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Archive Record
Metadata
Item ID# |
BCFS collection |
Title |
Bruce County Folk School collection |
Object Name |
Archival Fonds |
Dates of Creation |
[194-?] - 1967 |
Creator |
Bruce County Folk School |
Other Creators |
Ontario Folk School Council |
Description |
Collection contains records created and/or collected by the delegates, leaders, hosts, and attendees of the Bruce County Folk Schools, organized by the Ontario Folk School Council and later the Rural Learning Association. Records include bulletins, diaries, syllabi, programs, pamphlets, letters, and articles about the history, events, and activities of the Bruce County Folk Schools and the Ontario Folk School Council. |
Admin/Biographical History |
The Folk School movement is an adult education philosophy, which began in Denmark in the 1800s by pastor Nikolai Grundtvig and refined by Christen Kold. Grundtvig and Kold believed that teenage years, between ages 14-18, are better spent learning practical matters including a trade or domestic duties. It was then in adulthood, when individuals already had experience working in the world, those who wished to seek further education could do so for their own enjoyment and interest. With little emphasis on book-learning, most of the teachings were in the form of practical learning through workshops and farm work. The Folk School movement came to Canada in the 1930s through D.M. Solandt, Herb H. Hannam, and John Madsen. The goal was to improve the quality of life, build community, and introduce Folk School teachings for those living in rural communities. The first Folk School in Canada was hosted at the home of Mr. and Mrs. A.B. Sammells in Park Head, Bruce County, Ontario during the week of January 14, 1939. Folk Schools held in Bruce County typically consisted of three or four day courses. County Folk Schools were organized by county residents and organizations, and the themes were pertinent to the interests and concerns of each community. They were hosted at local farms which could accommodate 12-20 people between the ages of 18 and 80. Folk School hosts, leaders, and students lived together on the same farm, sharing responsibilities, and learning as a group. Representatives from the Ontario Folk School Council and other agriculture organizations would also attend and sometimes deliver special sessions. A general theme was selected for each course, and sessions generally covered family values, religion, farm organizations and policies, and creative workshops. By 1950, the Ontario Folk School Council was established with support from the United Cooperative of Ontario and the Community Programmes branch of the Department of Education. The council was made up of county delegates, county planning committee members, individuals from related agricultural organizations and departments, and community members. The council was supported by the Canadian and Ontario Farm Radio Forums, Federation of Agriculture, Junior Farmers, Women's Institutes, and religious groups. The Ontario Folk School Council eventually merged with the Ontario Farm Forum and Rural leadership Forum, in June 1965 to form the Rural Learning Association (RLA). Bruce County Delegates who sat on or were recommended for the Ontario Folk School Council over the years include Jim Powers, Harvey Needham, Irene Boyle, Mrs. Mel White, Tom S. Ribey, Mrs. Donald McCosh [Anne McCosh?], Murray Ribey, Gladys Arnold, Esther Blackwell, Don Fenton, Wilson Gregg, Duncan Convey. Folk Schools were held almost yearly throughout Bruce County from 1939 to the 1980s. Some years Bruce County co-hosted the course with Grey County and other years it formed into a Regional Folk Schools with students attending from neighbouring countries including Huron, Wellington, Lambton, and Waterloo counties. Sources: "Canada's First Folk School Now in Session." The Canadian Echo, 19 January 1939, p. 1. "Folk School : The Farmers' College." Toronto : Ontario Folk School Council, [195-?]. Hodgins, Elva. "First Folk School in Canada Held in Bruce." The Bruce County Historical Society Yearbook, 1981, p. 28-29. Powers, James W.? "A Record of Achievement:? Bruce County's Leadership in Farm Organizations."? Guelph:? Bruce County Federation of Agriculture and Gunbyfield Publishing, 1994.? Print.? Vos, Adrian. "A Rural Ontario Institution." Village Squire, February 1979. p. 15-17. Waite, Clifford. "The Creation of a Folk School Movement" Ontario Folk School Newsletter, July 1953. What are Folk Schools? Toronto : Ontario Folk School Council, [195-?]. |
Collection |
Bruce County Folk School collection |
Level of Description |
Fonds |
Physical Description |
4.3 cm of textual materials |
Restrictions on Use |
Responsibility for determining the copyright status and permissible use rests with the user. |
Search Terms & Subjects |
Agricultural organizations Rural life |
Child Records |
A2022.072.002 A2022.072.003 A2022.072.004 A2022.072.005 A2022.072.006 A2022.072.007 A2022.072.008 A2022.072.009 A2022.072.010 A2022.072.011 A2022.072.012 A2022.072.013 A2022.072.014 A2022.072.015 A2022.072.016 A2022.072.017 A2022.072.018 A2022.072.019 A2022.072.020 A2022.072.021 A2022.072.022 A2022.072.023 |