Day 2 - Key to A School - 21 Day Family Connections Experiment

It's Day 2 of my 21 Day Family Connections Experiment

I'm going to show and talk about family treasures for 21 days. This will be a random selection, and I expect to put up an organized list later of the things I'm showing here and those I've had on CanadaGenealogy in past articles. 

Terribly dark photo! I'll swap it out for a better one when the sun is shining.



1953 Vancouver Civic Elections ad. George W Rogers, for School Trustee Wed, Dec 9, 1953 – 18 · The Vancouver News-Herald (Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada) · Newspapers.com

In the 1950s, my father, George William Rogers, was elected as a Vancouver, BC School Trustee. He served for a number of years, and when he retired, was Chairman of the School Board. The gavel he was given is still in the family.

These were years of growth in Vancouver's school system as the first of the Baby Boomers arrived in class and post war immigrant children too. Some schools were overcrowded; periodically some classes had to be on 'swing shifts'. (Sound familiar?)  Dad's last report chastised the provincial government for not contributing enough towards construction of safe, secure school facilities.

As Trustee and later Chair, he took part in many Board activities. The ceremonial key shown below was given to him when he opened the new Sir Wilfred Grenfell School in March, 1956 built on the site of an older school. By September, two portables had to be moved to the school grounds to accommodate more students and prevent 'swing shifts'. And there was another addition in 1958.

"Sir Wilfred Grenfell Elementary School Opened By George W. Rogers M.B.E. March 2nd, 1956."

I was very young at the time, so don't remember too much, but my parents, especially my mum, told me a few things later, for example, that I, as a very young child, went to a few meetings with dad. Sounds quite modern. Although mum said she wasn't sure what he did if I needed the usual attentions. She thought a 'lady' on the Board must have helped him! 

What she didn't say to me, but I did take for granted, was that this was likely at times when my baby brother was really sick and dad wouldn't leave mum to have to look after both of us.

We all went to some of the openings and other functions. Mum was often frustrated as she'd be wanting to get us home afterwards and dad would have run into yet one more person to talk to. As a kid, I used to think he knew everyone in Vancouver! And among the older ones, perhaps he did in some circles, since he was born in South Vancouver in 1917 and it was a much smaller city then. 

One thing I do remember is being a student in classes at the Vancouver Normal School (temporarily) before I had even started school. For some reason, they needed to fill up a classroom and we lived right nearby. I hope I behaved well for that teacher who would have been a 'teacher in training'.

I do have a few photographs and papers from his school board days. They are with the business papers which have been waiting for me to go through the boxes. Soon....

For more about the 21 Day Family Connections Experiment, see my first Experiment article here. 

The Family Connections Experiment - 21 Days Experience

Quotation from Libby Copeland, author of 

The Lost Family: How DNA Testing is Upending Who We Are (2020).

Don't laugh! I've decided to join another challenge this month. I was thinking of just making one up for myself, so hearing about the 21 Day Family Connections Experiment today on a Legacy Webinar was very timely.

And it doesn't matter that I 'missed' Day 1 which was May 1st. I can start now and simply carry on. There are 18 days left now in May, and many 'distancing' days ahead, I think, so I don't see this as any problem.

This is an Experiment "in gathering data to show the results of an increased focus on family connections." It has always seemed to me that for most people the process of connecting with each other, and connecting with the past, are both important to our daily lives and our individual growth.
Given current conditions, with many of us cut off from our usual routines and experiences, this is an opportunity to share our family and personal history with family members and others.

Anyone can join. And it is free. I was asked to fill out a short questionnaire to begin, and I'll be filling one out at the end. And I asked to join the Connections-Experiment Facebook group.

The Connections Experiment website has several suggested 'Plans" with many suggestions for daily activities and resources or you can make up your own plan. "Family history activities in this 21 DAY experience will go beyond traditional genealogical tasks." There are ideas for teens, for example, for writing your own history, and for families, even one for those who say "My Tree is Done".

And have a look at the Evidence page with links to articles, a webinar and the like. Don't miss that Ikea commercial. Think of future family dinners with a lively family history twist!

Mine is a variation on the 'About Me' Plan. Every day, I'm going to blog about some 'family object' which has suggested some kind of story to me. And I'm going to bug my kids (OK, strongly suggest) that they read the stories here.

I've started and stopped doing this before so 21 days will be a challenge but also a boost to our family history. Someday the objects may be gone, but I hope the stories will linger. And in the spirit of this Experiment, I'll try to explore both positive and not so positive aspects of our family history. There are lessons in all of our stories.

Lots of family objects (stuff) on the shelves and walls right here to explore during the next 21 days.

To learn all about the 21 Day Connections Experiment, go to: 

https://connections-experiment.com/

Connect with the Connections Experiment on Instagram, in the Facebook group,  onTwitter, and at TikTok.

Another treasure - from Na's Alaska trip

When talking the other day with someone about my transcribing my grandmother's account of her Alaska trip, I suddenly remembered that the leather pencil case she brought me back was on a bookshelf in my library.

Here it is - clearly well used but in good shape for all that. Inside my mother printed my name, but backwards: 'Diane - M'. Did Mum forget my name for just a minute, I wonder?

Family Treasures - Lions Gate Bridge Pin Cushion

Pin cushion? showing Lions Gate Bridge - named for the Lions mountain peaks on the North Shore (also known as the First Narrows Bridge), Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. This bridge, linking Vancouver and the North Shore through Stanley Park, opened in 1938 with 2 lanes for traffic and a 25 cent a car toll charge.

In 2005, it was designated as a national historic site of Canada.

Modern photographs and a bit of Lions Gate Bridge history at Beyond Robson.

Cushion of printed fabric, no identification. Family collection.

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Tuesday's Treasures - Baby Memories

This baby bootee was among my mum's treasures...made, I believe by her, originally for me and look - blue and pink - she did know baby might be 'me'.