END OF PHASE ONE chapter 207

     I had completed four years at the end of 1978, a full four-year cycle. The freshmen I had begun with were now graduating. The good part was that I had survived. The bad part was that I was losing some students to whom I had become attached. Ones I had begun with. I know teachers are to unbiased and love them all equally but I didn’t know them equally. And realistically, you cannot know them all equally. Some like to remain anonymous others want to be noticed. Then there are those in the middle. I remembered the ones who were trouble, talkative, entertaining, noisy. That is actually only a very small percentage of the students. I was unbiased in class, but on a personal level I was losing some I knew I would miss and some I felt like I needed.

Garry as the "Gunfighter"

I had started with Garry Tollefson in his freshman year and he was the only one with me for all four years. He and I have talked and written in recent years and I am aware of what Portrait Players did for him and he knows some of what he did for me. He became an exceptionally dependable guy who not only always came with his lines memorized and ready to go, once we got lights, he handled the set up and break down and trained the rest of the team how we functioned as we traveled. His senior photo made a statement about how he felt about being a Portrait Player.

Con as CBC Student Body President

Conrad Hild had been with me for three years and he left in his fourth year to be student body president. I also missed him. He was a terrific actor and another one I could always depend on. He always had great suggestions and could pull off any role. Con stayed around Regina so we continued to have some contact. He began dating my gratis worker so I still saw him round my office from time to time. Gratis was the term used for students who worked around the campus in exchange for lower tuition. Barb was my secretary.

Both Garry and Con have continued in theater being very involved in community projects, Garry in Regina and Con in Calgary. I only wish I could see them in their local productions. That would be a thrill.

I my thinking this was going to be the last year for No Time For Tombstones. It was a good run and I loved doing it, but creatively it was pinching some nerves. I had let my superiors know I wanted to try something else and was given permission. But over the summer things changed. We had missed several important churches that still wanted to see the play. I didn’t know how I would do it without Garry and Con, but on the positive side I had returning actors and picked up and carried on beautifully.

We had some creative soul design and sew a camel costume for Youth Conference. This was a two-person deal but it was a lot of full. I don’t remember the fill title was it was something about “Oasis.” I remember great skits and great music. I never took photos at youth conference. I was always way too busy.

Youth conference musical group

The camel from Youth Conference

I also remember this year making the biggest mistake of my married life. I was scheduled to be part of a Christian Education conference in Kindersley, Saskatchewan and was scheduled to travel with two others from Regina. One was Rev. Orthner, whom I considered the reason I was even in ministry. At home I had a wife and two kids now feeling very well and wanting me to cancel and stay home with them. I was torn, I knew I should stay, but I was seriously confused on my priorities and didn’t want to disappoint my mentor. I made the trip, returning home to three very sick people. I am still not over the guilt from that stupidity.