ELGIN ALUMNI BRANCH SUMMER PICNIC TURNS 70
Tuesday, September 7, 2010
Is it the
location? The record of great weather? Or maybe the people? Whatever the
reason, the Elgin Alumni Branch summer picnic – at 70 years old and running -
is Western’s longest active annual alumni event that seems to attract more and
more each year.
Charlie
and Laurie Nagge of Port Stanley hosted the 2010 picnic, the M.C. was Steve
Peters, BA’85 – the Ontario Legislature’s Speaker of the House – and a full
contingent of volunteers, Alumni Relations staff, and President Amit Chakma
kept the event at full steam like a Pt. Stanley locomotive.
Events like this don’t happen on their own. Elgin branch engineers who
keep the engine stoked include: Cela Sloan, BA’55, Bob Farley, BA’50, MD’54, Brent
Shaw, HBA’74, Malcolm Wood, BA’68, DDS’72 and Monique Wood, BA’74, DipEd’72.
So
what’s the secret to the longevity of this function?
“This is the first time he’s seen her since about 1957. He came down
from Essex today but he knows a few of the others here,” says Dr. Farley. Lois
Farley also taught Steve Peters, at Arthur Voaden Secondary School in St.
Thomas. Organizers don’t use the host house. The event is catered, a tent is
set up and there are facilities in place to handle the crowd of more than 160
that turns out year after year.
It doesn’t hurt an event either to have Ontario’s Speaker of the House
as your M.C. “Probably from just
after graduation in 1985 I’ve been attending these. For the last 10 or so years
I’ve been acting as MC – through Dr. Farley. I get here and Bob Farley hands me
my handwritten agenda,” says Steve Peters.
Peters believes the event is important and goes beyond just
socializing.
“It’s been a great way to
meet new people, to network with people and I think as well just the fact that
it’s been going for 70 years shows you there’s a really dedicated group of
alumni here in Elgin County that believes in the university.”
Malcolm Wood, who has been secretary for the event for 18 years
(because “nobody else will take the job!”), has been attending for about 30
years. As to its success he says, “I don’t know if it’s because it’s a small
town thing. It’s not a really formal event. It’s not inside, there are not a
lot of speeches. It’s mostly meant to be fun and fellowship. And luckily most
years it’s worked out that way (that the weather has cooperated).”
Wood, who has hosted the event in the past, has also noticed younger
alumni attending the past five to 10 years.
Pat Baker, BA’75, BEd’76, hosted the picnic in the past because “it’s
fun, it’s sort of like a welcomed family.”
Wood has been in charge of “the book” for almost two decades. It’s a
yearly scrapbook of the Elgin alumni picnics. This volume was started in 1967.
It contains names, dates, locations, photographs and memories.
It was young alumni Brennan Ballyntine’s (BMSc’08) first time at the
Elgin picnic. The Bachelor of Medical Science degree holder is working on his
MD at Schulich. He was at the event with his parents Phillip, BSc’80, and
Janet, BSc’83 (Physical Therapy) of St. Thomas and his sister Emily, BMSc’10.
The Ballyntines have been asked to host a future Elgin alumni picnic at
their home. “It’s nice because it’s a small community, we know a lot of the
people here.”
Wood has been in charge of “the book” for almost two decades. It’s a
yearly scrapbook of the Elgin alumni picnics. This volume was started in 1967.
It contains names, dates, locations, photographs and memories.
“Here’s when we had it in 2000 at Ward and Sylvia Houghton’s place…
This is one we had at railway station in St. Thomas – the only time we had an
indoor one. (Football coach) Greg Marshall was our guest. We thought because of
the historical nature it would be good venue,” said Wood as he flipped through
the pages.
“The book” was put on microfilm at Western about a decade ago to
preserve the records of the oldest continuous alumni association event. “That’s
cool,” summarizes Wood.
Phillip has been attending for about 15 years. “It’s like a garden
party. It’s better than a hall.” Janet has been to about five of the events and
brought along her son and daughter “for Western pride.”
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