Make All Athletics Pleasant
“Make all athletics as pleasant as possible, whether in game and practice, in victory or defeat, don’t forget your sense of humor....Athletics for the college man should stand for recreation, never for worry. Let that spirit of good-feeling and light-heartedness continue to temper the rivalry of the campus and thus make athletics at Acadia healthful and worthwhile.”
Harold Amos Logan, President, Acadia Amateur Athletic Association
(Acadia Athenaeum, June 1912)
Pep Bands Help Teams, Fans
Pep bands are a frequent sight at sporting events; they provide colour, entertainment and support for cheering fans. This was true between in Wolfville and its sporting arenas between 1870 and 1950. Early advertisements for public skating often mentioned that music, provided by local musicians, would play. In the early 1900s, hockey games were frequently followed by public skating “accompanied by a band.”
The Acadia University band was started in 1933, largely through the efforts of student Rex Porter who was an athlete and a cornet player. The 1934 Athenaeum paid tribute to the new Acadia University band in its May issue. “A great help to both teams and spectators was the Acadia Band, and it is fitting that the gratitude of those connected with the various sports of the university should be expressed to the band through these columns. The band’s services and its loyalty are much appreciated by all.” Later, as a teacher, then principal at Wolfville School, Porter started the School Band which played for school, sporting and civic events.
(Acadia Athenaeum, May 1934, 61; Shepherd, Historic Wolfville, 233-235)