| While I was reading some of the stories posted by others and also
probing my memories for things to write about that would be interesting
as well as indicative of Life at Feller, little things crept in, that while
they do not constitute a full story in themselves, might trigger a story
from someone else who was involved.
So therefore I've set aside this space to write little things that flashed up. It's sure is nice to have a mind like a steel trap, but just like on my 53 Chevy,,, steel rusts!!!! |
| (59-60) [I think] One of the senior boys finds a baby raccoon in a tree (remember the climbing hypothesis) and brings him back to Feller to live with us. Possibly was Howard "Chappie" Chapman ??? |
| (60-61) (??) Contest on radio show from Montreal has prize of a candy stripped car. Won by one of our students. As I recall the contest was to form a proper sentence using the least amount of words. AND the winner is (was) "Which Witch is Which?" The author's name is lost to me. |
| (57-58) Phantom Bell Jammer. Some brave soul took to sticking something
into the bell push button located in the main hall thereby jamming the
bell "ON". Best effect was when this was done at 3 am. or thereabouts.
Lasted for about a week or two. Probably a future mathematician who figured
the odds would get him eventually and quit while he was ahead.
Brave soul unknown. |
| (all) Junior Iniation Day. As I recall this was good fun for the whole school. Even the Juniors enjoyed it. |
| Question. Why did getting the strap (getting biffed) on the hands invariably end up with the student having a bruise 5-6 inches up his arm? |
| If going to church once a day and three times on Sunday created us as we were, just imagine what we would have done in a non religious place. Or was there a "Dark Reversal Result" in effect at that school? Only Stephen King knows for sure. Maybe he'll do a book on the place. "Dark of the Moon Sketches of a Little School" (With apologies to Mr. Leacock) |
| 20 steps between each floor.
8 inches per step 4 floors. 10 trips up and 10 trips down per day. (minimum) 200 days per year. 4 Years there (57-61) equals 5120000 inches up and 5120000 inches down. OR 80.80 MILES up (130.03 km) And 80.80 MILES (130.03km) down. (and that's not counting the dining hall) No wonder I'm tired! |
| PASSING GRADE: Not a real problem when you have the keys to the library and the teachers conveniently run off the exams on the Gestetner Machine then throw the stencil in the library garbage. Remember to put the stencil back in the garbage after you make your copy. Pass only to trusted friends who will only get a decent grade, not 100%. "Oh! My goodness I got 76%!!, I really didn't expect to do that well Sir, but I did study awfully hard last term" "Yes Sir, I'm sure I'llbe able to as well or better next term, if all things remain as they are now". |
| Study Hall where absolutely NO ONE studied. Lots of "notes" for the other side of the "Iron Curtain" were written, letters home asking for money, letters home pleading to be taken out of this place, books read that were not on the to read list, radios with ear phones listened to and many more things done. but NO studying. |
| Meals so repetitious that after the first term you knew what to expect at any given meal for the rest of your time there. The only exception being when something or someone screwed up in the kitchen. Menu non requis, Merci. |
| The joy of having a good table server who not only could pass all your notes to a female friend who was also a good server, but also being able to co-ordinate getting the leftovers from the girls tables with only looks, nods and very precise timing so as to arrive at the kitchen door together. "Survivor" has nothing on a Feller Fellow trying to get enough to eat. (and we didn't have to go to Australia to find a place in the wilds where "making" it to the end was a daily battle of wits and a fight against the elements). |
| Remember getting other peoples laundry mixed in with yours? Sometimes even the opposite genders laundry. This naturally was an opportunity for revenge if the persons whose laundry you had inadvertently gotten had done you wrong. Shirts cut full of holes and put into next weeks laundry so that when it was re-processed and returned to the rightful owner, it was ruined. REVENGE and totally untraceable to you!! |
| Remember running to Lacombe's store at recess in the middle of winter in just your classroom clothes, because of lack of time to go get a coat, boots etc. |
| Speaking of laundry, remember the pecking order to get the best sheets on the weekly linen exchange? |
| AND THEN FINALLY:
The great day dawned, you awoke realizing that you were: no longer scared, no longer needed to ask others where to go or how to circumvent anything. YOU HAD IT MADE IN THE SHADE YOU HAD IT DOWN PAT You knew where to cop a butt. Booze was available for the imaginative. How to drive any teacher berserk while always maintaining a low profile. Communicating with your sweetie was no problem. Chapel passed without notice, even though you were in attendance. Church could be skipped with a little help from your friends. Study hall was ignored. Navigation in the woods was second nature. Lying (to cover your butt) was first nature. OMERTA was your credo and your LAW. |
| Life now would be different here. You were now a
FELLER FELLOW!!!!!!! AND ALWAYS WILL BE. TILL THE DAY YOU DIES. |