When Cecil was in Grade 8, the singing teacher, Ms. Wain, would come into his class on Friday afternoons after recess. Ms. Wain was a kind-looking lady. She was about five and a half feet tall. She never had a strict look—until this incident.
In those days, teachers would write their lessons on the blackboard. Ms. Wain started writing a song on the board. When she had finished, she said, "Okay, now we'll start. We are going to sing a new song. The song is called 'Old Black Joe.'"
When they started singing, Cecil sang out at the top of his lungs, "Old Black Joe!"
Ms. Wain immediately shouted, "Stop! Stop! Cecil, is that you making that noise down there?"
Cecil replied, "Yes, ma'am, it is!"
Ms. Wain said, "I never want to hear you sing like that in my class ever again!"
The teacher's comment made Cecil feel sad, and he stopped singing in public for many years. He thought he couldn't sing because of what the teacher had told him. After school, when he was completing his chores at the barn, he would sing to the cows as he brought them in. The cows seemed to enjoy it, but sometimes they wouldn't move. He would stop singing and grab and twist their tails to get them moving again!
When Cecil went into the military, he sang quite a bit. That helped him feel comfortable singing in public again. The soldiers would sing while they were marching, working together, or relaxing at the end of the day.
What Cecil learned from this experience was never to believe everything you hear. Today, he runs the Glee Club at Montgomery Village Seniors Centre. They sing together every Wednesday at about 3:30 p.m.