Are you a Junior Press Club alumni?

Calling all “Junior Press Club” members!

In celebration of The Hamilton Spectator’s 170th anniversary, we are looking for former members of the Junior Press Club to share their stories.

A Spec story written in 1969 suggests the Junior Press Club (JPC) started in December 1954. John Robinson was mentioned in the article as the driving force behind the section in which contestants would write letters to the paper, hoping their stories about pets, recipes, drawings and even jokes would be published.

Jim Poling, The Spec’s managing editor, started at the paper in 1986 as a reporter. One of his first jobs was to administer the JPC letters and badges.

“I loved doing it and still have some of the badges,” he said. “Newsrooms are deeply special places. Getting a badge from a real newsroom was an accomplishment … For many people it was a step into the world of news, reporting and being a writer.”

If you or someone you know was involved in the Junior Press Club and would like to share a story, please contact reporter Kelly Noseworthy at 905-526-3199 or knoseworthy@thespec.com