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Reflections of Ponoka: Mecca Glen School ... the heart of the east country

Like so many of you, I grew up going through the entire school system in Ponoka
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The Mecca Glen School east of Ponoka will this year celebrate 65 years of serving quality education to generations of students from a very supportive rural district community.

Like so many of you, I grew up going through the entire school system in Ponoka, but always heard a lot about those grand old country schools that were nestled in the active rural districts surrounding our community. Over the years, I have had the unique opportunity of visiting some of these closely knit and friendly havens of learning, and I love telling their success stories.

With the ongoing population growth of the lush and rolling countryside surrounding the new Town of Ponoka, the need for many more educational facilities for Grade 1 to 12 students resulted in the addition of countless rustic one room schools. As early as 1930, the farmers east of Ponoka had exciting visions of a consolidated high school, with students riding on horseback to a central location or finding other means of transportation to get them to their daily classes.

The first small experiment in centralization for this district was attempted early in 1945 when Asker was without a teacher for three months, and A.A. (Tony) Vold led the effort to transport 15 of these children to Magic, where they were taught by Elinor Davies. From that time on, Mr. Vold and many other parents worked zealously to promote the building of a consolidated school, stressing that it was foolish to keep building new one room schools and having to transport the growing list of students in so many directions each day. Some of the men who led the effort in the planning of the new facility were Charles Johnston, Hugh Pugh, Will Hoar, Hugh Ross, and DeForest Nelson, with hearty support from the districts.

Building began in 1948 on the NE32-42-23-4 land purchased from Jorgen Kraft, and was completed in 1949. The very first magnificent two-story Mecca Glen School would become the first consolidated country school in the Ponoka School Division, with initial plans to accommodate 125 Grade 1 to 11 students from the districts of Magic, Eureka Calumet, Climax, Asker, and Water Glen. However, when classes began on September 12, 1949, the districts of Schultz, Concord, and part of Ellice had been added to the mix, resulting in an enrollment of approximately 180 students. The modern new school was named after a contest in the districts, which was won by 7-year-old George Jones, who, with the assistance of his grandfather, submitted ‘Mecca Glen’, derived from the first letters of the names of those tiny surrounding schools, Mecca meaning ‘haven of learning’ and the school being situated in a glen.

The steady influx of settlers into the district came from such far-away lands as: Belgium, U.S.A., Norway, Hungary, Sweden, the British Isles, and other Canadian provinces. With the completion of the Mecca Glen Consolidated School, these growing farm families drew much closer as new friends and neighbours for both the children and the adults, and this proud tradition has carried on through the generations to this day for the Grade 1 to 9 students and families.

The colourful history of the Mecca Glen School

The first staff members of Mecca Glen School were Principal Don Thorson, Martha Weiss, Ruth James, Betty Hoar and Rhoda Wilcox on the teaching staff and popular Allan James the capable caretaker and jack of all trades. Initial classes taught included math, science, English, social studies, health, and music, with the teachers involved in all subjects, and some of the busy daily sessions featuring over 45 excited boys and girls all very anxious to learn. Mecca Glen gave many children their first experience with modern conveniences such as running water and electricity. In those early days, the single teachers were required to live in the teacherages at the school, but moved into their own homes when they got married. Right from the beginning, the amazing efforts, dedication and team work from everyone at the pristine new east country school helped this new adventure in education to come together exceptionally well.

As other small schools around the districts closed all or in part like in Star, Eastside, Rutherford and  Manfred,  one pupil from Sylvanside joined Mecca Glen. As area bus routes improved and enrollment increased, it was necessary to build an additional four classrooms, which went into service in September of 1953. Each school morning was a real event at the Glen, as buses came in from all areas to deliver their precious cargo, then picked them up for the home run at 3:30 p.m. The bus drivers were real characters, and the kids were so enthused on their ride that they sung most of the way. The last Grade 10 graduation class at Mecca Glen was held in 1967, after which the Grade 10-11-12 students were bused to the Ponoka Composite High School.

October 19, 1955 was a very dark day for Mecca Glen. An overheating pile of coal resulted in an evening fire which burned the school to the ground and destroyed most of the contents. During the following long and cold winter, the teachers and students rose to the occasion with classes being held in a bus garage, at some of the one room schools, in storage sheds, and teachers’ basements, while other schools in the area kindly provided desks and supplies. Another amazing community effort resulted in the new school being completed in 1956, just in time to start a new semester.

To put together this Reflections story of the Mecca Glen history, I had a delightful interview with two of the original teachers Rhoda (Wilcox) Vold and Betty (Hoar) Matejka, as well as a later teacher Barbara Uhl, who shared some of these great memories with me.

● On the very first day of school at Mecca Glen the Principal Mr. Thorson had to drive one of the school buses, had a flat tire, and was late for class. With all those students coming together for the first time, the pesky childhood diseases such as measles, chicken pox, scarlet fever, colds, quinsy and others went wild, at least until the immunization programs began.

● Also in the first year at the school, the weather was great so not too many classes were missed due to bad conditions. In 1951, one of the worst blizzards in history hit the district, the plows got stuck, the drifts were up to the top of the telephone poles, the teachers went tobogganing, and the school was closed for over a week. To make up for lost time, classes were held during the regularly scheduled Easter holidays. There were no computers in those days, but the kids loved to head outside to the skating rink, join their groups to and play lots of games, or to practise up for the upcoming Wood River Festival or a school concert or special event. Annual home and school meetings were also very popular.

Many gala reunions have been hosted for hundreds of former Mecca Glen students, teachers, staff and families over those glorious 65 years, and we will feature some of these names and great tales in a future Reflections feature in your Ponoka News.