Modest Prizes Motivated Students 70 Years Ago

How enthusiastic would you be to compete for a piece of fruit cake or half a dozen oranges?

Canadian Junior College students who didn’t go home for Christmas in 1939 planned a lot of fun activities, one being a scavenger hunt. They were divided into six groups and given a list of thirty things to find. One difficult item to find was a black pair of stockings (not socks). One group was successful with the loan of a pair from Mrs. Dan Leiske. The group that brought in the best collection in the shortest time received a prize of  “a delicious Christmas cake.” The winners: Marie Widen [Buhler-Fisher], Verna Moser, Leonie Hermann [Miller], Harry Baerg, Nick Trynchuk, Robert McEachren, Irwin Horsley and Marvin Nickel. 

Lorena Mae Smith
1930

Margaret Ziprick
1931

The winners and prizes of a health poster contest were: 1^st prize to Lorena Smith, a car ride on May 24; 2^nd prize to Clarence Lindgren, a boat ride; and 3^rd prize to Margaret Ziprick [Neufeld], one-half dozen oranges. 
The first year an Aurora yearbook was published was in 1927. A prize of $3.00 was offered to the one submitting the most snapshots to be used in the College annual. No record was found for the winner.

Two gentlemen enjoy a "prize worthy" boat ride on
Lake Barnett.

Clarence Lindgren
1931

(Contrast these prizes with the top prize of $500 being offered to the winner of CUC/PAA's 2nd Annual Celebration of Scripture Songs!  How times have changed.)

The cover of 1927 Aurora, CUC's first yearbook.

by Edith Fitch, CUC Historian