In a previous blog I recounted the story of how Gordon and Lois came to move to Oxford County. They and their two girls were living in three rooms at the back of
Houck's store in St.
Pauls. In the spring of 1942 Gordon read that the trustees of SS#3 North Oxford were looking for a new teacher for their one room country school. In the previous blog, I told of how Gordon and Lois drove from Woodstock to
Ingersoll searching for the school, how Gordon had to rouse
Erwood Kerr from his lunch time sleep in the barn, how Bernice
Hutchison, still with her hair in curlers, went out to meet the prospective new teacher's wife, and how
Erwood Kerr, Walter
Hutchison and Jack
Butterworth, the three school trustees, met at the school house and decided to hire Gordon as the new
te
acher. Unfortunately, the Trustee Minutes book upon which this blog is based, does not record the events of that day. Possibly, the trustee responsible for the Minutes Book forgot to take it with him when they met at the school house and hired the new teacher. The Minutes Book which records the annual trustee meetings, reflects an era in which local farmers, in an informal and "hands off" way acted as overseers of the local school. The School Trustee Minutes Book for SS#3 North Oxford spans a 13 year period running from 1938 until 1951. Traditionally, the annual meetings of the school trustees were held in the school house between Christmas and New Years. While the meeting was open to all rate payers, typically only the three trustees would be present. Meetings all followed a similar pattern. A chairman and a secretary were appointed. The minutes from the last meeting were read. Two auditors, one for the ratepayers and the second for the trustees were appointed. One of the trustees would move that the teacher purchase books for the library. Aside from that, the trustees did not become involved in pedagogical issues. In some years a second meeting might be needed. In March 1943, for example, the furnace quit and the trustees met to purchase a new one "at a cost of $220 less $2 for the old furnace." The trustees met twice in April 1947 to consider a proposal to buy the field to the west of the school. The owner of the land, Bruce Dickson asked for $350. The trustees countered with an offer of $250. In the meeting of April 28
th 1947 a compromise of $300 was agreed upon. The trust
ees did not make decisions quickly, and they were
cautious with the taxpayers' money. The question of whether a music teacher should be hired is an example of this conservative caution. At the school trustee meeting in 1943 the 'need of a music teacher was brought up but no action taken". Again, in 1944 the issue was raised but "no action was taken concerning a music teacher." It wasn't until 1947 that Mrs. Ralph Folden was hired to provide one lesson per week at the salary of $ 9.00 per month. While the recorded minutes of the Trustee meetings suggest that they were low key affairs with little disagreement or heated discussion, there was one hint of controversy in the June 1950 meeting. The secretary notes that the teacher asked for a $250 raise and that the raise was granted but only "after much discussion." The year 1950 also appears to be the last year in which the school trustees at SS#3 acted as an independent group. While the minutes of the December 27
th 1950 meeting begin as usual with the statement: "The annual meeting of the rate payers of Dickson's corner
school SS No. 3 was held in the school house at 8 p. m.", the situation changes in the following year. In 1951 the annual meeting is recorded as being a meeting of the trustees from the "North Oxford School Area". The meeting is held in the Council Chambers, and for the first time, many of the participants in the meeting are individuals who do not farm within five miles of SS# 3, and who do not have a direct connection to the school. The entry of January 17 1951 is the last in the book. Quite possibly, with the establishment of a larger school district, a new Minutes Book was purchased and the old one was put in storage.
acher. Unfortunately, the Trustee Minutes book upon which this blog is based, does not record the events of that day. Possibly, the trustee responsible for the Minutes Book forgot to take it with him when they met at the school house and hired the new teacher. The Minutes Book which records the annual trustee meetings, reflects an era in which local farmers, in an informal and "hands off" way acted as overseers of the local school. The School Trustee Minutes Book for SS#3 North Oxford spans a 13 year period running from 1938 until 1951. Traditionally, the annual meetings of the school trustees were held in the school house between Christmas and New Years. While the meeting was open to all rate payers, typically only the three trustees would be present. Meetings all followed a similar pattern. A chairman and a secretary were appointed. The minutes from the last meeting were read. Two auditors, one for the ratepayers and the second for the trustees were appointed. One of the trustees would move that the teacher purchase books for the library. Aside from that, the trustees did not become involved in pedagogical issues. In some years a second meeting might be needed. In March 1943, for example, the furnace quit and the trustees met to purchase a new one "at a cost of $220 less $2 for the old furnace." The trustees met twice in April 1947 to consider a proposal to buy the field to the west of the school. The owner of the land, Bruce Dickson asked for $350. The trustees countered with an offer of $250. In the meeting of April 28th 1947 a compromise of $300 was agreed upon. The trust
ees did not make decisions quickly, and they were cautious with the taxpayers' money. The question of whether a music teacher should be hired is an example of this conservative caution. At the school trustee meeting in 1943 the 'need of a music teacher was brought up but no action taken". Again, in 1944 the issue was raised but "no action was taken concerning a music teacher." It wasn't until 1947 that Mrs. Ralph Folden was hired to provide one lesson per week at the salary of $ 9.00 per month. While the recorded minutes of the Trustee meetings suggest that they were low key affairs with little disagreement or heated discussion, there was one hint of controversy in the June 1950 meeting. The secretary notes that the teacher asked for a $250 raise and that the raise was granted but only "after much discussion." The year 1950 also appears to be the last year in which the school trustees at SS#3 acted as an independent group. While the minutes of the December 27th 1950 meeting begin as usual with the statement: "The annual meeting of the rate payers of Dickson's corner 
school SS No. 3 was held in the school house at 8 p. m.", the situation changes in the following year. In 1951 the annual meeting is recorded as being a meeting of the trustees from the "North Oxford School Area". The meeting is held in the Council Chambers, and for the first time, many of the participants in the meeting are individuals who do not farm within five miles of SS# 3, and who do not have a direct connection to the school. The entry of January 17 1951 is the last in the book. Quite possibly, with the establishment of a larger school district, a new Minutes Book was purchased and the old one was put in storage.
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