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HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Lucknow Sentinel, 1975-08-20, Page 14lii4OURTEEN' RIPLEY REUNION — • CXRCENVED FROM PAGE 13 tineardine and Lucknow and from'all the con- esSion'roads in Kincardine, Huron, Ashfield and Kinioss and beyond who came to town to join in the Am.-, Ripley's activities started last Friday noon when the craft displays at the Ripley- Huron Cntral school at theswest end.of Rip- ley were opened to public viewing. During .the Friday afternoon, folks from Ripley, Kin- cardine, Bruce Beach, Tiverton and visitors home here for the Reunion were down. On Friday afternoon when• this writer was helping., Arnold Bell and his daughter Lee Ann of God- erich; parked their truck just beside the gate. They sold their •truck load of tOmatoes, corn, apples, and peaches grown on their Bell- view Fruit farms.., The committee in charge of,--this craft show were Mr and Mrs'Omar Brooks, Mr and Mrs Russ Phillips, Mr and Mrs Russ Rit- chie, Mr and Mrs Dan 'McInnes of Blyth and convenors Marion and Oliver MacCharles. Lo- cal men helping with the admissions were Don 'McCosh, Reg Moore, Ab Wylds. Our thanks to Jim and Isabel• Brooks for, that nice cold wa- ter to drink on a very hot and sunny after- noon. a . ' After a few•minutes'at home on Friday even- ing, it was'hurry 'over to the Fiddler's Jam- boree. Here the work crew had erected a 'stage and moved,in stacking. chairS on Thurs- dAy evening. . On-Friday evening every avail- able chair was taken;:.the standing room in- side was taken. and the people were standing outside about six or seven rows deep with the 'big .doors open. Albert Tout is certainly to be congratula- ted on his fine effort in organizing and pro- • moting this Jamboree. And the people sure enjoyed the program from, a quarter past eight to midnight. Roy Bennett. of Wingham had the CKNX Public Address van beside the platform with two, mikes for the performers. This was. a historic occasion—the first' public concert back in the north east section since those great fall fair concerts in the old Ripley Tbwn Hall. These ended in 1909 when the late 0 John Robertson builtthe new and present Hu- ron Township Hall- On the stage as Master of CereMonies was our long time acquaintance and friend, M.L.' "Tory" Gregg and he kept the Jamboree rolling right along. Tory was M.C. for the whole re- union and among those he called to the' plat- form for remarks was Chairman of the'Ripley- Huron Reunion, Don MacTavish to WelCome every- one and invite them to have fun. From there on there was entertainment on the-stage and at the centre back of the hall where two .girls with Ripley's Alive hats stepped to the music accompanied by their own whoops. Wherever there is a Fiddler's Jamboree ov- er the years,. there you Will find Nelson Howe of Staffa--a talented and willing performer. Fran reminds us that 50 years ago, Nelson was playing in the Seaforth' area. Mrs Violet • (Roy) MacKenzie "of 'Ripley accompanied him at the piano. There were two step dancing'groups—tt;e well-known Cutting family of Kincardine led by. Mrs Cutting, daughters" Linda and Laurie, and son Brian, .a new group--the Ripley Step- pers--smart in their blue and white outfits-- Jane Walden, Linda. MatDonald, Janice Elliott and Lisa Farrell accompanied by Ken MacFarlan and his orchestra from Kincardine. Then 12 year old Pat Stackhouse.from Lon- desboro danced her way into the hearts of the.crowd. She was accompanied by Roy Ben- nett's P.A. music and by Nelson Howe and Vi- olet MacKenzie. Pat takes her legsons in Ottawa. Debbie Adams of Bluevale was also .a, solo performer and well•received. Well the Fiddlers came from Teeswater, God- erich, Mitchell, Blyth, Dublin, Hamilton--the writer just could' not.keep track. Ripley 'area' fiddlers and painists included Bert MacDonald of Goderich, Joyce Courtney, Mrs Cheater '(Irene) Emmerton t Cliff EMmerton,.Do- THE LUCKNOW SENTINEL LUCKNOW, ONTARIO rothy Wardell, Margaret Harkness, Eileen Nes- bitt, Bob Courtney, Ab Tout himself, Joy (Ge- orge) McLean, Finlay and Mabel MacDonald, Ken McFarlane, Elliott CarrUthers, Glenn Boyd. With Tory at the mike, the girls entered in the Ripley-Huron Reunion Queen competition were called to the platform. They were Terry Lynn Fair, Mary Jane Courtney, Mary Lynn McLean, Nancy MacTavish, Arlene Tranter, ) Debbie Fuller, Kerry Boyle, Debbie Farrell, Heather Boyle, and Joan Irwin. In charge of this Queen competition was Mrs. Bertha Scott. Then Toxy Gregg;' Ab`Tout -and. Joy McLean presented' a long list of prizes donated- by. area businessmen. 'The prizes for_oldest lady and gentlemen attending Friday night's Jam- boree went to' Mrs Slade (88) of Kincardine and Hughie Cameron (85) of, Huron Township. The Jamboree wasi a great opening to the Reunion. With the big doors of the Huron Township Municipal building open, the music drifted out over Ripley on the warm summer night air--easily heard beyond the Royal Bank Corner- So thanks Ab Tout, Tory Gregg, Roy . Bennet, Nelson Howe and all those taking part and presentation. Mrs Jean (Walter) - Farrell was at the desk selling the new Re- union history books. Reunion hats were for sale and other ladies were at'the registratiOr dance and serving lunch. It was a great , night.. Tomorrow always comes. Saturday„morning it was "School reunion" in the. Ripley-District High School auditorium at 9:30 with a "mem- ory lane" room complete with pictures, scrap books, red portable building at the rear of .the school. In charge of putting thismater- ial on display was Mrs Catherine Collins, Mrs Fran Wylds and Mrs Elizabeth Stratton. It was first in the southeast lower room in the school but it was transferred to the more spacious library room. On Arrival at ' the school it was necessary to move back fen- cing so-the main west entrance could.be used. This adjustment was made without difficulty and soon former students Starteeto arrive. There must'have been over 300 in attendance. At the registration degk in the lower hall IA were Katherine Collins, Fran and Ab Wylds. Then on the stage were tfie joint convenors of the school reunion committee--"me" and Kath- erine Collins), Bruce County Directors of Education Jack Bowers, County Board member Cameron MacAuley, Bruce Aitken representing former students, and M.C. present principal William Turvill--each in turn greeted and wel- comed those who had returned. It was certainly nice to see and talk with these former students. The Queen and King. of'the School Reunion were. chosen. They were Mrs May Armstrong of Wingham, and Mr Eugene Martyn of Kincardine. They were called to the platforms by Mr Tur- vill where Fran placed 'a tiara on 'Mrs Arm- strong and a carnation on Eugene. Both spoke nicely to the gathering. Norval. Stewart of Olivet--a former student at the RCS and a noted local historian read the list,of names of those students enrolled here in 1918. There were at least 12 present The writer drew special attention to a few present--there were many more which should have'platform recognition., These were Miss Margaret Machan of Wingham and Kincardine for her great art and'craft class displays at the Ripley fall fairs, Elmer Thompson for whom the Kincardine Public school is name, Dr "Doc" Donald John MacDonald, medical specialist in Toronto; outstanding student here and son of the -late Dr John A MacDonald why did so. much for the school, John A's brother Murdock Mac- Donald who went through R.C.S. then returned as a teacherin 1927-28 and"then to be prin- cipal, inpsector and superintendant in Toron- to, to Donald Maclver, also a former, student here and one of my first teachers here in 1923, later a principal in. Toronto, then the, late Cliff Huston for whom the' G.C. 1444u000 School in Southampton is named--a truly great teacher. After the speeches, School students direc- ted by Patti MacDonald and Gail Messenger sang songs. By the way, that apple that Ab Wylds had on the platform was from a' farmer R.C.S. stu- dent Marion MacCharles. It is impossible to remember all thoge who were here last Satur- day morning. So just a few are Katherine Murray, Amelia Martyn, Katherine Pierce, Lloyd Huston, Bessie (Jackson)-Hewitt, Caro- lyn and Barbara Funston (pardon us for the use of maiden names) Dianne,Farrells, Char- lie Lohnes, Kathy ,Cameron, Margaret Anh Thom- pson, Shirley Culbert, Jo Anne Loveridge, ,Corinne MacDonald, Gail MacArthur (our lead- ing majorette), Ruth Hutton, Mae Sutherland, Harvey and Roy Wilson, Gordon Ferris, Harold WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 20, Donnelly from Appleton, Wisconsin, Jim Ha, ett from Vancouver, Malcolm MacDonald fro 'Salem, Oregon, Donna Meod (Reid) of Strou Bill Robertsn,-Allan MacCharles, Murray Oral Cameron, Delmer and Sheila Cameron, rence MacKenzie, Grace (Farnell) Keane, A eline Hackett, Jack Hackett, Joanne (Hack Norman, Margaret (McLay) Strathdee, Iren (Strathdee) Johnston, Clifford Wylde, Hat and Tena Wyld, Ab Needham, Dianne MacDona Margaret, Martha and Rhoda Campbel4 Marj Hartley MacTavish,'Edith (Gibson) Frook, and Lorne MacKenzie, -Ron and Shirley-14ari Harris, Etta ,(Lone) Millsie, Kathleen one :John Ma'cDonald 'from London, ' ' Matt, Helen and Jean Yemen, D.A. MacInt Gordon Montgomery, Frances Reid, Mayor Be MacDonald, Dr Donald W MacDonald, the Be] sisters--Katherine, Annie and Marion, Kat erine, Myrtle and. Marie MacLean, Ainslie Susan McLay, Pat and Mary McCha'rles, Lyle Grant MacLennan, Edna and Olive Boyle, La Lowry, Paul Farrell, Pam Farrell, Noreen, mer and Harvey Pollock, Bill Harris--forr student then chairman'of the\R.D.H.S. Boi Mrs Grace Alton, Winnifred Farrier-... Mr and Mrs Jack Mason of 4anderhood, B visited with Mt and Mrs Ardill Mason'and tended their 50th wedding'anniversary oh day August:3. 'Also. attending were Mr an( Mrs Roy Webster of London ,and grandsOns 1 and Mrs. Wayne Webster 'of London and Mr.& 'Mrs Brian 'Websterof Woodstock. , • Owing to wet Weather guests were7recei at the United. Church for afternoon tea. side many local friends who.called arid e tended good wishes were friends from Pet borough; Mississauga, Toronto; Lucan, Ki ener, Huron Park. .A family dinner was h at .Kincardine Sunset:restaurant at 6 pm. Here for the reunion' were Mrs Mae Cott back for the four days from Hagersville. Mae were her daughter Shirley and fiusban Reg McGrath of Hagersville and young gra son, also Mae's son Alex and his wife He and their' two sons Brian and . Doug. There , was 'a great crowd of people lining the streets for the big parade, on Saturday noon. But never in the history of Ripley has there been such a great mass of people as there was at the shirt tail parade at midnight on Sunday. •. n The beard competition was judged on Saturday afternoon by the Reunion Queen Joan Courtney and former Ontario Dairy queen Sherry Pollock, Master of Ceremonies M.L. "Tory" Gregg called out the classes and names of the winners. Tory's an- nouncements over Roy Ben- nett's C.K.N.X. public address system carried out over the village loud and clear. As. a result 'Fran was able to record the winners while sitting here and they were clear to me two blocks away - news writing on Monday prevented my at- tendance at the park. Here are the results: Longest Beard - Howard Ludwig, Shabbiest Beard - Mike Snobelen, Redest Beard Bruce Aitken, Blackest Beard - Clayton Farrell, Whitest Beard - .Ripley reeve Bill Tranter, Best trimmed beard Burton Collins. There were 36 entries in the competition directed by Jim Elliott of Pine River. The Ripley Huron Legion Auxiliary ladies with president Mrs. Nadine Danforth of Point Clark in charge served meals' on the lawn beside the Legion Hall during the Reunion On Sundat afternoon the Ripley and District Lion's CONTINUED ON PAGE 15 .Where does one start to name all the people here at home who worked in preparing for the big days? 'One committee was the grounds com- ylittee--ConVenor John C MacDonald whose farm is just west of Ripley was over every day with his 'tractor' nd loader. Along with him . were Mac Boyd of Pine River, Bob Blackwell with _his-pick-up truck,,8 Doug MacDonald (con 1., Dan, • A.MacDonald and let us notjorget Murray bert—just•a few of those men on that job.