Number 56 April 1, 2008
BECK FAMILY REUNION, August 1, & 2, 2008 in P.E.I.
By Jim Beck
The plans are coming together for the 2008 Vere Beck Family Reunion! Relatives are committed to coming from across Canada and the USA! The registration fee covering the open house and Saturday program is $10 per adult or $20 per family with children. (It does not cover any meals.)
A summary of the activities is given below.
OPEN HOUSE:Friday Aug. 1, 2008, Murray Harbour Community Centre, 10:00 am to 4:00 pm.
* Activities: RegistrationFRIDAY EVENING OPTIONS
* Meet and greet relatives and guest speaker from England
* See displays
* Buy family-related CDs, books, novelties, etc.
* Lunch available at noon
* Clambake at Cape Bear, $7.50 per adult(reservations needed)SATURDAY Aug. 2, 2008
* Lobster dinners (group going to North Rustico or ?)
* Visit with relatives
* 9:00 am - 1:00 pm ToursReservations needed for* 2:00 pm - 3:00 pm Registration, mingling time.
* 3:00 pm - 4:30 pm Main Program, Clive Killick, a relative from England, is the main speaker. A children's program is also available.
* 5:00 pm - 6:30 pm Dinner at the Arena. (Nominal charge.) Reservations needed
* 7:00 pm - 8:00 pm. Closing program
a) Clambake. Contact John Brehaut, email: jhbrehaut@pei.sympatico.ca, phone: 902-579-3758b) Dinner at Arena, 5:00 pm to 7:00 pm, Price to be announced. Contact John Brehaut, email: jhbrehaut@pei.sympatico.ca, phone: 902-579-3758
c) Books of the list of the Vere Beck family members (and some pictures and information about Vere). It might be available in two forms, spiral bound (about $60) and hardbound (about $100). CDs will be available for less and do not need to be ordered. To order your book, spiral or hardbound, of the family members, contact Jim Beck, email: beck@msu.edu, phone: 517-349-6688.
Invitations
1. We invite Beck family members to submit items to sell on consignment. Items could include CDs that they have recorded, cookbooks and other books that they have written or compiled, personal artwork, pottery and whatever. The items will be on display at the Centre and also at the Arena. Contact Wade Hawkins, WTTV@pei.sympatico.ca or 902-962-2766
2. We would like to get more copies of family photographs, both candid and professional. Contact Sarah Jackson, email: hsnjackson@eastlink,ca, phone: 902-962-2173 or Doug Beck, email: beckdoug@comcast.net, phone: 719-532-1289.
BECK DESCENDANT OFF TO THE HOCKEY HALL OF FAME
June (Lowe) Sencabaugh ( 1.7.3.1A.1,2,) of Murray River has won a major award for her many years of volunteer work with the Northumberland Arena. She was
named this year's RBC Local Hockey Leader for Prince Edward Island. The award comes with a $10,000 cheque for the Arena and a trip to the Hockey Hall of Fame in Toronto where she and other winners will be recognized for their work.
June is one of 13 volunteers (one for each Hockey Canada branch) honoured by RBC Insurance, with support from Hockey Canada and the Hockey Hall of Fame. The winners, who will also receive a signed Team Canada jersey, were chosen from hundreds of nominations received from across the country.
The money will be used for various upgrades to the arena and to support the minor hockey program.
June has been involved with the Northumberland Arena since before it was built in 1980. She remembers a number of people in the area including herself and the late Willie Harris (1.4.6.5,4.) of Murray Harbour, raising funds for more than a year before the facility was started. She was not only a founding member of the Arena, but served on the board of directors as secretary-treasurer for more than 25 years. During that time she continued with her fund-raising work, knocking on doors, working in the canteen and playing an active role in Northumberland Days, the annual Fisheries Festival which is the arena's major source of funds. When she wasn't busy with rink work, she was on the ice as a member of the women's senior hockey team.
The arena has produced a number of hockey stars and June recalls watching Brad Richards bring the Stanley Cup home to nearby Murray Harbour after the Tampa Bay Lightning won it in 2004.
“He sure made us proud,” she said.
June listed other players who went on to play in major leagues. These include Thatcher Bell, Danny Stewart, Brandon Gormley, Luke MacDonald, and Ashlyn Somers.
RBC Insurance is a subsidiary of the Royal Bank of Canada. Over the past four years, RBC Insurance has awarded more than $500,000 to grassroots hockey activities through the RBC Local Hockey Leaders program.
June will attend a special ceremony on April 28, 2008, for the unveiling of a display honouring the 2007-08 RBC Local Hockey Leaders at the Hockey Hall of Fame in Toronto.
ALYSSA WINS GOLD IN QUEBEC CITY
Alyssa Chapman of Murray Harbour (1.2,2.6.1,3,1.2,) captured a gold medal in skating at the Special Olympics Canada Winter Games held in Quebec City in late February. She came first in the dance solo competition, and finished fifth in the skills and freestyle competition.
Winning medals is somewhat routine for 17-year-0ld Alyssa. She told Janet MacLeod of The Eastern Graphic that she's won more than 20 medals in figure skating over the years.
Alyssa was part of the 38 member Prince Edward Island team that competed in the national competitions. The team brought home six medals, including three gold, two silver and one bronze.
The team travelled by train from Moncton to Quebec City. Alyssa was accompanied by her parents, Michelle and Kenny Chapman, and her younger sister, 13-year-old Emily.
Alyssa enjoyed herself and met a lot of new people. She also got to see some old friends from previous competitions and found time for some sight-seeing. She visited Old Quebec and went tobogganing on a special slope in front of Chateau Frontenac. She also visited Quebec City’s Ice Hotel, which has an indoor ice slide.
In the summer Alyssa swims competitively, and has also competed in the Canada Summer Games.
TIME SPENT ON THE SOCCER PITCH PAYS OFF
A Halifax high school student, Molly Allen, (1.4.6.5,8,6,3,) has won a plum scholarship to play soccer at an American University. Molly was recruited by Virginia Commonwealth University, a large institution with its main campus in Richmond, Virginia. She also attracted a lot of attention from other U.S. Schools, something that didn't surprise Mike Hudson, director of player development with Soccer Nova Scotia.
He said Molly has a good touch on the ball and can deliver quality passes even at long distances.
She's also very competitive.
"She wants to win and that’s not taking away from her technical qualities, either," Hudson said. "She’s a good player. She has the whole package of ability and personality that may enable her to move on even higher than this in the future."
Molly has played in the United States before. She spent about two months last summer with the Boston Renegades, an under-20 squad in the Super-Y League. Then she returned to Nova Scotia to help Halifax City capture a provincial senior women’s title.
Molly says Virginia Commonwealth, home of the Rams, is a good place for her to continue her soccer development. The team lost in last year’s Colonial Athletic Association final to Hofstra University by a score of 1-0. She told Gordie Sutherland of The Halifax Herald, "I really like the coaches and I really like the program. Everything, school and soccer combined, is a good fit for me."
She said she wants to make an immediate impact. "I hope to crack the starting lineup and play and be an asset to the team."
NEW FURNITURE LINE AVAILABLE IN MONTAGUE
Beck’s Home Furniture has been named the exclusive P.E.I. outlet for Better Homes and Gardens’ new line of furniture. Barry and Nancy Beck (1.11.8.3.4.) are delighted to welcome the well-known Canadian brand into their waterfront store in Montague. “We're very excited about it,” Barry told Steve Sharratt of The Guardian. “It's a fresh new look offering more diversification.”
Better Homes and Gardens is a well-known Canadian Magazine now moving into the furniture field offering three lines of products, including the cottage and country look, the modern style and the traditional classic.
Barry said all three lines should become very popular on the Island and appeal to a wide range of customers from vacation property owners to young professionals and those preferring the traditional fare.
Beck’s Furniture is located in a heritage building on the waterfront. It's a three-storey classic structure built as a warehouse for Poole and Thompson during the heyday of the schooners a century ago. Barry and Nancy converted it into an outstanding showpiece overlooking the river.
FUEL COSTS CAUSING PROBLEMS FOR SOME HOMEOWNERS
A long, hard winter coupled with restrictions on oil delivery has seen a number of Islanders turning to diesel oil to fuel their furnaces. Diesel is more expensive than furnace oil, but it has the advantage of being available in small quantities at local service stations. The oil companies want an order of about $400 worth of oil before they will deliver. People who can't afford to lay out that much money at once go to the service station and fill up a five gallon jerry can.
Alan Baker, (1.4.1,9,2.1.) whose son Denver operates D.W.Baker and Co.Ltd.in Murray Harbour, said he's seen a slight increase compared to past winters.
"Every day two or three people come in for 5 gallons (of diesel). Mostly 5 gallons at a time, perhaps 10," Alan said.
There has been an increase in diesel sales at Miller's Esso, in Murray River too. The owner, Arlene Miller, said "There's people you didn't see last year buying it."
At mid-March the price of furnace oil was about $1.09 a liter with diesel costing about $1.30.
DEATHS
GOSBEE: Charles Grafton Gosbee (1.4.1,10,6.) of Beach Point died at the Dr. John M. Gillis Memorial Lodge in Eldon on Wednesday, February 6, 2008. He was 88. He is survived by his special friend, Alda Munn of Murray River. Other survivors include brother Louis; Dorothy Jackson; Lovell; Elmer (Vaughan); and Ruth Hawkins, and brother-in-law Kimbell LeLacheur.
He was predeceased by his brothers, William and Murray and his sisters, Sadie Bell and Florrie LeLacheur. Also predeceased by his brothers-in-law, Clifford Jackson, Lloyd Hawkins and Roy Bell, and by his sisters-in-law, Jean Gosbee and Marion Gosbee.
The funeral service was held at Ferguson's Funeral Home chapel in Montague on Saturday, February 9, at 2 p.m. Interment will take place later in the Murray Harbour Cemetery.MACLEOD: Everett John MacLeod (1.11.8.2.1.) died at his home in Pierrefonds, Quebec, on January 27, 2008, at the age of 79. A native of Grandview, P.E.I., he was a son of the late Bruce and Myrtle MacLeod. He was predeceased by his wife, Sharron MacKinnon.
Everett is survived by his daughters, Ellen MacLeod and Laura LaFortune, sons Bruce and Randall MacLeod and step children, Mary (Strader) Walsh, and Michael Strader.
He is also survived by brothers Lloyd (Audrey) MacLeod, Willard (Bernice) MacLeod, George M. MacLeod (Joyce, deceased) and sister, Phyllis (Alexander) Dawson . He was predeceased by his sister, Margaret MacLeod in 2007.
The family received condolences at the Yves/Legare Funeral Home in Pierrefonds, Quebec, on February 1, and the funeral was held February 2, 2008.
DOG WALKERS FIND SHIPWRECK
While walking their dogs on the beach at Basin Head in eastern PEI, Mack and Rita MacDonald found what appeared to be the remains of an old shipwreck. A recent storm may have shifted some sand, exposing old timbers. Mack believes it could be a ship that went aground in the reasonably recent past since there is an old threaded lead pipe protruding from one section.
Historian Boyde Beck (1.4.3A.3.6.4) took a look at some pictures but said without seeing it in person it was difficult to give an opinion, but outlined several options. He said it was common practice in the early and mid-1900s for fishermen to simply run their old wooden vessels up on the beach somewhere when they were finished with them.
“A well-known former North Lake fisherman abandoned one of his many vessels in that same area sometime in the 1950s, and it could have belonged to him,” Boyde said.
He added there is also the possibility that the large timbers are part of the old Basin Head Wharf that was destroyed several years ago, but without seeing it in person it is hard to tell.
The MacDonalds hope to find an answer to the mystery before the sea and the sand cover it up again.
Mack hoped to get provincial archeologist David Keenlyside out on the site before that happens.
But the answer proved to be near at hand. A couple of weeks later residents of the area said they remembered when a fishing dragger owned by the late Clive Bruce was lost there. Bruce and two of his sons had been fishing in stormy weather when the boat sprang a leak. When the water reached the engine, causing it to quit, the men launched their dory and rowed for home. The dragger was blown ashore where it was abandoned and eventually covered by sand.
AND NOW A REMINDER
Family Photo Album Project
For the upcoming reunion, Doug Beck (1.4.6.6.1.2.) is creating a family photo album and he needs your help. Please send him pictures (via e-mail to beckdoug@comcast.net) in one or more of the following categories. Send as many or as few pictures as you want.
*Family pictures
*Birthday parties
*Weddings
*Sports/Outdoor activities
*Music/Art
*School
*Church/Religious activities
*VacationIn addition, now that many digital cameras have a movie feature on them, it is easy to create a short video of your family. If you have this feature, send along a short video introducing yourself and your family as well as where you live. (Try to keep it 20 seconds or less). In addition, if you have short videos in the previous categories, send these along as well.
The Vere Beck Family Home Page
We're always looking for news of Beck family members. If you know of any interesting events drop me a line with the information. imunn@accesswave.ca
That's it .. please share it with relatives who aren't on line. The next edition will be out on June 1, 2008. 
Copyright © 2008 The Beck Bulletin