As for baseball, other than the customary Oxford vs. Perth series between Public and Continuation school pupils, the sport was not too prominent, until the Mid-Twenties when the North Oxford Baseball League was born. But we did play the game at school, and even had two teachers pitching for us at different times. The first teacher-pitcher was D.A. Norrris (whom we called Dan, according to his initials, but not within his hearing). He had only one arm, his left and consequently was a southpaw. But he could fire a curve across the plate, and I know, for I was his catcher. His wife was Agnes Veit, daughter of Rev. and Mrs. Frederick Veit, of the Sebastopol Lutheran Church, sister to the late Mrs. E.A. Kalbfleisch. The other one came along some years later, when we entered the North Oxford Baseball League. He was A.H. Stillwell, and Norval "Chubby" Bowman was his catcher, I doffed the catching mask and decker after a foul tip split my finger; then I played shortstop until retirement.

Finally, as a concluding note on my memories of sport in Tavistock, may I intrude a brief reference to my family history. I shall be forever indebted to my paternal grandfather, the late Valentine Appel. For my emigrating from Germany with my grandmother and only child, my father, and settling about a mile north of Tavistock. Today the Appel (family) tree grows green and is laden with fruit. My two sisters, Vera (deceased) and Luella, were born in Canada: our five children were born in Canada (Tavistock): our twelve grandchildren were born in Canada: our two daughters-in-law were born in Canada, and our two sons-in-law. So we are all Canadians, and if you'll pardon the expression, I'm damn proud of it!

P.S.
Many people have asked me how I got my nickname. In case there are any more curious to know, here's how it happened. While a public school pupil, the late Wilbur "Dandy" Croft pitched for the Perth team against Oxford, and I was his catcher. Usually when he struck out a batter, he would say "I'm a dandy!" Naturally he acquired his nickname. But he too was responsible for pinning the handle onto me. During one of the daily games, which started before school "went in", at morning and afternoon recesses and "after four", we completed a nine-inning game. One afternoon, during one of the recess-innings, Dandy lost his control, and was not getting the ball over the plate to my satisfaction; so I bawled him out. His reaction was a threat to kick my teeth in, if I didn't lay off him. My reply was. "You're not big enough!" Imagine what a boy fully twenty pounds heavier than I would say to that. "Why, with your chicken muscle you couldn't lick your lips!" From then on the words "chicken muscle" eventually boiled down to ......Chick.

THE LIGHTS

"During the program, the new floodlighting system in the park will be formally turned over, Lloyd Faber, President of the Tavistock Men's Club presenting the system to Tavistock, the acceptance to be made by Reeve Robert Rudy."
- from Official Program for July, 1948.

Some years before this event under the leadership of John "Dick" Keutsch, Clarence "Hap" Steinman and Carl "Bun" Seltzer, a town league of softball teams as formed with six teams, four from town and one each from Cassel and the East Zorra Junior Farmers. At the end of the season with play-offs under the lights at Hickson, the winner of the "Chamber-ware" was decided and a surplus of some $100 turned over as a nucleus for the $1500 it has cost to install the system. This gift was termed a "White elephant" by some of our citizens, but it has proved to be one of the best projects the Men's Club has ever sponsored. The lights are a boon to the Fall Fair, to the Tattoo, but most of all they have made possible Tavistock's fame in the softball world of Ontario.

O.A.S.A. CHAMPIONS 1965
BACK ROW: Lorne Yausie, mgr., Murray Hamilton, Harry Baechler, Jim Weicker, Keith "Monk" Wagler, Jim Yausie, Bill Lichti, Murray Junker, Fred Currah, coach
FRONT ROW: Terry Schwartzentruber, Roy Seyler, Jim Kaufman, Bill Currah, Wayne Iutzi, Wayne Lichti, Bat-boy: Douglas McDermott.