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4- The Oakville Beaver Weekend, Saturday January 19, 2008 www.oakvillebeaver.com Old boy marches in time Continued from page 3 He also picked up a prize rarely given in John Bell's day, the Satis Superque (`Enough and more') Award, given at the headmaster's discretion to recognize outstanding service to the school in a non-athletic, non-academic context. DesRoches was involved as both an actor and backstage in Appleby plays, worked in the print shop and darkroom, was the school's photographer, and worked on The Argus. He was also a platoon lieutenant in the 440 Appleby College Cadet Corps. He said the toughest part of returning as a teacher was learning not to call his former teachers sir. He also remembers the night, Appleby boys were awakened by "this thumping boom and jumped up and said, `What the hell was that?'" only to find that a contingent of youths, suspected to hail from one of the prominent local public high schools, had blown up a bridge at Appleby. The early act of terrorism, as Desroches dubs it, was likely part of the town-and-gown rivalry that saw Appleby's goalposts ripped down at the end of each football season and which he said "was good natured though occasionally it went beyond the bounds of sensibility." After graduation, DesRoches attended New College at the University of Toronto, earning a Bachelor's degree in English and later teaching certificates in English, history and theatre arts. "I was sick and tired of being in a small place where every time you sneezed or went to the bathroom, everybody knew about it," said DesRoches of his desire to attend a large university. Partial guilt at being seen as someone unable to cut the apron strings to his alma mater, led DesRoches to turn down a teaching job offer from John Bell, early in his career when he was practice teaching at T. A. Blakelock. DesRoches began teaching classes at the 2,000-student school at Bramalea Secondary School in Brampton in 1966. It was such a change -- the size, the environment, the politics -- from what he had known at Appleby that by 1967, Bell was teaching English at Appleby. He remained doing so until 1997. In 1968, he joined four other Old Boys (alumni) on Think Green. Breathe Easy. HUGE CENTRAL AIR & FURNACE $ Up to BEST PRICES EVER! SALE 4700 AND * Cash Back UP TO $2400 GOV. CASH BACK UP TO $1500 MANUFACTURERS CASH BACK + NO PAYMENT! NO INTEREST! FOR 6 MONTHS *OAC UP TO $800 HYDRO CASH BACK *Call for details. Financing Available + To place your business logo or name here, call your Classified Sales Representative today! 905.632.4440 8 Locations To Serve You Better! 905-849-4998 www.aireone.com 1-888-827-2665 staff (Mart Kenney, David Smith, David Manbert and Bruce Anderson) in reviving what is now the Alumni Association and establishing The Appleby Quarterly. DesRoches also produced and directed major musical shows, usually with St. Mildred's-Lightbourn School in the 1970s. DesRoches was involved with The Appleby College Foundation from 1977 to 2001 and was appointed Development Secretary and Information Officer in 1978 (a title that was later changed to Director of Development and Communications) and served in that capacity until 1993. In 2000, DesRoches co-chaired the 33rd Annual International Round Square Conference, which saw almost 400 delegates from five continents visit Appleby, including former King Constantine of Greece, June Callwood and Craig Kielburger. DesRoches retired in 2006 just short of his 50th anniversary at the college. DesRoches makes his home in northeast Oakville and has over the years been involved in the community outside of Appleby by editing the Oakville Arts Council's Community Arts Calendar, being `on-air' on the local cable channel and CHWO radio (The New Library Show); served on the founding executive of the Canadian Club Oakville (president, 1990­92); neighbourhood canvasser for the Ontario Kidney Foundation, Canadian Cancer Society, and Canadian Diabetes Association; committee member of the Canadian Centre for Philanthropy. Having taken up playing the bagpipes in his retirement, he was forced to set them aside following heart bypass surgery and has instead taken up exercising. He and his wife have also taken up cruising. They participated in an Alaskan cruise, will be visiting Scotland with their children this summer and will again take a North Atlantic cruise past Russia and Denmark later in the year. As Appleby's geographic footprint has expanded, along with its student population and campus life, DesRoches is in his element as archivist. He is able to recite the history of the school and the various influential families that have played a major part in its history -- Oakville names like Baillie, Gairdner, Grant and others. Back in the chapel, DesRoches points out another stained glass window that was donated by Appleby's long-time chef Hilda Chattaway who worked at Appleby from 1929 until her death in 1985. "Hilda was everybody's surrogate mother, especially the younger kids. If you went into the kitchen, Hilda would always slip you a cookie or a cookie and a glass of milk," said DesRoches. In contrast, he remembers the school nurse, Mona Niblett. Her answer for someone in the infirmary with bronchitis would be to enter their room and order them not to cough, he said. Niblett started at Appleby in 1925 and Rose James, who headed up domestic staff as matron, was hired in 1926. The stained glass window donated by Chattaway is dedicated to both Niblett and James. But as their hire dates indicate, that was all a long time ago. And as DesRoches knows full well, time marches on at Appleby -- and he goes right along with it.