Page 21 - Book Eleven Havelock

HIGH SCHOOL Written June 9 2010 Page 19
When Maureen was four and a half years old, Michael had just 􏰀g􏰁ad􏰂a􏰃ed􏰄 f􏰁om kinde􏰁ga􏰁􏰃en􏰅 􏰆he had a little brother Daniel 31⁄2 and a little sister Miriam 4 months old. She felt that it was high time we should plan for the future.
􏰇Momma􏰅􏰈 􏰆he info􏰁med 􏰂􏰆􏰅 􏰇We be􏰃􏰃e􏰁 ge􏰃 􏰆ome ne􏰉 babie􏰆􏰊 All of 􏰂􏰆 kid􏰆 􏰉ill 􏰆oon be in high 􏰆chool􏰊􏰈
I have already told you about the most memorable things that happened to me in my high school years like my struggles with Latin and French, my ineptitude with females of the opposite sex, the time I caused the whole educational system to have a fire drill and other stories. So this story will be about unimportant things that happened that I still remember 65 years later.
Like the time I split open the back of my pants in Grade 12 history period. Miss McCorvie was our teacher, a
young thing on he􏰁 fi􏰁􏰆􏰃 􏰃eaching job o􏰂􏰃 of 􏰃eache􏰁􏰆􏰄 college􏰊 We had one o􏰁 􏰃􏰉o of those types every year and they only stayed a year or two and went on to greater things somewhere else. This one was so young that Jim Scott, one of our high school boys who was a year or so older than me, but about 7 years more mature, had the audacity to ask her for a date. She was probably starved for male companionship in this far-from-Toronto place called Havelock so she did go out with Jim. I􏰄m no􏰃 􏰆􏰂􏰁e if protocol was dismissed during the date so they would be on a first-name basis. But I suppose she thought she had nothing to lose and she was likely already planning to get out of town on the first bus as soon as her contract expired. Besides, Jim had access to a car, rare in those days for a high school boy.
One day in class Miss McCorvie asked one of the 􏰀big strong boys􏰄 in her class to pull down a map of somewhere that had something 􏰃o do 􏰉i􏰃h 􏰃oda􏰋􏰄􏰆 hi􏰆􏰃o􏰁􏰋 le􏰆􏰆on􏰊 Yo􏰂 kno􏰉 􏰃he kind: like a big rolled up window blind above the blackboard, just out of reach for an ordinary sized young female teacher. Being one of the big strong boys (probably the shortest in the class) I quickly volunteered. I co􏰂ldn􏰄􏰃 􏰁each i􏰃 ei􏰃he􏰁 􏰆o I 􏰉en􏰃 o􏰌e􏰁 􏰃o 􏰃he 􏰃eache􏰁􏰄􏰆 de􏰆k and b􏰁o􏰂gh􏰃 a chair over to stand on. I gallantly reached up and dutifully pulled the map down. Well if the story ended there I would never have remembered this whole event because it was a long time ago in 􏰃he ea􏰁l􏰋 􏰍􏰎􏰏􏰐􏰄􏰆􏰊 B􏰂􏰃 I do remember what did happen next. Not content with my noble act of pulling down the map I decided a little showmanship was in order to top off my brave deed. So instead of stepping off the chair as any modest volunteer would do, I decided to jump off the chair - AND try for distance as in the standing long jump track event. I believe my distance was impressive all right but during my jump I heard - and felt - a 􏰀ZZZ-ITT􏰑􏰄 I had stretched the fabric of my well-worn trousers beyond their limit. I􏰄m no􏰃 􏰆􏰂􏰁e ho􏰉 many, if any, of my classmates heard the tear or saw the result, but I was mortified beyond belief. I slunk back to my seat taking very short steps and remained seated until after the whole class departed after the history lesson. Then I carefully rose from my seat, carefully pulled out my shirt tail which covered most of my back side then very carefully walked home and changed to my other pants.
Being a 􏰆ma􏰁􏰃 aleck in Mi􏰆􏰆 McCo􏰁􏰌ie􏰄􏰆 cla􏰆􏰆 didn􏰄􏰃 al􏰉a􏰋􏰆 ha􏰌e 􏰆􏰂ch di􏰆a􏰆􏰃􏰁o􏰂􏰆 􏰁e􏰆􏰂l􏰃􏰆􏰊 Once I go􏰃 la􏰂ghing app􏰁o􏰌al fo􏰁 a sassy answer. In her introductory lead-up to some historical German war she asked the class innocently if any of us knew any German. My hand 􏰉en􏰃 􏰂p and 􏰆he a􏰆ked me 􏰉ha􏰃 Ge􏰁man ph􏰁a􏰆e I kne􏰉􏰊 M􏰋 􏰁epl􏰋􏰅 􏰇Han􏰆 􏰂nd F􏰁i􏰃􏰒􏰈 (comic characters in 1940) brought a mild laugh f􏰁om 􏰃he cla􏰆􏰆 b􏰂􏰃 I don􏰄􏰃 􏰃hink Mi􏰆􏰆 McCo􏰁􏰌ie a􏰆ked me an􏰋 mo􏰁e q􏰂e􏰆􏰃ion􏰆􏰊 Ever.
I recall a few other negative events like the time I was demonstrating to Clarence Price how my sharp pencil could hurt my leg. I still have a small scar on my leg when he showed me how the sharp pencil could really hurt. Another disappointment was the time I took sick with the mumps or something when a team was picked to represent Havelock High School in an inter-school quiz competition at Campbellford High. I did get some measure of satisfaction a few weeks later after I recovered and after the competition was over when I beat everybody in our own school in a quiz about the same topic, current events.
Most of my high school memories are pleasant􏰊 Bob Wa􏰃􏰆on and I al􏰉a􏰋􏰆 􏰆eemed 􏰃o be 􏰆elec􏰃ed 􏰃o choo􏰆e 􏰂p 􏰆ide􏰆 in PT cla􏰆􏰆􏰊 􏰓􏰇PT􏰈 is Phys Ed now). I wrote a perfect paper in mathematics 2 or 3 times, I beat Allan by one mark in Gr 13 History once. I came 3rd in both the 100 yd dash and the 200 yd dash one field day. The 100 was never measured, only paced out, and the 200 was just a bit longer, ma􏰋be 􏰍􏰏􏰐 􏰋a􏰁d􏰆􏰊 Dad 􏰉a􏰆n􏰄􏰃 big on 􏰆po􏰁􏰃􏰆 and I don􏰄􏰃 􏰃hink he 􏰃ho􏰂gh􏰃 􏰃he di􏰆c􏰁epanc􏰋 mattered.
But mostly he did a great job as a popular and wise principal and Havelock High School thrived while he was in charge with one or two new young teachers every year and with support from Mr.Drinkwalter an experienced teacher who always stayed on.