On February 19^th we paid our last tribute to Marion Blair. The members of her family were joined by some of her pupils, a number of representative citizens and many of her colleagues in the teaching profession. For all it was a sad parting from one who had made a valuable contribution to the cause of education in the Province of Quebec.

For us, her fellow teachers, it is not easy to evaluate her work because it is so fresh and so varied.  Much of what she did for our profession bore fruit only in the past three or four years and we cannot yet appraise it properly; and her interests were so widespread that no one of us probably can appreciate them all.  Nevertheless, we know she did  undertake and accomplish great things, and we know that, as a profession, we owe much to her leadership. 

Mrs. Blair served a long apprenticeship in the various teacher's organizations and this was invaluable to her when she began to assume responsibilities in the PAPT. In the organization of the women teachers in Montreal she took a leading part. On the one hand she stirred among her colleagues new pride in their profession; on the other, she did a great deal to secure for them the economic rewards  and security to which they were entitled.  Mrs. Blair was elected Vice-President of the PAPT, acting as President the following year. At that time, with some of her children serving in the theatres of war, she must have suffered great anxiety; yet she seemed from the outset to put her whole thought and energy at the service of the teaching profession.  Those were stirring days. Within the span of three years we fashioned and adopted our professional act, opened our central office and appointed a full-time secretary. These raised the status of the PAPT and greatly increased it's potential and efficiency and influence.  In the planning and execution of these developments Marion Blair had an important part.  With wisdom and conviction she persuaded those who doubted the necessity of these changes; with a fine sense of what was practical she planned the function of the office; and with her personal charm and good humour she maintained an atmosphere of harmony among those who helped with the experiment.  In a very real sense, our central offices is her monument.

Following her retirement from the presidency she continued to serve in many other offices. She was, for example, enthusiastic about the possibility of a PAPT workshop and served on the committee which finally organized the Summer Workshop of 1946.  As president of the Federation of Women Teachers of Montreal, she played a leading part in the difficult crisis which occurred in Montreal during the summer of 1945. As delegate from the PAPT to the Canadian Teachers' Federation conferences, she represented our province with dignity and grace. And, finally, last summer she attended the UNESCO Seminar in France as one of the representatives of the teaching profession in Canada. Thus she was known and respected far beyond Quebec. 

Above all, Marion Blair was a practical person, who understood human relationships.  She has left us certain tools and certain procedures which we can use more and more for the benefit of the profession, and what is more important, for the community.  Working through the PAPT and CTF, working together as members of a trained and responsible professional body, giving our support to our executive and the central office, and assuming in full measure our responsibilities in the community, we can best pay our  tribute to one who laboured to the last for our benefit.