The Gamma Alpha Chronicles 1966-1973
A 3 part feature of Brother Harry Oswin’s recollections of his active days in Gamma Alpha Chapter at Thistletown Collegiate Institute in Rexdale, Ontario. Photos are courtesy of Brother Dave Bartlett.
Late 1966 – 1967
Been thinking back, recently, to our days near the start of Gamma Alpha. I wasn’t there at the very start. Describing that start would be up to Brothers like Wayne Arblaster, Roger Wakeman. Carl Thomas, Hans Lohse’ Larry Love and others. I was in the first set of pledges that included: John Brennan, Dave Bartlett, Bev Baldwin, Pete Murphy Paul Milliken, Holger Lohse’, Ron Christenson. Al Ford and Brian Miller. We were inducted on December 18, 1966. It was a very active time because the Charter Brothers, along with some young women from Delta Chi Sorority started up the Y-Knot Coffee House. It was an old school house at 977 Albion Rd in old Thistletown, across from the Thistletown Plaza.
It ran every Friday night with mostly folk music, some comedians. coffee, cider and snacks. Can’t remember who, but one or two of the Charter brothers had a contact with a booking agent. We would call and whoever was available to be booked was who’d perform on the Friday night. It could be Daddy Stovepipe’s 4th cousin, or Captain Matchbox and his Whoopee Jug Band. The Y-Knot became a destination point for young folks in Rexdale between late 1966 and ’68. Because we provided gigs for folk musicians, we also started to get some cred in the Toronto folk music scene. One night we were preparing to open,, we had a promising artist booked and in walked Pete Seeger, the American Social Activist and Folk Singer who, among other things wrote Guantanamara. He said he had heard about the Y-Knot and he just wanted to check it out and wish us well. He was very careful not to upstage the act that we had booked. He stayed for a about half an hour and then quietly left, shaking hands and wishing us good luck.
I mentioned comedians and in a previous Post; I spoke of (Paul) Milliken and (Tom)O’Brien. They were very funny combination, coming from rival fraternities, while at the same time being good friends. Paul was a master at mimicking voices and Tom interviewed Paul, who was doing a letter perfect John Lennon. Using Lennon quotes like “Time you enjoy wasting was not wasted”, “Reality leaves a lot to the Imagination”, “Count your age by friends, not years. Count your life by smiles, not tears.” The last question Tom asked John (Paul Milliken) was “what’s next for the Beatles.” Paul always teased me about being an Uber Beatles fan and his response was, “Well, we have to make another Album, you know, we have to keep Harry (Oswin) happy, you know!” It brought the house down and the 50 or so folks that were there, erupted in laughter. I was in the back serving some coffee and my very red face lit up the room. That was Paul.
So we didn’t just drink, chase after young women and have meetings, we actually ran a small business (the Y-Knot) for most of 3 years. It was a real team-building exercise and most of the brothers were there doing whatever was necessary from guiding Pete Seegar around, to making coffee or putting out the garbage. We headed toward late spring of 1967 and with the Delt convention coming up, we wanted make some kind of a splash. As an expansion chapter, we didn’t have enough street cred to win any of the big awards like Chapter of the Year, but Wayne Arblaster had an idea. He said “I’ve seen some of the Chapter History Books and they’re pretty basic.” So Wayne set about putting a History Book together for Gamma Alpha. It had Wayne’s flair, his humour and his creativity. I will take an indirect bow. My girlfriend at the time, Lesley Knowles, made the cover for the History book and sewed on a Gamma Delta Psi crest. Do I have to say we won the History Book Award? Well, we did and we owned that award for 4 years running. At the’67 Delt Convention we met E. J. Stewart, who at that time was the oldest living brother. He was very kind. He seemed ancient. He was likely only a few years older than I am right now.
1968 was even better! There’s more to come in a future Post.
We all owe a great debt to Brother Dave Bartlett, who has saved, sorted and shared photos and documents of Gamma Alpha’s past for all these years. Thanks Dave!
Photos include: an encore photo of flyer from the Y-Knot Coffee House featuring Milliken and O’Brien, Pic of the home of the Y-knot at 977 Albion Road and some of the Brothers from that era
1968
The Executive position of Corresponding Secretary is one of those thankless positions that is usually foisted on an unsuspecting new member of an organization. That it was, until Rick Arblaster took on the role. Newsletters were sent back and forth between the 30 or so chapters. Content usually involved Headlines like: Boy did the Brothers ever get blotto last weekend, Chased Chicks all over Town or, Fabulous Bake sale, We made $12 bucks.
Rick surveyed this scene and felt that he could do better. His first Newsletter started as follows: “The Brothers of Gamma Alpha were out last weekend with some ardent female astronomers celebrating the 345th Anniversary of Pierre Gassendi discovering a planet in transit. The Brothers and the young women wore costumes from the 16th Century, everyone drank tea and then went quietly home.” This, of course, started a trend where each chapter reported a fake event, showing off their genteel, sophisticated ways. Rick outdid himself reporting on our teeter-totter caper. The letter was called “Enlightenment and Great Teeter Totter. “Once upon a time in the far-away hamlet or Rexdale, there was a group of youthful athletes. These youthful athletes all belonged to the Grand Crescent of Gamma Delta Psi (Gamma Alpha Chapter) and they were happy. By day they partook in athletic games and studied all the edifying subjects that our Educational Institutions have to offer and by night, they engaged in intellectual discussions and other wholesome fun with young women of whom they were acquainted.”
So, as we went into 1968, we had just set a British Commonwealth Record, we were co-operating on running a small business, the Y-Knot, we had “killer” correspondence courtesy of Rick Arblaster, we organized something called the President’s Council, that brought Chapter Presidents. and vice presidents together with the GDP Executive, we had almost 100% attendance at Gamma Delta Psi events, we sponsored the creation of a new Chapter, our pals Gamma Delta from WHCI and we owned the History book award. I’ll say this as humbly as I can. We were perfectly placed to win the J.L.S. Fermoyle Outstanding Chapter Award (GDP equivalent of the Stanley Cup) and we did at the August Delt Convention that year. It was the culmination of 3 years work on the part of the Charter brothers and those of us who came after. There were no superstars, we just had a very talented group who worked like hell and had of a lot of fun at the same time.
Some folks have asked me over the years, what was it that I got out of Gamma Alpha. Well, I learned how to be a part of a team, money management, leadership, community development and how to be a friend. Those lessons have stayed with me throughout my life.
Photos include: the full text of Rick Arblaster’s Enlightenment and Great Teeter Totter, the Brothers in Bible study at Harry’s Basement ( it was very mean of Brother Bartlett to Crop a Playboy Mag on top of my copy of the Bible-lol), Wayne Arblaster and G.A. brothers at the ’68 Delt Convention, a newspaper article showing Brother Carl Thomas and others celebrating the opening of the Y-Knot Coffee House and the J.L.S. Fermoyle Outstanding Chapter Award.
As ever, thanks to Brother Dave Bartlett for saving our history.
1968 -1973
Fresh from winning the J. J. Fermoyle trophy as Chapter of the year in September ’68, we thought we were pretty hot stuff and guess what happened? Gamma Omicron, the Gamma Sigma Chapter at TCI, also won chapter of the year that Summer! Must have been something in the Rexdale drinking water that year, or maybe our little ‘burg was a solid nesting place for talent. ‘Sigs vs. Delts; it wasn’t exactly the Jets vs. the Sharks from West Side Story, but clearly we weren’t best buds! As Past President, I was approached by my ‘Sig counter part, Tom O’Brien to see if we could find ways to work together and reduce tension. We decided to hold monthly meetings among all of the Rexdale high school fraternities and sororities. Joint fundraisers and activities were organized. There may have even a party or two. Fred Wilkinson was elected our new President. I stayed on till the end of 1969 when I retired. The brothers were kind enough, from time to time, to invite me to some of their parties and fundraisers.
My path led me to Humber College and the social work program. I graduated in 1972 and started a job with the Toronto Children’s Aid Society as a caseworker. We worked with troubled kids and families and tried to help families stay together, if we could. One of the challenges I came across, was finding Big Brothers for the many kids that were being raised in one parent families. I contacted Big Brothers of Toronto and there was an 18 month waiting list. That’s when I had a brainstorm. What if I contacted the Brothers of Gamma Alpha to see if they’d work with me and become informal big brothers for the kids on our caseloads? The President, at that time was Terry Gallagher. Other active brothers included: Bill Griffiths, Stuart Kidd, Sandy Ross and Bob Wolfenden. Terry sticks in my memory, because he had this huge shock of curly, shoulder length hair. My pitch to the Brothers was would they be prepared to come out with me on Saturdays and spend 3 hours doing an informal big brothers program with these kids. The brothers conferred in private and called me back into the meeting. They agreed to give it a try on two conditions: 1, Would I contact as many “old” brothers as I could and organize a baseball game between the current and the OLD brothers like me. 2. Would I help them compete for the Gamma Delta Psi Variety Village Civics Award at the next Delt convention.
And so it began , most Saturdays, the Brothers and I took these kids to places like the Ontario Science Centre, Ontario Place and less formal events. like hikes, Bar B Qs, and baseball ,or touch football games. The commitment of the Brothers was outstanding. These kids were wrestling with lots of challenges and the Gamma Alpha Brothers treated them like Gold! It went on for 2 years! Later on Big Brothers of Toronto increased their number of volunteers and we ended our program after we were sure that all of these kids had a B.B. I can’t say enough about the kindness and caring that Terry and all the Delts gave to those kids. I was proud to be a Delt and it was my most treasured memory as a Brother. I wrote a letter to Ken Marskell detailing what the Gamma Alpha brothers had done for those kids and nominated them for the Variety Village Civics Award. I was also at the convention, since I’d been tipped off that they had won.
You were wondering about that baseball game between the old and new brothers. I assembled a team of veterans that included: Terry Marshall, Carl Thomas, Larry Love, Fred Wilkinson and someone you might have heard of named, D. Bartlett. We had so much talent and experience we told ourselves we’d crush these rookies!! The youngins’ displayed no respect or mercy and beat us 10 to 2, before a home crowd at Rexdale Park.
Well, that’s what I recall. If I missed naming any of those volunteer big brothers, I apologize. This is where my part of the story ends. I invite brothers who came after me to fill in the rest of the tapestry. It was a pleasure back then and it’s a pleasure now to know you fine folks.
Yours in Brotherhood,
Bro. Harry Oswin
#17 Gamma Alpha
Below is a photo of the GDP Variety Village Civics award. A photo from 1970 of Brother Fred Wilkinson (with his hand on my girlfriend’s thigh,) and me. Also, a 1968 photo entitled: “The day After: Teenage drinking: Threat or Menace” that includes brothers John Brennan, Bev Baldwin, Terry Marshall and yours truly.
Thanks again to Bro. Dave Bartlett for these great pics!
