There are many tales of rural schools’ Christmas concerts in the 1930s, but little has been recorded of the caring adults who made them feasible.
The teacher was key, the taskmaster who directed, chose and produced the program, but there were also caring adults behind the scenes.
Months before teachers and students started rehearsals, a parents committee did fundraising. Dances featured local musicians playing well-known tunes. The men paid 25 cents, while the women were admitted free if they brought sandwiches or cake for the midnight lunch.
Read Also
AgriStability updates offer stronger support for farmers
One of the most significant updates to the AgriStability program for the 2025 program year is the increase in the compensation rate.
The Ladies Aid often raffled off a quilt.
By November, the committee had accumulated enough money to buy presents for the students and preschoolers in the district. They spent a busy evening poring over the Simpson’s (not yet Sears) and Eaton catalogues to order suitable gifts.
When the orders arrived, there were several evenings spent wrapping and tagging gifts. Most years, at least one gift was sold out or unavailable so a volunteer was dispatched to buy something locally.
During another day of shopping, candy, Christmas oranges and nuts were purchased to accompany each gift, followed by another afternoon to fill the goody bags.
There were no evergreens that grew within 50 kilometres of the Lloydminster, Alta., district and none were ever for sale nearby. A willing volunteer was picked to go north to cut one. Many years, the trip was made with horses and sleigh due to road conditions.
One or two days before the big production, the men erected the stage and moved the piano into place. There was no school on the concert day so the women could decorate the tree.
On the big night, we would come in from the cold to the glow of kerosene lights and a giant bespangled tree surrounded by parcels of every size.
After the performance, Santa, a sometimes not so willing volunteer, arrived to distribute the gifts. After a lunch, the local musicians were usually persuaded to play for a few dances.
Sometime before Christmas Day, the committees met once more. The stage was stored away, the piano returned to its regular spot, the decorations packed away and the tree was sold, one year for only 75 cents. The proceeds became part of the next year’s Christmas fund.
