Article Four

School History
>> Bowmanville High School
Ever wonder what things were like at BHS in the first 50 years and beyond?
Article Four : Sixty Years Ago in B.H.S.
Title : Bowmanville High School 1880-1990 : One Hundred Years
Copyright 1990, Bowmanville High School Yearbook Committee

Sixty Years Ago in B.H.S. - Marie Ferguson

"What was life in B.H.S. like then?" you ask. Let's begin with the permanent fixture
in the school, teachers. At the time of the unveiling of the Memorial Tablet
there were five teachers, three women and two men, one of whom was Principal
W.A. Morrison. By 1922 the competition among the female members of the staff
has reached an all-time high so another male was added to the staff. Each
member of the faculty had to be ready to take prominent position as honourary
president of at least one of the numerous societies or to coach a team.

The most important organization was the Literary Society. It might be compared to
our Student's Council and it certainly assumed all the duties of the Council. Even
the school painist was an executive member of the Literary Society. A boy
and a girl were elected as representatives from each form.

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Debating was very popular in those early '20's. A great interest was shown in the
inter-school debating between Whitby, OShawa, and Bowmanville Schools. The
picture of Bowmanville's victorious debating team always occupied a prominent
position in the Screech Owl.

Along with the debating, an active part was taken by the whole school in the anuual
Oratorical Contest. The winners of the contest were accorded almost as much
fame as the football hero.

Because classes were rather small, form parties were not in vogue. However,
every year during the first week in June the whole school repaired to Hampton
Park for the annual school picnic. Everyone enjoyed an afternoon of races; contests
perhaps a baseball game. Of course, because they were human, all took at least
an hour for lunch.

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Perhaps because of the lack of a music teahcer Glee Clubs were not successful
until the 1920's. Boys' and girls' Glee Clubs were organized several times but
seldom performed.

Commencement was held in the opera house usually on the last Friday of December
before the school was adjurned for holidays. After the graduation exercises Grades
Eleven, Twelve and Thirteen catered to the graduates at a reception.

Later on in the spring, much effort was put into the school play. Shakespeare's
comedies, such as "As You Like It" and "A Midsummer Night's Dream", were
preferred on such occasions. When satisfactory Glee Clubs were organized,
Gilbert and Sullivan operettas were presented.

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Sports were all-important in B.H.S.. For the girls there were hockey, basketball,
and tennis. The boys played on hockey, soccer and football teams. All the teams
were well-supported as is evidenced by the frequent priniting of school yells in
the Screech Owl. New cheers were printed so the whole school could learn
them and lead the team on to victory.

Now for the fashions, girls. Dress was no problem in those early '20's. The usual
costume for the girls was a middie, full, dark skirt, long black stockings and black
laced oxfords. Coats featured high fur collars and fur-cuffed sleeves. Coats featured
high fur collars and fur-cuffed sleeves. Matching muffs were very popular. Since waists
were not in fashion, all the clothes were very unflattering to the figure. They wore those
atrocious bowl hats that fit the head snuggly and all but cover up the eyes. There was as
always, the eternal fighting between those fashionable girls with bobbed hair and those
without.

The boys wore suits, the kind with very little padding in the shoulders.

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Of course, cadets trained on the muddy spring ground in preparation for inspection. 
At that time only the boys were cadets. Later when a company of girls were discovered
the morale of the troops was visibly raised. 
The pupils of the old B.H.S. went through much agony at exam time as we do now.
In the School Calendar published in the Screech Owl appear a long drawn-out groan
after "exams and their results".
Mice could be found in B.H.S., too. One entry in the calendar says that a 
venturesome mouse was seen during Literary class but it disappeared quickly when 
History class began. We must remember that at that time class did not move  from
room to room. Instead the teachers rotated. 
Because the attendance at B.H.S. was small (approximately one hundred)
everyone knew everybody else. Eventually the Upper School began to recognize
first formers. The teachers were good sports, too. Approximately one-third of the jokes
in theScreech Owl were attributed to one male teacher. This is not different from
our teachers. it can be seen that, basically, life was not extremely different from
our present life in B.H.S.. Perhaps some may even prefer to have lived in those 1920's
at B.H.S..

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Note : The articles above are available in the Bowmanville Branch of the
Clarington Public Library in their reference section. Ask at the information
desk if you need help.        
       