Aurora Sport Hall of Fame teams with Williams reunion

April 9, 2013 · 0 Comments

It has been a long time coming, but the Aurora Sport Hall of Fame is about to become a reality as preparations for Inducting the Inaugural Members of the Sport Hall of Fame proceed.

“Formed in July 2012, our Induction Committee has held focused meetings during the past four months,” explains Kate Collins, Induction Committee Chair. “We have engaged a highly committed group of citizen volunteers that include Town Council members, members of Sport Aurora, a legal consultant, a private educator and sector consultants from the Community Sport Council of Ontario who have experience in the development of other Halls of Fame.
“During the next two months we will finalize our efforts, have the nomination and selection policies in place, and will be eager to go public and find our first Inductees.”

“Another important part of the Aurora Sport Hall of Fame that isn’t quite as developed yet is the collection of sport memorabilia and the stories surrounding them,” added Ron Weese, Chair of the Aurora Sport Hall of Fame Board of Governors. “We know that Aurora has a rich and storied history of sport and the Board of Governors, through its Chair of Collections, Wayne Keilty of the Aurora Historical Society, is eager to get underway with the development of the ‘Sport Aurora Collection.”

Mr. Keilty has been working on the Sport Hall of Fame Board of Governors with his team of collections specialists that includes AHS curator Catherine Richards. The first step is to design the Policy surrounding the acquisition, restoration, display and storage of the sport artifacts and stories associated with sport in Aurora.

“Our job is to ensure that the important physical specimens that represent sport in this Community are properly identified, accessed and cared for,” he stated. “It is vital that these important pieces of sport history are found, but it is as important that they are properly managed for everyone’s benefit.”

School sport has been around in Aurora since the late 1800s according to Bob McRoberts, retired mathematics teacher at Dr. G.W. Williams, former deputy mayor, and a history enthusiast who also sits on the G.W. Williams 125th Reunion Organizing Committee and is a member of the Aurora Sport Hall of Fame Organizing Committee.

As he wandered through the halls of Dr. G.W. Williams, he pointed out photos and trophies that date back over 100 years. He thinks it is a good idea to include school sport history in the Reunion plans.

“It would be good start if each of the decade classrooms could display sport memorabilia and stories at the Reunion,” he said.

The intent is that the important school sport history of the Town can begin to unfold at that time when people return to the school and recall memories. The Reunion is scheduled for Friday and Saturday, May 3 and 4 at the school.

“Sport history is highly valued,” continued Mr. McRoberts. “Communities are often brought together at important sporting events and around successful individuals and teams. The development of Communities can often be followed through sport accomplishments by those people.

“In the early years of the Aurora Community, school sport was very active and so it should be recalled accurately and celebrated.”

The Dr. G.W. Williams 125th Reunion may just be the start of the Sport Aurora Collection for school sport and that both stories and memorabilia are brought to the attention of the Aurora Sport Hall of Fame.

A “call” for these will be made to the over 500 people who are on the Reunion distribution list. Once done, the task of building the collection begins and then the big question looms. Where will these important pieces of our sport history be displayed? More on that as the Aurora Sport Hall of Fame develops.

For more on the Williams reunion, visit www.reunion125.com.