It may seem strange to hold the most exciting event of the school year in the autumn but winter weather and spring mud were obstacles to rural assemblies in the later part of the school calendar. This little exhibition of homespun achievements, arranged by the teachers and pupils at Denbigh, is probably little different from similar events across Ontario a century or so ago. The activities which kept children busy throughout the hot, sunny summer days and golden September are very different from those which occupy children now. Reading the list of exhibitors gives a brief glimpse of well-turned gardens, busy kitchens and basic classroom endeavors when our grandparents were young.
From Napanee Express, October 30th, 1928:
DENBIGH SCHOOL FAIR
Oats - Vincent Ferguson, Isaiah Presley, Evelyn Blain
Oats (sheaf) - Isabella Presley, Vincent Ferguson, Lena Kline [sic], Evelyn Stein, Karl Fritsch
Wheat - Iona Rose, Isabella Presley, Lawrence Seeley
Wheat (sheaf) - Isabella Presley, Iona Rose, Lawrence Seeley, Cecil Edwards
Barley - Nelson Rose, Edna Petzold, Herbert Berndt, Ruby Ferguson, Ellsworth Presley, Lesley Seeley
Barley (sheaf) - Ellsworth Presley, Edna Petzold, Ruby Ferguson, Leslie Seeley, Nelson Rose
Sweet Corn - Ruth Faulk, Aileen Ball, Ethel Presley, Georgina Lane, Barnard Inwood, Ruth Gregg
Potatoes - Earl Gregg, Cecil Rogers, Reginald Edwards, Morgan Lane, Irene Adams, Kenneth Glaeser
Potatoes [different type? seed potatoes?] - Evelyn Ball, Gladys Thompson, Cecil Edwards, Janet Lane, Howard Green, Vincent Ferguson
Turnips - Harry Kline [sic], Morris Rogers, Kenneth Seeley, Vivian Dool
Mangels - Nelson Rose, Cecil Rogers, Kenneth Seeley, Elsa Fritsch, Vivian Dool
Beets - Audrey Gregg, Gladys Bell, Morris Rogers, Lloyd Smith, Ruby Ferguson, Dorothy Presley
Carrots - Lucy Gregg, Francis Inwood, Lloyd Ferguson, Cecil Edwards, Orma Fritsch, Dorothy Presley
Onions - Aleta Inwood, Edna Rose, Reginald Bloom, Cameron Dool, Ellen Thompson
Parsnips - Iona Rose, Sara Thompson, Gladys Thompson, E. Presley, Gladys Thompson [two exhibits?]
Asters - Orma Fritsch, Dorothy Presley, Evelyn Stein, Viola Lloyd, Edna Rose
Sweet Peas - Isabella Presley, Ruth Faulk, Viola John
Phlox - K. Frisch [sic], Ora Fritsch, Florence Rose, Ethel Presley
Zinnia - Viola John
African Marigold - Irene Lloyd, Ellsworth Presley
Verbena - Rena Glaeser
Calendula - Irene Adams
Salpiglossis - Elsie Fritsch, E. Petzold
[Also known as "painted tongue" or "velvet flower", salpiglossis has small, brilliantly-coloured,
petunia-like blossoms. In Canada, it is a flower of late summer, blooming from August through to
the first frost. It is considered challenging to grow.]
Apples, Wealthy - Viola John, Lena Kline, Doris Kline, Edna Rose, Evelyn Stein, Isabella Presley
Apples, Talman Sweet - Ellen Thompson
Apples, collection of different types - Doris Kline, Cecil Edwards, Isabella Presley, Janet Lane, E. Thompson, Ruth Gregg
Spring Colt - Lloyd Ferguson, Ernest Ferguson
Calf - Muriel Petzold, Edna Petzold, Kenneth Glaeser, Thora Green
Spring Lamb - Edna Petzold
Barred Rock Cockerel - Elmer Lloyd
Collection of Weeds - Ruth Faulk, Lucy Gregg, Isabella Presley, Madeline Dool
[A project often assigned to children was to mount a collection of weeds. The
objective was to teach them to identify plants which were deemed a nuisance to
agriculture.]
Collection of Hay and Pasture Crops - Isabella Presley, Bernard Inwood
Bird House - Clarence Shaw, Reginald Bloom, Bernard Inwood
Wooden Mallet - Bernard Inwood, Clarence Shaw
Bran Muffins - Doris Glaeser, Gladys Thompson, Ethel Presley
Oatmeal Cookies - Ruth Faulk, Orma Fritsch, Ethel Presley, Isabella Presley, Dorothy Presley, Gladys Thompson
Apple Pie - Ruth Gregg, Orma Fritsch, Rena Glaeser, Isabella Presley, Edna Petzold, Nora Rosenblath
Homemade candy - O. Fritsch, Viola John, Isabella Presley, Ellen Thompson, S. Thompson, Madeline Dool
Clothes Pin Apron - Ruth Faulk, Christina Ferguson, Isabella Presley, Gladys Thompson, Ellen Thompson, Madeline Dool
Handkerchief - Christina Ferguson, Gladys Thompson, Isabella Presley, Madeline Dool, Dorothy Presley, Ethel Presley
Wash Cloth - Gladys Thompson, Muriel Petzold, Christina Ferguson, Ethel Presley, Madeline Dool
Guest Towel - Gladys Thompson, Isabella Presley, Edna Petzold, Christina Ferguson, Aleta Inwood, Madeline Dool
Writing, "The Dandelion" - Ruth Faulk, Ellen Thompson, Fibrence Rose, Elsa Fritsch, Leslie Seeley
Writing, "The Shepherd Boy" - Christina Ferguson, Edna Petzold, Rena Glaeser, Lawrence Seeley, Isabella Presley, Viola John
Writing, "Indian Summer" - Gladys Thompson, Ruby Ferguson, Vinant Ferguson, Doris Glaeser, Ethel Presley, Ora Fritsch
Writing, "The Star" - Reginald Bloom, Lloyd Smith, Dorothy Presley, Addie Kenyon, Ellsworth Presley, Jimmy Wilson
Writing, "The Wind" - Violet Mountney, Muriel Petzold, Wm. Glaeser, Irene Adams, Carl Rahm, Morgan Lane
Map of Canada - Ruth Faulk, Florence Rose, Ellen Thompson
Watercolor Poster - Tommy Thompson, Isabella Presley, L. Seeley, Christina Ferguson, Bernard Inwood, Viola Malcolm
Drawing of a Cat - Aleta Inwood, Gladys Thompson, Ethel Presley, Samuel Thompson, Sarah Thompson
Drawing of a Pumpkin - Reginald Bloom, Addie Kenyon, Dorothy Presley, Lloyd Smith, Ellisworth Presley, Georgina Lane
Stock Naming Contest - Viola Malcolm, Florence Rose, Christina Ferguson, Ellen Ferguson
Public Speaking Contest - Edna Petzold, Ellen Thompson, Aleta Inwood, Evelyn Ball, Cecil Edwards
School Chorus - Denbigh S.S. 5 [Denbigh Village]; Denbigh S.S. 2 [Vennachar]
Strathcona Exercises [demonstration] - Denbigh S.S. 5 [Denbigh Village], Denbigh S.S. 2 [Vennachar]
[Once a ubiquitous part of elementary school life, these physical training exercises are
now all but forgotten. They originated with the donation in 1910 of $500,000.00 to the Government
of Canada by Lord Strathcona (Sir Donald Alexander Smith), who was then Canadian High Commissioner
in London, England. The funds were to be invested at 4% interest, and the revenue was to be spent
on developing citizenship, physical fitness and patriotism in Canadian youth. The funds were
administered by the Strathcona Trust. At that time, physical training in Canadian public schools
was an ad hoc, inconsistent endeavour, when it happened at all. Much concern was expressed over
the new "sedentary lifestyle" enjoyed by young people a hundred years ago, which might surprize
us today. In 1911, the Strathcona Trust published a sylliabus of
physical training exercises based on the Swedish system of educational gymnastics. The intension was
to raise the level of physical fitness training in elementary schools and at the same time make
it more consistent across the Dominion. The "Strathcona Exercises" were a prominent feature of
elementary physical education in Canada for nearly forty years. The Strathcona Trust is perhaps
better remembered today for its support of the Royal Canadian Army Cadet Corps.]
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