Mahone Bay Old School_A Life and Times_Bob Sayer

The Return and Resignation of H.V. Corkum: 1946-49
The Return: ‘Was it the Board’s Wish?’
• Major Corkum met with the school Board in March 1946. He was expecting to
be discharged that spring. His leave of absence gave him the right to return, but he
wanted to know if he was wanted, and he wanted an increase in salary to $2400.
The minutes read:
…Chairman stated he was expressing the unanimous decision of the board when he
stated yes….. The Board also agreed to pay him $200 per month.
• There’s an old Chinese proverb that says you can’t enter the same river twice.
Mr. Corkum returned as principal. Almost exactly three years after the unanimous
approval, the Board asked for and received his resignation.
The Buzz of Action Returned
• Reinstatement of Additional Teacher: in March 1947 the Board agreed to have Mr.
Corkum draft a letter to the Department, ‘re replacement of the teacher dropped in
1943-4.’ With the war over, enrolment was back at the 200+ mark [204 in February,
1946]. The response was positive, and the salary and room preparations were made.
fourth from left and Muriel Hirtle, seventh from left; Betty Walsh [with eyes closed],
third row, third from right. There are the two Ernst sisters: Jackie (top left) and
Dorothea (extreme right) The girls had lightened up, wearing white blouses rather
than the dark ones of the 1941 photo.
• Drama Flourished with Full-Scale Productions
Ruth Campbell, “H.V”s vice-principal was an excellent teacher of English and
History.” She made the subjects alive…She made me want to be a teacher,” recalls
Betty Walsh who graduated and spent her whole teaching career at Mahone Bay.
Ruth Campbell was the director and moving spirit in these costumed full-length
productions. She moved on to other schools after 1949. Her picture can be found on
next page: in the ‘This Being Yours’ cast and the May Day preparations.
left to right:
Etoile Ernst, Verona Langille, Arthur Mader, Agnes, and Alice Mossman
Photo: Courtesy Betty Walsh
• Glee Club continued to flourish under Mrs. Oxner’s direction.
Taken at Lunenburg in 1946, the popular girls choir or glee club was still led by the
indomitable Pearl Oxner. The girls include, in second row, Irene Nauss [Whynott],
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