From The Archives...

In April 1933 Mrs Ryland J. New, of Whiteoaks Chapter of the IODE made the suggestion to their Chapter that a new Primary Chapter for girls 16 and over, be formed in Oakville. Mrs. W.G. McKendrick, Regent of Whiteoaks asked Mrs. New to undertake the formation of the New  Chapter - and so we were born.

There were 24 Charter Members. Many had been associated with Mrs. New in Girl Guide work and some were daughters of the ladies of the White Oaks Chapter. They assembled at Mrs. New’s home and were taught the principles and purpose of the work of IODE.

At the June 19th meeting of the Provincial Chapter, the outstanding event of the session was the Presentation of The Charter to the Angela Bruce Chapter. Mrs. Angela Bruce, wife of the Lieutenant  Governor of Ontario, placed the Charter in the hands of Miss Eleanor Glassco at an impressive ceremony.

Mrs. Bruce extended her congratulations to the new chapter which she called “The Beauty Chapter”. The young ladies were seated together, 16 years old and over.

Because many of the members were living at theirs parents’ homes, meetings were held there or at the homes of members of the White Oaks Chapter. The only married lady in the group was Mrs. Ruth Hindmarsh, wife of Harry Hindmarsh, Head of The Toronto Star.

At first, the fundraising was all with the other two chapters in Oakville and in 1933 the main events were the Tag Day for The Blind, which netted $225.00 and the Movie Theatre Night which netted $53.00. The sum of $2.00 was voted to the Educational Relief Fund. Theatre Nights proved to be good money raising projects and they were held in the Gregory Theatre - it was in the first block east of Trafalgar Road on the north side of Lakeshore.

In 1934 a Bridge Party and a Garden Party were held with the Angela Bruce (Beauty) Chapter very much in evidence, serving tea and charming the guests. A Yearly Ball which later became The Hunt Ball was held at Victoria Hall (now the parking lot for The Curling Club) and remained there until 1941 when it was moved to the Village Inn on Howard Ave about a block from the lake. After the Easter Ball in 1939, which netted $142.00, the Chapter voted the following sums- $25 to train a naval cadet, $5.00 for a school in India and $8.00 to the Endowment Fund. That year, The Welfare Secretary reported the purchase of a bed for a needy family and $10.00 for bedding. Pineview School on 6th Line received our attention and books, pictures, clothing and prizes for school closings were provided as well as 2 wash basins and individual towels for pupils. $5.00 was donated for medals for the Halton County Music Festival in Milton. $100.00 was set aside for a family of five children, and a stove and clothing were given to a family who had been burned out. Monies for these projects were also provided through Theatre Nights, Balls, Bridge Events and a Cooking School.

In 1941 Membership was up to 45 - WAR WAS ON. And by that time we had a WAR Service Fund. The Mile Of Pennies was launched. This was to be from Trafalgar Road, which was then called Dundas Street, to the bridge at Navy Street and it was on both sides of the road. It realized $375.00. It should have been $376.00 but a sneak thief drove by slowly, opened the door and stole $1.00.

Major Herbert Chisholm of the Lorne Scot Regiment, sent his thanks for donations sent overseas to his troops. The Chapter also donated $25.00 for bunks for seamen in Halifax. The total raised during the year was $729.00 with a new membership high of 80 ladies.

Angela Bruce appealed for items for auction - household furniture and other items. The Auction was held outside the Legion Hall and $100 was cleared for Welfare Work. After a Hallowe’en Dance at The Oakville Club with 300 guests, we raised $200.00 and bought our first wreath for the Cenotaph. We are still present at George’s Park each year with our flags in place on November 11th.

1942 was a banner year! Money raised was $1,857.00 with 2 dances, 2 theatre nights, a box supper and another Mile of Pennies.

With the war still going on, we began a “Collection Of Scrap” averaging $108.00 per month. The Scrap Drive was for the war effort. Sterling Dynes supplied the truck and the sign on the truck read “Save Scrap To Win This Scrap”. Scrap collected was newspapers, magazines, cartons, boxes, paper bags, wrapping paper, cardboard, clean rags, burlap, twine, canvas, old clothes, mattresses, metals, tinfoil, leather including old gloves, small scraps of paper. No soiled paper and no tin cans.

Members of the Chapter collected in the truck, every homeowner was sold a Victory Bag for 10 cents, and the Girl Guides and Lorne Scots Reserve helped sort in the Marlatt Tannery across from the Royal Bank which provided space for collecting. Everyone was asked to save all fats, strain them into wide mouthed cans and place them out with salvage, and to also separate aluminum foil. The fat collected was a very important item in the business of war. It was used in the manufacture of shells and bombs. It was shipped out of Oakville to the manufacturing plants. Bones were also collected - they contained glycerine, also used for shells and bombs. Collections of old tires, tubes etc. were made as well. By the end of 1942 more than 170 tons of scrap had been collected and Mayor Deans received a letter from the Province Of Ontario congratulating The Angela Bruce Chapter IODE for their noble effort. In 1943, proceeds from the Scrap Drive were $2311.08 and 480 lbs of fat were collected at a Theatre Night.

By this time the Victory Shop was up and running. Many articles of no use to the dealers buying the scrap were assembled. The Loblaws store which was next to Knox Church provided space to store these items and they were sold on Thursday and Saturday afternoon. The Salvage Collection was discontinued after 1945.

The War Work convenor reported that 80 shelter bags consisting of 1,534 articles had been filled by members and forwarded to the Red Cross in England for bomb victims. Each bag contained at least 14 items of personal use.

At the end of March 1943, The Opportunity Shop opened on the south side of Colborne Street and then into a war surplus hut located on the corner of Randall and Navy. Earnings for the month of May were $147.00. We were off to a great start! All fundraising that year netted the chapter $4869.00. And in 1945 the first annual bursary of $100.00 was awarded to an Oakville Trafalgar High School student to be used for nursing or teaching of technical training, and preference was given to the son or daughter of a veteran. We made our first donation to the Oakville Hospital in the amount of $250.00. We looked after many needy people. Book prizes were awarded to schools and National Funds were fulfilled.

The Opportunity Shop was later moved to Robinson Street on the Wm. Whitaker estate and in 1962 it was moved to rooms at the rear of Flaherty’s Barber Shop on Lakeshore Road. An iron gate bears the sign leading to a small alley and the front door of the shop. On April 8th 1981 the shop opens at our present location on Kerr Street*.

We would be here for many more hours if I continued to relate all the fundraising ideas that were held to raise the monies for the Chapter’s charities over the years as well as the length of time it would take me to list what was done with the monies. I will highlight their Spring Bonnet Tea and Fashion Show which was held for many years. The pictures in the scrapbooks are wonderful. They, of course, continued to hold their balls and their Theatre Nights, Wine and Cheese parties, cookbook, Marathon Bridges, Snack Luncheons by the Lake, Sherry Parties, Red Feather Musical Revues, raffles of paintings, sales of roses, sponsored a play at the Royal Alex Theatre and many other things, and in 1967 the three Oakville Chapters got together to hold a Centennial Ball and with the funds raised purchased three 70 foot flagpoles and flags and floodlights for the Oakville Centennial Centre.

Many interesting gifts were given by the chapter and one of them was 76 “ditty bags” for patients in the Mental Health Association. Rooms were furnished in the hospital. Parties were given for new Canadians and they prompted children to collect for Unicef on Hallowe’en as well as the many scholarships that were given.

The Corporation of The Town of Oakville issued a proclamation in1982 stating that Feb. 13 - 19th of that year would be declared as IODE Week in Oakville.

In 1983 Angela Bruce celebrated its 50th Anniversary at St. John’s Church with an Anniversary Tea and the door prize was 50 silver dollars.

Our historical minutes were lost when our shop was flooded so we have depended on our scrapbooks. The scrapbooks are here today and I urge you to take a look at them and see the many faces that are familiar to us. Our members were very beautiful as of course they still are today, and their beauty is also inside and expressed through the many hours given by them now and over the years to raising funds to help others. We are constantly making new friends as we get to know each other and work together.

From our first year when we raised $278.00 approximately with the help of Sybil Bennett Chapter and Whiteoaks Chapter, our donation of $2.00 to the Educational Relief Fund to now when we raise thousands of dollars each year and make so many donations and scholarships has been a wonderful journey.

How proud each one of us must feel today to be a part of an organization and today we salute the ladies who began this chapter and who persevered to make it grow and be so worthwhile and such an important part of our community.

–– Writer Unknown

*Written before 2010, when our shop moved to its current location on Kerr Street; it was located at Rebecca and Kerr before.