The name Berbank was created by combining the names of two local districts: Riverbank and Bertha. Both were located south of Brandon in the Rural Municipality of Oakland. The Berbank Church was built in 1919. Its construction grew out of the work of the Berbank Red Cross founded in 1917. The Berbank Church was a "union" church, constructed in anticipation of the formation of the United Church of Canada. In 1966, the Berbank congregation joined with the Nesbitt congregation to operate out of the Nesbitt United Church. The final service at the Berbank United Church was held in 1966.
Custodial History
This fonds was accessioned by the McKee Archives in 1997. Prior custodial history is unknown.
Scope and Content
Fonds contains a document titled "Berbank Church History." This document is partially in a printed format with a portion handwritten. Fonds also contains minute books and legal documents pertaining to the ownership of the land upon which the Church was constructed.
The Fairfax/Elgin United Church was formed in 1921, combining the Methodist (founded in 1889), and Presbyterian (founded in 1887) congregations in these communities. In 1968, the Elgin and Souris congregations joined and, in 1969, the original Elgin United Church was sold to the Fairfax Community Club.
Custodial History
The fonds was accessioned by the McKee Archives in 1997. Prior custodial history is unknown.
Scope and Content
Fonds contains minute books (1922-1968), account books (1953-1970), account statements (1966-68), one annual report (1967), and documents of insurance and property transfer (1960-1970) concerning the Fairfax/Elgin United Church.
The Roseland Church was built in 1883 as a Presbyterian church, funded in large part by the Roseland Ladies Aid Society. In 1912, thirteen years before formal union between these two denominations took place, the Roseland Presbyterian Church was united with a local Methodist congregation. The Roseland Church was closed for a few years following the Second World War. However, the Church was revived and it continued to function until 1969, when it was officially closed. Subsequently, the building was sold and moved, and a cairn was placed where the church had been located.
Custodial History
This fonds was accessioned by the McKee Archives in 1997. Prior custodial history is unknown.
Scope and Content
Fonds contains a minute book for the Roseland Church from 1882-1969, a summary of the organization and development of the Roseland Church, clippings dealing with the history of the community of Roseland, and a summary history of the Roseland Curling Rink.
Zoltan Kodaly was a philosopher and musicologist who introduced new ideas about teaching music in his native Hungary during the 1950’s. In 1964 in Budapest, Kodaly addressed the International Symposium of Music Educators and his ideas were introduced to the world
Canadian music educators were made aware of the Kodaly approach primarily through the work of Richard Johnson who taught music theory at the University of Toronto. He brought method classed to the Royal Conservatory of Music, Toronto, summer school in 1965 and also integrated principles from the method into sight-singing class at the Faculty of Music there.
Edna Knock, an Associate Professor of music education and musicianship, brought the Kodakly approach to Brandon University music educators in the 1980’s. She was introduced to Kodaly methods in her studies at the University of Toronto and the Royal Conservatory of Music, Toronto and also trained at the Kodaly Musical Training Institute in Wellesley, Mass., and in Hungary.
The Kodaly approach to teaching music presents concepts of rhythm, melody and written symbols in structured, developmental sequence using familiar, quality music from the folk culture of the students being taught.
In the early 80’s a group of music education students at Brandon University were studying classroom methods with Edna Knock. These musicians quickly realized how well the new ideas worked for their classrooms and for their own musicianship.
The first meeting of these nine enthusiasts was held in September, 1982, at Edna’s home. They decided to become a formal group to promote Kodaly in Manitoba in five ways:
1.Lobby MMEA to include Kodaly clinicians at the Provincial Music Educators Conference, SAG. They accomplished this in 1983, and there has been a Kodaly clinician at SAG ever since.
2.Sponsor regular Kodaly workshops based on practical demonstrations for classroom teachers, private music teachers, and specialists. A yearly workshop in January was established in Brandon and continued until the mid 90’s.
3. Initiate study sessions for Professional Development and musicianship. The first meetings of the group included solfege exercises, canon singing and sight-singing. Later, KIM was active in promoting Summer School classes at BU and offered scholarships to students in these classes.
4.Share pedagogical material with all music educators in the province. A NEWSLETTER was produced twice a year for distribution to members, and articles were placed in other music education publications.
5.Provide a connection to the national Kodaly organization, Kodaly in Canada (now called Kodaly Society of Canada) to advertise national and provincial meetings, courses and events.The group was accepted as a branch of Kodaly in Canada in 1985 and went on to host the National Kodaly Convention in Winnipeg called SPECTRUM in 1988.
By February, 1984, at the first Annual General Meeting, the founding group had a constitution, eighteen members, and an executive elected to a two year term. By the second AGM in 1985, eight students had completed Level III training at Summer School, and KIM membership totaled 28 music educators across the province. Membership continued to increase to 36 by 1990.
During its 22 years of operation, KIM continued to sponsor highly trained clinicians at SAG in October and in Brandon in January. A Kodaly for Kids day was introduced to have a more direct reach into classrooms and give experience to students as well as teachers. KIM actively promoted Summer School courses and provided scholarships to students attending these sessions. The last Level III graduating class of 1992 formed the core of KIM executive for the last 10 years of operation.
In the new millenium, plagued by budget cutbacks in arts education and devaluation of music as an essential component of public education, declining membership and executive burnout, KIM had to face the reality of disbanding the organization.
On August 24, 2004, the executive voted to end the organization on October 31, 2004, the end of the membership year. Financial assets from the organization were placed in a designated fund at Brandon University School of Music to be used to promote Kodaly course in education and provide seed money to reinstate the organization. Historical documents were placed in the Brandon University archives and working files were left with Brandon Kodaly advocate and past president of KIM, Elizabeth Grant. It is thus hoped that the strong and vibrant role of KIM in music education in Manitoba will be remembered and available for future generations.
Custodial History
Records were in the possession of Kodaly in Manitoba until their donation to the McKee Archives in December 2005.
Scope and Content
Fonds consists of minutes, reports, correspondence, membership lists, financial statements, the KIM constitution, newsletters, Spectrum '88, teacher workshops and Kodaly for Kids.
Notes
All descriptive information and inventories provided by Carolyn Durston, Archivist and Past President of KIM. Various faculty members, particularly Edna Knock and Shelia Scott, in the Brandon University School of Music had a close association with Kodaly in Manitoba, teaching kodaly methods and sponsoring kodaly workshops.
During the independent existence of Manitoba Pool Elevators, the Manitoba Co-operator, published by the Manitoba Co-operative Conference Ltd., was the official organ of the cooperative movement in the province. The sub-series consists of issues of The Manitoba Co-operator from 1931-1936 and 1943-2001.
