Bowmanville High School - Screech Owl Yearbook (Bowmanville, Ontario Canada)

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During this period the school had four prin- cipals: Mr. John Elliott, so well remembered by everyone who attended in his time, 1906 to 1913, Dr. J.B. Dandeno, who had been on the staff, and succeeded Mr. Elliott as principal, in 1915, Mr., A.H.D. Ross, followed in the autumn of 1918 by Mr. W.J. Morrison. Students who attended during these years recall not only the principals, but many of the teachers and a long list of class mates. A teacher remembered by all is Mrs. L.T. 16 McLaughlin, who as Miss Isabel K. Smith joined the staff in 1913 and left in 1933. She taught English, French, German, Art, and was in charge of girls' athletics. What a throng of students and incidents are recalled to-day by Mrs. McLaughlin from her 20 years on the staff! Other teachers mentioned by ex-students are: Miss Myrtle Stevens, Miss Sidney Nichol, Mr. W.G. Carpenter, Miss E.A. Allin, Mr. M.T.H. Frost, Mr. James Gilfillan, Mr. T.H. Follick, Mr. A.R. Cameron, Miss E.M. Henry, Miss Ward, Miss Bessie Pugsley, Mr. W.G. But- son, Mr. Carle Browne, Mr. Rupert Hamlyn, Mr. R. McConachie, Miss Maude E. Zuern, Miss L.A. Smithson and Miss Mina Donnelly. With the number of students totalling 137 in 1910 Cmore than for several years, The Canadian Statesman commentedb, and around 107 in 1917, when enlistments in the War of 1914- '18 had taken some of the boys, it was possible for the staff of four teachers, and the students to know everyone in the school. There were four forms, with two years spent in Form IV if one took both Part I and Part II, but in the early years there were few enough that Forms III and IV could meet in one classroom. Albert Co1e's drawing shows a separate IV room in place of the old reception room on the ground floor in 1915. Reta Roenigk CMrs. H.T. Humby of Burlingtonl who attended from 1908 to 1911 recalls how beautiful the building was, with an imposing front entrance which we students never dared use. The girls used the west door and the boys the east, and 'Never the twain did meet'. The teachers' room was off the front hall, to the left of the entrance, but I don't remember being in it. That was where you were called

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One lucky student each year had an Entrance Scholarship that paid his fees for his first year. In 1905, Alex Lyle was the winner. In that year there is a page for examination fees. It should be remembered that exams then were written on an all or nothing basis - if a student failed ONE he had to write them all again. This was not changed until 1914 when a student could repeat and rewrite a single failure. In 1905 twelve students paid 85.00 each to write the Junior Teachers' papers. Matriculation papers were written by four, two of whom paid 355.00 to write both parts and two paid 82.00 for Part one only. Senior Teachers' exams were written by eight, and again some wrote two parts and some one. By 1907 exams were labelled Middle and Upper School and this free summary ap- peared: Sum Paid Dr. W.E. Tilley May 243117.00 Amount due to Board 45.00 Newcastle Board 1.00 Department of Education 71.00 By 1908 fee records appear to be under the charge of Chas. V. Blair, Treasurer of High School Board, who tried to keep the whole year's record on one page. The number of students, in steady decline since the turn of the century, made this possible -if difficult to read. Principal Elliott kept separate records labelled resident students , so country students were now free. This drop in enrollment seems to have begun after 1895, when the country students become fewer and fewer. The Canadian Statesman had noted in 1894 a constant increase to that date, adding - one is not surprised to learn that this school draws students from every part of the Province and even across the line. CSee county breakdown earlier.J B.H.S. is famed throughout the Province for the number of students it has sent up to Toronto University and the distinguished stand there taken by these students. In this same account there is the only men- tion we have found Cbefore 19209 to a fifth teacher on staff, Mr. A.N. Myer, Junior Mathematical Master. But after 1895 or 6, perhaps returning prosperity kept the county boys on the farm or sent them out west to seek their fortunes. By 1897 only thirty-three entered the High School and of these only five were from the county. In 1898 the number rose again, swelled by eighteen county students Csome from Ballyduff, Pontypool, Kirby, and Prince Albert, as well as closer areas.J Perhaps this is the year county fees were dropped? By 1901 the new students are twenty-five in number. In the fall of 1904 the General Register lists forty students as entering B.H.S. Form I, but the fee book lists only nineteen, of whom eight did not take Latin and paid no fee. County students were certainly free by this time, but there is still quite a discrepency in the two records. In any case, fee paying drops off rapidly. By the spring term, 1905, only eight Form I were still paying, boys off on farm work likely. Some familiar names from the 1904 and 1905 records are - E. King, M. Jury, C. Todd, G. James, C. Higginbotham, L. Brown, J. Beith, A. Coulter, B. Percy. Edna and Eva McGill, C. Hawkins, M. Harnden, A. McKowan, J. Hunter fthe last three were the total Form IV in 19059, Dave Morrison, Eva Burke, Alex Lyle, Edna Bottrell, Ernest Rehder, Florence Morris, Marcus Roenigk, Charles Mason, and many more. The Form I fees appear to have ended by 1914 or 1915 and the rest by 1920 when High School education became compulsory for Middle and Upper School. But exam fees rose by the '20's to 91.00 per paper. 15

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onto the carpet - how I missed I don't know. There was a library table in the hall with a large book on it. This was the 'late book' and you signed in when late. My name was there all right enough. Mrs. Humby recalled her teachers, one of whom was Mr. A.R. Cameron, tall, dark and handsome, all the girls adored him. The girls were called Miss, and the boys by their last name only. C. Ernest Rehder 11906-'08J says discipline was firm, but punishment moderate. An in- cident remembered by Harvey S. Wight C1907- '13J now of Czar, Alta., illustrates the kind of rules governing students. During the principalship of Mr. John Elliott, no one except those going home for lunch, could go up town at noon. One day, several of us in the upper form decided we would like to see the new town hall. We went. We were met at the door by Chief Richard Jarvis who kindly con- sented to show us the building. The inspection ended in the basement where there were three cells, and unsuspecting, the boys stepped in for a good look. Bang! Click! The door was shut and locked and Mr. Jarvis without a word went upstairs. Twenty minutes later he came back, having communicated, the boys surmised, with Mr. Elliott. Solemnly he opened the door and suggested that if they ran they might get to school by one o'clock. At the school we were met by a very stern-faced Mr. Elliott who invited us into the office. Here, as an Englishman would say, we were 'stood up and dressed down' in no uncertain terms. It was during Mr. Elliott's principalship that the school motto Non Quantum Sed Q,uale was chosen, and also at his instigation that a very successful reunion of former students was held in 1911 in the Opera House, combined with Commencement, the event marking 60 years of high school classes in Bowmanville. He had, by 1908, compiled a history of higher education in the town, beginning in 1851, to which he added further details in 1945. In 1943 a reunion of his pupils was held in Toronto. Subjects were academic only, and a high standard was maintained. But athletic events, Literary Society programs, Commencements, plays, conversaziones Cof which more later? made school far from all work and no play. The boys played football Cthis was soccer, not rugbyl on the field south of the school, the girls, basketball and tennis on the lawn to the west. There were inter-school games with Oshawa, Whitby and Port Hope, and local and inter-school Field Days. Morley Burgess C1914- '18J now of Oshawa, says the students bought their own football or other equipment by collec- tion from all who were interested in any par- ticular sport. Of basketball Mrs. Humby says, One year we played return games with Whitby. We beat them at home but lost out in Whitby. What a game that was - we took a thorough mauling. However, we won by points so didn't feel too badly. We went to Whitby by train from the G.T.R. station and Mr. Cameron had one of Glover's buses waiting when we got home, tired out. The bus of course was horse-drawn. Another memory, possibly of this same game, was of walking to the Grand Trunk Station, going to Whitby for a game, having supper there and coming home by train in the evening, and little cheering at the game. Elsie Bragg C1907-'10 Mrs. H.D. Watersl remembers getting a black eye at a game in Whitby. Dora Prout C1906-'10 Mrs. Tom Norton? remembers entertaining the Whitby girls in Mr. Tod's ice cream parlour after a 1909 home game.