50th ANNIVERSARY REPORT – November 2014

Did you ever wonder what happens to the collection taken at the Remembrance Day service on November 11th? Well here is the answer- it is given to the Hantsport Memorial Scholarship Foundation.

On April 30th, 1962, there were sixteen persons assembled with the Mayor, D.M Freeman acting as the Chairman of a meeting. The following list of Officers was elected at this meeting – Chairman – J. L. Harvie, Secretary – K. M. Hyson and Treasurer – A.L. Harlow. This was the beginning of the Foundation. There were fifteen names who were able to be identified and they are as follows : J.L. Harvie, D. Cuvilier, John Morse, Rev. Gordon Pyke, Merrill Hyson, A.L. Harlow, Evangeline Phillips, Carl Peach, John Folker, Jr., Donald Davison, J.A. Allard, Eugene Dukeshire, Mayor D. M. Freeman, Harold Burden and Rev. Blanchard. J.L. Harvie (John) is an active member of the Foundation still today at the age of 91. At that initial meeting there was a committee formed to draw up By-Laws with the help of the Town Solicitor.

Since that time, the Foundation has met at least once yearly and has collected donations and the collection from the Remembrance Day Service. This has allowed a scholarship to be offered to a deserving student from the Hantsport area every year since Stewart Hyson received the first scholarship in 1964 in the amount of $50.00 to the latest recipient Courtney Garland in 2014. This celebrated the 50th year that a scholarship has been awarded.

The scholarship has helped toward the cost of a university or college for fifty nine (59) individuals as some years two recipients received the award. The Foundation usually meets once a year in June to consider the student applications and award the scholarship. It has been presented at the school of the deserving student(s) at their graduation. The members of the 2014 -15 Foundation are Cathy Dunbar, John Harvie, Matthew Balsor, St. Clair and Eudora Patterson, Joe Foy, Colin Chase, Peter Johnston, Marie Doucette, Peter Murray, Paul and Rebecca Price and Renda Vandertoorn.

From the financial statements it appears the first identified Remembrance Day collection was
$39.46 in 1965. In 2007 that amount had grown to $1,075.07. This collection is almost the only monies being added to the Foundation funds annually. Individuals and/or groups may make donations to the Foundation at any time through Matthew Balsor at the Avon Credit Union.

Now you know where that Remembrance Day collection goes and the opportunity those funds and other donations has afforded many Hantsport and area students in their university studies.

The following is a list of the recipients since its beginning:
1964 Stewart Hyson $50.00
1965 David Freeman $75.00
1966 Carol Cuvilier $125.00
1967 David MacInnis $125.00
1968 Audrey Oldershaw $150.00
1969 Donald Porter $150.00
1970 Leslie Rogers $175.00
1971 Julie Comstock $175.00
1972 Kevin Fraser $200.00
1973 Peter Lund $200.00
1974 Leah Clark $250.00
1975 Maureen McGinn $250.00
1976 Jane McGinn $300.00
1977 Laurel Clark $300.00
1978 Melinda McGinn $300.00
1979 Lorraine O’Dell $350.00
1980 Paulette Newcomb $450.00
1981 Andrew Harvie $500.00
1982 Theresa Newcomb $500.00
1983 Heather MacMillan $300.00
1983 Stephen Marsters $300.00
1984 Trudy Pettigrew $600.00
1985 Angela Connors $600.00
1986 Lisa Gaudet $650.00
1987 Wanda Cleveland $650.00
1988 Lloyd Starratt $750.00
1989 Sydney Swaine $700.00
1990 Susan MacMillan $750.00
1991 Marie Doucette $800.00
1992 Tracey Talbot $800.00
1993 Jan Zwicker $800.00
1994 Carla Shaw $800.00
1995 Melissa Grey $375.00
1995 Arlene Doucette $375.00
1996 Steven Sanford $600.00
1997 Abe Zebian $700.00
1998 Jill Sanford $800.00
1999 Kerri Burgher $800.00
2000 Melissa Kelly $800.00
2001 Morgan Dunbar $500.00
2001 Julie McCarthy $500.00
2002 Natasha Ewert $1,000.00
2003 Ashley Harding $1,000.00
2004 Dustin Currie $1,000.00
2005 Heather Harding $1,000.00
2006 Shaun MacFarlane $1,000.00
2007 Ben Jamer $1,000.00
2007 Heather Babin $1,000.00
2008 Nataleah lnvine $1,000.00
2008 Justin Barkhouse $1,000.00
2009 Kelsey Carey $1,000.00
2010 Lindsay Coldwell $1,000.00
2011 Michael Gnemmi $1,000.00
2011 Jessica Zinck $1,000.00
2012 Ally Loiselle $1,000.00
2012 Morgan McNeil $1,000.00
2013 Christina Travers $1,000.00
2013 Rachel Newcombe $1,000.00
2014 Courtney Garland $1,500.00

Taped Interviews with
Maurice “Moss” Smith
Hantsport, NS – Summer 1975
OFY Project – Historical Insights

BEAZLEY RACE & MEMORIAL SCHOLARSHIP:

When we formed the Legion way back after the second war, I got up and said, “Now, Comrades, These Legions are for doing something – – work for something, have a little object and view.”

“Well, have you got anything?”

“Yes, I have. I’m thinking right now. I think I do right now.” I said, “We could hold a road race to the memory of Dick Beazley, killed in Holland.”

“Well, all right. What would we have?”

“Well, a five or six mile road race, or if it’s on a track, all right.”

That went over and it’s been going on ever since. This will be twenty-nine years this year, I think, and I’ve started every one of them. Anyway, it (the Legion) went on for a number of years and I got up again and I said, “We’re not doing a thing. We should have another little project. Let’s get busy on it.”

“Well, have you got something?”

“Yes, let’s raise money for a scholarship for the town.”

“Well, how much money would you want to get?”

“My thoughts are, ten thousand dollars.” (Well, that’s a long ways away from it now, but it’s working there.)

There was a lot of opposition. I fought it, kept it going. To make it easier, I said we’d bring the town council in on it, mayor and councillors, meet them and let them subscribe, and they did and the lodges gave some. Well, now we gave $250 last year, and there, I think it’s worthwhile. It isn’t so big, but it’s worthwhile to win it. I was thinking about it today – – the girl or boy that gets it. A lot wanted to give it to some family that didn’t have the money. No, I didn’t want it that way. I wanted it for the highest marks of the student. Make it bigger that way too. Well, I had my way; it went that way and still is.

There’s an odd man in our committee, and I’m him. I come up with the last say. I would move that the student receive the scholarship and Mr. Harlow always favored me. I didn’t look at what money somebody had or what his grandfather had, I just took the honour of the pupil making the highest mark and winning it. That’s what counts, isn’t it? If they want to give another one to some underprivileged child, then I’ll go along with it. If that’s the object, then I’d be all for it. A lot didn’t agree, but they more or less do now. But we can’t give it to everyone.