helper, and assistant on freight trucks. For four years he worked part time at the Community 
     
     Groceteria in Dartmouth. 
     
    

    
     Rev. Findlay first went to Port Hill in 1950 to attend meetings of the Diocesan Church 
     
     Society. At that time he was serving in Georgetown, Prince Edward Island. Four years later 
     
     he was appointed deacon of the Parish of Port Hill where he moved in May, and lived at the 
     
     home of Hatfield and Marguerite Maynard. 
     
    

    
     On July 7, 1954, Rev. Findlay married Sheila Stevens Matthews, daughter of John 
     
     Richard and Elizabeth Annie (Stevens) Matthews. When the newly married couple returned to 
     
     Port Hill two days after their wedding, they were greeted at the rectory with a charivari which 
     
    
   
   
    
     Rev. Findlay described as follows: 
     
    
   
   
    
     The charivari was most interesting in that the parishioners came masked. Gas 
     
    

    
     and oil lamps were used at that time and the rector-to-be was lighting lamps while 
     
    

    
     the parishioners carried them to various places. The Findlays knew not the belief 
     
    

    
     of bad luck to those who have three lit lamps on the table at one time. After the 
     
    

    
     lamp episode, four of the parishioners held the groom by arms and legs and 
     
    

    
     bounced him from floor to ceiling. A bright welcome! 
     
    

    
     Rev. and Mrs. Findlay were blessed with the following children: John Mark, born 
     
     October 25, 1955 at the Stewart Memorial Health Centre, Tyne Valley; Leonard Patrick, born 
     
     June 18, 1958 in Tyne Valley; Steven Paul, born April 4, 1961 in Lunenburg County, Nova 
     
     Scotia; Charles Richard, born February 25, 1965 in Lunenburg County; Cynthia Lynn, born 
     
     November 21, 1962 and adopted by the Findlays while living in Middleton, Nova Scotia. 
     
    

    
     Rev. Melvin Findlay was ordained priest on October 28th in the morning of the Feast 
     
     of St. Simon and St. Jude. That evening he was inducted as rector. On Sunday he presented 
     
     his first confirmation class. 
     
    

    
     In 1958 Rev. Findlay became a mason through Alexandra Lodge in Port Hill. Over the 
     
     years he has been District Chaplain in various parts of Nova Scotia, and Grand Chaplain for the 
     
     Lodge in Nova Scotia. He has also been Grand Chaplain of the Grand Chapter of Nova Scotia 
     
     and Prince Edward Island. He has gone through the Scottish Rite of Masonry to the 32nd 
     
     degree, and is a member of the Philae Temple of the Shrine. He has maintained his membership 
     
     in Alexandra Lodge in Port Hill. 
     
    

    
     Regarding his years of ministry in the Parish of Port Hill, Rev. Findlay recalled incidents 
     
    
   
   
    
     of interest: 
     
    
   
   
    
     87