| Fellow members:
The two-day sessions in Richmond Hill made me pleased and proud to be a
member. It had something for everybody. As 84-year-young Lloyd Penwarden said:
"They're such a friendly group."
For those who couldn't make it, here's what I really liked about the
sessions (not necessarily in this order);
Red Kelly's remininences of his varied career:
The stories about his father, a farmer and good hockey player.
His revelation that his salary over a 20-year career went from the
minimum of $6,000 a year to $25,000 or $30,000.
His story of how Punch Imlach brought two loads of Brink truck bags
to the dressing room before a crucial Stanley Cup playoff game, emptied the
contents on a table and told the Maple Leaf players: "Every time the Canadiens
take the puck away from you, they are putting their hands in your pockets and
stealing your money." It worked!
Mr. Minor Hockey J.L. (Jack) Christie's talk about his part in building
the largest minor hockey association (the OMHA) in the world. (He modestly left
behind a 61-page copy of his Memoirs that tells the story of the origin and rise
of the organization from a dining room table operation to a $7-million a year
business and his comment about the changing attitudes of parents of young hockey
players.
Having the birth certificates of several hundred prospects, Jack met all
the scouts -- and rightfully predicted that Bobby Orr should have never played
Junior hockey at such a young age (his career was cut short by knee injuries).
OMHA past president Jim Kinkley's welcome both at the Friday night
meet-and-greet and the Saturday meeting and the conducted tour of the fabulous
OMHA headquarters.
Past President Paul Kitchen's astute summary of the Origin's committee
report and the showing of the Montreal media conferece video as nicely
introduced by Earl (The Pearl) Zukerman.
Bill Sproule's paper on the original International Hockey League and the
very professional invitation by Houghton, Michigan to hold a future meeting in
the Copper Country.
Ample time was devoted to the selection of sites for future meetings,
which resulted as follows:
- October, 2003: Burlington, Ont. (near Hamilton).
- May, 2004: Kingston, Ont. (halfway between Toronto and Montreal - where
SIHR was born in 1991).
- October, 2004 - Houghton, Mich.: To mark the Centennial of the IHL.
Glen Goodhand's paper on "Minor League Davids vs. Major League Goliaths."Still recuperating from the effects of an operation, and battling a cold, the
Reverend Glen, came through in his usual entertaining and informative style.
The contribution of Neil Orser's quiz (from the current issue of The
Hockey History Journal) on Who Was the Coach When? at the Friday night "Show
and Tell." Kudos to Eric Zweig and Paul Bruno, the prizewinners and the
contribution of Eugene Willis, who loves The Rocket and the California Seals.
The fine, ultra-modern facilities of the Radisson Hotel, Markham - a
bargain at $109 a night, conveniently located at Highways 404 and 7. (Did anyone
else overlook the fact the Valhalla access street was one-way?)
The fine response of Bruce Newton, an 18-year-old Ridley student, on
receiving the Brian McFarlane Award (for outstanding research and collecting) on
behalf of his late grandfather, John D. Paton, from our Honourary President (who
attended with his mother Shirley Anne Newton of St. Catharines.) "It was not
only a hobby," he said, "It was a part of his life." The Patton collection is
now in the International Hockey Hall of Fame and Museum in Kingston, Ontario.)
Bill Humber's rousing reading of Soup Campbell's tribute to Red
Tilson--the popular ex-Oshawa General who now lies in Flanders Field where the
poppies blow.
Secretary Len Kotylo and President Ernie Fitizsimmons and his wife,
Marlene, did a fine job of looking after all the small but important details
that make for a successful convention and Newsletter Editor Denis Gibbons, who
was there to record the happenings for posterity (including the taking of a
group photo outside the OMHA headquarters, while prostrate on the pavement!)
And most important,, the wind-up event at the home of our secretary
Len and his gracious wife, Meezma. They put on a sumptuous buffet, with bubbly
and friendly chatter. We had to be pulled away from Len's incredible scrapbook
collection--every known sports photo from the 1950s to 2000! It's destined for
some lucky archive.
Respectfully submitted.
Bill Fitsell |
