Mahone Bay Old School_A Life and Times_Bob Sayer

Helen Holman felt sorry for Mr. Spencer: “calm, gentle, but no organization or
discipline.” Her favourite was Miss Jacquelin: “a beautiful all-round person, an
encourager..built you up..”
A fine photo of the school in 1945: Courtesy Helen Holman-Dares
The photo was used on the cover of the yearbook through to 1954.
Photo: Courtesy Muriel Hirtle
Percy Mosher, Teacher, 1943-44, Vice-Principal 1944-5,
Principal 1945-6:
• Percy was a local lad, born in 1915. His father was killed while mining in Ontario
when Percy was quite young.
• His mother was left poor and Percy and his sister Elsie had a very
frugal upbringing.
• In adolescence he got very sick with appendicitis and following complications. He
was hospitalized for long periods and lost three years of schooling. He had to make
them up and graduated in 1938.
• He borrowed the needed money and went to Normal College and did so well
academically that he started his degree part-time at Mount Allison while he was
teacher and principal at Mahone Bay.
• He was a strong supporter of scouts and cubs and started a cub pack at the school
• he was appointed to grade 8 in 1942. Percy had two tough years: one as viceprincipal
with C. W. Spencer, and his year as principal, 1945-6, was miserable. Not
because of his class, but because of his vice-principal, Mr. Matheson.
• Mr. Mathieson had been appointed vice principal and the man just could not
survive in the classroom. Agnes Croft [Whynott], Betty Walsh and others felt sorry
for the man. “He even dressed oddly.. He could keep no order..even the girls gave him
a hard time.” Irene Nauss and Agnes Croft remembered how poorly he dressed [holes
and patches, shirts that needed buttons, shoes you could see his toes through], an old
battered trilby hat, and how difficult he was to understand: “He was tormented. What
a sin!”
• Bad Girls
In January of 1946, Mr. Mathieson complained to the Board “ that he did not get the respect
he should’ and he named the girls who were particularly rude: Gertrude Rooke, Betty
Hamm, Anna Hirtle and Doris Fancy. Girls, where are you now?
• It was agreed that Mr. Mathieson would teach with his classroom door open so that
Mr. Mosher could go to his assistance. Such arrangements do not work. One teacher
cannot keep another’s discipline. Mr. Matheson had a section of his class leave to go
to the library and he was always sending ‘excessive talkers’ out of his room.
• Finally Percy, a man with a short temper, got exasperated, stomped into the other
room and manhandled Mr. Matheson to sit in a desk while he spoke to the students.
Agnes witnessed the incident and Mr. Matheson shouted, “I will not be treated like a
prisoner in my own country.”
• The Board accepted Mr. Mathieson’s resignation with relief.
Grade eight September 1943: Irene had made a mess of Iris’s hair
Back Row: Mildred Knickle, Violet Nauss, Muriel Hirtle, Shirley Hirtle, Gwen Ernst,
Edith Veinotte, Betty Langille. Front Row: Mr. Mosher, Agnes Croft, Evelyn Fraye,
Iris Crossland, Irene Nauss, Joyce Crossland, Sylvia Hiltz
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