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The band and the town hall by George Flllott My recollections of the band and its involvement with the Town Hall only go back as far as the Boys Band formed to take the place of the Acton Citizens Band during the war years The Citizens Band had been formed In about ten years before the building of Ihe Town Hall so many con certs must have taken place in the hall during its history Stories from these earlier days will have to wait until a memory older than mine comes along The Boys Band when first formed in the early forties originally practiced two nights a week in the band hall at the arena Above the arena entrance was the band room It had large windows looking down onto Ihe ice face which could be opened up when band played for hockey games and all fair shows before the war The Boys band was only here a short time when had to move as the arena was converted to a wool store house to help the war effort Only one alternative location was possible the Town Hall The Band was given the small room on the front of the building for its practice room This was later converted to the police offices It was very cramped in winter you want to get too close to the stove but the Band man aged The noise must have been deafening but I don remember that Young ears don t seem to mind noise In the summer when it was warmer the bond moved upstairs to practice which was a big improvement For a time the Band practised in the basement of the but for most of these years its home was the Town Hall Charlie Mason our leader was a great believer in public appearances for the Band at any excuse He organized many concerts which were played in the Town Hall auditorium for parents of the band members and citizens 1 can remember some of these concerts The first one took place a few months after our motley collection of boys began learning to play Some of us hardly knew one end of the instrument from the other but we played a concert any way Charlie would add some other more expert per formers to fill out the pro gramme but we played even if only a few numbers Charlie first love was cello on which he was a cap able performer but he had played all the brass band instruments at one lime or another bo he often played a solo or two himself on the at a concert Occasionally a band member played a solo and Charlie accompanied him on the Town Hall piano He was not a pianist but he could chord and he did it with great gusto once he had found the right key This took two or three practice attempts to locate the key but stage fright in front of an audience was not one of Charlie s hang Two or three years after the band started Charlie an nounced that we were going to have a concert In which everyone played a solo And that meant everyone includ log the altos and tubas who were usually excused from such public displays The band members all hunted up music to piny wherever they could and Mrs Anderson who lived across the road was given the job of company lug all this on the piano Charlie arranged to have an adjudicator come to decide which of us was the best player and on this ad judication would be decided the players who should the first chairs In the Band Also there would be prizes for the winners The night of the concert there were in the hall a lot of nervous boys a good sized audience and Chris Robinson sitting down in front at a tabic to adjudicate Chris was a friend of Charlies from Guelph who played fine euphonium in the Musical Society Band and In fact still does The Band played a few numbers together and then got dowp to the serious business of the evening the solos Everyone did his best nerves or not standing on stage in front of that audience and after every has been blown and the last note cracked Chris made his announce ment of the winner To my great surprise I came first and Bra Ida came second My prize was a fine leather music case donated by Bcardmores I believe which I still use Aldo and I at that time were playing third comet last chairs in the section and true to his word Charlie moved us up to the first and second chairs in the cornet section at the next practice and we occupied them ever after Aldo and were great friends and great any sub ject any time any place Perhaps Charlie had decided to put all that wind to more useful work Later he Band added girls but we still practiced at the Town Hall until the war ended and the Band returned to the arena There in the postwar days of the great iate hockey teams Acton was the only arena in the league that had a resident band We came and played and cheered the team from the best seats and warmest in the packed arena No one ever missed coming to play for one of those games Of course we continued to hold our concerts and socials in the Town Hall Charlie was a great advocate of parties for the Band so that was where most of us learned lo dance In later years the addition of the Community Center the arena ended the band room there and once again the band wandered in search ending up at last in the upstairs of the Town Hall Dances were no longer held there It was vacant with no power and no stoves for heat The Band arranged to have some wiring put in for lights and a small space heater was donated for heat in the winter It was hardly ade quate In winter you prac with overcoats on and gloves because ft got mighty cold in the hall The Band master was put by the stove so that what heat there was he would get Fin ally the Band bought a fur and had it installed up stairs Band concerts were now held in the Robert Little school auditorium Unfortunately or fortun perhaps Council often wanted to hold meetings In the Council chamber on Band practice nights When the Band played they found it very difficult to carry on a meeting because of the music thundering through their ceil So when the Band pro posed building its own hall Council was most encouraging and gave every support to the effort Even I ally the new Music Centre was finished and the Band left he Town Hall for the last time not without a certain amount of sadness because the hall had been home off and on for so long After all those years the once proud hall became silent now to be no more than a storehouse for stolen bicycles and out of season Christmas decora Ions by Harry Norton The first executive meeting of the term was held at the Branch on he evening of June 19 and the following distribution of responsibility was made John Goy entertainment Pat poppy fund and decoration day Ab Irwin membership Bob building Fred Allen sports Joan McKnight and Ted crew chiefs Ed Foot It sick and visiting Vic Patrick service officer and Harry Norton public relations officer In order to spread the work load and to quaint he membership with the work entailed in running Branch 137 the above mentioned com chairmen will be ask ordinary and associate members to work with them in carrying out their assigned duties The annual bar for members of Branch 197 is all arranged and the advance sale of tickets indicates we will have a good turnout at branch this Saturday evening If you have not picked up your yet there are still a few left at the bar At per couple for entertainment and beef dinner it has to be he bargain of the year trance to the branch on Saturday June after 18 will be by ticket only Bob and Corey will play in the auditorium and there will be entertainment In Ihe lounge Garbage Brampton concert On Saturday afternoon Acton Citizen Band will be playing a concert in Bramp ton with the Brampton band The occasion Is the Flower Town Festival 21 in Saturday GODZILLA vs THE SMOG MONSTER In Color The Great Texas dynamite chase street GIRLS iir A TRUE STORY For ah in THE OFTHE MARILYN MOUNTAIN TIMOTHY BOTTOMS PART Show Tlmst Sun and Sat p The Acton Free Press Wednesday B6 Library minutes criticized but board stands by them ACTON BOYS and Girls Band on the town hall stage about 1947 left to right back row Andy Gerald Perkins Fran Chew Norma Kentner Ken Harold Smith Jean Wilds Shirley Joyce Lamb Elwin Kentner Donald Perkins Mike Centre row Charles Kingsmili Muriel Bums Lena Lawson Elaine Ken Allen Aldo Braida Muriel Ralston Mary Smith Braida Veldhuis Melbourne Blow Donald Lamb Front row seated Donald Julian Donald Matthews Lorne Simpson Jim Dills Lome Arbic Charles Mason Bandmaster Ken Jim Spielvogel Armand Braida George Elliott Ernest West Ray Arbic Front row on floor Frank Spielvogel Gord Lawson Leho Braida Jim Greer John Ware Newest Hills Library Board member Betty Fisher contended the board was contravening The Library Act by not having a complete set of minutes for meetings in a book set out for that purpose She told board members at a meeting last Wednesday night that she had checked with the South Central Region before coming to that conclusion Mrs Fisher said the minutes read of the previous public meeting did not con tain all the comments made by various spokesmen and she wanted them included She suggested the librarian was picking and choosing material she wanted in the minutes Librarian Betsy replied that the board would have to send someone who can take shorthand to meetings if they wanted a full report We can t expect Betsy to take down everything said board member Mike It unfair to take Betsy lo task for the quality of the minutes said board member Doug Magwood They arc adequate aB far as I concerned 1 never heard them criticized ln the pas I I don dispute the letter of the law states there be a full set of minutes said board member Norm Elliott he charged Mrs Fisher was also intimating the minutes had not been kept correctly in the past The board agreed to amend the minutes as Mrs Fisher suggested but Ihe recom of a secretary for meetings was vetoed by the board members saying it a practice not followed by any board know The librarian said there was no question of trying to keep the minutes away from the public They were avail able on library shelves for the public to view she said Chairman Dick Howltt said minutes of a meeting were not to contain everything that is said The board speaks by resolution he declared otherwise board members would spend all their time reading library minutes And every member gets a chance to correct the minutes Mr Elliott reminded board members Boys bike is found The bike belonging to an Elmore Drive youth was recovered after it was reported stolen from the grounds of Middle School last week Finish The Job With Beaver Aluminum Type I alum to I Insulation It Friction Fit Batts Insulation fborglas n ft It 349 6 Aluminum Step Ladder A great all purpose slop ladder nonsi rubber Extra wide 3 rails and serrated steps C S A approved Light we ghl for easy handling See Beaver soon 99 CIL Alkyd SemiGloss And Super Latex Paint semigloss Is a low odour high hiding paint that dries to a hard mar re sistant finish to repeated washings Super Latex flat enamel dries to a low gloss For interior walls 12S 3S Econotex Carpet polypropylene en p Ihals rec room Several 12W Decor Brick Have brick no mo Wth is easy Assorted sly It Paint Thinner Polystucco Paint Cleans from brushes and Ready to Inter or wall rollers cans Plastic for a Id proof aaloty cup pall ems and swirls lb Paint Paint Roller Set Already paint lor Handy 12 poly ntor or walls and Threaded Easy to use handle Metal tray Barwood Floor Imperial Accotone Tough h gh doss finish lone rJ mm QQ vnyltoyor J Yd 19 Stapler Gun Honvy duty staplor Stud Finder Magna He stud lor picture etc to wills panel I log Our Reg 190 Mitre Box Beaver Work Apron ilng iro box Keep Carpenters apron with Our Reg Store Hour Montain TumBjti Frtlm 318 Stmt East 2234 WE ACCEPT Charge Accounts Charge Master Charge