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29-Dec-2004 10:07 AM
Christmas Greetings from Carl
Happy Holidays - It is Dec.27. I just finished my lunch of leftovers and was reflecting on this past Christmas.
To many, Christmas is the most wonderful season; it is a time when family and friends extend their sincere best wishes to each other in a most positive and heart felt way.
But throughout the rest of the year, for some unexplained reason, somehow that spirit seems to be lacking or forgotten far too often
I think about many things, but am usually reluctant to share my thoughts. I do enjoy helping with our reunion dinners and web site. Now that I/we have again started adding pictures, ideas and thoughts to our 50's web site I couldn't help but think, that we "Earl Haigers from the Fifties" are just like one big family. We are fortunate enough to have grown up together in that wonderful era.
I really encourage everyone that has access the Internet to be part of our web site and share things with all of us. It really is a simple process. Just send anything you'd like to share to Russ, Sue or myself and we will display it.
Right now on our site you should notice a picture sent to us from Diane "Hiscox" Klein, of her mother, on her 90th birthday.
Also, I urge everyone to read the letter sent by fellow Haiger, Allan Tweddle. He responded to a request for feedback that was sent to several of last year's first-time attendees. I asked them to share with us their feelings after our dinner and seeing so many classmates from the past. Allan sent us this wonderful letter and this reflects wonderfully well on us all.
My wife, Marion, started painting and I'm proud to display 3 of her recent paintings we used as Christmas cards...
So send any picture or letter along, and share it, as part of our family.
07-Dec-2004 12:32 PM
Our Next Re-union Dinner
Tuesday May 10th., 2005.
Best wishes & compliments of the season to all!
Too many months have past since our last dinner. I apologize for that delay in providing current information including pictures and updates to our web site.
Start checking it again soon, as we will be adding more info from time to time.
- Carl D.
29-Dec-2004 09:52 AM
A note from Alison "Clare" Crawford from West Vancouver
re. our last dinner
Sent: June 14/04
Dear Carl;
What a fabulous time I had at the fabulous fifties
reunion dinner. It was great to see so many familiar faces.
Some I recognized and some I didn’t till they started
talking. Some haven’t changed a bit & some I didn’t
recognize Forty-four years is a long time
You and your committee did such a great job of
organizing it with all the info,names & addresses etc.
Thanks so much! Here are a few pictures for the web site.
Chuck Nash took some of them for me.
The only possible suggestion I could make, might be
to have a lunch for the gals, the next day perhaps?
The evening goes so fast, you can’t see everyone you’d like to.
Its great to keep in touch & see so many old friends
looking so great and doing so well after all this time.
I just couldn’t believe it. The memories go on and
on and on. Thanks again and keep in touch.
Hope to see you again next year.
Regards
Alison
29-Dec-2004 09:33 AM
A note from Sylvia "McClennan"Longley from Florida
re. our last dinner
Hi Carl,
I really enjoyed the reunion dinner. I was amazed that I remembered and recognized all my old high school friends without reading their name tags. It seemed just like yesterday that I had seen them.
I liked all the speeches that were given by the good old boys.
I plan to attend next year's reunion dinner, the good Lord willing.
Sincerely,
Sylvia
29-Dec-2004 09:33 AM
Letter from Allan Tweddle
re. our last dinner
Sent: Tuesday, May 25, 2004 1:52
Carl
I will try to put into a few words what I felt about our evening together. For me "a few" will be hard, and as you will see, there was a very personal element to the day's events.
The one year that I was at Earl Haig was very difficult and challenging. I was cleaning up the mess of grades that I had made at LPCI in Grade 11, and taking a full load of Grade 12. I had given up the beginning of a decent, and paying career path working for the City of Toronto that both my father and grandfather had taken. I was 8 years out of Grade 12. So my academic skills were rusty to say the least.
But two things happened at Earl Haig. There were a great group of teachers who, knowing my circumstances, gave me that little extra boost and encouragement that enabled me to pass and go on. From Miss Mumby, to Mr. Jackson, Mr. Withrow to Miss Knox, (Where is she now?...I was in love with her!) and others...they all reinforced on a daily basis my decision to return to school. I did not get all A's, or anything close. In fact, the admissions counselor at the University of Michigan's Engineering School told me that they would admit me on the basis of my returning to school, the recommendations of those teachers who wrote to them, and my commitment to get an engineering degree, and not certainly on my mediocre grades..
Then there were the students at EHCI. I found it hard to fit in, ..because I was older?, ...I had "real world experience"?...I don't know. I was a" transfer" student who had not grown up in North York, but went to LPCI. But I was made to feel very welcome, and made few good friends. My parents lived in Lansing, so EHCI it was to be.
Due to a severe injury in 1944, I was barred from any sports. So the choices for interaction among my fellow students were somewhat limited. I went out for the speech medal, and won it. I went for the Delphian cover contest, and won it. I silently felt guilty about both "wins" as I had, made many public speeches since LPCI and had studied nothing but art at Northern Vocational after LPCI. Kind of like inviting the Quarter Back of the Argos to come and play for EHCI...kind of...but not quite.
But people like Dave Crombie, Rod Ranta, Beverley Paterson all made me feel welcome. There were others too, but without re-reading the Delphian, I cannot recall their names...having a "sometimers" moment.
And I made the mistake of not keeping in touch. One thing that the evening did for me is bring back the camaraderie and kindness that I remember at I could see and feel it among those of you who have stayed in touch at EHCI. For that I thank you and all who were there.
On a very personal note Carl, that day was very difficult for me personally. Earlier in the day, I retrieved my dear departed Mother's ashes, and spread them over my father's grave and her father and mother's grave and her maternal grandmother's grave. It was a sad day for me until the evening...thanks to the fun, the joy and laughter that was the evening's mantra.
Mother's mother, who died at her and sister's birth, was an Armour for which Armour Heights is named. And one of the Armour girls married into the Gibson Family, whose house is preserved on Yonge Street just north of Sheppard. And the twist of fates showed up when I graduated from Michigan in 1961, I learned that Peter Silas Gibson, who built that house, graduated from Michigan's in Engineering Schooln 1861. 100 years between us Peter designed and laid out most of Toronto north of St.Clair Avenue.
So the evening with you all was very special too me. Sitting next to Bill Withrow was particularly wonderful. It was Mr. Withrow who saw that I had some sort of drawing and design skills, so he never stopped telling me to "NEVER STOP DRAWING". I have not stopped to this day.
"God willin' and the crick don't rize" *, I'll be there next year.
Congratulations on a wonderful event.
p.s. Maybe by next year, we'll find Miss Knox, and I can finally sneak a kiss and hug that I always dreamt of!
Allan Tweddle
Quidvis recte factum quamvis humile praeclarum
Sir Henry Royce, 1924
*West Virginia Speak!
A second note from Allan -
The letter is fine to post, all or part of it, as you feel it appropriate. I am very proud of my Canadian heritage, so my attending to my Mother's request, and her proud ancestry is all intertwined.
Mother's twin sister, who at 97 is still alive in a nursing home in Markham, is quite a history buff that has kept us all informed, aware and quietly proud of our heritage. She would probably want me to point out that General McNaughton, who commanded all the Canadian Forces in WW II, including my father Major John Tweddle, was a first cousin as well
Maybe the history stuff is of interest to others. Maybe not.
But I did want you, and those who planned the event with you, who have put so much time, energy and caring into the planning to know how special the evening was for me.
Thanks again
Allan Tweddle
29-Dec-2004 02:01 PM
After the gala, decade room
- from Cindy (McVeity) Onstad
Way out on the West Coast we seldom see anybody from Ontario so it was a
great experience to be so warmly welcomed by those of you who have bunkered
down in the East. Everyone, and I think that means Russ and Elizabeth McGee
from Chemainus, Alan Connolly, Betty (McVeity)Pollard and myself, all from
Vancouver, had a great time touching base once again with school friends
from the past.
The Friday night gathering at the hotel was the highlight for us: a time to
talk, to catch up, and to remember good times.
The Open House at Earl Haig was fascinating. The building itself held no
memories for any of us, but it was comforting to wander the halls and look
up the pictures of past principals, Earl Haig scholars and other students
who have distinguished themselves. The 50's Decade Room with all its
memorabilia, photos, past copies of the Blue and White and school sweaters,
helped to remind us of our days as teenagers.
We all send our thanks to the Dunsmoors for hosting the Friday gathering and
to Carl and the Reunion Planning Committee for all the work they did to make
the reunion such a memorable one.
- Cindy (McVeity) Onstad
Sunday, May 16, 2004 12:39 PM
Earl Haig's Fabulous Fifties Group
- April 27 re-union dinner
Every year is special & different. Many say this was our best dinner ever. Certainly a big part of it was seeing
all our classmates (over 20) who attended for the first time. It is often difficult to attend when you live a plane
ride away. Some of this year's new faces from afar, Sylvia "McClennan"Longley from Florida, Alison"Clare"Crawford from West Vancouver, Allan Tweddle from West Virginia, Betty Robinson
from Redmond, Washington, and many others from distant parts of Ontario.
The smiling & laughing continued with the speeches by our renowned classmates, Dr. Allan Connolly
& David Crombie, (this year's recipient of our famous Ink Pot Trophy )
Obviously the word is spreading about what an enjoyable evening it is, reminiscing about the past.
We have been getting together annually for 28 years The women have only been attending since 2000.
Prior to that the men & coaches would average just over 40 each year. In 2000 we had 74, 2001- 78,
2002- 99, 2003- 77 & this year 107 attended. Another 10 cancelled at the last moment because of family
or health reasons & there were at least 10 more regulars who hadn't planned to join us this year.
Its amazing that even some teachers attend each year. Nick Purdue is 86. It is meant to be a fun evening
and it always is. I know so many of us look forward to it each year.
Last year I forgot my notes for my little speech & this year, speech in hand, I missed a few things. I wanted to say
many thanks to Bill & Sue Dunsmoor for their generosity in sponsoring the Wine & Cheese Party at the 75th
last October. Also to Howie Hiscox who contributed the funds to cover this year's expenses, which include mailings,
long distance, web site costs, etc. All the volunteers are so great & make the event easy to organize.
Bruce Kleinstuber had our Ink Pot beautifully restored. Also our thanks to Ed Carter for sharing with us all those
wonderfull pictures now on display on our web site.
I forgot to have the past president's of our student council together on stage for a picture and/or a few words.
Bob Meadows (53) attended for the first time. He had been living in northern Ontario, now in Bobcaygeon & enjoys
doing woodcarving. Hopefully pictures were taken of all the first time attendees together on the stage.
We are trying to make our web site more pro-active ( more on that in the next letter) until now the site has been
visited over 1300 times. Russ Strathdee has been having fun with it and spends a considerable amount of time
trying to make it interesting so that you can even interact with other visitors. He regrets that he could not attend
our last dinner due to a last minute priority date conflict. As you may recall, one of Russ's passions is his music.
He has written numerous pieces over the years and a work in progress is the creation of a high quality CD.
When a recording engineer and studio time he had been wanting since last fall became available he had to be
there (and spend lots of money), instead of enjoying our company. He informed me that he is pleased with the
recording session (more on that later). Russ also plays in a few bands on a regular basis, for example The Martels
Rock and Roll Show (http://www.themartels.com).
Be sure to visit our web site on a regular basis. Thanks to Bob Craig, we have 14 new pictures & I'm sure there will be many more.
A list of who attended is also on the site. There will be more stories about the evening for all to read.
If you want to know addresses, emails, of anyone on our master list (about 300 names) please do it through the contact page on the web site. Thanks
CARPE DIEM
Carl Dell'Agnese
P.S.
There were several people with digital cameras at the dinner. Please make the effort to email your pictures to me
or have them put on a CD & mail me a copy. We will then share them with everyone by displaying them on our
web site. We are already planning for next year. We would welcome any ideas or suggestions you may have.
Already Dr. Ruth"Bronson"Dixon-Mueller (55) who lives in Costa Rica plans to attend,
as does Cindy"McVeity"Onstad (56) from Vancouver, Noel Bambrough from Atlanta, Georgia &
Allan Tweddle plans to attend again next year.
Saturday, May 01, 2004 12:30 PM
"It (our reunion dinner on April 27, 2004) was a great evening with the most ever attending (107) . Many new faces, all smiling,
There will be pictures & more details soon. We are expecting many pictures which we plan to put on our web site."
- Carl, Sue & Russ
Some of the emails we received Wednesday .
Congratulations on producing the VERY BEST RE-UNION YET. The whole evening
was truly outstanding and I'm sure everyone there had a fabulous time, many thanks for everything.
suppose you'll get 106 e-mails today but mine is one of them, to say "thank you" for a lovely evening. We sure do enjoy getting together
...a big thank you for another fantastic evening...I had a ball
Dinner was great!! Everyone we spoke to was happy to be there. Thanks so very much!!
Wasn't that a party! Just wanted to say thanks again for arranging such a great evening
You did it again . . . you got us all to-gether again to enjoy the chit chat, our friends, drinks and dinner . . . the speeches were fantastic . .
Just wanted to thank you and your team of volunteers for a wonderful evening. This was my first time attending but it won't be my last
Thursday March 11,2004
Our annual 50's re-union dinner will be held on Tuesday April 27, 2004 at the Old Scott House, 520 Progress Ave., Scarborough, 416-296-2222
Hwy. 401 & Brimley Ave. (just north of Scarborough Town Centre)
Cocktails starting at 6:00 with dinner at 7:30
About 20 years ago, this started as a birthday lunch for 5 or 6, then a Christmas luncheon of 10 or 12. It progressed to a dinner party for the boys and coaches of our sports teams, with more than 40 attending. In 2000 we invited the ladies to join us. Now approximately 100 attend each year.
I urge you not to miss any opportunity to attend. Each year is different and it takes at least 2 or 3 dinners to visit with all your friends, as most, especially out-of-towners don't attend each year. Unfortunately, over the years, many of our classmates and teachers have passed on.
It is full course dinner with 3 choices, including a glass of wine, dessert, taxes and tip for $50.00. There is also a cash bar. Dress is casual. If you have any questions, don't hesitate to call me. There is no special theme this year. We have over 60 Blue and Whites and some pictures to display.
In October last year the school held its 75th re-union. It was a successful event.
The Friday night wine and cheese party hosted by Bill and Sue "Thomson" Dunsmoor was especially great. The decade rooms on Saturday brought out many new faces. As a result and by word of mouth we have added many new names to our list.
Thanks to Sue "Harding" Evans-Boxell, we now have one master list of almost 300 names. Most are from the 1952-57 years, but all are welcome to our dinners.
We do wear name tags, as some of us don't look quite like we once did. It is best to arrive early and enjoy the many stories and memories shared by all before we sit down to dinner.
It is important this year to RSVP as we don't have any idea of how many new faces will attend. Please don't think you have to decide immediately, but do RSVP. The restaurant is very accommodating, so don't hesitate to join us even if you can't confirm until the very last moment. Join us for a cocktail, even if you can't stay for dinner.
When we meet again in April, many of us will be seeing each other for the third time in one year. Quite amazing when you consider that it was 50 years ago we were all students together. It is and will continue to be a special time to many of us.
We now have our own web site (this one, www.earlhaig50s.com) , thanks to Russ Strathdee.
It has many great old pictures and stories from the Blue & White and Delphian. Much more is planned. I'm sure you will enjoy viewing it. If you have an opportunity to access the Internet at a family or friend's home, be sure to take the time to check it out. We are continually looking for items and pictures to display so, if you have anything you would like to share please let us know.
It would be so much easier if everyone had e-mail and internet access, as it is impossible to pass along all information, including pictures in one letter.
I have been surprised and pleased to realize how active and young at heart so many of us are.
We are changing our name to Earl Haig's Fabulous 50's Group from Earl Haig Old Timers.
CARPE DIEM!
Sincerely, Carl Dell'Agnese
40 Camwood Cres.
North York,Ont.
M3A 3L4
RSVP - office: 416-757-4550 - home: 416-444-6661 - fax: 416-751-8967
- e-mail: (please use our
Contact
page)
November 10, 2003
Notes from Carl 
re. Oct. 3rd and 4th 2003 weekend:
There was a terrific turn-out to these events. I'm sure all who attended really enjoyed themselves.
Again we thank Bill & Sue Dunsmoor for their generosity in sponsoring the friday night wine & cheese party.
We also thank Sue "Harding" Evans, Carolyn "Connolly" Macdonald, Maureen "Gilpin" McMaster, Shirley "Marshall" Dunstan, Beverley "Paterson" Wood, Joanne "Brett" McCullough, Ed Gray, Bruce & Lorraine Kleinstuber & all who helped in displaying
some great old pictures & items in the decade rooms.
It was especially great to have some of our teachers join us, Our best wishes to Nick Purdue, Jack Foote, Marsh Morris, Bill Smythe, William Withrow with his wife June.
Another treat was to have Dianne & Howie Hiscox's mother join us.
Over 140 Haigers from the 50's visited the school & decade room on the saturday, resulting in
over 25 new names for our mailing list.
Several items and pictures will soon be added to this site about the week-end.
It takes more time than I origionally thought, so check periodically, as we will continue to add items from the Delphian & Blue & Whites,
as well as other pictures & items of interest.
If you took any digital camera shots at any event, please let us know (via the Contact page) so they can be displayed on this site. Any other pictures would also be appreciated. Beverley"Paterson"Wood took many regular pictures which are now being scanned.
Be aware that we can also scan any picture or article of interest from our past & display it for all to enjoy.
We are trying to put together a special edition of the Blue & White. (Possibly in time for Christmas.)
Several past Blue & White staff members have agreed to write something for us. Shirley "Marshall" Dunstan, Cindy "McVeity" Onstad, Beverley "Patterson" Wood, Ed Gray, as well as Dave Crombie (check-out picture # 4 - "Photos" Our 50's Decade Room).
We would welcome any article from anyone so inclined to share a story with us.
The main idea behind creating this website, was to have some fun with it. We can continue to build on the enjoyment we all seem to get from our annual re-union dinners (probably the first week in May next year). I think it says something about the great time we all experienced growing up in the 50's at Earl Haig. Even though I am an intregal part of it, it wouldn't be possible without the support of everyone. Russ Strathdee and I have the most fun by working together on this website. We continue to think of ways to improve and
simplify it for all to enjoy. Most of our generation are not very comfortable using a computer & many don't have access to one,
so its a bit of a challenge. I started off in a haphazard way & my lack of experience shows.
Russ deserves most of the credit, for his time & effort as well as his patience with me in the changes we continue to make.
- Carl Dell'Agnese, November 10, 2003
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