Mahone Bay Old School_A Life and Times_Bob Sayer

Do You Remember and Can you imagine?’ from ’57-’58, 58-59 yearbooks:
‘Mrs. Olsen’s love for dancing practice?
‘Mrs. Olsen not worried about calories’
‘Mr. Mason driving a Cadillac’
Mr. W. F. Garth, Principal 1958-9: A One Year Hiatus
Mr. Garth came and went very quickly. He appears not to have been very comfortable
with the position. Students and teachers described him as a worrier and a ditherer.
There was always a problem. Because he was worried the students would hurt
themselves, he ruled that children should not run on the playground. Teachers were
obliged to turn a blind eye or try to enforce the unenforceable. But there were two
innovations that year. One, unfortunately, a flash in the pan. The other, fortunately,
was to be a long-term asset.
German is Taught for a Year
Given the German origins and culture of the town-in the very early days there was
more German than English-it is logical that there might be an interest in adding
German to the curriculum. Mr. Bauer came to the staff at the last moment for the
school and his stay was as brief as Mr. Garth’s. His resignation was accepted with
regret. Mary Elizabeth Kedy, badminton star, took the opportunity to take a credit in
German.
The First School Secretary: Miss Gail Thomas
Present day principals marvel at the fact that Mahone Bay [and many other schools]
up ‘til 1968-9 had no school secretary. How did all the paper work get done? Who
minded the office when the principal was away or was teaching [the V.P. position was
full time teaching]? Who acted as receptionist? And so on and so on!
Mr. Garth rushed in where angels feared to tread. He just went ahead and hired Gail
Thomas, and sent the bills to the Board. The frugal board was shocked. They wanted
to put Mr. Garth in his place, but he won the battle.
The Board minutes of October 14 1958 record:
‘…that Mr. Garth be notified that the services of Miss Gail Thomas be dispensed with
and to be re-engaged as required by notifying the Secretary.’
It was agreed she be hired for Monday and Wednesday mornings, Thursday
afternoon and all day Friday for a total of 13 hours per week. Then in August, with the new
principal, Burton Robinson insisting, the Board agreed she be engaged at no more the $35
per month. And so began a school institution: The School Secretary.
Gail had graduated from grade 12 in 1956 [her photo, one of the “Famous Seven,” is on
page 141]. She had been on the yearbook staff and with the new job she was often asked to
help type the yearbooks of the ‘60s.
“Thomas” went to Commercial School in Bridgewater, and was driven there by Hilda
Burgoyne who taught for a while in that town. The position was to remain a part-time
one ‘til the late ‘60s. When it was made full-time and it was required to move around
the whole school, Gail, who has multiple sclerosis, called it a day. She was a pioneer
at the school of night school classes in typing and bookkeeping for adults.
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