Mount Allison Class of ’77 giving back
Alumni hosting a fundraiser to help students from single-parent families
“There are five of us Life Officers, and we find that it’s one area of financial need.” Dale Pos
TATAMAGOUCHE—MOUNT Allison University alumni are hoping to help students from single-parent families in the name of their classmate.
Mount Allison's Class of 1977 has been hosting fundraisers to raise money for the Gloria Dale Jollymore Memorial Bursary, which will help students from single-parent households attend the university.
On Mar. 15, members of the class will be performing as the Garnet and Gold Quartet at the Grace Arts Centre in Tatamagouche to raise funds for the bursary. They need at least $25,000 for it to be declared as a bursary by the university, and they are around halfway to their goal after a successful concert in New Glasgow last month.
"We hope to raise more than that so we can reach more than one student," said David Pos, President of the Life Officers, who also plays with the quartet.
The decision to focus on single-parent households was simple - it was a demographic that needed the bursary most.
"There are five of us Life Officers, and we find that it's one area of financial need," said Pos.
REMEMBERING A FRIEND
The Class of 1977 began working towards the bursary during COVID-19 but found it difficult to raise money during the lockdown as they couldn't hold any functions to do so.
Jollymore, who the bursary is named after, was the vice president of advancement and dealt with bursaries and scholarships until her retirement in 2021. She was also a member of the Class of 1977.
"She devoted her life to the university while she was working there," said Pos.
Jollymore died in March 2023, and the group decided to name the bursary in their friend's honour.
Pos recalled one email the class exchanged with Jollymore, which reminded him of her generosity.
"If, after the meeting and in the run-up to the reunion, there are things I can do as a class member/volunteer, let me know," recalled Pos.
TATAMAGOUCHE SHOW
While Pos plays the keyboard, his fellow alumnus John Muirhead will be on the drums and providing vocals, while Janette Keefe and Clare Mason-grieves will also be on keyboards and vocals. All of the performers live in Pictou County.
All of the performers are accomplished musicians in their own right. Pos was an instrumental music teacher and school band director for 30 years and worked as the choir director of the Pictou United Church for 13 years.
Muirhead has played with many bands over the years and is currently a member of the band Hush. He also teaches drums at the Riverfront School of Music in New Glasgow and is part of the St. Paul United Church's musical team in Westville.
Mason-grieves studied classical voice, piano, and organ at Mount Allison and comes from a music-centric family. She and her sister, Doris Mason, produced a CD entitled "Christmas with the Masons," which reached number one on the East Coasts charts. Mason-grieves is also a church organist and choir director and has taught piano for many years.
Keefe was a children's entertainer who released two CDS with her singing partner. The Vancouver Symphony has performed her music, and her song "Flights of Imagination" was nominated for a West Coast Music Award. She has also worked on musicals with the Greater Vancouver Operatic Society. She now teaches at the Centre for Music on Summit and is a musician at the Little Harbour Presbyterian Church.
As a group, they focus on a blend of swing music, jazz, basa nova, and ska, as well as some pop tunes, including hits from The Carpenters and The Beach Boys. They'll finish with "Happy Together" by The Turtles.
The show will start at 7 p.m. at the Grace Arts Centre. Doors open at 6:30 p.m. Tickets are $15 in advance or $20 at the door.