Mrs. Flora Cowan (1902-1986) was born on July 15, 1902 in Edinburgh, Scotland. She was the daughter of Adam and Helen Cruickshank and immigrated to Brandon with her parents in 1927. She married E.C. Cowan, and they had two children, Franklin and Ruth. From 1953 until Brandon College became Brandon University, she served as the Dean of Women. In 1966 she received the Good Citizenship Award of the Golden Boys of Manitoba. She was a member of the I.O.D.E. and a life-member of the International Peace Garden, and the Provincial Council of Women. From 1954 to 1970 Mrs. Cowan served as a member of the Brandon City Council and was the first woman to be appointed acting mayor. She was also the Chairman of the Board for Fairview Home, Inc. In 1967, Mrs. Cowan received the Trillium Business and Professional Club Woman of the Year Award. She was also a member of several other community committees. The women's residence at Brandon University, Flora Cowan, is named in her honour. In December 1980, Mrs. Cowan finally retired from her many positions. She died in Brandon on September 25, 1986 at the age of 84.
Lady and Senior Stick were honorific positions that existed during the Brandon College era. The offices of Senior Stick and Lady Stick were replaced by the offices of President and Vice-President of the Brandon College Students' Association on January 29, 1966. The change was the result of proposed changes to the B.C.S.A. constitution passed almost unanimously by the student body; the office of President enabled a co-ed to hold the highest student office, which was impossible under the previous system. Following the change in 1966, the Class Presidents were renamed faculty Sticks. At some point during the Brandon University era the faculty Stick positions were renamed faculty commissioners. The use of "stick" appears to be a particularly Canadian one.
The stick of office was carried by the incumbent as a symbol of his or her position.
Like the sticks of office at other universities and colleges in Canada, the Brandon Lady's stick is composed of an elongated wooden rod, painted or stained dark, with a metal bottom cap and an ornamental metal top in silver. The Brandon College Lady's stick also contains silver rings dating from the 1923-1924 school year, each ring containing the name of the Lady Stick chosen for that year.
It was also customary to attach a ribbon(s) in the college colours (blue and gold) to the stick. The ribbons attached to the Brandon College Lady's stick were donated by the 1954-1955 Lady Stick Verda Peden (McDonald) in 2006.
Scope and Content
Item is the Brandon College Lady's stick.
Notes
Information in the History/Bio field was adapted from Wikipedia at: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Senior_Stick (October 2006). Additional History/Bio information was taken from the March 1966 issue of Alumni News.
The Lady's stick was previously displayed in a glass fronted display case donated by the Class of 1966. Unfortunately, two holes were drilled in the stick to anchor it to the display case. The Senior stick was also displyed in the same case, however at some point prior to 1997 it disappeared from the display case.
The silver rings and crown on the stick easily tarnish, but can be shined with any silver polish.
Part of BU 16.3 Artifacts - other.
Portrait of the Brandon Bobcats women's basketball team. Front Row (L to R): Michelle Smith, Patricia Wood, Allison Roberts, Andrea Van Koll, Melissa Moore, Tara Dale, Desiree Streit, Kaili Dale. Back Row (L to R): Amanda Sowiak (Manager), Don Thomson (Head Coach), Ambur Hamilton, Kimberly Bosnick, Heather Couzens, Christi Oleskiw, Courtney Despiegelarere, Margot Jestadt, Nicole Ashmon, Greg Zavediuk (Assistant Coach).