This is the 167th instalment of The Bookless Club. That’s 167 questions that we’ve pondered together. We started this thing, you and I, back when the pandemic stalked the planet, instilling fear and isolation into every community. The objective of The Bookless Club was to create connection, to create diversion.
The objective of The Bookless Club was to create connection,
to create diversion.
Those 167 columns have resulted in mountains of reader submissions for me to sift through. Along the way, I’ve learned what you care about; what riles you and what moves you. The subject of pets will provoke a flurry of emails. I’ve learned that you appreciate topics that touch upon your relationship with automobiles – convertibles, in particular. Travel, traditions, time pieces – these topics will spur a reader to email me their thoughts. But nothing – nothing – has come close to the avalanche of emails that last week’s question provoked.
Teachers. It appears that, even decades after graduation, we care about our teachers. And not just a little bit. Many carry all of our lives the lessons they taught us. And these lessons weren’t necessarily trigonometry or typing skills, or what the capital of Venezuela is (Caracas – thank you Mr. Ravenscroft) or the difference between mitosis and meiosis (far too long to go into here, but thank you, Mr. Chambers). Usually, these lessons were life lessons. The value of honesty, respect and perseverance. Oftentimes, a teacher was the person who helped you believe in yourself, or who kept you from becoming the train wreck you seemed intent on becoming. Judging from the mail, there’s an enormous debt of gratitude that has gone unspoken and we’re eager, especially as we get higher up on the craggy, treacherous mountain that is life, to express that gratitude. The older we get, the more we appreciate the many kindnesses, the ongoing efforts that were made on our behalf, and in many cases, the sacrifices. As so many readers have told me, they may not have understood at the time, but they now clearly see the efforts of their magnificent ally.
… teachers occupy a starring role in the lives of generations.
If you’re a teacher, know this: a good teacher is not just part of the bedrock of a community, but a treasure for the ages. More than any celebrity actor, teachers resonate in the lives of generations. When you do the job well – and so many of you clearly do – you’re a rock star. And your students want you to know just how very, very, very much they appreciate you … even if they didn’t say so way back when.
This week’s question for readers:
I’D LOVE TO RUN MORE TRIBUTES TO THE TEACHERS WHO RESONATED WITH YOU.
Leave your Comments below!
Thank you for your lovely tribute to Mr. Crittenden. As a graduate of West Van High, I am so grateful for his respectful, constant kindness. It began on my first day of high school when I accidentally rang the fire alarm. He dealt with me in a manner that respected my dignity (many would not have done so), enabling me to return to school the next day. That interaction set the tone for the next four years. Thanks Mr Crittenden!
Susan Khazaie
Sept. 1967, our first day at Eric Hamber High School, we were introduced to our grade 8 counsellors. The boys’ counsellor was Mr. Bill McDonald. He was also to be our PE teacher and basketball coach. Mr. McDonald had a profound influence on our class and when we graduated he was presented with a watch with this engraving, “From your 200 sons“. But graduation was not the end of our relationship as many of the 1972 grads stayed connected to him over the years. In fact, our 1972 basketball team (players, managers and coach) meet every year since graduating for golf, stories, lies and beers. Our team has a special bond that was facilitated by coach McDonald. Some even followed in his shoes, becoming educators and basketball coaches. We all took slightly different paths but everyone agrees, Mr. McDonald, soon to turn 85, helped shape his 200 sons into successful men who look back on those high school years with great fondness. Teachers do, indeed, make a positive difference.
Ross Davidson
The teacher who resonated with me was John Moir, photography teacher at WVSS. He indulged my passion and opened my eyes and ears to the arts and music. He is still an active member at the West Vancouver historical society. Mr. Crittenden was the teacher who allowed me to go on the Young Voyagers program to Quebec, even though my marks didn’t meet the criteria. Great man.
Patrick Ramsay
What about favourite students? I am now 72 and had a student many years ago who would phone me every year on my Halloween birthday. What a (trick or) treat! We have lost touch lately but I think of her often. Maybe we will connect again on my birthday?
Sharlene Birdsall
At seventy-nine, one can’t afford to be stingy with one’s gratitude to the people who made the journey worth travelling.
In grade 11, when I met the teacher who would change my life. I was always a reader but the world he introduced me to was nothing short of miraculous. As a result, I carried him and his lessons with me for the rest of my life.
Years passed. On a cross country family trip, overnighting in Winnipeg where I grew up, I flipped through the phone book to see if there was a listing for my beloved teacher. I dialled and asked if this was the Mr. Kruger who had taught in Norwood. He politely answered in the affirmative. I tried to tell him who I was, what year he taught me but remembering all the hundreds of kids who had come before and after me, I felt silly.
Then I remembered a poem he taught us.
I told him I had travelled to Wales to visit my husband’s family. Prior to leaving, I mentioned to my mother-in-law my love of poetry and who instilled that love in me. She plucked a book from her shelf. It was a collection of poems by Wordsworth. We stopped off at Tinturn Abbey and were the only people there. I told Mr. Kruger that I sat in the grass, read the poems aloud and dedicated it to him.
There was silence at the other end of the line and then I heard the sound of weeping.
I was horrified but he assured me they were tears of joy. Did he remember me? I’m not sure but I know by taking the time to call and share my story, I helped remind him why he chose teaching as a profession.
Teachers, good teachers, are the underpinnings of any successful society. It’s a pity we don’t recognize that in the pecking order of importance, they are the apex. As long as I live, Mr. Kruger shares my journey. He is my grammar conscience – I know the difference between less and fewer! I love to debate, I love the cadence of language – and I will forever see him, backlit against the window in Nelson Mac Collegiate, reciting My Last Duchess. That poem, his rendering of it and my good fortune to have been his student, have served me well in life.
Thank you, Mr. Kruger.
Carol Ann Jackson
Quick note here to say this was a very endearing piece. I had heard of Mr Crittenden when he was at WVSS when my sister and brother had him. He was legendary there, as was a woman named Ms. Barr. I think Crittenden was also the cheerleading coach. It is nice for people to be remembered for making a difference. It also reflects on a community, perhaps changed now, from a more innocent time. I passed your column on to my brother who taught at both WV and Sentinel in the 90’s and who had Mr. Crittenden while he was at WVSS. A good teacher often makes the future adult even though, at the time, in our haste, we regard their attempts as more of a nuisance.
Sean Cassidy
Mr. Archibald, Social Studies. Hamilton Jr. Secondary, 1969/70, in North Vancouver. A tyrant of a teacher who put up with no shenanigans. I was the third in our family to go through his class and had heard all the horror stories of enduring his tortures. Every day he would enter the class with an odd stride, similar to Basil Faulty’s German walk. For some reason, I was the one who would get thrown out of class and sentenced to the Library for a week or two, depending on the crime. He would escort me there by the arm, collar and, occasionally, an ear. We would enter the Library and he would announce my sentence to everyone in the room. There was more than one occasion where the librarian would tell him that I was also banned from the library. It was great in the library. I did my work and had fun while in his class there was always a feeling of doom. I never could figure out why I was the one who always got tossed. Sometimes, I would be reading my textbook and he would yell ‘Coleman! Library!’ On the last day of grade 10, he told me he wanted to speak to me after school and when I went into his empty class he sat me down and tried to tell me that if I just stopped screwing around I could do well and make something of myself. All I heard was ‘Blah, blah, blah’, as I was watching my friends smoking out in “The Pit”. He was my favourite teacher, for some reason. I eventually quit school but I had fond memories of him over the years. One day, 30 years later, I was going to vote, at the wrong location, of course, and there was an old man there also appearing to be lost. He had that ramrod straight back and goose step walk that immediately told me that it was him. I could feel the fear of being a child again as I asked him if his name was Archibald. He snapped out a ‘yes’, and goose stepped away before I could tell him he was my favourite teacher and how much I appreciated him trying to connect with a confused kid.
Rod Coleman
Mrs. Tamm was my Boys’ Cooking and Typing teacher in Grade 9 and 10 at Sir Winston Churchill. Who could have imagined that the keyboarding skills I learned in 1969 would be so useful in the computer age to come? And as my wife of 47 years has grown so tired of hearing, glassware should always be washed first! These basic life skills were under-appreciated at the time, but the fun we had is very fresh in my memory. Rarely does a day pass that I don’t think about the wonderful Mrs. Tamm!
Rob Brockley
Gabriola Island
When I saw your column about Mr. Crittenden brought back some pretty great memories for me. On a regular basis, he would catch me, as well, coming in late or sneaking through the halls to get my class. Mr. Crittenden (I cannot presume to use his first name!) was also the disciplinarian who would assist us in improving the school grounds on detention before or after classes. He was tough on me, but always had that little glint in his eye and slight smile that would show he cared and that made us all like him, regardless. At the same school another teacher, Mr. Chalmers was the biggest influence on my love of reading. He taught in such a wonderfully calm, positive and intelligent way that he made me and my sister want to explore the written word. Of course, Mr. Childs from Caulfield school was an all-round wonderful teacher and great humanitarian to everyone who was lucky enough to have him as a teacher.
James Eriksen
Mrs. Ivanhoe was my high school English teacher and my language guide for 60 years. Sturdy, with grey hair in a bun, she imparted her love of the English language with vigour. A staunch opponent of the Oxford comma (never a comma before ‘and’), she taught us how to precis text as well as the correct use of ‘less’ and ‘fewer’ (less for volume, fewer for quantity). Even now, when I hear someone use the wrong word, I scream the correct one – at least in my head. I cringe when I hear someone say, “her and I” and mentally apologize to Mrs. Ivanhoe.
Carol Jones
My favourite teacher of all time was my sixth grade teacher who was very innovative, although her methods were quite unorthodox at the time. She divided the classroom into three parts. Students who were ahead of the game had their desks pushed together at the back of the room and given a day’s worth of work to do quietly, working together to solve any problems that arose. The students who struggled were lumped together and the teacher would give them extra attention after doing her lesson and while the rest of the class worked on their assignments. By Christmas, the children who were behind had caught up to grade level and the “gifted” kids were already finished the year’s curriculum. Everyone was challenged to their comfort levels and thrived with this system. She inspired all of us to be the best we could be.
Denise Howell
A few days ago, I turned 89, but boy, do I remember my history teacher, Mr. Sayes! He was a born actor, who didn’t only teach, but often acted out the different situations in his lessons. He was a stern disciplinarian and he could shred you in front of the whole class, if you had not studied his lessons. He always started out by taking a little booklet out of his breast pocket with our names in alphabetical order. He would slide his finger down the list, saying, “Come stand in front of the class . . .”, while all of us held our breath, following the descent of his finger.
I remember vividly how he acted out the various battles between duellers, for instance, and “cleaned off their blood off his pant legs” with a wicked, triumphant smile on his face. He had us in the palm of his hand. All of us always enjoyed his antics. He was a great and unforgettable teacher. God bless him, wherever he is now.
Fiesta de Vries
l Crittenden was Vice-Principal at West Van High for part of the time I attended. I was hoping you might have mentioned the Young Voyageurs trip to Eastern Canada that Al and his wife, Verna, chaperoned in the early 1970s with students from Hillside, Sentinel, and West Van High. I have lots of great memories, including living with a family on the Gaspe Peninsula for a short period, but what stood out was Al’s calmness and patience with all of us during that trip.
Robert Fawcett
Mr Crittenden was my grade 11 economics teacher at West Van High. He was by far my favourite teacher and, as a result, I did better in his class than I did in my others. He also sponsored our school curling team. About 20 years later, a close friend and colleague of mine hired his daughter, Laurie, as an assistant, and as unlikely as it would seem, when she mentioned me to him, he remembered me. Recently my friend was in touch with Laurie, and it turns out Mr. Crittenden still remembered me. Not sure what that says about me, but it certainly certifies his incredible memory, even at his advanced age. Proof of what a remarkable person he is. Happy Birthday Mr. Crittenden!!
Peter Phillips
Mr. Crittenden was VP at West Van High when I attended in 1969-1974, I remember his half smile and kind, creative way of keeping louty kids like me in order. We had an 8th grade Art teacher at the old Inglewood building in 1970, Mr Phillips, I think, who resonated in my life. My year-end report card was a C- in Art and his comment was, ‘Michael should not consider pursuing Art class any further.’ Who gets a C- in Art? My wife is an artist and loves telling that story. He was so right. I took his advice and became an engineer. Thank you Mr Phillips!
Mike Greig
Laura Secord Elementary, in Vancouver, BC is where I met the one teacher who had a profound influence on my life, Mr. Arnold Weid. He was kind, loved Science, talked a lot about his family, and he is probably why I eventually became a teacher. One day he talked about the boys that drove him crazy on the swim team he coached. Years later, I learned that my husband was one of those boys! I visited Mr. Weid every summer for years at P.N.E., where he worked in the summer. Because of the connection with my husband, who was also profoundly influenced by this gentle giant, Mr. Weid came to our wedding. I think of him often and hope he knows how much he was loved.
Tammy Hartmann
Miss MacDonald, my Typing 10 teacher at West Vancouver Senior High (circa 1958), gave me a passing mark if I promised not to take her Typing 20 class the following year. The irony is, I became a Police Officer in the days when we had to type our reports at the end of a shift. My somewhat limited typing skill still allowed me to finish my reports way ahead of my index finger pick- typing fellow police force members.
Thank you Miss MacDonald for tolerating me.
Don Weber
Mr. Sostad was our geography teacher in high school. He was a world traveller so he could relate to the countries we studied. There was an experience he had when he was in Germany just before the breakout of WWII when he accidentally ended up walking into an outdoor rally for Hitler. He was disgusted with the Fuhrer’s doctrine but he admitted that Hitler was an extremely mesmerising speaker and understood how his audience became involved. He knew at the time that this could grow into something that would affect the world.
Craig McDowall
I had an amazing English Literature teacher in grade 11 and 12 years, Mrs Dalhousie.
She befriended me at a time when I needed a positive role model. She spent time with me outside of class sharing life experiences and mentoring me. One example was her tips for a great marriage as she announced her 25 anniversary. I think of her often.
Sharon Blaker
Mr. Eric Ratzlaff was that teacher for me. I entered sixth grade as a completely unremarkable, nondescript kid who was neither good, nor bad, brilliant or learning-challenged. He cared enough to get to know me and find something that differentiated me from others. His insight uncovered my ability to read and comprehend and he led me on a reading journey of increasingly difficult and interesting books. He followed up by taking the time to talk to me about what I had read and found ways to acknowledge my progress to both my parents and fellow students.
George Keys
I just wanted to let you know about my Grade 11 Math teacher, Joe Bianco, at Centennial Sr. High in Coquitlam in 1977. I was almost failing Math 11 and knew I had to be good at Math to attend BCIT. Joe said “Be here at 4 pm”. . That guy stayed every day till 6 pm working with me on Algebra. In the end, I passed with a solid B and also took Joe’s Calculus 12 course the next year. Math/Calculus were my best subjects in the BCIT Electronics program. They don’t make teachers like that any more!
Thanks for your great column on Mr. Crittenden – a gem.
James Swank
Grand Forks
Way back in the early ‘60’s I had a teacher at Lord Tennyson Elementary in Vancouver named Barbara (at least I think that was her name) Hopkins. She was a New Zealander and taught, among other things, Music. We studied many different types of music, from spirituals like “Swing Low Sweet Chariot”, to Country. We made up a country song with phrases like “get along little dogies”, and I can still remember all the words to “Waltzing Matilda”. I have been fortunate to have loved music ever since and I believe that can be attributed in very large degree to Miss Hopkins.
Bob Austin
Your story touched me. I thought I’d add a funny story. I’m in eighth grade at the West Vancouver School on Inglewood. A tall man came up to me. Not as tall as me, but with a commanding air. He looked at me, up and down, this tall and lanky kid. “Do you have an older brother?” I said yes. He said I am going to watch you like a hawk. That was Mr. Crittenden.I never did find out why Mr. Crittenden said it, and my older brother wouldn’t tell me.
Terry Wilson
Ever since Grade Three I knew I wanted to be a teacher and I have Miss Kivist to thank for that. She was always patient and kind. She never raised her voice and she always smelled so good! It would be these qualities that I would always remember and try to emulate when I began my teaching career. Yes, even the smelling good part! When Miss Kivist retired I attended her celebration and told her how she inspired me to become a teacher. In a thank you note she wrote her “magic moment” was letting her know she was the reason that I became a teacher. A gift I gave her, she said, but it would seem we gave each other a gift and for this I am forever grateful.
Thank you Miss Kivist!
Marnie Armstrong
I am forever indebted to Len Gamble, my Math teacher in Armstrong Jr. & Sr. High School. He spent countless hours of his own time, after school, tutoring me in Math. I would never have passed the critical exam or received my graduation diploma in 1964, if it had not been for him. Passing this exam gave me the confidence to further my higher education, which led to a successful career. I remind him of my story everytime I see him as I am so grateful for his commitment to a struggling student.
Eileen O’Keefe Giuliani
A number of years ago, while attending a community event, I was approached by an older gentleman who asked if my name was Larry Hayes. I acknowledged that it was and then he asked if I had a sister named Rita. Right again! Well, Norm Shuto, my Grade Seven teacher at Burnaby’s Armstrong Elementary, had remembered us … some fifty years later! I was never any kind of unique student, but I loved science and Mr. Shuto was my Science teacher. He really made a difference in my life and I told him so. In my role as a School Trustee, I often use this story with teachers, parents and students to let them know what an impact teachers can have on someone’s life … and how students can make an impact on a teacher’s life well beyond childhood.
Larry Hayes
The only high school reunion (in suburban Pittsburgh) I made it to was my 42nd. My favourite memories of high school were of Choir. In 1965, the school hired a new choir director, V. Lee Harrity, who challenged us with classical pieces and world music. At the reunion I asked others, but no one had been in touch with Harrity. He didn’t show up in emails, Facebook or LinkedIn. I finally found a phone number for a Harrity in Texas, associated with a choir. I phoned and we talked for more than 30 minutes. He was glad to hear that much of my career touched on music. Two years later his choir toured to Pittsburgh, just when I was in town visiting cousins. Great to see him, and we all joined the Hallelujah Chorus at the end.
Ellie O’Day
When I was a kid in rural Saskatchewan, I lived on a mixed farm and attended a one room country school where one teacher had up to nine grades in a single room. I used to ride my horse to school where there was a barn. From grade five to grade nine, my teacher was Mrs. Eleanor McCready. She was a great teacher, and a real stickler for grammar. She has been long gone for many years, but she was a prize.
Patte Rust
A teacher who has resonated with me through the years was my woodworking teacher, Mr. A. Miller, at Sentinel Secondary in West Vancouver. (I never learned what the “A” stood for; I think it may have been Arnold.) Mr. Miller was ‘old-school’; he could be gruff and strict, at times. Some students didn’t like him because of this. But if you followed his rules and afforded him the respect he deserved, he would work hard to help you learn and succeed. I never became a great woodworker, but the desk my laptop sits on as I type this was built under Mr. Miller’s tutelage 49 years ago. The same is true of the checkerboard I still play abysmal games of chess on. One of his maxims has always stayed with me: “Never be afraid to ask a stupid question. They are more easily handled than stupid mistakes.”
Thank you, Mr. Miller.
Philip Tingey
At Langley Secondary School in the 60’s and 70’s, there was an incomparable English teacher. His name: Bram Sahadeo. He got his students enthralled with literature no matter the format: novel, short story, essay etc., and his passion for the written word has stayed with me all these years. Distinctly memorable. He demanded proper behaviour and good manners. No pennies rolled down the aisles and no paper airplanes ever flew in his classroom and we learned to treat our fellow students, and of course, Mr. Sahadeo with respect. He could utterly freeze you with a glance or make your day with an encouraging word and warm smile and he left us with the priceless gift of learning. Thank you, sir!
Betty Perverzov
We were very lucky at Burnaby South High School, with the best of teachers. I just had my 65th high school reunion in September. Prior to Covid at our last reunion we had 13 teachers attend. We thought our teachers were special and they told us no other students had reunions like us. Unfortunately, we had none this year as we are now 83 years old. My favourite was Mr. George Sparling and I even visited him after he retired to Vancouver Island.
Lynn Foster
As a retired teacher, your recent tribute to Mr. Crittende was both familiar and thought-provoking. Students often shared with me your sentiment and I was pleased with their recognition of a mutual connection during our ten-month school year. Conversely, I recognized that some students and I could not connect for valid and substantive reasons. I remained optimistic though that their future teachers and classrooms would offer this to them. Education is comprehensive over the 12 years of school: hits and misses for both students and teachers. It’s wonderful you’ve remembered and appreciated Mr. Crittenden for a lifetime!
James Harcott
As a teenager I was bored, disillusioned and generally dissatisfied with school. On the first day of Social Studies in ninth grade, our teacher – an elfin, high-energy, engaging woman – marched briskly into the classroom, deposited her armload of study materials onto the quintessential oak desk and proclaimed, “In Papua, New Guinea, the natives paint themselves with white clay mud and run around otherwise naked”. I was instantly alert and greatly interested. Her class was a bright spot throughout the year and I still am fascinated by other cultures. She knew how to connect with her students.
Mark Levey
It is with fondness that I remember Miss Lovering, my grade 11 Literature teacher in Regina, Sask. many years ago. Miss Lovering was a tiny, frail, elderly lady of undetermined age with a nasal condition that forced her to constantly dab at her tiny nose with a lace handkerchief. She was, however, one terrific teacher and it is due to her diligence and love of the English Poets that, to this very day, I retain my Oxford Book of English Verse. Not only do I still have the book, but I continue to peruse its pages. Thank you, Miss Lovering.
Another teacher, whose name escapes me, in my second year as a new immigrant to Canada and not speaking one word of English, was the epitome of kindness towards me, trying to teach me the basics of this new language by using illustrated books provided by the Sask. School Board. She never lost her patience, repeating as often as necessary words for Window, Door, Desk, Pencil. etc. I was 10 years of age and scared to death I would never learn. Again, I am still grateful.
Barbara Waldbillig
Your article in the Vancouver Sun was of interest to me in that I was a graduate of Penticton High School in 1951. At that time, Al Crittenden was boarding with the Hendry family, whose son was my best friend in high school. Years later, my own children had him as a teacher in the West Vancouver school system.
Richard Bennett MD
I graduated from Killarney high School in 1962. There were several teachers in those formative years that made a difference then and guided me in life. I will mention just two.
George Rustler was a Math teacher. He appeared stern and serious to most kids but actually had a heck of a sense of humour and a dedication to teaching Math. His teaching methods included the very full use of the class blackboards. All the class took turns getting up to the boards and solving math problems presented by Mr. Rustler. This way he could see who was having success and who was struggling. He then tailored his teaching accordingly. Because of his leadership I grew to enjoy math and my enjoyment carried on through university.
My hero was Jack Armour, the football coach. Mr. Armour was a role model for all the guys. He was very physical and ran laps with the classes while leading us in the city football championship a couple of times. You could talk to him about anything in his tiny office just off the gym. At the beginning of each season he would say that we could play basketball if we wanted to but if you wanted to play a real man’s game, football was the only way to go. He gave me a lifelong desire to be physically active.
Thanks for giving me the opportunity to finally express my appreciation for my best teachers ever!
Eric Sykes
Mr. D. Koob was my high school Math teacher for three years at Bishop Grandin High School in Calgary (1973-75). He somehow discovered a previously unknown interest I had in the subject. I was a rebellious teenager but Mr. Koob’s Math class was the only one I never skipped! His positive energy definitely influenced my decision to attend university (BA and LLB), likely surprising many of my classmates! I greatly regret not thanking Mr. Koob prior to his passing but maybe a relative or someone he knows will see this and know how much he was appreciated.
Donna Noel
As a retired teacher, I had many teachers who inspired me. I’d just like to point out that things in life can go both ways. Students can resonate with teachers, too – some for academic brilliance, some for certain kinds of “interesting” behaviours, and too many to mention for sheer happy, big-hearted goodness. There were many challenges along the way, but to my own students, you guys were always the best part.
Perry Kilby
Mr. Crittenden was a vice principal at West Van High when I was a student there from 66-71. I never had him as a teacher but I did interact with him at school events and chance hallway meetings many times and, as with you and many others, he left a long lasting impression. He also attended many of our reunions but not our most recent Covid-delayed 50th (class of ‘71). He was at the 30 year reunion where I re-met a woman who I had known since sixth grade at Pauline Johnson Elementary. We will celebrate our 20th wedding anniversary on October 22 this year. But that’s another story and quite a story if you add in my previous two wives, also from West Van High.
Dave Scougal and Ruth (Slater) McKenzie
Early in our marriage, we were scheduled to meet my stepfather’s much older sisters from Wadena SK for the first time. They had come to the west coast to visit. They knew my husband, Gerry, was from Saskatchewan and when he told them he’d grown up in Gull Lake they exclaimed “You must remember Ernie Franks!” Gerry wasn’t the best of students; was often in the principal’s office, Mr. Franks being the principal. Mr. Franks was now Superintendent of schools for Wadena. I believe the sisters took away a good impression of Gerry and told Mr. Franks of how he had settled down and was studying for his accounting degree. We did hear that he was very pleased when told Gerry had achieved his accounting designation. Seems Mr. Franks never informed the sisters of some of Gerry’s antics in his high school years.
Linda Moore