Off-at-a-Tangent: CANADA VISIT - HARRISON LAKE 50th CLASS REUNION UBC NURSING 1967

Out of our class of 23 who graduated from UBC School of Nursing, Vancouver, B.C., Canada in 1967 there were 17 of us who gathered at Harrison Lakes Hot Spring for a 50th reunion.

After 50 years I wish to state we are all wearing very well! Group photo is on Facebook here:
https://www.facebook.com/groups/1460375480707228/?fref=nf

If that doesn't work go on Facebook.com [not .uk] and search 'UBC nursing 67'

Our group would make a very interesting study: all were born in 1943 or 1944 and finished high school in or around 1962 at the age of 18 years. Most of us grew up in British Columbia and therefore we were part of basically an immigrant culture, i.e. everyone came from somewhere else.

This had implications for education, particularly of women. Parents, schools strongly encouraged 'education'. The word 'drop out', common in my youth but not known in the UK, meant that the default position for education was IN, i.e. you stayed and finished Grade 12. And, indeed, looking back, if anyone at school 'dropped out' it was something really serious like the girl got pregnant.

And that brings me to another observation. It was so interesting to hear everyone's stories about their life, i.e. being a teenager in the late 50s and early 60s with all the social sanctions of Victorian or Edwardian society that operated at that time especially for girls! For example, as one person pointed out one got married in order to have sexual relations with one's boyfriend. Quite true.

Then in the early 60s when we were turning 20 oral contraception was available. 'The pill' changed everything for women. We were the generation that were on the cusp of the end of the old social mores and the beginning of the new liberating ones.

So 3 days of chat with a great group of women who, 50 years ago, spent a lot of time together in a very tough course was very uplifting. It validated some of my experiences e.g. I thought some of the lecturers were very unfair in handling some of their situations... I wasn't the only one as it turns out!

Also pooling memories of events proved illuminating: things I do not recall were vivid for others perhaps because they were more directly affected ... and vice-versa.

For example: Thursdays had an extended lunch hour. We joined with the engineers (as we were in the same faculty, i.e. Faculty of Applied Science) for their annual football game. The idea was to grab the ball, stuff it up your jumper and run with it. This photo is of Alice in the foreground.

Other memories: I recall having to hold a patient while Electroconvulsive Therapy was being applied; one of the lecturers was married and carried on lecturing while expecting her first baby - unheard of both counts!... I remember living in the Nurses Residence at St Paul's and not getting a message that a VOC fellow came and called for me on his scooter. I was furious about this and not long afterward I moved out to live with Alice and Jean on 4th Avenue. And the rest is history!