Mahone Bay Old School_A Life and Times_Bob Sayer

‘A Rascal’
Lucille Joudrey [Anderssen] and Bea Hirtle, two very astute ladies, and others,
particularly women, acknowledged his abilities but also saw him as something of a
“rascal” and, at times, “a bit of a bully.”
He was all of these things. And he could be pompous and opinionated. He was
aggressive, loud [in voice and temperament], up for a challenge, and controversial.
He was a mover-and-shaker. Leaders need to be all these things if they are to make a
difference.
A Golden Age
In reviewing the history of the school, there is no doubt that the Corkum Years were
something of a golden age in terms of innovation, progress, academic achievement,
and social, curricular and extra-curricular activity. There was an energy and
enthusiasm that jumps off the school board minutes, the newspapers, the school
publications, even the memories and stories from veterans of the time.
The Achievements are Measurable
• An extra teacher and extra room were brought on line.
• Grade 12 was introduced partially, then fully.
• Graduation Ceremonies were introduced, staring in June 1931.
• Excellent Provincial Exam Results become the norm.
• School Discipline and Attendance were excellent.
• Student Government was introduced with a council, president and class
representatives, and committees for sports and school print.
• The HighLight, a top quality school newspaper and yearbook was established
• School Print, with printing press, was established with shares held by the
principal and students council. It printed yearbooks and took commercial orders.
• The curriculum was expanded to include drama, music, dance, singing,
debating and sewing.
• School Sports Teams became a regular part of school life; and for the first
time they included girls teams.
• A School Cadet Corps flourished. “H.V.” was Commanding Officer and
Chief Instructor.
• A School Scout Troop was founded [Corkum was scoutmaster], and Miss
McLean led the Town Guides.
• The Science Lab was moved downstairs where there was in-classroom
electricity, light and water. The equipment was upgraded and the school
finally had a real, rather than token, lab.
• A Sports Field, right behind the school, was added to school property.
• Media Reports: Regular ‘ High School Notes’ appeared in the town’s weekly
paper, The South Shore Record.
• Semi-Annual School Reports were presented to the School Board with
detailed accomplishments, needs and goals.
• Classroom Supplies: improvements were included in every budget.
• Maintenance Improvements, including beautification of the school
grounds, major water supply improvements and the automatic stoker, went aheaddespite
The Depression.
• Manual Arts Instruction and A School Hall were two goals that H.V. Corkum
struggled to reach, unsuccessfully. He got Board support but factors beyond his
control defeated him.
No other Mahone Bay ‘Old School’ Principal could or would surpass such a list of
achievements.
A New Room and an Additional Teacher and A Principal’s Office
Arriving for the 1929-30 school year, Mr. Corkum immediately organized a student
group to clean up the empty classroom that had been there since 1914, serving
mainly as a storeroom. Then he went to the Board for furniture and equipment and,
pointing out that an ‘Academic Teacher’ with a degree would bring extra funding and
grants, got them to approve an additional senior teacher to help with grades ten and
eleven and a future grade 12. This allowed some specialization in teaching and some
administrative time for him. A principal’s office was built on the top floor.
The letter from Board Secretary, Orren Joudrey, catches the pleasure:
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