HomeMy WebLinkAboutTimes-Advocate, 1980-06-18, Page 46467 MAIN ST., EXETER 235-0173
To Western Ontario's Largest Furniture Store
Picture token November 1946
All grads please feel welcome to come in and browse. You
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that work here.
Best Wishes on your
HOMECOMING S.H.D.H.S.
MORON
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Class of '73
WELCOME BACK GRADS!
Page .6 Homecoming Edition June 18, 1980
The 1 40s bring big changes for students
By BARBARA BOLDING.
The 1.*40 was a 'decade of
tremendous change at
Exeter High SCheol, In that
period, the. school was,
transformed from Something.
only the graduates of the old
school and "The Chicken
Coop" can appreciate, into
high school much as we
understand them today. '
One is immediately im-
pressed by the impact of the
Second World War on school
life , During the first five
year% there is a definite lack
of frivolity and references to
sports, school 'dances,. clubs
and other activities are
sparse. After 1945 these
activities began to flourish
and to make school life much
like it is today.
References to the school in
the pre-1945 period describe.
Meetings of the Red Cross.
and War Savings Stamp
sales, We understand that a
formal dance begun in the
19305 was still carried on but
We could find no references
to it,
It seems. that in these five.
years kids had to grow up,
fast and the events in Europe
cast, a shadow -CM those
normally happy adolescent
years.
The fact that this was war
time is brought out in 'class
pictures where a number of
boys appear in cadet
uniforms. The number of
boys in the senior grades was
greatly reduced as boys
joined the armed forces or
stayed at home -Whelp on the
farms,
Even the junior classes
were affected as tinder the
provisions of the
Agricultural Labour Act
• boys were released from,
class early in the spring..
There were, however, a few
notable exceptions as some
such as Ed Miller, returned.
to complete high school in
order to qualify for the air.
force. The number of male
teachers available also
declined,
One advantage at least
from a modern perspective,
is that school opening was
usually delayed until mid or
late September so that
students could be "soldiers
of the soil" as one board
member put it, -
Mciney to finance changes
in the programme was a
perennial problem and in
1943 the board deferred a
decision to institute a
commercial course. At the
same meeting, however, the
board decided to grant more
time to a "new defence
course" for grade 13.
A cadet programme was
instituted in 1944 at the
school under the direction of
Lieut. Eugene Howey and
later assisted by Mr. Morley
Sanders. Originally, the
course was organized by the
Department of National
Defence and was com-
pulsory.
The training included
basic drills, games, rifle
practise and a course in
citizenship. Boys enjoyed
this activity so much that in
later years they gave up
their noon hours in order to
be able to participate.
In 1940 school enrollment
was 190. In September 1946
enrollment jumped to 280
and a staff of 12 teachers was
employed. A new course in
agriculture was introduced
and commercial courses
introduced in 1944 • were
continued. By
1949 enrollment was 306.
The school layout is dif-
ficult for any but the
graduates of "chicken coop"
days to remember. In 1938 a
building known as the "new
school" was erected. This
building housed a shop,
home economics NOM and
two classrooms. Today, this
is part of the elementary
school.
In 1946 a building "af-
fectionately" known as the
"chicken coop" was pressed
into service. Athletics and
gym classes were conducted
in the old arena, A graduate
of the "chicken coop"
describes the ordeal as
follows:
"If you were still' alive by
the time you had spent two
periods in the "chicken
coop", breathing in
exhilarating smoke and
fumes, you were cheerfully
conducted through the snow
bank to the mouse-infested
old school and froze to death.
Then for a brisk game of
basketball in the arena...
We have it on good report
that commercial classet-
held in the boiler room of the
old school were often en-
veloped by steam and
students disappeared from
teachers' sight,
In 1946 bus service was
also introduced. Prior to this
time students either boarded
in town or came to school on
the train.
However, discussion with
persons present in those
times indicates that the term
"school bus" was used very
loosely to describe a
collection of make-shift
vehicles. Students of the 40s
will no doubt remember the
"covered wagon."
By now enrollment had
increased to such an extent
that a , _staggered
Please turn to page??
CLASS OF 1945-46 — The grade 13 class of 1945-46 is shown above, Back, left, teacher Eugene Howey, Bruce Eckmeir,
Steve Molnar, Peter Fraser, Doug Sweet and Bob Gladman. Centre, Irene Finkbeiner, Audrey Heimrich, Phyllis DonaII,
Marjorie Klopp and Wanda Tuckey. Front, Anne Elford, Nola Krueger, Jean Cann, June Bierlingdris Krueger, Pauline
Haberer and Arvis Haberer.
VG
WELCOME HOME
VICTORIA
AND GREY
TRUST
StricelS1 1
Joyce Black: Branch Manager
Exeter
235-0530