The Holden, Alberta 4H Beef Club held their organizational meeting in the middle of October every year. By then, harvest was usually over, and the children were settled into school. At the first meeting, elections for the various officers took place. Often three or four year veterans were given the major positions. The "Club Reporter" sometimes went to a younger member. There was a parent advisory committee which informally chose a husband and wife team as club leaders.
The first meeting also set the date for the calf weigh-in. It was in the afternoon of November 11, Remembrance Day. That gave Club members and their parents about a month to find a suitable calf, perhaps a gentler one for the new, age ten, pee-wee members. The club membership varied between 12 and 20 boys and girls.
At the second meeting in November, following the weigh-in, the Record Books were handed out. The Record Books recorded the beginning weight of the calf, the weight of the grain and hay fed daily and any costs that might be incurred.
Also at the second meeting, there regularly arose the question of a fundraising activity. Club funds were needed for the Christmas party or a seasonal event in Edmonton. There was also a school break at Easter, when the club had another outing. There were additional expenses for Achievement Day in June. The year ended with a low bank balance.
Various fund raisers had been attempted over the years, with varying degrees of success. At this meeting, in 1979, one of the parents suggested a pancake supper. It was thoroughly discussed. No other organization or church group had claimed it. It wasn't close to the fall Turkey Dinner put on by the United Church and it fell between the November and the after-Easter perogie suppers of the two area Ukrainian churches.
A pancake supper would also involve all the club members in a wide variety of jobs, from selling tickets to table setting, mixing batter, making pancakes, serving and clean-up. The next Shrove Tuesday was chosen for the first Pancake Supper.
My wife and I were club leaders that year. Our two children were club members. They liked 4H and had made some good friends.
We found out that Byers Flour Mills of Camrose would donate the entire amount of pancake mix that we would require. The Viking Meat Market would sell us sausages at a special price. The local grocery store would give us a discount on pancake syrup, coffee, sugar and napkins. A dairy family would donate all the milk and cream we needed. Another family who had a large flock of laying hens would donate all the eggs.
It was coming together. We rented the community hall complete with a griddle, dishes, cutlery, tables and chairs. Two weeks before Shrove Tuesday we placed an ad in each of the County’s two newspapers. We set the price at $5.00 for a stack of four large pancakes, sausages, coffee or milk. Students were charger $2.50, six and under were free. Seconds were free. We set the time for 5:00–7:30 to allow for an earlier clean-up on a school night.
The Pancake Supper was a resounding success. About 100 people attended. We almost ran out of sausages and pancake syrup.
At the next club meeting, the Pancake Supper was the main topic. The members were enthused and had enjoyed the evening. Everyone co-operated and everyone had helped. It had been a fun, all-inclusive club event.
It was moved, seconded, and carried that we have an annual 4H Pancake Supper every Shrove Tuesday.
The supper grew every year. We put in larger newspaper ads. We lengthened the time to eight o’clock to accommodate late arrivals. We ordered larger amounts of supplies. We made job descriptions for the various jobs. I made a sandwich board sign "PANCAKE SUPPER TONIGHT" with a large arrow pointing to the community hall. I put it up in the middle of Main Street on Shrove Tuesday morning.
It became a well-supported annual event. It was our only fund raiser.
Several years later, possibly 1982 or ’83, we were finishing another successful supper. It was somewhat after eight, just a few people were still eating or just visiting. The pancake making crew had stopped making pancakes. Clean-up was underway.
Suddenly someone said, “Hey look, we're getting more people!”
Three men, all middle-aged farmers, were coming in towards the deserted ticket table. One was a bachelor, the married men were alone. They were all well-known locals. They had been drinking beer at the hotel bar.
Someone had to tell them that the pancake supper was over.
“Sorry fellas,” I said as I walked towards them, “You're just a little late. The supper’s over. You can see the 4H members are cleaning up.”
“Over?” said their burly spokesman,“Pancake Supper's over?!”
“Yup, all done!” I said “But there'll be another one next year,” I added cheerfully.
The burly one was a little unsteady and he was scowling. Lightning fast, his big farmer's arm was around my neck and my head was pinned tightly against his waist. His grip was like a pipe-vise. He bent over and growled loudly into my ear, “WE WANT SOME PANCAKES!” I felt a small drop of spittle, from the P in pancakes, land on my cheek. His lips were just inches away.
He released me just as quickly as he had grabbed me, his arms and legs now wide apart. I straightened up. I was wearing a wig at that time. It was down over my forehead. I pushed it back. “Yessiree boys!” I said. “Some pancakes for you! Fresh pancakes coming right up!” I turned to the kitchen and shouted “Can you mix another batch of pancakes for these gentlemen?!”
The three men looked pleased. They were smiling as they fumbled for their money.
The pancake crew mixed another batch of pancake batter. I suggested that they give each man five pancakes and an extra sausage.
It was, after all, well past eight. We cleaned up while they ate. They were the last customers to leave.
“Good pancakes!” the men said as they walked past me to the door.
The 4H Pancake Supper still continues every year.