[From the Ontario District's newsletter, The Trillium, issue 60-02, April - June, 2006 , Waldo Redekop, editor.]

Ontario District news from 1957

As gathered from district newsletters by Waldo Redekop

The spring convention was held in London, hosted by the London Chapter. The first event was the District House of Delegates meeting, held at the Odd Fellow’s Hall. It was large enough to accommodate 500 people and “All chapter delegates must be in attendance and as many of your chapter members as possible.” About 300 did show up. [ED: Wouldn’t participation like that be wonderful at our current HOD?]

The second event was the Quartet Elimination Contest held at 2 p.m. in the H. B. Beal Secondary School auditorium which seated 1,500 people. Tickets were $1.50 which allowed you to also attend the evening contest.

The third event was the Regional Preliminary Quartet Contest Finals and the District Chorus Contest, also held in the same auditorium at 8 p.m.. The Gay Tones and The Canadian Chordsmen won the right to represent the district. The Woodstock Chapter Chorus became district champions.

The Society bought the beautiful Alford mansion in Kenosha for $75,000 and moved the head office there from Detroit. It had cost $385,000 when finished in 1933 (started in 1928). [ED: Donna and I drove there when the Society was about to sell it and had a tour of the building. Fantastic!]

The Burlington Chapter received their charter with 29 members. They were sponsored by the Hamilton Chapter.

New chapters were being formed in Brockville (by Bill Taylor because he missed barbershopping when he moved), North Bay, Port Hope-Coburg and Chatham. Other active prospects were Huntsville, Owen Sound and Kingston.

A number of Barbershoppers went to the L.A. International Convention by train, having received a great sendoff from about 100 Barbershoppers at Union Station.     k