[From the Ontario District's newsletter, The Trillium, issue 61-03, July - September, 2007 , Waldo Redekop, editor.]

Did you throw it out?

By Waldo Redekop, Editor / Publisher The Trillium

Over the years I have had a number of articles about preserving history. They have generated many interesting discussions with members. Often a person bemoans the fact that their chapter has very little in their archives. Often people amaze me with what they have saved.

I had offered to accept any Harmonizers or Trillium (including the predecessor) if people no longer wanted them. Occasionally I have mentioned who gave me their collection. Sometimes I even wrote about the interesting items I have read in old publications.

A number of members, gave me their entire collection of old publications. This year, Bob Margison called me and said I could have his whole collection of Harmonizers on the condition that I took them all. The oldest Harmonizer was a partial copy of an issue from May, 1945.

In that issue they welcomed the newly chartered chapters listing 30 of them, including the London Chapter which chartered with 103 men. Hughbert J. Hamilton (was he our first district president?) was listed as president and W. Lester Davis as secretary. The next closest chapter in numbers that was listed in that issue was Manitowoc, Wisconsin with 59 members.

I gladly accepted and drove to London to pick them up. Three boxes of material! The collection of his father, Maynard, uncle and his own. Of course, it does not go back to the first issue and there are some issues missing but, these still make interesting reading. Many changes have taken place over the years.

Did you know that in the early years, the Harmonizers had full-page ads for beer? They also had long craft articles written for people who had a good understanding of music. I plan to have more about this in future issues (as soon as I get a moment to read more of the articles).

I saw that many chapters took out full-page ads encouraging members to buy war bonds. There were some articles about Society members in the war, looking forward to getting back to singing with their chapters. For those of you who lived through W.W.II, I’m sure these old issues would bring back many memories.

I was also fortunate to acquire a large collection of Ontario District publications. I had mentioned once that I had the first North’n Hi-Lights that was published. This was 1956. Turns out I was mistaken (even though no one corrected me).

I recently was informed that one member has a collection of published documents by this district going back before 1956. I haven’t seen them, but sure hope to peruse them one day.

I have a number of extra copies that I am willing to give to anyone who is also collecting these publications. Just send me an e-mail or letter stating which issues you would want and I’ll see if I have extras of them.

So, as I have previously said, don’t throw out history. If you or your family doesn’t know what to do with the material when you no longer want it, I’ll take some if I already don’t have it. Perhaps your chapter might also be interested in it. But once it is discarded, it can’t be retrieved.     k