Loading...
HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Brussels Post, 1980-09-10, Page 3 THE BRUSSELS POST, SEPTEMBER 10, 1000 County enrolment reflects decline BY DEBBIE RANNEY Enrolment in Huron County schools on the first tlay of classes this year was down by 412 pupils, a decline reflecting the trend of lower enrolments in many provincial schools, Don Kedwell, superintendent of education with the, Huron County board of education, said total enrolment in county schools on Sept. 2 was 11,004 pupils. The elementary school enrolment dropped from 6,900 students in 1979, to 6,785 students this year, down by 115 pupils. In the secondary schools. enrolment dropped from 4,446 students last year, to 4,153 'students on opening day, down 293 students. However, Mr. Kenwell said the decline in, the secondary school enrolment will improve by the end of the month when some students return to class after, the harvest season. Enrolment in the school for the mentally retarded dropped form 70 pupils to 66 students: Mr. Kedwell said the enrolment drop in county schools is just the normal declining enrolment found in the school system. BY DEBBIE RANNEY This year, the Belgrave, Blyth and Brussels School Fair celebrates its 60th year, so it's only fitting that a little of its history be printed in the paper. In 1978, the Brussels Post and the Blyth Standard published some fair history using information gathered from Belgrave corres- pondent Mrs. Lewis Stonehousc. She collect- ed •it from a book, East Wawanosh Town- ship, written by a committee of people from that township. The chairman of the commit- tee was the late Walter Scott. Information was also received in 1978 from Mrs. Scott who was compiling it for the Women's Institute's Tweedsmuir book. FAIR OPENS The school fair was first formed in 1920 when school trustees from the vicinity of Belgrave met with S.B. Stothers. the first on Huron County. Richard Procter of Morris. Township was the first president and John Wightman of East Wawanosh Township was the secretary, The Forester's Hall; now the Women's Institute-,building and the Presbyterian and United Church sheds were used to display the entries. About eight schools took part in the fair. Continued from page 1 Mrs. Walter Scott of Belgrave is writing a history of the fair and is trying to collect pictures and memorabilia from 1920-1980 to do with the school. Mrs. Scott is the curator of the Women's Institute's Tweedsmuir book and she and a committee of W.I. members have been trying to hunt up information on the fair for nearly 30 years. She said there will be a corner displaying photographs of the fair and a history of the fair separate from the Tweedsmuir book on display at the fair. Mrs. Scott said Stewart Procter who was president of the fair board from 1937 to 1945 and secretary from 1946 to 1958 played an important part in passing on valuable information about the fair to the Twccdsmuir committee. "Stewart was wonderful in passing history on and was a very valuable source of information to the Belgrave Twecdsmuir committee," she said, (See additional infotmation on the history of the fair inside the paper. PIPE BAND Although usually only One or two Most of the schools in the Brussels area have dropped in, their total enrolment this year. BRUSSELS PUBLIC , The total enrolment at the Brussels Public School this year is 223 compared to a total of 240 at the end of June and 242 in September of last year. The 1979 kindergarten class was large enough with 29 pupils to have to be divided into two classes but this ye'ar class„ size is down to 22 students with only one class. Gale Johnston who taught the second kindergarten class last year has since married and moved to Zurich. There are no new teachers at Brussels. Public this year. GREY CENTRAL Enrolment, at Grey Central School in Ethel has also decreased with a total of 232 and 24 in kindergarten this year. Last September, Grey had a total enrolment 'of 255 and 27 in kindergarten. In June the total was 253 and 29 in the Kindergarten class. Two new teacher have started at Grey In the early years of the fair each student was given 'a packet of vegetable or grain seeds and ten packets of flower seeds went to each section (school). The sections also received three settings of barred rock hens but this was soon discontinued. The Department of Agriculture withdrew financial assistance form the fair in 1930 and the Department of Education which financed seed expenses front 1932 to 1939 withdrew its help in 1940. SEED PACKETS For this reason, many school fairs were closed but Belgrave kept on with the fair funds being used to purchased seeds. Each student then received one packet of flower seeds and one packet of vegetable seeds, a practice that the fairboard still continues. In 1966, when a move into big central schools was planned, the fair became known as the Belgrave, Blyth and Brussels school fair. Ross Procter, the current president of the Fair Board said that back in 1949 it was the largest school fair and they had 4000 entries. They still run about 3000 entries. As far as Mr. Procter knows the fair might also be the only one of its kind left in Ontario. members play. this year the Brussels ,Lcgion Pipe Band will be in full force at the school parade. The parade route this year will also be little different. Normally the parade, just goes down the fourth line of Morris and then up to the fairgrounds, but this year they will do a loop around the new section of the village, come back onto. the'fourth again and on down to their normal route. Members of Parliament and the reeves of the two townships—Bill Elston of Morris and Hallahan of East Wowanosh will be asked to attend the fair. Perth County, Allan Scott has been asked to open it. Another note of interest-Special Visitor-is that Mr. Porcter received a letter from Elmer Farrish stating that he hoped to be at this year's fair. Mr. Parrish was a poultry judge at the fair in 1920 and is now 81 years old. Mt. Procter is also trying to contact a Mr. McLeannan who was a piper and taught Members in the Brussels Pipe Band. Mr. McLennan used to come to the fair when Ross's father Stewart Procter was president of the fair board. Central this year--Mr's, Barba Richmond who formerly taught at Blyth and Beth McKillop who is starting her first year of teaching with one of Grey's Grade 1 classes. ' Although the Walton Public School suffer- ed the same decline in total enrolment their kindergarten class number has, gone up. Total enrolment this year is 91 compared to about 100 in June and September of last year. This year's kindergarten class has 24 pupils compared with 22 last year. Three new teachers have joined the staff of Walton Public School. Mrs. Barb Liver- more, formerly of Grey Central School in Ethel has taken over the Kindergarten class. Barb Farrish of Lucxknow is starting off her first year of teaching with the Grade 1 class at ,the school. Miss Farrish just graduated from the University of Western Ontario where she specialized in the primary junior division. Mrs. Joan Vandendool of Clinton is teaching the Grade 2 class at the school. Previously she taught at the Children's Psychiatric Reasearch Institute (CPR!) in London for three years. That was her first Special committees were set up when residents of Morris Township met to discuss plans for the township's 125th Anniversary celebration in 1981. Clarence McCutcheon became the overall chairman for the planned celebration and nominated to assist him were Bessie Johnston. and Carman Craig, who were not at the meeting. Mrs. Ken McDonald is the treasurer and Nancy Michie is the secretary for the committee. Since Morris was thinking of holding part of their special weekend celebrations in Brussels, Wayne Lowe of the recreation board was asked about the conflict since that is also the weekend of the men's ball tournament in Brussels. Morris plans to hold • the celebrations on. July 31, August 1, 2 and 3. Mr. Lowe said he would have to speak to the board, but, "1 think we could work something in for two days in the park or if they want the whole weekend it could be shifted or something." - "Morris is 125 years old. This is only our 11th year for this. (the ball tournament)," he said. Various committees were then set up with some executive people appointed to each one. George Michie was appointed to the publicity and invitations committee and Jim Mair, who was not at the meeting, was nominated as an assistant. Ken McDonald was nominated to the parade committee and ' Glen Coultes (absent) was nominated as his assistant. Lloyd Michie was appointed to the sports committee with Doug Machan (absent) nominated as his assistant. For the program committee which could include such things as dances, barbecues. Continued fiom page 1 advertise for an arena manager. In other business, Reeve Cal Krauter and councillor Gord Workman gave their reports on the Associated Municipalities of Ontario (AMO) conference. Councillor Workman said (from what he had learned at the meeting) that he thought there was going to be more money available for recreation and recreation 4itlectors. Reeve Krauter reported that Wingham had put through a motion regarding policing and fines which would increase penalties for vandalism. "AMO turned it down but the whole aggregation put it through," the reeve said. Clerk Bill King reported on a Housing Authority meeting regarding seniors citizens apartments. He said they're revamping the method of assessing people and that people can get into seniors apartments' even if they, have property, but that property has to be job after graduating form the University of Western Ontario, London. " , EAST WAWANOSH' Surprisingly "entite': efirOinient at the ea st Wawanosh Public School in Belgrave is about the same as last year with thsi year's figures at a total enrolment of 178 and 19 in the kindergarten class. The kindergarten class is down one or two pupils from last year: is • The Belgrave School has also inhe.49k0 new staff member--Mrs. Marlene McDO•nitiii of Wingham who formerly taught at Holmes- ville Public School. She is teaching the Grade 1 class formerly taught by Mrs. Isabel! Henry, who retired. She graduated , from Brock University in Ottawa where she , took physical education and her teacher's college training before going to Holmesvillc where she taught Grade 7 and 8 physical education and special education. Classified Ads pay dividends. A Post Classified will pay you dividends. • Have you tried one? Dial Brussels 887-6641. church services and fireworks, Bob Fraser t was nominated as chairman with Gord Workman as nis- assistant. Also appointed to • this committee' were Jane White and Florence McArter. Morris Township council members were appointed to look after the grounds and the insurance. John Cronin and Ken Shortreed were put on the Booth and Refreshments committee. John Nesbitt, who was not at the meeting, was also nominated for this. Reeve Bill Elston and deputy-reeve Tom Miller of Morris Township were appointed to . the welcoming committee. Maxine Marks, Jane. Grasby and Alice Searle were put on the decorating committee. Clem McLelland was made chairman of the parking committee witftBoyd Taylor (who was not at the meeting) nominated as his assistant., Neither Helen Martin nor Jack Bryans were at the meeting but both were nominated to the registration committee. Jim Bowman and Jack Cardiff who also were not at the meeting were nominated to the finance committee. Also discussed was • making some of the older Morris Township residents honorary chairmen but it was decided to wait until the newly appointed executives could hold a meeting to decide what the duties .of an honorary chairman would be. At that same meeting, the newly ap- pointed executives could bring a list of some of the people who might like to work on their committees with them and discuss plans. It was decided to hold a meeting for the executives of the various committees on Tuesday, September 23 at 8:30 in the arena. Another public meeting could be held after this. sold in a year's time and the seniors are then then assessed on that basis. He added that there is a ceiling of $250. a month and nobody has to pay over that amount, Council decided that McKercher's contracting should be paid $150 extra for an extra two foot width digging and backfilling when it was discovered that King Street was 30 feet not 28 feet as advertised. In other business, council decided to install a dusk-to-dawn light at the school property rather than the spotlights that are there now. Council passed a motion adopting the Residential Standards for Ontario Home Renewal Program (OHRP) loans. Clerk Bill King said he had been talking to the lawyer's office about the. John Street by'' law. The by-law has been registered at 315 feet. After discussion it was discovered that the 315 feet left Sam Workman with 10 feet to uSe as a cattle crossing from one ptoperty to another. Seeds. and ttudents. Fair survives cutbacks over 60 years School fair celebrates Planning gets nod Morris committees formed Arena loses to new