Dossier f6 - Bates, Marjorie, nee Purtelle

File consists of a recording of Marjorie Bates. Topics of the conversation include childhood in Prince Edward County; enrolment at Queen's following family tradition. Resistance to Ban Righ regulations after lenient years at YWCA, Hen Coop; close affiliation of women residents with male rugby team. Determined social life, desirability of attending all dances; general introduction of men to women at Freshmen's Reception, Grant Hall. Superficial assessment of dates by looks, dancing; moral firmness, abhorrence of 'sordid' advances likely to spoil the fun; appreciation of 'pure fun' feeling that lasts a lifetime. Lack of participation in student politics, feeling that students are too young to handle them. University socializing at that time as leading perhaps to engagement, not to marriage. Subject's engagement, later broken; mother's insistence that she not marry while ignorant of the household arts; year's attendance at MacDonald Institute, Guelph, splendid education in domestic, dietetic skills. Employment as private dietician for sanatorium, movie director's wife, while staying in Los Angeles; return home at parents' bidding. Attendance at Ontario College of Education; six years' enjoyable teaching (1930-36), marriage to school principal. OCE warning that 50% of students would not get jobs. EngIish instruction at Port Arthur Collegiate; position at Burlington Central High; enthusiastic participation in dramatic events, continued with pleasure after retirement: newspaper article 'Goodbye Mrs.Chips' following husband's retirement (1964). Subject's philosophy of education: belief in exams, standards, as preparation for life; dislike of 'open concept' schooling as too confusing, distracting for discussion purposes. Mental backbone of her generation, despite frivolity; 'tough' quality compared with today's coddled students. Ten-year gap between subject's graduation, marriage; lack of parental pressure to marry. Grant Hall as focal point of Queen's experience, site of examinations, initiation, dances, etc. Initiation programme, later abolished due to one participant's heart failure. Initiation psychology: emotional impact of two weeks' subservience to seniors, public ridicule, ending in formal acceptance by seniors at Candlelighting service; tremendous bonds formed as result of ordeal. All-night formals at Grant Hall, glories of a by-gone era; disappointment of gym formal 5 years later. Subject as founding member of flourishing Burlington Arts and Letters Society; volunteer involvement with United Church Women of Canada; 12-year participation, presidency, in Joseph Brant Hospital Auxiliary.

Joseph Brant pre-operative programme for children, leading up to hospital experience. Possible role of hospital Auxiliary in heart resuscitation education: present-day need for life-saving skills, subject's desire to 'train the whole town'. Male participation in Auxiliary. Subject's belief in strict supervision of volunteers, rules preventing them from helping patients in natural ways leading to accidents, liability. Decade of frequent travel, effectively distancing husband from work after retirement. Home study preparation for travel; enjoyment of Africa, Scandinavia; designing trips as immersion into national culture, home­ life. Subject's feeling of having experienced everything in life at the right time: high school when attitudes were healthy; college without drugs, alcohol; teaching when the students were receptive; travel when places now barred/blown up were still accessible. Strong feeling that high school students aren't prepared for, shouldn't have to cope with, pressures such as social dope-pushing. Lesson of Depression years that current 'bureaucratic spending spree' won't work. Husband's citizenship award, 'Man of the Year'; portrait commissioned by students, scholarship founded in his name.