1937-38: One of the other notable clubs at P.S.H. was the science club. Like the woodworking club, this extracurricular activity was only able to occur because of the addition that was put onto the original Sumas-Abbotsford High School in 1936. Prior to this, there was no dedicated science room, rather just a regular classroom that would have been used to teach the basics of science, along with English, history, and geometry. One of the buildings in the new addition of the building was a science classroom, dedicated to all things science. Having a room dedicated to a specific discipline allows for experiments to take place and resources to be utilized that would otherwise have been unable to be used. With the birth of a science room, the birth of the science club followed shortly after. Under the guidance of Ms Piggott, the science program at P.S.H. began to blossom. The President of the club was Joe Swoboda, and he was followed by the Vice President, Marie Trembley, and the Secretary George Seldon. As noted in the yearbook, the club had some changes in personnel over the course of the 1937-38 school year, as both Joe and George stepped down. However, these leadership changes did not seem to affect the gusto and enthusiasm that the science club had in its initial year, as they had many interesting discussions ranging from airplanes, to Hawaii, experimental plant growth. Looking further into the people who were involved in the science club in its initial years, it is clear that it was the best and the brightest from P.S.H. Joe Swoboda was the Student Council President and is noted for “giving everything we could hope for” to the school. Marie Trembley was also a model student and was the secretary for the Student Council. At the age of fifteen she was graduating, and was known for being the smartest in the class. It can be seen through this that the students who were attracted to the science club were the brightest, and that they helped the science club succeed in the opening year. The groundwork for the following years was set and the expectations had been made [1].
1938-39: The science club was still under operation during this year under the guidance of Ms. Smith, who was the science and mathematics teacher. They did various experiments such as dissecting animals and attempting to build a telegraph line with a receiving booth at either end. In the spring, near the end of the school year, the science club focused on local plant and animal education and went on a hike behind the clay plant at Kilgrad Mountain. Although this club was becoming decreasingly popular, their discoveries and adventures were still important to the school [2].
1939-40: Although the science club was relatively popular in the initial years of the school, popularity had it is noted “that the science club was not greatly noticed, but contributed much to the school”. Their notable achievement for this year was building a radio transmitter which was able to send messages up to fifty feet. Unlike other years, there was no teacher that was directly involved in the club, but rather just student leadership and enthusiasm. President Howard Smith was noted for being heavily involved in keeping the science club running, despite the lack of popularity. Ms. McRae is also thanked for providing leadership and guidance to the science club, but it looks like there was less of an involved role for her than in previous years [3].
1940-41: The science club had a resurgence of popularity and membership this year, likely due to their new approach. Instead of having one club do a variety of activities throughout the year, they broke the club into four sections, each under the guidance of a different president. First off, under the guidance of Bill Cameron, the photography section of the science club took off. In this area, the members examined different aspects of photography and experimented with developing and producing photographs. Under Jack Gilmore, the electrical section of the science club can be observed. The experimented with the workings and parts of electrical motors. Thirdly, there was the model airplane section, that was under the guidance of Jack Myers. In this segment of the science club, the members explored the various ways in which model airplanes worked and they joined a competition in Chilliwack to showcase the model planes that they had built. Lastly, there was the biology section, which was overseen by John Dawson. They explored all things to do with biology, but mostly focused on producing and examining microscopic slides. Part of the reason for this newfound success to this club, besides the variety of activities, was that Ms. McRae was once again the supervisor. There was no longer a need for a student led club, so having a teacher sponsor likely boosted interest and validated the members of the club as well. Unfortunately, this was also the last year of the club, as the clubs became more focused on the war effort from here on out [4].
References
[1] Philip Sheffield High School Consamannum 1937-38, The Reach Gallery & Museum.
[2] Philip Sheffield High School Consamannum 1938-39, The Reach Gallery & Museum.
[3] Philip Sheffield High School Consamannum 1939-40, The Reach Gallery & Museum.
[4] Philip Sheffield High School Consamannum 1940-41, The Reach Gallery & Museum.