg. While Ken attended College, Bev became the
Student Centre supervisor.
Soon the Centre took on a cheery, spotless appearance that
attracted the young people. Once again it became a busy centre of
student activity. Bev's pleasant and friendly ways encouraged the
students to go there; yet, her standards demanded that they treat
the area with respect. Since 1964 the Student Centre has been
managed by adults.
The construction of the two apartments in the Student Centre raised
the number of campus apartments to twenty. Only two apartments
existed in 1957. Converting long, narrow, dusty halls of old air
force buildings into comfortable and convenient living apartments
is no easy task. Some of our staff and faculty have worked many
hours, building new apartments to accommodate our enlarging staff
and faculty. These apartments range in size from four-bedroom
apartments to a one-bedroom apartment where the bathroom is almost
as large as the combined kitchen-living room. Visitors to the
campus are often pleasantly surprised to see the comfort and
attractiveness of our apartments. They are likely expecting the
same drabness as the unpainted shingles of the walls and roofs of
the apartment buildings themselves.
In the late summer of 1964, Western Christian College purchased a
fifty-four passenger bus of 191 Ford variety. Daily this bus
transported to public school in Weyburn nineteen children of our
staff and faculty together with other children living at the
airport or near the airport. The college students themselves
greeted enthusiastically this addition to our facilities because
now more students could attend off-campus sports events and the
touring chorus could be enlarged. The slogan, "Canada needs more
Christian Youth" was place in large green letters on the freshly
painted white bus with green trim. Using the school colours made
the bus truly our very own. The "hearse" as our old panel truck
was nicknamed before its school colour paint job, was now relegated
to being mail truck and delivery wagon.
The students can recall many happy rides in the new, big bus, but
they can also recall a few break downs in cold winter when the long
mid-night wait for help was shortened by sing-songs and story
telling, or they recall the unexpected blizzards so thick that
brave boys had to run ahead to indicate the obscured road.
Throughout the years, considerable dissatisfaction with the life
membership of the shareholders had gradually developed in our
organization. Since their original five dollar payment required to
purchase a membership in 1945-46, some shareholders had exhibited
very little interest in the school. They had not donated any money
to help with its financial struggles for twenty years, nor had they
visited the school nor written letters of encouragement, yet these
same shareholders had the right to vote for the directors of the
school.
At one time, it had been proposed that all life memberships be
canceled. However, some shareholders objected to this proposal as
they considered that the life membership had been promised at the
original organization of the college and that the suggested change
would be violating a contract.
Last year at the 1963 annual meeting, after pointing out some
weaknesses of life membership, Manley Jacobs suggested that the
by-laws be amended whereby future memberships be secured on an
annual basis. As there was considerable support for this proposal,
it was agreed that a draft of such an amendment be considered at
the next annual meeting.
During the past summer the Administration circulated forms among
the shareholders asking their opinions regarding the proposed
change in the membership system. The returns of this survey
indicated that a large percentage of the shareholders were willing
to turn in their life time shares for annually renewable ones.
On October 10, 1964, the shareholders decided at their annual
meeting to make membership in the corporation annually renewable.
Memberships henceforth may be granted by the Board of Directors
upon application, to be valid for one year only. These memberships
will be renewed only if the members have donated to the college at
least five dollars during the year. Although the original
shareholders were asked to relinquish their life shares and apply
for the new type of membership share, they still had the privilege
of retaining their life shares if they so desired.
This new membership system should develop an alert, active
corporation.
After serving the Board of Directors for eight years, six as Board
Chairman, Richard Dacus of Sidney, Montana, declined renomination
to the Board. While announcing this refusal, the Western Christian
College Messenger praised Brother Dacus for his years of faithful
and capable leadership:
"He has served faithfully throughout his terms and was
helpful in making the transition from Radville to
Weyburn. Brother Dacus served as first president of
Western Christian College, along with his position as
Board chairman. He also served as Bible teacher while he
worked with the church in Estevan. Western Christian
College owes much to Brother Dacus for his persistent
efforts through the trying years."
At their May meeting the Board determined to rely on a "Pay-for-a-
Day" scheme for meeting the operational deficit. According to
averages over the recent years, the College requires $120,00 per
day above the earned income. Since this May meeting, there has been
a campaign to induce members of the corporation, friends of the
College, and alumni to agree to "Pay-for-a-Day." While the response
has been good, we still have many days not paid for. Consequently
the bursar and office manager still have endless problems juggling
the income to pay salaries and other debts fairly near the due
dates."
In June, the A Cappella Chorus, under the direction of John S.
Close, pressed its first record "O Lord Most Holy" with soloists
Melinda Brazle, Pamela Stone and David George.
Our A cappella Chorus had its beginning in the fall of 1948 when it
was organized and directed by Doris Lewis. From its beginning, the
Chorus enjoyed a good reputation in the community. Very few small
high schools had mixed choruses as not many could induce their boys
to sing. Our students have always loved to sing; especially they
enjoyed harmonizing without an instrument. As the enrollment
increased, our chorus became larger under the fine direction of
Roger Peterson, David Olson, John Bailey, Jack Close, Max Mowrer,
and James Willett.
The chorus has toured various parts of Canada and the United States
each year since the first tour piloted by Roger Peterson in 1956.
In 1965 the chorus toured Montana--twelve engagements in ten days--
one day at the beautiful Bow and Arrow Ranch near Yellowstone
National Park.
Making the first record is an important milestone in school
history. Since that time we have made one each year. When Max
Mowrer came, he organized a singing group of nine girls, "The
Skylarks," and in 1969 James Willett added a boys' chorus and
several other small singing groups. Mr. Willett allows all those
interested in singing to enroll in the large chorus; in 1968 and
again in 1969 more than ninety students enrolled in this chorus
(total school enrollment 132 and 116).
We receive many lovely compliments for our musical activities. Last
December a Weyburn school teacher made sure that she attended the
Carol Festival the night Western sang. At a recent music festival,
our entries received more audience applause than any of the singing
groups. Our chorus has performed for service clubs where the
students have received standing ovations.
With apologies to Fletcher's "Give me the making of the songs of a
nation and I care not who makes it laws," I insist that if I hear
the songs young people delight to sing, I can predict the future of
the church.
1965-1966
Enrollment: High School--94
During the 1965 winter session of the Saskatchewan Legislature, the
government decided to extend educational grants to private schools.
Before this time, the public and separate schools received grants
but private schools, such as Western, received no financial
assistance from the government.
Since many people do not understand the difference between separate
schools and private schools, let me explain. Separate schools may
be organized in districts where a specified percentage of the
taxpayers belong to a certain religion. Then these taxpayers
designate that their school taxes be used to operate a school to
teach their religious principles along with academic subjects.
Private schools receive no local property tax money.
As the Saskatchewan Department of Education considers that private
schools are performing a worthwhile service to the community, it
has promoted the giving of provincial grants to them. These grants
began September 1, 1965.
In order to qualify for the grant, the private schools must employ
at least four certified high school teachers, must have a minimum
of eighty students enrolled, must follow the provincial curriculum
and must be open for regular inspection by the provincially
appointed superintendent of schools. I might be wise to state here
that the superintendent interferes in no way with our religious
activities.
Since Western's faculty is eligible and since the College has
always followed the curriculum of the Department of Education and
has always been visited by the superintendents, the College had no
difficulty qualifying for the grant. The grants are based on the
number of Saskatchewan resident students. This year's grant is
approximately four thousand dollars--scarcely enough to pay the
salary of one teacher.
It is the faculty that received the greatest benefit from this new
government policy. Now, we are members of the Saskatchewan
Teacher's Federation and will automatically qualify for a low rate
group insurance for extended sickness allowances, and for a
retirement pension. Although former years of service at Western may
not be counted when calculating the amount of the pension, at least
now the faculty will be eligible for a more adequate pension from
the government at retirement.
It is true that the Board had arranged for a group pension plan
with an insurance company in 1961. The faculty had been pleased
with that group plan, but the Saskatchewan Teachers' Federation
arrangement is superior. Because of this advantage and other
benefits derived from membership in the Federation, the faculty
rejoiced that at last the provincial government had decided to
recognize private schools.
In January the chorus sang for the Weyburn Rotary Club. "The Weekly
Spoke," a bulletin of the Club, February 7, 1966, described the
event:
"The disciplined students of Western Christian College
made the gathering a very pleasant occasion. Any group of
singers that is accorded two standing ovations during the
course of a program of song can rest assured that their
contributions were appreciated by everyone in attendance.
They can rest assured also that people still continue to
enjoy good music.
"As we listened to these young voices give forth with
sincerity, as we heard them respond to every flick of the
hand of their conductor, we were more certain than ever
before that whenever good example and leadership are at
work, our young people do not seek escape by becoming
beatniks or by becoming associated with the twisted
attitudes of the fringe elements. We were also convinced
that a well directed discerning Christian atmosphere that
allows the young people ample scope for the expression of
their youthful exuberance in a socially acceptable manner
is still the best way of keeping them prepared for the
role of responsible citizenship in a civilized
community.
"We are certain that every father present would have been
proud to see his daughter or son a part of that
chorus..."
In the fall of 1964, the shell of an annex to the gymnasium was
built. After Old Smoky had been honourably discharged, a new
heating system was placed in one section of it. Now this fall,
dressing room and washroom facilities were added in the regular
gymnasium. The large annex was divided into sports' equipment room,
drama storage room, canteen, a section for bleachers, and a foyer.
These improvements were completed for Homecoming 1966.
We truly appreciate the large foyer where spectators or audience
may remove coats and rubbers instead of milling around the entrance
of the gymnasium, partly on the basketball court. Now we obtain
refreshments from the canteen in the building instead of running
fifty yards to the Student Centre during basketball half-time. In
addition, when the games or concerts are finished, we use the
connecting corridor to proceed directly from the gymnasium to
Morgan Cafeteria for lunch instead of encountering a raging
blizzard or freezing rain, but most of all we appreciate the
bleachers which accommodate 150 people. Now, we watch the
basketball games in comfort instead of standing around the edges of
the basketball court.
The Pay-for-a-Day Campaign continued unabated throughout the entire
year. I don't believe a publication came from the president's
office that did not encourage people to become part of the program.
The faculty and staff agreed to be responsible for thirty-five
days. Becoming infected with the campaign, the student council with
Gary Zorn's direction decided to raise money to pay for a day. Each
grade became responsible for a certain portion according to its
enrollment. When Principal Roger Peterson promised an evening with
special refreshments to the grade which first reached its quota,
the students began in earnest to consider ways and means of raising
money. Among other money making schemes, they organized a slave
sale and a car wash. The grade ten class with class president Ben
Wuttunee was the proud winner.
The students became such successful fund raisers that they paid for
two days--Graduation day and Farewell Banquet Day. At the
Homecoming program Gary Zorn presented the $240.00 to Ernest
Andreas.
In March, Lynn Anderson '55, the first Alumnus of the Year chosen
by the Alumni Association, held a gospel meeting for the local
church of Christ. He presented dynamic lessons on the theme "The
High Cost of Holy Living," depicting the sacrifices of God and Man
in the way of salvation. These challenging lessons inspired
seventy-one to respond during the gospel meeting. To the young
people it was a period of great revival.
At their April meeting, the Board of Directors made two important
decisions. In the first place, it decided to make the airport
location the permanent site of the College.
When the College moved to the Weyburn airport in 1957, the Board
expected this campus to be only a temporary site. The city of
Weyburn offered the College forty acres midway between the city and
the airport for a new permanent site with the understanding that
Western begin construction within ten years. A Regina architect's
representation of the new campus was displayed in the public
relations office for several years. Weyburn people often asked when
we would move to the new campus. It was the original intention that
the administration and classroom building be ready for occupancy by
1970.
Nevertheless, with the passage of time, other considerations arose
and the Board delayed making definite plans for construction on the
proposed new campus site.
In the first place, Weyburn was growing in a northerly and easterly
direction. If that trend continued, it would not be long before the
proposed new area would be enclosed by the city. The Board
preferred a more remote and quiet section.
In the second place, as the buildings on the new campus would be
erected over an extended period of time, some of the airport
buildings would necessarily continue to be used. It would be
inconvenient to use the two campuses at the same time as they were
separated by two miles of country road with no regular bus service.
In the third place, cost of construction is high, and the College
is continually struggling with financial problems at its present
site. Renovation and care of the present buildings would hold costs
to a minimum. Someone has estimated that it would cost over a
million dollars to reproduce the present facilities in new
buildings.
Consequently, the Board agreed that the present airport site will
be the permanent site of Western Christian College.
The College surrendered her rights in the forty acre site and in
return the city leased Western thirty-three acres adjoining our
present campus on the East.
The second important decision made by the Board on April 3 was that
September 1968 would be the target date for adding one more year to
our academic program. To carry out this decision, more classroom
space must be made available. The renovation of the "old mess hall"
came under consideration. One more small step toward the goal!
With the financial assistance of the Radville Weyburn Alumni
chapter, two hundred six-foot poplar trees were planted on our
campus this spring.
This is only one of many attempts to beautify our barren campus
during the past nine years. The first attempt was the hauling of
sand and gravel by Ray Lock and Ernest Andreas in 1958 to make
gravel walks lined with stones. Someone might comment that this was
a very primitive attempt at beautification, but I can assure you
that the campus looked neater and more attractive afterwards. In
addition, the gravel walks were much easier on shoes in rainy
weather than the sticky clay!
A few years later grass was planted in front of the two H buildings
and in the square between them. Disappointment resulted as much of
the grass was drowned in the low-lying sections.
Then in 1962 Sam Seibel and Norman Straker hauled one hundred and
forty truck loads of rich soil to spread over these low-lying
areas. Next, our famous thousand dollar grass was planted. This
time it grew beautifully, surviving would-be careless feet because
of Mr. Straker's stentorian voice ringing through the air, "Keep
off the grass!"
At various times throughout the years, staff members planted a few
flowers around the buildings, but it was not until 1967 that Mr.
Straker brought colour to our surroundings with flower beds and
hundreds of flowers in them. Now (1969) that Mr. Straker has built
his green house, we have still more flowers. He had one giant
geranium that grew nearly six feet tall. In fact, if our buildings
were painted, we would have a pretty campus now with trees, grass
and bright flowers. For much of this beauty we must thank Mr.
Straker.
Brother and Sister Straker joined the staff in 1959. Since that
year, he has been custodian most of the time, and she has been one
of our good cooks. They have five children, all of whom have
attended Radville Christian College or Western and have married
former students of the College.
The school year of 1965-66 was an interesting and exciting one.
This year tackle football was introduced to the campus by Ken
Starnes. Our boys won the South-East region but were routed 50-0 by
Assiniboia. The game with Assiniboia resulted in our fullback, John
McMillan, receiving two crushed vertebrae and several weeks'
holiday from school.
This year our first school spirit week was organized.
This year the graduating class was so large that its home room was
in a different building across the street from the other
classrooms.
This year the Mustangs won the Weyburn Collegiate Basketball
Tournament, the first time in history. It was also the first time
any Weyburn team had won the tournament.
This year our player, Daryl Ellis, was judged the most valuable
player of that same tournament.
This year four graduates received Canadian University scholarships
and one a Nursing Scholarship because of their high marks.
This year the Skylarks were organized; Torkelson Hall had its first
open house; the chorus sang at the Weyburn Festival for the first
time and as the _Northern Lights_ suggested:
"Led by an energetic president, the council planned some
new activity at almost every week's meeting."
The graduates went "Out of the harbor into the Sea."
1966-1967
Enrollment: Bible--2; High School--94
During the Lectureship in October, 1965, a "Paint the Buildings"
campaign was initiated. For this purpose almost two thousand
dollars were donated on gift night with the understanding that the
paint project be undertaken the following spring and summer. In
early spring, Brother Bozeman of Lubbock, Texas, advertised in the
_Christian Chronicle_ for vacationers to Canada to spend part of
their holidays painting at the Western Christian College campus. In
response to this advertisement, vacationers from North Dakota,
Michigan, Mississippi, and Texas assisted in painting the rooms of
the Wilfred Orr Residence (Boys' Dormitory).
The Wilfred Orr Residence was completely decorated during the
summer, but not entirely by volunteer labour.
No attempt was made to paint the exterior of the buildings. After
two coats of fairly good paint on the south wall of the gymnasium,
it had faded and worn away within the year. The Administration
considered it impractical to paint any more dry shingles, so we
continue to look at their dull, weather-beaten ugliness!
Once, a visitor touring the campus remarked to President Wieb,
"Doesn't it discourage you to realize how much work needs to be
done on the campus?" Danny Wieb replied in the negative, as we all
do to such a question, because we look into the past and compare
with the present. In the _Messenger_, he wrote:
"In 1957 dormitories were merely long, dusty, empty
halls. Every building was out of service. Wiring was
unsafe; plumbing was in disrepair. There was no grass
where lawns should be; only two staff apartments. There
was no equipment for dining hall, classrooms or offices.
Just big, empty dusty buildings."
No, we do not get discouraged when we view our present facilities.
We are truly grateful for the miraculous transformation from those
days. We appreciate very much each new improvement such as the
decorating of the Wilfred Orr Residence or the few yards of our
first cement sidewalks completed in October. This fall, for the
first time in our College history, a student received the Governor-
General's bronze medal. During the Lectureship, Principal Roger
Peterson presented this coveted scholastic award to Melinda Brazle,
daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Clinton Brazle of North Weyburn, for
receiving the highest standing in one district on her grade XII
provincial department of education examinations.
Annually, the Governor-General of Canada awards a medal to each of
the large city collegiates and to each of sixteen districts into
which the remainder of the province is divided. In our district
there are from thirty to forty high schools.
Throughout the years, we have always had a good "passing"
percentage. Several times, with a small enrollment, 100% of our
students received passing grades in their final examinations. Even
with a larger enrollment, our failures have usually been much below
the provincial average (15%). In fact, the failure rate was less
than 2% in 1959 and also once again in June 1966.
Although we have been frequently gratified with our low failure
rate, we have sometimes been disappointed with the number of high
honour students graduating from the College. Among those who have
received high honours in previous years are Alice Orr '53, Thomas
Ulrich '62 and Orland Wilkerson '65, and now Melinda Brazle '66 who
won the highest academic honour!
In my diary thus far, there have been repeated references to
improvements in the physical plant and to our various extra-
curricular activities, but only casual mention of the academic life
of the College.
This lack of reference results from the common knowledge that our
academic life is very similar to that of all our provincial high
schools. We conduct regular classes in rather formal style (the
college is not what is termed a modern free school). Students
study, do their homework most of the time, attend supervised study
hall, write unit tests and the dreaded final examinations unless
they receive exemptions in grades IX, X, and XI.
The meager reference to academic life is in no way related to the
significance of this aspect of a Christian school. On the contrary,
I believe most definitely in the value of a good education, not in
just obtaining a certificate.
Students learn to think and no one can think in a vacuum; he must
know a few facts. Students learn to express themselves in both the
written and spoken word. To have good ideas is invaluable but one
must know how to express these ideas or he will not be able to
accomplish good.
Learning according to ability and development of character are
closely interrelated. Show me a successful student and you will
also show me a diligent, disciplined person with good work habits.
Furthermore, much of man's progress has evolved from a quest for
knowledge and a love of truth.
"A wise man is strong, yea a man of knowledge increaseth strength."
Fortunate is the teacher who can motivate his students in the quest
for knowledge and truth.
Critics contend inaccurately that the academic field is neglected
in a Christian school. In a Christian school, a student will learn
charity along with knowledge; he will learn to know God along with
knowing Wordsworth, Napoleon and Einstein. A Christian school will
give purpose to a young person's life and in consequence will
increase interest in academic achievement.
As I scan correspondence from the president's office and issues of
the _Messenger_ and _Alumni Reporter_, I note the constant
recurrence of one problem that has confronted the College--
insufficient money to meet operational costs. If the College ever
expects to climb out of this quagmire of operational debt, an
Endowment Fund must be established.
Realizing the absolute necessity of such a fund, we were pleasantly
surprised by the announcement during Homecoming week-end that the
college had received an endowment gift of 885 acres of farmland in
Oklahoma from Mrs. Gertrude Weeks, college librarian. Mrs Weeks has
stated in her will that at her death the college will obtain clear
title to the land. This is the largest single bequest ever made to
the college. If more of our kind friends continue to make such
generous arrangements, there may come a time when the payment of
the butcher, the baker and the S.P.C. may not be such uphill work.
March 10-12 witnessed the formal opening of a large new brick
building for the Weyburn Church of Christ. (The new Church building
is located on highway thirteen on the outskirts of the eastern part
of Weyburn City). The guest speaker for the occasion was Maurice
Hall, former missionary to France and Viet Nam. Into many young
hearts, his inspirational messages lighted flaming resolutions to
dedicate their lives to the service of mankind.
This occasion affected Western Christian College because hitherto
the church had worshipped in Rogers' Chapel. Henceforth, the
students will be transported four miles by bus to church services.
Then too it is good for the young people to go off the campus for
worship. It makes each worship service more of a special event, and
worship should be special.
This was Canada's centennial year. Western students were desirous
of marking this year by some distinctive celebration. Spearheaded
by Bill Boyle, grade XII student, the students organized an
amazingly successful Canadiana Night on May 5 as our main
centennial project. "It was their way of saying that they are proud
to be Canadians."
Our Canadian Night began with a banquet at which the city officials
and Weyburn collegiate student council were special guests. The
student waitresses in long gowns of yesteryear added the final
touch to the Centennial theme of the decorated banquet room.
Following the banquet, all guests enjoyed a fine program in the
gymnasium. The main feature of this program was a three act play by
Weyburn's own W. O. Mitchell. "The Black Bonspiel of Willie
McCrimmon" has been presented on radio and television several
times.
In addition to this play, the audience enjoyed a speech by Bryant
Oratorical contestant, Marilyn Brazle, on the subject "What should
Centennial mean to you?"
A brief saga of John A. Macdonald, Canada's first prime minister,
was given by Brad Wilkerson, a senior student from Victoria, B. C.
Completing the program were patriotic selections by the Western
Christian College chorus and the Skylarks.
Bill Boyle was the master of ceremonies for Canadiana Night as well
as director of the play.
Remember 1966-1967? Remember the huge five tier snow birthday cake
with the Canadian flag on the top tier?
Remember the almost weekly singing at Pioneer Place and the
visitation at the Union Hospital?
Remember the bed that accidentally fell apart at an opportune
moment in the comedy farce "Goodnight Please!"?
Remember that Mark Brazle won the prize for skating with the most
girls at the Opening Night Party--63 of them?
Remember that Western played host to the Provincial A boys'
basketball tournament?
Remember that the Skylarks won a twenty-five dollar scholarship at
the Music Festival?
1967-1968
Enrollment: High School--116
On August 5, more than one hundred members of the Western Christian
College Corporation met at a special meeting to discuss the
extension of the Bible courses offered at the college. For sixteen
years, after 1945, a winter Bible school of three to five months
duration had been part of the College program. Because of lack of
interest these courses were discontinued in 1960. (Only two
students attended the Bible courses conducted by the Weyburn Church
of Christ in the College buildings in 1966-67).
As many brethren, especially former Bible school students,
considered the winter Bible schools invaluable in strengthening
their own faith or for training young people for leadership in the
church, they wanted either the old Bible schools revived or a
different type of Bible course initiated. At this August special
meeting, after much discussion, it was decided that the Board
should consider the possibility of introducing a two year, nine-
month advanced Bible program.
On October 2 at the regular annual meeting, a report on the
proposed advanced Bible program was presented. This report was
adopted almost unanimously by the Corporation members. It provided
for the inauguration of a "two year Advanced Bible program in
conjunction with a one-year advanced offering in Liberal Arts" in
September 1968.
The students for the Bible program would not necessarily be high
school graduates. They might be mature young people who wish to
become more effective servants in the Kingdom of God. Those who
would enroll in the liberal arts program would be high school
graduates and with this additional year of study at Western they
would graduate with an Associate in Arts degree.
This decision to add the two year Advanced Bible program and one
year Liberal Arts can be compared in significance with the
momentous decision in 1945 to organize Radville Christian College
and the decision in 1957 to move our campus to the Weyburn airport.
A feeling of excitement and accomplishment pervaded the air during
the October 2, 1967, meeting very similar to the one on July 2,
1945. An optimistic hope bubbled in our hearts as we considered
that the foundation for greater advancement of the cause of Christ
had been laid.
In August, Ed and Marg Ashby agreed to become dormitory parents for
the boys. As Ed Ashby had been a member of the Board for twelve
years, he was well aware of problems connected with a boarding
school. Nevertheless, he and his wife were willing to leave a
position of security resulting from his twenty years of service
with an international machine company to embark on a completely
different career, simply because they believed Christian education
vital in this modern age.
Marg Ashby enjoys the distinction of being the first house mother
of the boys. This forthright lady with the tough exterior and the
loving heart has won their loyalty and good will. At one time, she
was affectionately willed Barry Nelson's flying license "because
she is up in the air most of the time anyway."
The previous spring Calvin and Irene Young also gave up a life of
comparative ease and security to manage the Morgan Cafeteria. I
believe that these four people, as well as others, employed by
Western are as much missionaries of Christ as those who go to
foreign fields. They have the opportunity to touch the lives of
hundreds of young people, not only in this generation but in future
generations.
In September tragedy entered our lives when Penny Close '62, Mrs.
John S. Close, and daughter, were instantly killed by a car as they
crossed a street in Abilene, Texas. Young and lovely Penny, devoted
to a life of service, was dead. She had just returned from three
years of mission work in Paris, France. In response to requests of
the friends of the Close family, the College has opened a memorial
fund to purchase books for the library. These have been purchased
and will be purchased in the French language section and the
section related to foreign mission work.
The Women's Service Club finished paying for a two thousand dollar
walk-in refrigerator which was installed in the Morgan Cafeteria.
This is only one of the many gifts of the Women's Service Club
since its organization in 1958. Over the years, the ladies have
provided paint for the rooms in Torkelson Hall, paint and curtains,
steam table, tables and chairs in the Morgan Cafeteria, furnishings
for the common room in the Wilfred Orr Residence, study desks in
the dormitories, drapes for the stage, and lockers (1968) in the
new education building. May God's blessings rest on the many
unselfish women who have been so generous with their time and
money!
At last the Western Mustangs captured the elusive provincial trophy
for basketball A. After four unsuccessful attempts at the
provincial finals in 1961, 1965, 1966, and 1967, they were
victorious in 1968. Before the Christmas holidays prospects of
winning the title were not promising as the team suffered four
defeats in league play. But after the holidays the tide turned.
Barring one more defeat, all other games brought victory. Seventeen
straight victories.
The Mustangs defeated Fillmore in Unit competition, Carnduff in
District competition and both Kamsack and Kipling in the Regional.
Once again, they were in provincial competition, played this year
at Rosthern.
Their first game was against the defending champions, Kerrobert
Rebels. It was a tough game. Mustangs led by one point at half-time
but in the fourth quarter, they increased their lead and victory
came with a 37-31 score.
Now, for the final game with Rosthern, who had the advantage of
playing on their home basketball court. At half-time the score was
tied, but again with a powerful upward surge in the fourth quarter,
the Mustangs defeated Rosthern with the score of 53-42.
"Victory is our cry," rose from the eighty-five staff and students
in the bleachers. They had ridden three hundred miles to see the
final games. Many alumni from Saskatoon were also there. The
boundless spirit of the rooters contributed toward the final
victory. The coach of one of the defeated teams said that he knew
the Mustangs would be victorious when he heard the cheers and songs
of the bus load arriving for the games.
The coaches of the victorious team were Tom Ulrich and James
Willett--"Couldn't have done it without you, Daddy Willett," cried
the students. The managers were David McMillan and Ron May. The
champs themselves were Ray Vass, Charles Muller, Tom Manning, Bill
Ulrich, Fred Start Lockman, Ben Wuttunee, David Gates, Roger Box,
Elvin Meakes, Mike Brazle, Mark Brazle.
Directed by Amy Bissell, the lively cheer leaders who boosted
school spirit to a high point were Wendy Krogsgaard, Cheryl May,
Debbie Sinclair, Ardith Laycock, Bonnie Davies, and Debbie Bailey.
It was a great night for Western! An almost unbelievable goal had
been reached--a provincial victory!
Intercollegiate sports are excellent promoters of school spirit and
certainly can encourage good public relations; nevertheless, I am
convinced that intramural sports, if well organized, promote school
welfare equally in another way. In fact, if a school had to choose
one only of the two types of play, it should choose intramural
activity.
A good intramural sports' program can have a therapeutic effect on
a greater number of students. In this school business, we want the
individual students, not so popular, not so gifted, to gain self
respect by being an accepted part of a team. This acceptance seems
so important to the average teenager in our culture.
Ever since the College moved to Weyburn, we have had intramural
sports' competition first by grades, then by houses. In 1968 Glenda
McAlister organized and administered a very fine intramural
program-with games twice weekly all year. The Astronauts won the
shield and the individual trophy winners were Betty Hettinger and
Ben Wuttunee.
It is interesting to note news items in the _Messenger_ which
indicate progress toward the goal of Junior College status in
September 1968.
Ellen Massey, with a master's degree in psychology and library
science has been added to the faculty...James Pennington from
Estevan will head the new department of Bible...Dryden Sinclair
reports favorable progress in the fund raising campaign...the Board
of Directors will meet on March 30 to formulate further plans for
Western Christian's "Project for Progress"...David Lidbury '53
appointed the dean of the new college program...
A special all-day fellowship was organized by the Weyburn Church of
Christ on May 26, to say farewell to Ray McMillan '58, his wife,
Ellen McCutcheon '62 and Bob Parker '64 and his wife, Sharon Start
'64 who left by Air-Canada from Regina May 17 for India to preach
the good news of Christ. They planned to teach and train interested
citizens for leadership in the church.
A bus load of students from Western and four car loads of other
friends motored to Regina to bid Godspeed to the four alumni.
In previous years, former students have gone to foreign lands to
teach the message of Christ: Mabel Rogers to Zambia, Roy Davison to
the Netherlands, Sue Wilson to South Africa...Perhaps this
departure had a greater impact on our student body because the four
left from Weyburn. Their decision to serve Christ in a foreign land
has inspired several of our present students to consider greater
service in this land and across the seas.
In order to prepare for the increased enrollment anticipated with
the inauguration of the two-year advanced Bible courses and one
year liberal arts, the Board decided to open a new boys' dormitory.
The building selected was one that had been used formerly to
accommodate overflow crowds at special events such as Lectureship
and Homecoming. This new dormitory was named Hanes Hall in honour
of Mr and Mrs. Otis Hanes from Oklahoma, long time loyal supporters
of Western. Repairs and renovations in this building were part of
our summer works program in 1968.
In May construction began on the new education building. The old
mess hall had all shingles removed from its walls and broken down
appendages hauled away. The Foundation also announced a gift of ten
thousand dollars from Mr. and Mrs. Otto Foster and Mrs. Rita Foster
Stocking. Because the gift was to be used in the construction of
this building, it would bear the name--Rita Foster-Stocking
Education Building.
Work continued on the building during June, July, August, and
September. Much to our disappointment, the building was not ready
for occupancy at school opening time. Except for some sub-
contracting, labour was done by college staff directed by Danny
Pauls and Ernest Andreas. The renovations have cost $82,000.00, but
it has been estimated that an entirely new building with such
facilities would cost at least $200,000.00.
1968-1969
Enrollment: Junior College--19 full time, 3 part time;
High School--132
A year with six milestones--six notable days! At our fall staff and
faculty institute, August 19, James E. Pennington delivered the
following definitive speech, describing the new Junior College
Bible Program:
"The autumn of 1968 was somewhat unusual on the prairies
of southern Saskatchewan in that the last weeks of summer
had brought with them an unusual amount of rainfall. Each
morning, a misty haze covered the unreaped fields and a
cool dampness made one face the day with a tug at the
collar.
"On the Western Christian College campus new things were
underway. The campus centre had moved from the old
administration building to a gleaming new five gable
structure housing a complete Educational Complex. In
addition to the new building was a new Junior College
Program of Liberal Arts and Bible with Related Subjects.
The 1968-1969 High School Bulletin and Junior college
Catalog introduced the new program in these words:
'The entire program is focused in the belief
that the Bible is God's revealed will and that
it should be the core of the education of man.
'Academically our purpose is to provide a
complete high school standing plus additional
studies in Liberal Arts and Religion on the
junior college level. The college program will
prepare a student to pursue higher education
in college or university. A terminal course is
also offered, designed to prepare a young
woman or a young man for more complete service
in the kingdom of Christ. Credit for courses
on the college level will be given by senior
Christian colleges in the United States...'
"To the far-sighted person who has felt the thrust of the
Winter Bible Schools of the past, the addition of the
Junior College Program holds similar effect for modern
Western Canada.
"This speech is intended to be a description of the newly
formed Bible Department and Related Subjects. The first
statement of philosophy of instruction in the Bible
Department is the slogan of Western Christian College: 'A
Bible Centered Education'...
"There are three reasons for the addition of the Junior
College Bible Department which stresses a 'Bible Centered
Education.' First, the Christian youth in Western Canada
have a need and a capacity to study the Bible on an
advanced level. Just as the past called forth the Winter
Bible Schools, our modern Canadian culture calls forth an
advanced study of the Bible for our keen modern Christian
youth.
"Secondly, the expansion of the Bible curriculum makes
Western an appropriate centre for such an advanced Bible
program. It is here that qualified staff and teachers are
already assembled. It is here that the students have
gathered for study. It is here that a classroom program
is presently in progress which can easily be expanded to
include the Junior College Bible Program. So--it is here
that the Bible centered education is being placed on a
Junior college level. Thirdly, Western Christian College
is offering a 'Bible Centered Education' in 1968-1969
because we are convinced that such a program will be a
blessing to Canadian youth, to Canadian congregations,
and to Canadian generations, some of which are yet
unborn.
"The second statement of our philosophy of instruction in
the Junior College Bible Department is that the
instruction will be based on the Restoration Principle.
The teaching of the Bible will proceed with the
understanding that in the New Testament is found the will
of God for man today. The Restoration Principle is a
philosophy that teaches that the original pattern of
faith and practice was intended to be passed from
generation to generation without alteration.
"Secondly, Bible instruction will be based on an
evangelical scholarship. This means that our emphasis
will be placed on evangelism rather than intellectual (or
pseudo-intellectual approaches so common in some
religious schools..." Thirdly, Bible instruction at
Western Christian College will be based on the needs of
Christian youth in Western Canada. The catalog devises a
plan for both those who plan for other higher education
and for those who plan to take only the offerings in the
Western Bible Program. Regarding the student who desires
higher education, the catalog says: 'The college program
will prepare a student to pursue higher education in
college or university...' But should a student desire to
take only the courses offered by Western...the catalog
points up that the program was planned to be an adequate
course if all classes are taken.
'A terminal course is also offered designed to
prepare a young woman or a young man for more
complete service in the kingdom of Christ...'
"My closing exhortation to my fellow-workers in this
college is that we all be sufficiently aware of the
gravity of our task in establishing a Christian Junior
College in Western Canada. Let us carefully lay the
foundations and upon them build a structure of 'gold,
silver and precious stones' for if we do not carefully
and prayerfully lay the foundations and build upon them,
our work could be 'wood, hay, and stubble.' While we are
not so foolish as to bend to flattery, or so naive as to
build for praise of men, let us keep in mind that what we
do will surely be evaluated by many generations. As John
Ruskin has said:
'When we build, let us think that we build
forever. Let it be such work as our
descendants will thank us for. And let us
think, as we lay stone on stone, a time is
come when these stones are held sacred,
because our hands have touched them--and that
they will say as they look upon the labour and
wrought substance of them: Look--this is what
our fathers did for us.'"
In this speech, Brother Pennington gave public, oral expression to
the private hopes and dreams of the assembled staff and faculty.
Suddenly we were confronted with the awesome realization that we
were writing the chronicles of time. Tomorrow lay crystallized
before us; the vague future was compressed into the vivid present.
For a brief moment, it was as though we caught the "vision
splendid." Small wonder that I regard August 19 as a great day of
the year.
I must admit that the vision did not remain continuously during the
school term. Often life was a fairly routine business where I
wondered if grade ten had been granted a sabbatical or why grade
twelve students thought they had too much homework.
September 9 was the second date of historical importance. It was
registration day for the new junior college program. Fifteen full-
time students (three later additions) and three part time students
registered on that date. The charter members of the college class
are Heather Brown '67, Dale Elford '61, Pat Hamer '68, Wesley
Hanson '64, Wendy Krogsgaard '68, John Machin '64, Tom Manning '68,
Elvin Meakes '68, J. C. Murray '61, David McMillan '68, Carole
Pauls '66, Ruth Phypers '68, Fred Start Lockman '68, Sharon Straker
'66, Clair Weltzin '68, and Jimmy Lee Willett. Three others
enrolled later during the year: Sandra Rhodes, Daryle Edstrom, and
Bathini; Christopher.
This is the roll call of the charter junior college faculty:
David Lidbury, Dean of the College: Master of Education degree--
intelligent, and friendly.
Mrs. Glenda McAlister: Master of Education with a physical
education major--a gracious lady.
Walter McAlister: Master of Education with a history major--
levelheaded, straightforward.
Mrs. Ellen Massey: Master's degree in psychology and library
science--creative, limitless faith in young people.
Mrs. Raymona Pennington: Bachelor's degree in English and
Education--thorough and definite (sincerely appreciated by this
writer).
James E. Pennington: Master of Science degree in Bible, Practical
Field--scholarly and organized.
James L. Willett: Bachelor of Arts degree with graduate courses in
music--patient with young people and understanding.
October 9 was the fourth day of historical significance. That was
Moving Day--all equipment moved from the old classrooms by an
excited faculty and student body to the Rita Foster-Stocking
Education Building. The old mess hall, formerly used for storage
had been completely transformed into a modern building with stucco
exterior and modern Sasko outswing windows.
The Education Building has eight classrooms which will accommodate
250 students, two science laboratories, the J. C. Bailey Learning
Resource Centre, and office and lounge facilities for the faculty.
The two science laboratories have been fully equipped through gifts
by Mr. and Mrs. Jerry Moore, Canton, Ohio, and Dr. and Mrs. J.
Warren Jackson, Kerrville, Texas.
The chemistry laboratory has individual stations complete with
stainless steel sinks and gas jets. A folding wall between two
classrooms can be opened to create a study hall that accommodates
eighty students. The wide, well-lighted hallways with beige tiles
are a remarkable contrast to the narrow, dimly lighted one with
brown masonite of the former classroom area.
The J. C. Bailey Learning Resource Centre, which rapidly became the
favorite room of the students, is a large square room with wide
hall ways on three sides which open into the class rooms. The
greens, gold and orange of the carpet harmonize with the same gay
colours on the walls. Mrs. Massey chose these colours because to
her they were Saskatchewan:
"Delicate pastels are blending
Gold and green of every hue,
With the Master Artist's cloud-prints
White and grey on purest blue."
wrote Ellen Massey about Saskatchewan in her book published a few
days before her untimely death in August, 1969.
While the students were hurrying around bringing desks, maps,
books, and science equipment, I explored our new premises in tip-
toe wonderment almost expecting the mirage to disappear at any
moment. The Education Building is the finest one in which I have
ever taught in my nearly forty years of teaching.
But do you know, I nearly shed a tear as I gave the old, narrow,
dark classrooms one last good-bye glance?
October 13 was the fifth date in the chronology of important
events. On that cool, windy afternoon several hundred alumni,
students and friends of Western Christian College gathered in front
of the building as Dr. McIsaac, Saskatchewan Minister of Education,
cut the green and white ribbons to open officially the Rita Foster-
Stocking Education Building.
Before the ribbon cutting, the visitors listened to the dedication
ceremony.
PROGRAM
1. O Canada. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .A Cappella Chorus
2. Invocation. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . J. E. Pennington
3. Welcome-Introduction of special guests. . . . . . . D. Lidbury
4. Letter from Mrs. Rita Foster-Stocking . . . . . . .D. Sinclair
5. Dedication of Building. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . E. D. Wieb
6. Prayer. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . J. Kennedy
7. Hymn. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .A Cappella Chorus
8. Messages:
Minister of Education . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Dr. McIsaac
Mayor of Weyburn. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .T. Hart
Superintendent of Schools . . . . . . . . . . . . .A. Goeres
9. Presentations for Library
Weyburn Branch Canadian Legion
Weyburn Rotary Club
10. Sign Placement . . . . . . . . . . . .E. Andreas and D. Pauls
11. Hymn . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .A Cappella Chorus
12. Ribbon Cutting Ceremony. . . . . . . . .Minister of Education
13. Tour of Building
President Wieb dedicated the Rita Foster-Stocking Education
Building to the purpose of serving the youth of Western Canada.
Here each student will be educated in all aspects of his four-fold
being.
Dr. McIsaac expressed appreciation for the fine work accomplished
at Western Christian College and commended the Board for its
initiative in proceeding with the junior college program without
requesting government assistance.
Mayor Tom Hart acknowledged the impact of the College on the
educational and social life of the Weyburn community.
During the tour of the building other special gifts were made to
the opening day book collection of the Resource Centre.
Touring guests were very congratulatory in their remarks: "You have
to see it to believe it." "Was this really an old air-force
building?" "Look at the bright colours in the library." "It's
lovely." "You must be very happy."
Afterwards the special guests were entertained at tea at President
Wieb's apartment.
To most of the alumni and friends of the College, October 13 was
the bold red-letter day of the year; to me it was somewhat anti-
climactic after Moving Day.
May 23 was the sixth and final prominent day in the table of
special events 1968-1969. This was the date of the first
commencement exercises of the new Junior College program.
"Where are you going?" was the question asked by Bruce Tetreau '55
of Regina in his address to the college class. He said that Canada
is being invaded by a people who want control of all facets of
life. In fifty years Canada will be controlled by these invaders-
the youth of today. Bruce urged the graduating class to find their
place in this invasion.
One hundred and twenty friends and relatives of the junior college
class had gathered in the Morgan Cafeteria, colourfully and
appropriately decorated by the high school graduates. The theme for
the decorations was "pionera" as the college students called
themselves the Pioneers. Dean Lidbury was master of ceremonies.
Elvin Meakes was presented the Academic Award and the Dean's Award
for his contribution to the school.
A Bible was awarded Dale Elford for his accomplishment and promise
in the special field of Bible and Religion.
Heather Brown received the Future Homemaker Award and Carole Pauls
received a certificate of achievement.
Elvin Meakes was also recognized for being the first president of
the college class; Wesley Hanson for general attitude and co-
operation in class; Clair Weltzin for his work with the college
radio station, and Jimmy Willett for his work with the college
radio station and for his song writing, and J. C. Murray for his
achievements as president of the local alumni association.
Five of the seventeen students honored at the commencement
exercises were presented with Associate in Arts degrees. They were
Patricia Muriel Hamer, Wesley Jerome Hanson, Wendy Karen
Krogsgaard, Elvin Charles Meakes and Carole Joanne Pauls.
Mrs. Roberts, dean of the high school girls, the Skylarks, and the
graduating class all entertained the gathering with several songs.
During the past twenty-five years we have reached various goals in
Christian education. Already we plan for new ones "Yet all
experience is an arch where through gleams that untravelled world."
EPILOGUE
When I consider the former students who have travelled the
miserable road of failure...
When I consider those who have forgotten their God...
When I consider that our lack of wisdom during the years may have
contributed toward these calamities, then I am saddened by memories
of the past. When I consider the former students who enrolled
twenty-three of their sons and daughters in 1968, the seven who are
members of the Board of Directors, the more than one hundred who
gave gifts to Western during the past year and...
When I consider former students who are missionaries in Zambia,
Belgium, India and...
When I consider those who are ministers of the gospel and Bible
teachers in Kelowna, Regina, Brandon, and...
When I consider the host of others who are serving mankind in
various professions and trades in Manson, Toronto, Yellowknife
and...
Then I have an overwhelming sense of gratitude that I have had the
privilege of being at Radville and Weyburn all these years.
O God, give the administration the courage to make decisions that
will redound to Thy glory.
Give the staff and faculty the constant realization that their
purpose is to help the student.
Awaken appreciation in the alumni so that they will devise ways to
assist Western.
Grant us countless friends who will have faith in our cause. In Thy
Son's name I pray. Amen.
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