At the McMahon school the students were always a challenge
to the teacher. In most cases this was the first school for
the teachers. We played games like Pump Pump Pull Away,
Dare Base, Anti I Over, and we had a softball team that
played a few other schools. With usually about 12 students
in the school not too many had to sit on the bench. The
best players had to be the pitcher or catcher, then came the
first baseman as he or she had to be able to catch the ball.

On Feb. 13 there was a surprise party for my brother. It was
put on by the Maybutt Young People's Society. He was taken
quite unawares.

A fairly large slough at the north-east of the school yard,
furnished the children attending the school a good deal of
fun both in the spring and winter months. Autumn and spring
the boys built rafts out of fence posts and two by fours
and ferried passengers back and forth. Rocks were ferried
out to the middle where an island was built and it was
often a question whether some poor dupe would be left
on this island when the school bell rang. In the spring,
when there was a good freeze overnight, a thin sheet of
ice would form and then we had fun racing over the ice trying
to keep moving so that we did not break through. We
called this "Rubber Ice" and almost always got our feet wet.
In the winter after the ice froze solid, we skated on the
slough during the noon hours and, we could change our
shoes and skates so fast that sometimes we could even
have a skate in the fifteen minute recess.

The slough also furnished a source of water for the rather
rough rural pastime of drowning out the pesky gopher
which every country lad pursued with religious fervour.

One of my most vivid recollections had to do with the dust
storms that gave that period the name of the "Dirty Thirties".
Great black clouds of silt raised by the wind in northern
Alberta would sweep in blotting out the sun and we would
find ourselves using the fence lines to keep us on the road
on our way home.

Christmas concerts were great. There was always a competition
between district schools over which put on the best concert
and, after attending other neighbour school concerts, we
always judged ours the best. Hours were spent rehearsing
plays, practising carols, and learning drills. Curtains to form
a front for the stage and to give the participants cover when
dressing, were made from sheets borrowed from district families
which were hung on wires stretched across the front of the
schoolroom. Light was supplied by Coleman gasoline lamps
and lanterns borrowed from attending families. Lines might
have been forgotten by shy actors, or cards or costumes
misplaced to the distraction of the teacher, but the
audience was composed of parents and family and
everyone was applauded. The arrival of "Santa Claus"
closed to the program and it was great fun guessing
who Santa "really" was. Ray Poole from Wilson Siding
and "Ma" Loder from Maybutt were the best ones that I
remember, but Santa came in all sizes, and the bags of
candy handed out were appreciated by one and all.
Most of the students did not get other presents at the
concert, either having Santa come to their home, or
not at all (these were depression years), so others
watched jealously those who did get their's at the concert.

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