The Guelph Township rural schools “After Glow” reunion took place on May 28 at the Ariss Valley Golf Country Club (the original Dickieson family farm).
On entering the hall everyone was given an envelope with a list of people attending, a picture of the eight Guelph Township Schools, and their own personal school picture drawn and donated by Marion Campbell.
“What a wonderful setting, a scrumptious luncheon buffet with ample room for our 123 guests to move about and visit,” said Campbell. “Murray Cowbrough, Bob Seim, and I were very pleased with the fine turnout of pupils.”
The teachers in attendance were Marguerite Cowley S.S. #5, Jean (Laidlaw) Fletcher S.S. #5 and Bob Seim S.S. #4.
“It was a thrill to see so many embracing, reminiscing and sometimes shouting for joy when recognizing an old friend from their Guelph Township School, be it S.S. #4, 4 ½, 5 or 6,” Campbell said.
A former student from England, Kathrine Cowbrough, won the prize for travelling the greatest distance.
Clarabeth (Mahaffey) McIntosh gave the “blessing.”
Clarabeth and her husband Jack McIntosh, S.S. #6, were both missionaries for 40 years in Japan to the Korean population where they raised a family.
“I think it’s very interesting to hear of the different occupations that came out of these four country schools – they include archivists, artists, genealogists, historians, homemakers, farmers, public school teachers, professors, doctors, a child psychologist, nurses, veterinarians, judge and lawyer, stenographers, helicopter pilots, airplane pilots, and many others too numerous to mention,” Campbell said.
Many furthered their education beyond Guelph Collegiate Vocational Institute (GCVI), after first graduating from a Guelph Township public school. These rural school areas in Paisley Block now include streets and roads named after residents such as Curtis, Dawson, Whitelaw, Fife, West End (Silvercreek), Malcolm, and Campbell.
Past school reunions were held at S.S. #4 at the Union Hall on Silvercreek Parkway on July 18, 1998; S.S. # 4½ Open House at David and Ingrid Bowman’s home, June 27, 1987.
The S.S. #5 reunion was held at Marden School Auditorium on June 22, 1996.
S.S. #6 reunions were held at Marden Public School on Sep, 17, 1994; June 12, 1999; and at the CAW Union Hall (formerly S.S #4) on June 20, 2004, as found in scrap book articles.
