The Expositor from Brantford, Ontario, Canada • 18

fn THE EXPOSITOR BRANTFORD Ratorday Rrpl 32 1938' lllpp Need for Today -11 Qreat as Retire at 60? No Sir I Dr Howard Crocker i Carved a Second Career Says Mrs Wood The need for the YM-YWCA is present building completed in By Jin Braden Wien they reach retirement axe mum men are ready to nettle down to a life of eue paign we were staging that Mechanical drawing cleuea proved to be the most popular feature of the educational train ing program of that day he added The social and educational part of the program has developed tremendously since that time Dr Crocker saysr "There is much more interest In club and group activities nowadays" But he adds that the physical aide of the program has changed as well Fifty years ago the em-was on calisthenics and Some decide conUnue to work for few more yean i And there are other like Dr iJ Howard Crocker I "grand old man of the who take a derp breath 'and carve out a eecond career 'for themeclm When Dr Crocker reached compuhory retirement eg for YMCA full-time worker he Ipatned Jut long enough to tip his hat before moving to London become director of physical education at the University of i Western Ontario That was in 1930 and at the end hia "second career 17 year (later he wu honored with an doctorate degree ia law and letters by his school gym classes for young men and boys Today the trend is to team as great today as it ever wad and the renovated will be as good for Brantford 1958 as was the original building to the city of previous generations This Is the opinion of one of Brantford's oldest workers Mrs Wood Brant Avenue Mrs Wood who will be 90 next year wag active along with her fate husband in both YMCA and YWCA activities before the turn of the century Though she has not been active In the work for some years her interest in youth has not waned Nor has her belief in the principles of the YM-YWCA Sense of Responsibility "Too many young people hang about the street! these days for lack of something to Mrs Wood said in an interview "The YM-YWCA can give them all they want to do It will give them a feeling of responsibility as iMrs Wood and her husband held this same opinion when they first came to Brantford 68 years ago and it wasn't too long before they became actively associated with the YMCA which wu then located at Wycliffo Hall directly acrou from the Market Square Brantford at that time uyi Mrs Wood wu "Just a tidy quiet little place" But Brantford soon started growing and so did the need for increased facilities When the campaign for fuhds for the 1913 was opened the Woods were among the most active workers Mr Wood served a term president of the YMCA during this period and Mrs Wood social convener Women's Committee! Mrs Wood especially remembers the work of the women's committees for loral servicemen during the First World War "Each Brantford boy who enlisted was honored with a dinner and waa given a small going-away gift by YMCA ah reralled Included in this group of men were her sons Lloyd and Ken who into almoet everything that was going on at the when they were Mrs Wood recalls that she and her husband served on many YMCA and YWCA boards and committees through the years and could never lose interest in the work "But" she hulened (o add "there were many many others most of them dead now who worked just hard and harder back in the early days of the in Mr Wood died in 1939 and Mrs Wood is no longer active in the work but she la "very anxious (o have a look at the new Though she hu been in ill health for the put year or an Mrs Wood will on hand for the opening ceremonies Sept 30 "if I ean possibly make first Lev Though Dr Crocker says he I thoroughly enjoyed his work at i Western the YM-YWCA is still 'hie first love Ha is no longer active but is still keenly interested in the jwork aa a member of the advia- fory board and physical board of Gymnasium became catch-all storeroom during YM-YWCA rertovation: Big job now completed piwVp facilities better than ever before (Expositor Photo local group and also of the national physical board of the aYMCA He wu an active member of the YMCA for years serving acrou Canada and abroad In 1 1951 the 100th anniversary of the iTMCA in North America he wu (one of 2) Canadians and Americans honored with life member-! ships A keen interest in athletics which he still maintains led to his Joining the YMCA in his (hometown of St Stephen NB 'as a youth He later helped as a (part-time staff member In 10M he accepted a post as secretary rof the Amherst NS branch and started on a career in- YMCA work that wu to take him far as China Mate Says i a Fog Bank Obscured Dona 404000 Used Pool In Most Recent Year ing class in which both and Healthful instructional and COMPLIMENTS of CHARLES BROOKS 1 NEW YORK The third lately after the collision south of mate of the Swedish liner Stock-Nantucket in which 50 lives were holm admitted here that fog lost had obscured visibility a short I 2309 (11:09 pm) the mo-time before the collision of -the ment of collision the visibility was good starboard but a fog bank liner and the Andrea Doris last but a ARCH MRAIC ARCHITECT 11 George St came down quickly where Andrea Doria wu not visible before 18-19 one notation read 1 Carstens-Johansen testified that prior to July 25 he had never been in sole charge of navigation dur-i ing 'a fog Brantford July 25 The male Ernest Carstenn-Jo-hansen also uid the helmsman Peter Larsen was not too attentive to his duties The -Swedish American Line owner of the Stockholm previously has contended it was clear the night of the collision The Italian Line owner of the Andrea Doria has uid there was fog Caratena-Johansen testified un der cross examination by Eugene Underwood Italian Line counsel in a federal court pretrial hearing related to damage actions grow ing out of the' colltiipni The lines are suing each other The mate read into the record his notes which be made immedi sports and games Off to Chlsa Dr Crocker left Brantford In 1911 to take on his toughest assignment He wu sent to China to organize a national YMCA physical program therg "A few local organizations had been opened in YMCA buildings in some large cities like Peiping and Shanghai but nothing had been done on a national 'he recalls To stir up some national interest Dr Crocker helped organize the Far Eastern Oympic Gaines for competition among China Japan the Philippines and the Malay States Though these games are now defunct they served to arouu the interest the Chineu government in physical training At the request Dr Crocker wu loaned to its educational board in this capacity he wu instrumental in the formation of a school for physi- cal training instructors a short time later and in the building of a teachers' training institute in Nanking in 1916 Returns to Canada In 1918 Dr Crocker returned to Canada to join' the national staff as physical director for Canada He held this post until his 80th birthday anniver-ury in 1930 Then according to YMCA regulations he had to eall it a career "And that retirement rule is a good Dr Crocker says "It gives mors youthful men a chance to take up And so he But before his rocking chair could del velop a squeak he was in London and working on his "see- ond as director of physical education at Western His reward for 17 years of service in this was the honor ary degree from the school and the post of honorary curator of the Jeffery Stamp Collection property of the university library The collection la one of the most valuable on this continent and to Dr Crocker an ardent stamp-collector all his life the position is a cherished one Back to Brantford Though Dr Crocker's original atay in Brantford was only a three-year stop fn a wander ing career he liked it and the people in it well enough to come back in 1948 to spend his second and final retirement Even in retirement Dr Crocker has several irons in the athletic fire Aside from his board positions here and his post on the national YMCA physical mittee he is a charter member and board member of thd Ontario Branch of the Royal Life Saving Society International athletics is another of his interests He was manager of the first Canadian Olympic team in 1908 and has Hera la He moved to the Toronto Central YMCA a few years later and then cams to Brantford as general secretary of the local branch in 1908 Headquarters then wu (Wycliffo Hall located on Col- borne Street acrou from the market Brantford has always been a iprogreulvs YMCA city Dr 'Crocker says I "Wycliffo Hall was a fine build-jing in its day When it became Inadequate they built another one (1913) and now that on has been modernised to keep up with the times" YMCA membership herewu about 100 when Dr Crocker ar-! rived but before he left Jin 1911 (it bad Jumped to mo and plan- ning for the new building wu in the final stagea I Wydiff Hall carried on a CUSTOM MADE DRAPERIES FOR BRANTFORD'S' COMPLETELY MODERN Agreement Ends Brink's Strike YM-YWCA BUILDING educational activities await young and old male and female who participate in the 'extensive and varied swimming program provided by the YM-YWCA in its newly-renovated pool under the supervision of Harold Yemm aquatic director Evidence of the keen interest in tlje swimming activities is shown in the figure for 1954 the most recent year of operation nearly 404000 persons attended the pool Besides instructional classes there are also a number of special recreational groupa The program ia not for membership only but provides facilities for a number of groups Ability Levels The class groups of buys and girls nine to'14 years old have instruction and recreation per lods Their training ia broken down into ability levels and each from the non-swimmer to the in adcanced swimming and lifesaving-t-if given the best of Instruction In the past between 500 and 800 children have availed themselves of the program 14 hours a every day after school and Saturday mornings Youth and adult swimmers have a similar set-up but the instructional part is not so much of a class nature aa it ia individual With this group instruction is concentrated chiefly on stroke improvements and new strokes Nevtces Iacladed Some many of them are found in this group said Physical Director Bill Spearman "mainly because their children have learned to swim and they feel they must This we feel is a good Women take more prone to class or group teaching men prefer individual instruction he said Among the special groups ia the family-swi-i purely recreational in the past it may include instruction this which allows all members to make use of the pool each Saturday night Thera is also the mixed lifesav Royal Lifesaving Society courses are taught Rather than the pupils taking each course separately they cad study both together ind get the two awards at one time New this year is a mixed swimming group providing recreational swim periods for young men and women It ia a program expected to prove highly popular among teen-agers The also plans a synchros ized swimming class for girls and young women interested in orna mental swimming One of the most popular groups is the Brantford Aquatic Club Here swimming is purely competitive and the focus is on winning not so much stroke perfection Strict Program Youngsters showing promise are given the opportunity to ex press themselves through this media From an early age ill the way through they are trained ind guided and follow a strict program and schedule As the swimmers develop in stature and body so too do they develop their stroke and speed Each year the club competes in about 25 swimming meets with other clubs iq all-OnUrin shows and all-Canadian competitions Another new class this year is the daytime grou which provides an opportunity for housewives and mothers to get into the swim Public Schools Biggest of the community groups using the pool is the public school contingent All children in grade six receive instruction on the beginner and inter mediate levels During the year roughly 1000 children use the pool five hours a day four days a week One of the most inspiring groups is the students of the Ontario School for the Blind For 1V4 hours each girls in the morning and boys in the the group has instructional and recreational swimming Twenty-three cerebral palsied children also have hours of inrous physical and educational 'program during his thru-year slay Dr Crocker says WERE SUPPLIED AND INSTALLED BY 1 CHARLES DUNCAN and SONS BUFFALO (AP) Employees of Brink's armored car service here began returning to work Friday to tod a 64-day strike Members of Local 449 Team slers Union voted to -accept i new two-year contract providing a 20-cent hourly increase retroactive to March 2 plus an eight-cent increase after next March Swimming classes for the tpublle were very popular after we renovated the old pool in 1908 William Henry visit i "And a visit and personal dem- (initiation by William A Henry founder of the Royal Life Saving (Society in England helped spur interest in a water safety cam- i 1 Our Decorating Studio in charge of Gordon Duncan specializes in fine custom work both domestic and industrial and our skilled decorators are always available to discuss the many decorating problems with you i Bank Suspect Given Remand Goodwill I Policy i The members of Congrega- lion Beth David take this op-nortunity of congratulating the YMCA on the completion of their remodelling May the continue its policy of goodwill i amongst all the citizens of Brantford HAMILTON France Tur cotte 37 charged with the at tempted Sloney Creek bank hold-up Aug 12 wu remanded Friday without bail until Oct 5 by Magistrate John Robinson Turcotte wu also charged with assaulting and robbing Harold Minas of St Catharines May 9 CONGREGATION BETH DAVID been member of the Canadian -David Miller Olympic Committee since it Fresidcnt was organized in 1922 Leading interior 74-76 Colborne St Dial 2-0722 or 2-5900 Gordon Duncan Member of Society 0 interior Decorators of Ontario recreational swimming each week- For thus children the swimming has certain therapeutic values For each youngster there is also a volunteer worker in the pool The plans to continue- iU Iearn-to-swim classes for pre-prep (under nine) groups In the past registration hu been between 250 and 300 boys We Point With Pride to Brantford's newly renovated YM YWCA 1 Congratulations to all who' worked so diligently to bring a dream to reality! Plumbing and Heating Installation by OLIVER Plumbing and Heating Limited This was the main entrance and lobby section of the YM-YWCA Queen Street building at the height of the extensive renovation Public will have opportunity to see the building at next Monday Tuesday Wednesday and Thursday from 7 pm to 10 pm (Expositor Photo) ') rt rj.