The McKay Creek School Reunion in Pioneer Village

 

  On Sunday, September 19, 2010, the                                                    McKay Creek School, preserved in                                                          Pioneer Village at the Stampede                                                              grounds in Medicine Hat, was the site                                                      of a reunion of former students.  They                                                      met to celebrate their unique                                                                  education, the history of the one-room-                                                    portable classroom/school and                                                              stories with former classmates.  

 

There were sixty-five people in attendance, including members of the Medicine Hat and District Retired Teachers’ Association,

sponsors of the event.

 

 

               

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     The McKay Creek School  was named after an early settler Edward McKay.  It began as a small shack in 1927 about nine miles south of Wash in a tributary coulee to McKay Creek.  After the school burned down in 1933, a replacement was built in a slightly different location. 

     There were usually ten students in attendance and the teacher was most often a young attractive and unmarried  female who stayed with families in the district.  A treasurer in each school district collected school taxes from residents to pay the teacher.

     Melvin Mogck’s entire education from grade one in 1944 to his final year in 1951 was at the McKay School.  He said, with a laugh, that most teachers left the school with a husband from the district.  Even though the teachers were inexperienced there was strict discipline.  If you got a scolding or in trouble at school there was no sympathy  for you at home.  Baseball was played as physical education, and fun, and got much more serious when other schools came to challenge the students  to a game.  Often the students entertained themselves by throwing a ball back and forth over the school. Occasionally, it seems  the ball, instead of going over the school, ended up going down the chimney and into the pipe of the pot bellied stove which heated the school.  The resulting soot was not pleasing to the teacher. 

     Besides sharing stories of games and tricks played, the former students and teachers learned a bit about the Alberta Retired Teachers’ Association and some of the benefits this organization provides.  Clarence Goldade, President of Medicine Hat and District Retired Teachers’ Association spoke of ARTA, the health benefit plan, the scholarships available to members’ families and the support , in general,  to seniors as well as teachers. 

     The Medicine Hat and District Branch of ARTA has been a proud sponsor of the McKay Creek School for quite a number of years and recently put a sign in the school entrance which states this.  Besides the monetary contributions, the Branch members serve as hosts in the schoolhouse during the Stampede each summer.  Visitors to the McKay Creek School are not just local but from all parts of the world as the  Guest book indicates.  While some of the older visitors get nostalgic about seeing their Dick and Jane readers again, the youngsters are particularly amazed at the old style desks (which they like to try out for size) and the strap which sits on the teacher’s desk.  Some of their comments like, “ Wow!, don’t think I would be fooling around in this class” are priceless. 

                                          Co-Emcees and

                                         organizers of this

                                         Reunion were 

                                         Jim Schlenker,

                                         former student 

                                         and Laurel Schlaht,

                                         Branch rep to the

                                         McKay Creek School. 

   

 Melvin Bender, Branch member, actually managed to make a copy of the registers.

     A Time Capsule (in the form of a small farm cream can), was started  by the Retired Teachers’ Association and sealed ten years ago.  It was recently opened and the information regarding retired teachers and the ATA  were shared at a Branch meeting.   It was a lovely walk down Memory Lane for many and evoked a lot of nostalgia.  To this will be added  copies of the newly found McKay Creek School  Registers and more current history.

     Funding received from ARTA and supplemented by the Medicine Hat and District Retired Teachers’ Association enabled this event to occur.  After the ceremonies, a delicious meal was served in the Carriage House and guests were able to intermingle.  The ceremonies took place outside on a rather cool day but the Reunion brought together many warm hearts and wonderful memories.  I think it is safe to say, “A good time was shared by all”.                          Written by:  Donna Mae Goldade 

                                                

                                    Photos taken that day