“The District Leader” – Part 2

​​Written by Stephen Thompson
Canada West Mission Centre Historian
[email protected]

Historians Corner
Vol. 1 | No. 6

​For those of you who are reading this column carefully each month (and, really, who isn’t?!), you will recall that I dealt with an overview of the people who edited and contributed to “The District Leader” newsletter in Alberta and Saskatchewan Districts in the January 1961 issue. I will share some very brief excerpts of content here, from seventeen pages of fairly dense type, to give a bit of the flavour of the times.

In his monthly column, Alberta District President, Seventy David Larmour, highlighted the following activities from the fall of 1960:

• The official opening of the Crammond church building on Sunday, October 30. (Crammond is a small village about a 90-minute drive north of Calgary.) “About 80 persons attended the afternoon service, many of whom were friends living in or near the community. … Pastor R.L. Duane Duff was in charge of the service with your district president as speaker.”
• “Our District Missionary, Raymond Ashenhurst, is now at Ribstone after a month in Lethbridge and another month’s work in … Artland Branch in Saskatchewan.”
• Progress was reported on the “reunion property development” (apparently not yet named Hills of Peace). The framework of the “Junior Chapel” had been completed. It was closed in for the winter, but roofing would need to be completed in the spring. The building would be able to be used for the 1961 reunion.
• The money-collecting cards completed by children in support of completing the work on the Auditorium in Independence were promoted.

From the Calgary Branch (Vida L. Diaper reporting): “December has been a busy month… The Choral groups put in extra hours on musical offerings for the Christmas season, and the Women’s Dept. held their annual Christmas party, and their visiting committee was very active among the shut-ins. The Church School Christmas Tree and program was a delight to the little folks and adults alike, & there was standing room only, before Santa arrived. … Speakers for the Worship Services included Pastor E.B. McLean, Elders C.O. Diaper, Bruce Waddell, A.D. McLeod, Priest C.B. Gibson, Teacher J.F. Simpson and Deacons Laurence Boote and Albert Bates. A Carol Service was held on Christmas Eve, and two specially adapted Worship services was (sic) held on Christmas Day.”

Saskatoon Branch News (Lottie C. Diggle reporting): “A Regional Missionary workshop was held in the church November 26th and 27th with District Missionary Keith Harvey and Elder Kenneth Wilkensen as instructors. … The Messiah (as performed in the Auditorium in Independence) will be heard over station CFQC on Christmas Day. … The annual Christmas tree and program will be held December 22nd. June Fisher is preparing the children’s Choir for participation in the annual three-day Carol Festival which will be held in Third Avenue United Church. … Zion’s League members have selected the characters for a play entitled ‘The Unwilling Spirit.’ … Gary Macdonald convened a Hallowe’en party. Their Leader. Inez Thederahn and Joe Hodgins is president.” (Steve’s note: sorry if that last bit is confusing. It is as it is printed.)

Edmonton Branch report (Dorthea Mills reporting): “The speakers for the month have been Priests Walter Ratcliffe and Morris Johnstone, Elder Richard and Evangelist Wm. Osler. The Orioles were in charge of the church School Service, Sunday morning, Dec. 18. The prayers were offered by Ruth Walrath and the theme talk by Linda Hilker. There were two special hymns, one by the Junior Choir, led by Garry Gibson, and four Oriole girls sang one led by Donna Jenkins. It was a lovely service.”

Every issue ends with a page full of short jokes and brief wisdom statements (some serious, some humorous) under the title “Clancy Says.” No clues are evident as to who “Clancy” was. Two sample items to end this column:
​

• “Delighted at the gift she had received; Mrs. Jones spoke warmly to the boy: ‘At church tomorrow I’ll thank your mother for this lovely pie.’ ‘If you don’t mind, ma’am,’ the boy suggested nervously, ‘would you thank her for two pies.’”
• “The surest way to dig up the past is to start looking for something in the attic.”