BLYTH LIONS' CLUB BOYS AND GIRLS BAND

Saturday, July 28

Blyth Lions Club Boys and Girls Band

This afternoon I've been browsing through the Blyth Standards of the 1940s, in connection with one of our research projects. As often happens, the search has turned up some interesting facts that have nothing to do with what I was looking for.

Almost every issue of our old local paper in that time period has one or more front page items about the Blyth Lions' Club Boys' & Girls' Band. The articles included reviews of recent concerts, articles about upcoming band events, stories about band members who were competing in music festivals in nearby or distant communities. 

The Boys' and Girls' Band consisted of about 45 to 50  Blyth and area young people - mostly in their teens - who came out regularly to band practices and were prepared to get all dressed up in their spiffy uniforms to take part in band tattoos, concerts, parades, church services, fall fairs, etc.  They played a wide variety of musical styles - including some very difficult numbers. The instruments they played included coronets, alto horns, baritones, tubas, sousaphones, trombones, clarinets, saxophones, kettle drums and bass drums. They learned to march and perform complex maneuvers while playing music.

The old projection booth in Memorial Hall was full of band instruments that had been unused since the previous Citizen's Band was disbanded (no pun intended).

The leader of the band was Mr. A.C. Robinson of London, Ontario. "Robbie" as he was known by, was a very demanding leader and was very protective and supportive of the band. He was competitive, too, always wanting to prove that the band from this little burg was just a bit better than the other youth bands in the big city of London. The members paid a monthly fee for the lessons and for the use of the instruments. Some members purchased their instruments.

This band developed a number of very talented musicians. Some members had already developed their musical skills through piano or other types of musical training.

But the main thought that came to me while looking at these old local papers was the total impact of the band on the life of the community: the youths who were members, the parents of those members, the Lions' club, and the community as a whole.


What a wonderful opportunity we were given as teenagers to develop musical skills and the ability to entertain each other and the community as a whole. It opened up a whole realm of opportunity for many of us in the village. In addition, it provided the community with a widely respected ambassador group and a one that gave the entire village a sense of pride.

This band was one of the first major contributions of the newly formed Blyth Lions' club and that organization is to be commended for taking on such an ambitious project.

What Will Happen to The Queen Mom's Oak Tree?

Oak tree showing to the left

The following article was written by Gertrude Taylor many years ago and was reprinted in Focus on April 15, 2002, soon after the death of the Queen Mother Elizabeth. It was submitted by Mrs. Taylor's daughter, Ethel Martin, who once operated a store in Blyth.

Two special oak trees were planted on the Blyth School grounds around 1940. Only one of the trees is still in existence. The future of that tree is now very uncertain as the former school grounds are up for sale.

Here is the article:


Big Oaks from little acorns grow. This is an old saying, but proof that it is still true can be seen growing in the school grounds in Blyth.


This story began in 1939. In that year King George VI and Queen Elizabeth toured  Canada. At every stop the Royal train made on this tour great crowds greeted them. Parents were anxious that their school age children should see them. The great interest shown by the children won the hearts of the Royal Visitors, so much so, that acorns from the oak trees growing in the Royal Grounds at Westminster, England, were promised to be sent to the schools according to the number of pupils attending each school, also saplings were promised.


The promised acorn, five in number, arrived at Blyth with instruction for starting and care of same.  Instruction were to start each acorn in a small container, with only a small amount of water, keep moist and in the sunlight. Each acorn was started in and egg sup. In a short time two began to show signs of growth. The other three made no such signs. Early the following year saplings, either one or two, arrived at Blyth.


In those years the 24th of May was always celebrated on the 24th , not a week earlier, nor a week later. I remember that year the 24th was on a Monday. Mr. Jim Huckstep, the town barber for many years in Blyth was also a great lover of horticultural work. He with some of the councillors, carrying a shovel and pail of water. took the saplings to the Memorial Hall grounds and planted them. They then took the two seedlings, which by this time had grown 10 or 12 inches in height, to the school grounds and planted them also. Oh, they seemed so small to be out on their own, but with the protection around each on they managed to come right along.


Because they had plenty of room to grow they are now two beautiful trees. I admit I was very pleased adn excited when the first signs of life began to show in each of the two acorns. I gave them my very best care and feel, when I look at the trees that I have been well repaid for my labours. I still believe that only God can make a tree.


Perhaps there are some who have never heard the story of the two Royal Oak Trees. They are growing on the North West corner of the Blyth school grounds.


The writer of this article lived in and around Blyth all her life until 1950 when she moved to Goderich. There are many beautiful trees in Goderich, too, but none so special to the writer as the two Oak Trees that began life in my egg cups.

Written by Mrs. G. M. Taylor, Goderich, Ontario

WHEN OUR SCHOOL BOARD HAD REAL TRUSTEES

TRUSTEES THAT CARED ABOUT OUR COMMUNITY

(With some added comments in bold)

In 1881 the Blyth Public School Trustees decided to save some money and perhaps reduce the national debt, by lowering the pay of the teachers.The principal's salary was cut by 10% and that of the two female teachers by a little over 11%.

The press story at the time reported "This step has elicited public dissatisfaction in  a very marked way, A petition signed by the large majority of the ratepayers, praying that the salaries be left at the usual figure, was presented at the trustee meeting last Saturday evening"

The trustees had moved and seconded that.the petition be filed (i.e. ignored) but it was later decided that the petition be tabled for consideration at the next board meeting.

The newspaper correspondent added "It is to be hoped that our trustees, who are certainly elected to carry out the wishes of the ratepayers, will in this instance show their good judgment by acceding to the unmistakable evidence of public opinion, and grant the prayer of he petitioners".

If only we had a school board today who actually listened to public opinion and reacted to what they heard. We don't know the outcome of that next board meeting, but given the first response, we could infer that the reconsideration would be sincere and honest. The important difference is that that board was considering the wishes of the citizens of Blyth - not the dictates of Seaforth or Toronto bureaucrats.

Sincere and honest! Imagine what it would be like to be able apply such epithets to our school board (Avon Maitland DSB). Instead we have a small gang of absentee overseers who are utterly disconnected from their electorate, blindly and mutely following a group of overpaid, incompetent, bureaucrats who know little and care less about education but whose abilities are limited to manipulating numbers on spreadsheets.

They stole our school away from us because the spreadsheets indicated that they can't afford to operate a school in Blyth any longer. They gave no consideration as to whether Blyth could afford to lose its school, which should have been the main factor. 

Somehow they managed to find thirteen or fourteen million dollars to build a big new school that is not needed or justified in Wingham.

Now the Wingham Business Alliance is bragging about this new school which makes Wingham so much more attractive than poor old Blyth which (can you imagine?) does not even have a school. Poor old Blyth. Don't move there or your kids may have to attend school in portables in Londesborough  of all places.

And the Wingham Business Alliance says that if you need more information about this wonderful Wingham, just go to the website for North Huron which will answer all you need to know about this wonderful way-better-than-Blyth town.

Brock Vodden

Major Changes to this Blog

Blyth ladies in front of a commercial building that no longer exists. It was between the CIBC bank and Sharon's Miniature Museum.

This Blog, All About Blyth, is returning to its roots. From now on, it's going to be, well - all about Blyth. Mostly historical "news", heritage pictures, historical accounts, research findings, and insider information on the Repository of Blyth History will be the fare from now on.

Comments on Wingham Free Press will be presented in my new blog, named "Shadow of Wingham Free Press". Its address is http://blythwardecho.blogspot.ca.

Feedback from a number of sources indicated that some people felt that the discussion of the sordid blasts out of the WFP was incompatible with the original purpose of this Blog.

I was capitalizing on the strong following as a means of getting the word out that WFP is having a severe negative effect in our community - including Blyth. The WFP criticism drew a very substantial following of people who were not joining us out of interest in Blyth history, and I think their participation had a positive effect.

So if you want to get the REAL story behind the babbling of Stephen Hill and the no-name friends of his, go to "Shadow of Wingham Free Press" at the above address. You can add a comment, positive or negative at the end of any of the items in the blog. If the language is adult and clean, and the point is worth considering, I'll post your comments on that Blog.

I am pleasantly surprised at the number of people making contact through this medium - well over 3,000 hits per month.

Everyone is welcome to tune in at this site for information that is  All About Blyth.

Thanks for the visit!

Brock Vodden

BUSKERFEST IN BLYTH

Buskerfest! What is that?

The name took many Huron County people by surprise, but fortunately the event was sufficiently intriguing that quite a few people showed up.

Queen Street was closed off from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. and the two-block business area was transformed into a carnival atmosphere with food offerings, face-painting, canvas painting for children, a juggler, pottery products and pot turning, jewelry, and many musicians playing and singing their hearts out.