535-03 Page 24ioneer W. Oxford School q
CM
Building
Ready In Fall
Free Press Woodstock Bureau
WOODSTOCK, July 6 — A
silent rusting pump and a
fading red brick school house in
West Oxford stand stark in the
hot sun waiting for the wreck-
ers to put a period to some 77
years of educational service to
the community.
SS No.7 schoolhouse is soon
to be demolished and to make
the wake a happy occasion
about 200 ex -pupils and teach-
ers have been invited to attend
a reunion there, Saturday.
A modern two -room strue-
ture, costing an estimated $30,-
000 with equipment, is expected
to be ready by September 1 to
assume the duties of the old
school The new school will be
located about half mile north
of Sweaburg.
The firstschool in the dis-
trict, SS No. I was built nearly
a century ago in 1857.-SS No.
7 was built in 1877 at a cost of
about $2,400.,,
Charles Brink, of Woodstock,
chairman of the program com-
mittee, said today that about
200 persons are expected at the
reunion to mark the passing
of the old school and to enjoy
a real "old get-together."
lyl
s Old School Awaits w
WEST OXFORD SCHOOL AWAITS WRECKERS. U-,�1a
The reunion is expected to talks from former pupils and Leslie Thornton, Woodstock;
start about 11 a.m. with a ball teachers will round out the Mrs. Emerson Garfet, RR 1,
game followed by a pot luck afternoon. I Woodstock; Norman Thornton,
lunch at 12.30. Music, enter- Mr. Brink will be assisted with Woodstock, and Gordon Masson,
tainment and-shortimpmmptu the program details by Mrs. RR 1, Beachville.
Many former students, teachers
and interested people ,gathered
at SS 7, West Zeara, recently for
a_remn0l) beforel the old school
rip
Former Staff, Pupils
Say Goodbye To e SS6
Free Press Woodstock Bureau Llmm�ei (Syn yJ.
WOODSTOCK, July 10-SS No, 7, West Oxford School, yester-
day played its last part in the community it served so long, when
over 200 ex -pupils, teachers and district residents gathered for
a reunion which was also a farewell to the 78-year-old building.
Shortly, SS No, 7 will go the way of many "little red schoolhouses,"
and a new and modern structure.
will supplant the pioneer. -Eight other former teachers of
Picnic Under Trees SS No. 7 also offered remin-
Proceedings started with regis- iscences as they greeted former
tration followed by apicnic lunch pupils. Mrs. Norman Lazenby, of
served in the shade of the old Woodstock, who tauglyt.-,in the
trees in the schoolyard. George years 1886-87-88, was honored as
Jakeman, representative of the the earliest teacher present and
West Oxford Township School received a gift as souvenir of the
Board, welcomed all visitors. In- occasion.
vocation was offered by Jack Former Teachers
Hargreaves, former pupil of the Other ex -teachers present were:
school. Mrs. S. Kinnear, Vineland, 1921;
D. M. McDonald, principal of Mrs. David Lee Melvin, Toronto,
Northdale Public School in 1923; D. M. McDonald, Wood.
Woodstock, was chairman of the i stock, 1926-31; William Hart, East
afternoon program. Mr, M"Don- Oxford, 1935-40; Mrs. Richardson,
aid, who commenced his teaching 1 1943-44; Mrs. Meek, Folden's Cor-
career. at SS No, 7, recalled past ners, 1947.
days of his five-year period as i A poem calling up fond mem-
teacher in the community. I ories of old school days and com-
Greetings were read from Wal- posed especially far the occasion
lace Nesbitt, MP for Oxford, who by a former pupil, Mrs. Alma
was unable to be present. Gordon Gray Hermiston, of Toronto, was
Innes, MLA, and Mr. Hargreaves read by her former teacher, Mrs.
addressed the gathering. Byron. S. Kinnear,
J2DyU of Ingersoll, former f q ra -de,
teacher o e sc act, now re-
tired, traced a history of the dis-, ,$[ , ,5,t,C 2 .crm.e-Sr.C..Q .ao
trict from the time of the original Ca i!48 eW Der rQe.�.w 7;( <6w
"lag school."
.Cow.ai, or:Gno7M7 St.Ls.e
PUPILS AND TEACHER ATTEND SCHOOL REUNION vrt1y 9 f4r7,
k for North Sweaburg School,- West reunion. They were in the class
was torn down ta-ma e way
a highway. Shown above, left I Oxford Section; L. Clarkson, E. 1885, 1886 and 1887. (Photo by
to right, are R. Pullin, 4at the
N L enib' who taught at Jakeman and C. Cormae,
Mrs. . az ,
, zv . %