The First Day of School

Guys, do you remember the first day of school after the summer holidays. The smell of the newly sanded and waxed floors is what I remember the most. It signalled a new beginning and a chance to do better than last year. We met our new teachers, although at Feild we knew all of the teachers before we got to them.

My clearest recollection of a first day was in Grade Eight. Mr. Melvin Ross(fictitious name) was our teacher and he was tall in his black ground. He was an imposing figure. He had a flat face with a bright smile when he smiled. His hair was like a short curly mat that covered most of his head but his forehead was quite bare. I think it got that way from his constant pushing his short hair back when he became agitated with a boy.

Mr. Ross was not a St. John's man. We knew this the first time we heard him speak. He was from 'around the bay'. Today we revel in our distinctiveness of dialect but in the early sixties anyone who was different from the norm was held up for ridicule. We used to mimic his expressions when he was out of earshot. If he heard you or caught wind of your impressions of him that brought on a flurry rightous indignation and in many cases a strapping.

I remember on day early in September. We were seated in our wooden and iron desks, our books safely stowed in the space under the seat. Class was about to begin. One of the boys, Crabtree by name, asked to sharpen his pencil. On his way to the sharpener he passed my desk and for whatever reason I stuck my foot out and tripped him. To this day forty-eight years later I have no recollection why I did that. He went sprawling up the aisle and landed just in front of the dais where Mr. Ross was seated. The reaction by Mr. Ross was startling. He picked up the large wooden desk and banged it on the floor of the dais with such ferocity that a cloud of dust ascended therewith causing him to cough. Crabtree forgot about his blunt pencil and scurried back to his seat. I on the other hand was shaking with impending doom as Ross approached me, grabbed me by my collar and dragged me to the front of the class where he administered five of his best on each of my extended hands. Nothing was said. I returned to my seat, palms throbbing. Needless to say I kept my feet under my desk the rest of the year.

Dances

Boys I saw a b and w photograph the other day of a dance held in the auditorium at Feild around 1940. Were dances popular around that time? I guess the Feildian Club sponsored them. There were a lot of old Feildians in this picture. Boys like Graham Martin, Ian Edwards, Lew Crane and a few others I cannot remember now. They seemed to be having a great time. There were quite a few ladies there too; I think from Spencer although I didn't know Spencer girls were allowed to go to dances with Feild boys.

The auditorium was very well decorated. It must have taken quite an effort to put up all the streamers in the picture. You cannot tell the colours but I imagine they were light blue and dark blue. Did any of you go to those dances?