IT
IS OUR PURPOSE, YOURS AND MINE, TO PAY TRIBUTE TO THE MEMORY OF CLARE
MACLEOD...AN INSPIRED TEACHER, A TIRELESS ADMINISTRATOR AND A DIRECTOR OF EDUCATION WITHOUT EQUAL IN HIS TIME. A
MEMBER OF THIS CLUB FOR MORE THAN FIFTY YEARS, A PAST PRESIDENT, AN ELDER
STATESMAN AND A DISTINGUISHED SPEAKER.
WE
ARE JOINED TODAY BY HIS WIDOW, VERNA
MACLEOD, AND THEIR SON BOB AND HIS WIFE KAREN.
PRESIDENT
JOHN F. KENNEDY IN PAYING TRIBUTE TO THE POET, ROBERT FROST SAID THIS; ‘A NATION REVEALS ITSELF NOT ONLY IN THE MEN
IT PRODUCES BUT ALSO BY THE MEN IT HONOURS, THE MEN IT REMEMBERS.’ TODAY WE
REMEMBER.
BORN
INTO A FARMING FAMILY OF MODEST MEANS , MEANS MADE LESS CERTAIN BY THE GREAT
DEPRESSION, CLARE GREW UP IN AN
ENVIROMENT THAT, IT WOULD SEEM, WAS CONDUCIVE TO LEARNING AND HE WAS A QUICK STUDY.
CLARE
WAS SEVEN YEARS OF AGE WHEN HIS PARENTS
MOVED FROM HIS PLACE OF BIRTH TO A FARM ABOUT A MILE FROM KINCARDINE. HIS
FATHER BOUGHT CATTLE AND TRANSPORTED IT BY TRAINLOAD TO TORONTO FOR SALE . HIS
MOTHER TOOK GREAT INTEREST IN HER CHILDREN AND WAS ANXIOUS THAT THEY RECEIVE AN
EDUCATION. CLARE GOT THE MESSAGE BUT
ITS EFFECT WAS POSTPONED FOR AT HIGH SCHOOL IT WAS IN SPORTS, BASEBALL AND HOCKEY, THAT HE SHOWED GREAT SKILL
TOGETHER WITH STRONG COMPETITIVE INSTINCTS.
CLARE GRADUATED FROM HIGH SCHOOL IN 1932 WITH THE HOPE OF BEING A TEACHER. MEANWHILE
AT THE FARM, PRODUCE PRICES WERE AT AN ALL TIME LOW, SAVINGS WERE NON EXISTENT AND MANY FARMS WERE AT
RISK. . TO MAKE A FEW DOLLARS, CLARE SOLD EGGS TO THE COTTAGERS ALONG THE LAKE
FOR FIVE CENTS A DOZEN AND VEGETABLES
FOR FIVE CENTS A BUNCH.
WITH
THOSE PRICES IT WILL NOT SURPRISE THAT CLARE HAD TO BORROW FROM AN UNCLE THE
SEVEN HUNDRED AND FIFTY DOLLARS TO ATTEND NORMAL SCHOOL IN STRATFORD . ONE YEAR LATER HE AND FIFTEEN OTHER STUDENT
TEACHERS FROM KINCARDINE HAD QUALIFIED BUT THERE WAS ONLY ONE TEACHING JOB
AVAILABLE AND CLARE WAS RECOMMENDED FOR IT.
THUS STARTED A CAREER IN EDUCATION THAT WOULD CONTINUE FOR MORE THAN
FORTY YEARS.
IN
THE INTEREST OF TIME, I WILL REFER TO A FEW
HAPPENINGS
THAT MAY INTEREST OR ILLUMINATE THIS REMARKABLE CAREER.
·
HIS FIRST SCHOOL HAD ONE ROOM WITH FIFTY ONE PUPILS, GRADES ONE TO
EIGHT. LACK OF DISCIPLINE AT THE SCHOOL WAS AN OVERRIDING PROBLEM. THOSE WHO
KNOW CLARE AND HIS NO NONSENSE APPROACH WOULD BE SURPRISED IF IT TOOK HIM MORE
THAN FIVE MINUTES ON THE FIRST DAY TO RESOLVE THAT PROBLEM. WHILE AT HIS FIRST
SCHOOL HE ATTENDED A RURAL CHURCH AND
SPOKE TO THE CONGREGATION EACH SUNDAY
ON THE SUNDAY SCHOOL LESSON. THIS WAS THE START OF HIS CAREER IN PUBLIC
SPEAKING
·
WHILE HE WAS PRINCIPAL OF A
SCHOOL IN ST. JACOBS NEAR WATERLOO , TOMMY IVAN, LATER COACH OF THE CHICAGO
BLACK HAWKS, WATCHED CLARE PLAY HOCKEY
AND OFFERED HIM A CONTRACT....OFFER
DECLINED.
·
CLARE DECIDED TO GET A UNIVERSITY DEGREE SO HE ENROLLED AT THE
UNIVERSITY OF WESTERN ONTARIO AS A PART
TIME STUDENT. HE ATTENDED EXTENSION
COURSES AT NIGHT AND SUMMER SCHOOL IN LONDON DURING THE SUMMER HOLIDAYS WHILE
CONTINUING TO TEACH. HE COMPLETED HIS DEGREE IN THE SAME AMOUNT OF TIME HAD HE BEEN ATTENDING FULL TIME. HE WAS
INFORMED BY THE UNIVERSITY THAT HE HAD
ONE OF THE HIGHEST STANDINGS EVER ACHIEVED BY A STUDENT.
·
ON A SKATING RINK IN ST JACOBS, CLARE FIRST LAID EYES ON VERNA
NIERGARTH, THE LADY WHO WOULD BECOME HIS LOVED AND LOVING WIFE AND A DEVOTED
LIFETIME COMPANION. ..THEY WERE MARRIED
IN 1938.
·
A CAREER SHAPING EVENT OCCURED WHEN THE DEPUTY MINISTER OF EDUCATION
ARRIVED AT HIS SCHOOL TO ASK IF CLARE
HAD THOUGHT OF QUALIFYING AS A SCHOOL INSPECTOR. IT WAS A TWO YEAR PROGRAM
WHICH IS WHAT CLARE HAD IN MIND UNTIL THE MINISTER SAID HE THOUGHT CLARE MIGHT
DO IT IN ONE YEAR. HE DID. SIXTY FIVE CANDIDATES TOOK THE WRITTEN AND ORAL EXAMS AND FIVE PASSED. CLARE WAS SENT
TO WELLAND AS ASSISTANT INSPECTOR.
AFTER ONE YEAR THE BOARD MADE REPRESENTATIONS TO THE DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION FOR CLARE TO TAKE OVER.
·
DEPARTMENT POLICY AT THAT TIME WAS TO ENCOURAGE THE AMALGAMATION OF
SCHOOL BOARDS. THE RESPONSIBILITY OF THE WELLAND BOARD EXTENDED OVER WIDE AREA
THAT INCLUDED THE CITY OF WELLAND, TWO TOWNS, A NUMBER OF VILLAGES AND TWO
TOWNSHIPS WITH A TOTAL OF SEVENTY SEVEN SCHOOL BOARDS. CLARE HELD MEETINGS
EVERY NIGHT OF THE WEEK GETTING HOME AFTER MIDNIGHT FOR A YEAR AND MANAGED TO
REDUCE THE SEVENTY SEVEN SCHOOL BOARDS
TO SEVENTEEN. WITH CHARACTERISTIC MODESTY,CLARE OBSERVED THAT WAS SOMEWHAT OF A
RECORD.
·
CLARE’S NEXT PROMOTION TOOK HIM TO LONDON...TO BE MASTER AT THE NORMAL
SCHOOL AT WHAT WOULD LATER BECOME LONDON TEACHERS COLLEGE. HE FOUND TEACHING YOUNG PEOPLE TO BE
TEACHERS TO BE A REWARDING EXPERIENCE , AND HE
FORMED A NUMBER OF ENDURING ASSOCIATIONS.
·
AFTER THREE YEARS WITH THE NORMAL SCHOOL, THE WINDSOR BOARD OF
EDUCATION APPEARED ON THE SCENE HOPING TO HAVE CLARE ACCEPT THE POSITION OF
SUPERINTENDANT. HE HAD NO INTENTION OF CHANGING POSITIONS BUT THE BOARD MADE AN
ATTRACTIVE OFFER AND HE FINALLY DECIDED TO ACCEPT. THE DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION
OFFERED CLARE THE CHOICE OF SIX POSITIONS IF HE WOULD STAY. CLARE WAS
INFLUENCED IN HIS DECISION BY THE TYPE OF LIFE THAT WAS OFFERED BY LOCAL SCHOOL
BOARDS AT THAT TIME.
CLARE
CAME TO WINDSOR IN 1950 AS
SUPERINTENDENT JOINING T.C. MENT WHITE
AS DIRECTOR OF EDUCATION AND ON MENT WHITE’S RETIREMENT CLARE BECAME SUP’T AND
DIRECTOR OF EDUCATION. IT IS MY RECOLLECTION THAT IT WAS GENERALLY
RECOGNISED THAT THE WINDSOR PULIC
EDUCATION SYSTEM WAS ONE OF THE TWO
BEST IN THE PROVINCE. THE MAJOR INFLUENCES ON
ON PUBLIC EDUCATION DURING CLARE’S TENURE WERE PERHAPS THOSE ARISING
FROM THE AMALGAMATION OF THR TOWN OF RIVERSIDE AND PARTS OF OF OTHER
MUNICIPALITIES AND CONTENDING WITH INCREASING STUDENT ENROLLMENT. HE ENJOYED THE FULL COOPERATION OF THE BOARD
AND STAFF AND FELT THAT HIS TENURE HAD BEEN EFFECTIVE AND ENJOYABLE.
CLARE
RETIRED IN 1974 FROM THE WINDSOR BOARD.
·
CLARE RECEIVED NUMEROUS HONOURS, APPOINTMENTS AND CITATIONS BEFORE AND AFTER HIS RETIREMENT IN
RECOGNITION OF HIS CONTRIBUTION TO
EDUCATION. I SHALL CITE ONLY A FEW;
·
HE WAS TWICE OFFERED THE
POSITION OF DEPUTY MINISTER OF EDUCATION FOR THE PROVINCE OF ONTARIO.
·
HE CHAIRED A COMMITTEE APPOINTED BY THE MINISTER OF EDUCATION TO
DETERMINE CHANGES THAT SHOULD TAKE PLACE IN TEACHER EDUCATION.
·
HE RECEIVED THE V.K. GREER MEMORIAL AWARD FOR HAVING MADE THE GREATEST
CONTRIBUTION TO EDUCATION IN 1967.
AND
HE RECEIVED A TEACHERS AWARD FOR A SIMILAR CONTRIBUTION IN 1973
·
HE WAS APPOINTED TO THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS OF EDUCATIONAL T.V. IN THE
PROVINCE.
·
HE RECEIVED AN HONORARY DOCTOR OF LAWS
DEGREE FROM THE UNIVERSITY OF WINDSOR.
·
IT
IS ALTOGETHER FITTING, AND CLARE WOULD HAVE IT NO OTHER WAY, THAT MENTION BE
MADE OF VERNA’S ROLE IN HIS ACCOMPLISHMENTS...HER SKILLS,HER ENERGY
AND SELFLESS EFFORTS MADE POSSIBLE THE ACCOMPLISHMENTS THAT HAVE BEEN
RECOGNIZED.
CLARE’S
CONTRIBUTION TO EDUCATION AND THE COMMUNITY DID NOT END WITH HIS RETIREMENT.
HE WAS APPROACHED BY THE UNIVERSITY OF WINDSOR TO SEE IF HE WOULD START A
CAMPUS FOR THEM AT CHATHAM. AFTER CONSIDERING IT FOR A WHILE HE THOUGHT IT
MIGHT BE AN INTERESTING CHALLENGE SO HE AGREED. STARTING WITH NOTHING, IN TWO
YEARS THEY HAD 1200 STUDENTS, HAD CONSTRUCTED A BUILDING JOINTLY WITH AT ST.
CLAIR COLLEGE, AND FINALLY GRADUATED STUDENTS IN ART, BUSINESS, NURSING, SOCIAL
WORK WITHOUT THE STUDENTS EVER LEAVING
CHATHAM. HE THEN STARTED PROGRAMS IN SARNIA AND LEAMINGTON. THESE OFF CAMPUS PROGRAMS MADE A MILLION DOLLARS A YEAR FOR THE UNIVERSITY.
HE
WAS THEN ASKED TO CONDUCT THE PART TIME STUDIES PROGRAM, INCLUDING THE ON
CAMPUS PROGRAMS IN WINDSOR . HE DID SO FOR A FEW YEARS.
HE
SERVED ON THE WINDSOR POLICE COMMISSION FOR NINE YEARS AND AS PRESIDENT OF THE
ONTARIO POLICE COMMISSION.
CLARE
HAD A LIGHTER SIDE AND IT MUST BE MENTIONED. HE WAS A WELCOME PRESENCE IN ANY GATHERING...HE
BROUGHT A HAPPY DEMEANOR,...HE WAS AN ENTERTAINING GUEST...HE WOULD TELL
STORIES, JOKES, POEMS, WRITE AND READ VERSE, DOGGEREL HE CALLED IT, WHATEVER HE
DID WOULD ADD TO THE ENJOYMENT OF ALL,
INCLUDING HIS OWN. BECAUSE HE HAD A
KEEN MEMORY HE ENJOYED PLAYING CARDS...BRIDGE AND POKER WERE PERHAPS HIS FAVOURITES.
BRIDGE BECAUSE HE REMEMBERED EVERY CARD PLAYED IN A HAND WHICH GAVE HIM AN EDGE
ON THE REST OF US...AND POKER BECAUSE IT PROVIDED HIM AN OPPORTUNITY TO TAKE
THE OTHER FELLOW’S MONEY, AND HE USUALLY DID.
CLARE
WAS A SECOND OR THIRD GENERATION SCOT AND PROUD OF HIS ANCESTRY . IT IS MY
UNDERSTANDING THAT THE MACLEODS WERE FROM THE ISLE OF SKYE, IN THE HEBRIDES .
CLARE WAS A STUDENT OF SCOTTISH HISTORY
AND TRADITION. WITH A LITTLE ENCOURAGEMENT HE COULD SPEAK KNOWINGLY ABOUT ANY
OR ALL OF SUCH SUBJECTS AS THE
HIGHLANDS, THE LOWLANDS , THE WARS, THE CLANS, THEIR TARTANS, KILTS, BAGPIPES, HAGGIS, SCOTTISH SONGS AND THE
POETRY OF ROBBIE BURNS. HE CORRESPONDED WITH THE WORLD WIDE HEAD OF THE MACLEOD
CLAN, AND SHE MAY WELL HAVE VISITED HIM IN WINDSOR.
THE
LIST OF SUBJECTS FAILED TO MENTION THE
OBVIOUS, SCOTCH WHISKY; THAT, FOR THE
REASON THAT CLARE HAD A SOMETIME RITUAL IN CONNECTION WITH IT. WHEN IT WAS AVAILBLE, HE WOULD CHARGE HIS
GLASS, LIFT IT AND DRINK A TOAST TO THE
‘ NECTAR OF THE GODS’
OUR TRIBUTE TO CLARE MACLEOD CONCLUDES WITH A
QUOTATION FROM SHAKESPEARE;
‘
HE WAS A MAN, TAKE HIM FOR ALL IN ALL, WE SHALL NOT LOOK UPON HIS LIKE AGAIN’
BE
IT RESOLVED THAT COPIES OF THIS TRIBUTE BE GIVEN TO THE FAMILY AND DEPOSITED IN
THE RECORDS OF THE CLUB.
MAY
I ASK YOU TO STAND FOR THE HYMN ‘ O GOD OUR HELP IN AGES PAST ‘
‘