J. R. Reid Served His School, Community Well
One of Brandon's best known educators, James Robert (J. R.) Reid, died in the
city today.
Principal of Brandon Collegiate Institute for 22 years, Mr. Reid, who would
have been 84 Jan. 26 died in Assiniboine Hospital following a lengthy illness.
Mr. Reid came to Brandon in 1924 and joined the staff of BCI as English
Master. In 1927 he was appointed as principal, a position he held until 1949.
Born on Jan. 26, 1882 in Teeswater, Ont., he gained his elementary education
in a small Ontario rural school, and his high-school education at Parkhill, Ont.
After high school, Mr. Reid studied teacher-training at Strathroy Model School
and London Normal School. He later graduated from Queen's University,
Kingston, and came to Western Canada in 1909.
Before coming west, Mr. Reid married the former Isabella Jane Erskine, at the
farm home of the bride's parents at Lieury, Ont.
After teaching in Strasbourg, Kerrobert and Macoun, Sask., for 10 years, Mr.
Reid moved with his family to Swan River in 1919.
While in Swan River, he served two years as town councillor, and was mayor
for one term.
In 1924 the family came to Brandon.
Mr. and Mrs. Reid, who predeceased him in October, 1965, had three children.
They are James Erskine Reid of Brandon; Mrs. D. W. Falconer (Edith) of
Victoria, B.C. ; and Mrs. W. J. Fawcett (Margaret) of Winnipeg.
Mr. Reid's term as principal at BCI was broken only in 1941 when he took a
year's leave-of-absence to act as inspector of collegiate and college
departments in western Manitoba.
As a teacher, he served his profession well in several capacities. Among these
were terms as president of the Western Manitoba Teacher's Association,
member of the advisory board of education for four years, delegate to the
Canadian teachers' convention at Moncton, N.B. , in 1931 and instructor to
teachers taking night classes. In 1937, Mr. Reid was awarded the coronation
medal in recognition of his work in education. He is a life member of the
Manitoba Education Association.
Highly regarded by his students, his annual messages to them in the school
year-books indicate how he earned this respect.
In 1927 he wrote "we trust that those who are still within the call of the gong
may so devote themselves to the development of sound bodies, sound minds,
and strong souls that, when they go out into a larger field, they may find
themselves equipped for true service to humanity."
Four years later, his final word to the 1931 graduates was "It is more
important that we should learn to live than that we should meet examination
requirements."
His message of 1944, when the world was deeply embroiled in the Second
World War, offered hope and encouragement to the students.
"It is difficult to see sense and plan in it all," he wrote, "but it is safe to predict
that, out of the confusion and strife there will come a new age, more
wonderful and more satisfying than we even dare to hope or more terrible
than the imagination can conceive."
Speaking of the BCI graduates, many of them his former students, who died on
the European battlefields, he urged "we must gives our lives...in determination
that they shall not have died in vain; that the life which they envisioned and
deemed possible may be a reality."
After devoting a lifetime to teaching, he called on his students to strive to
make a better world in his final message in 1949.
"There can be no brave new world of beauteous mankind so long as we
continue to put the emphasis upon the realistic. We must return to the
idealism of Shakespeare and Wordsworth and Tennyson. We must envision a
world of people such as they envisioned and prepare ourselves to become
each a part of that 'brave new world'."
Proposing a toast to their retiring principal at the graduates' banquet in 1949,
Ted Dillistone noted "for the past quarter century he has been a true friend to
all who have sought knowledge here."
Mr. Dillistone also read exerpts from a letter written by a former pupil, who
noted "we look back upon the period during which we received instruction
from you with sincere pleasure. We recollect your efforts in your behalf with
greatful "remembrance."
His long years of service to the Brandon school system was recognized in
September, 1959, when a new elementary school was named in his honor.
After coming to Saskatchewan in 1909, his teaching career was interrupted by
the First World War, during which he earned the rank of lieutenant. In the
Second World War, Mr. Reid served as commanding Officer of the Brandon Air
Cadet squadron, with the rank of flight-lieutenant.
Both Mr. Reid and his wife were active in St. Paul's United Church in Brandon,
and Mr. Reid was a member of the session there.
Fraternally, Mr. Reid held membership in the Canadian Order of Foresters for
close to 50 years. He is also an honorary inspector general 33 degree Ancient
and Accepted Scottish Rite of Canada, a life member of Brandon Lodge No. 1o
and an honorary member of Fenwick Lodge.
After leaving the teaching profession, Mr. Reid was employed as a proofreader by the Brandon Sun until 1956.
In 1960 Mr. and Mrs. Reid moved to Fairview Home from the family home at
329 Second Street.
Principal's Message
"How beauteous is mankind: O, brave new world That has such people in't."
Such was the exclamation of Shakespeare's Miranda when after long exile
upon a desert island, she beheld civilized youth in fair array.
"O, brave new world that has such people in't." What must people have to
make a brave new world? Shakespeare would say, beauty. St. Paul's answer
would be the same, for he said, "Whatsoever things are true, whatsoever
things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure,
whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report."
Such things are not additions to character, they are character; they are not
ornamental, but fundamental. Then to make a brave new world out of what
seems so ugly with distortion, we must build a beauteous mankind, "noble in
reason, infinite in faculty, in action how like an angel, in apprehension how
like a god, the beauty of the world."
There can be no brave new world of beauteous mankind so long as we
continue to put the emphasis upon the realistic. We must return to the
idealism of Shakespeare and Wordsworth and Tennyson. We must envision a
world of people such as they envisioned and prepare ourselves to become
each a part of that "brave new world." And
"Thanks to the human heart by which we live, Thanks to its tenderness, its
joys, and fears." We can make such a world if we will.
J.R. Reid
*Taken from The Brandon Sun. Saturday, January 8, 1966
Further research: Mr. Reid was on council in Swan River in 1921 & 1924. He
was mayor in 1924, only until July... Then G. D. Reid took over for the balance
of the year and 1925. It is believed that G. D. Reid was his brother. They also
owned the Reid Bros. hardware store in Swan River.