ICE CREAM SOCIALS Ice Cream Socials were put together by various organizations in Freetown as a means of raising funds. They were mostly held on the Hall grounds. In most cases booths were built on the east side of the main entrance door. From these booths the ice cream and sweets were sold and the serving dishes and spoons washed. Ice cream was available in cones or saucers. Cake was also available and the saucers of ice cream could be purchased with or without it. Cream, eggs and sugar were donated by members of the organization and ice was mostly purchased in blocks from MacQuarrie's ice storage in Summerside . The ice cream was made in the afternoon at the Hall. This was a busy time as the freezers had to be turned by hand. Generally there were about three varieties, Vanilla, Strawberry and Grapenut. At least once, salt was put into a freezer instead of sugar and it had to be thrown out. These socials afforded a good opportunity for the people of the community to get together and have a chat. Often ball games were arranged for the same evening. Younger members would attend the ball game then come to the social for a feed of homemade ice cream. Quite often boys would seize the opportunity to treat their girl friends. BOXING In the 1930s the art and science of boxing was a popular sport on Prince Edward Island . Amateur and professional boxing cards were often held in Charlottetown , Summerside and Souris . Ringmen like Benny Binns, "Kid" Nickerson, Big George Leslie , the Longaphie Brothers, James Evans and others too numerous to mention, were all actively engaged in the pugilistic game. Boxing fans, young and old, were treated to many hours of good solid entertainment as many matches turned out to be real crowd pleasers. One Islanders' name, synonymous with boxing, was Don "Kid" Delaney of Freetown . He fought some of the best welterweights and middleweights in the Maritimes and the New States. Delaney never weighed over 150 pounds but fifty or more of his opponents were full fledged middleweights, and he made a good showing with all of them. The handsome, solidly built Islander was a tireless battler, blessed with plenty of speed and endurance and gifted with natural fighting talent; the possessor of a good left jab and a stiff right hand punch. The Late Don "Kid" Delaney was a colorful fighter and will long be remembered by followers of the beak busting game. Don went to school in Lower Freetown while he stayed with his grandfather, John Delaney , but was born in Massachusetts , U.S.A. Davis McNeill has been described as a slam-bang, two-fisted, walloping welterweight. He traded left hooks and right uppercuts with many of the best fighters on the go in the Maritimes in the 1930s. He first donned the leather mitts at the age of sixteen while a member of the Police Athletic Association in Summerville , Massachusetts . Davis was born in 1904 at Lot 16 , P.E.I. , but lived in, and fought out of Freetown . He was known as the " Terror" and was well nicknamed because he was a free swinging, hard hitting, aggressive, crowd pleasing mitt artist, always ready and anxious to fight anyone from the welterweight to the heavyweight ranks. Whenever a new star appeared on the pugilistic horizon, the fast moving " Terror" went to his home territory to try him out. Some of the scrappers that McNeill fought at their home base were: Island Heavyweight Champion, James Evans of Kensington ; Maritime Light Heavyweight Champion, Irish Leo Kelly of Charlottetown ; Maritime Amateur and Professional 160 Pound Title Holder Benny Binns; Welterweight Crown Wearer, Hickey "Kid" Nickerson; Flash Macdonald from Charlottetown ; the ha: J hitting Frenchman from Summerside , Ernie Gallant; and Don "Kid" Delaney, another Freetown boy. The Welterweight, standing 5 feet 9 inches tall didn't always win but his victories far outnumbered his defeats. He was an exciting club fighter who certainly knew how to club and was usually invited back by the promoters who could depend on him to make every fight an exciting one. One of the biggest highlights in McNeill's career was the night in Kensington in September 1933 when he knocked out Jim Evans in four rounds. Perhaps the biggest thrill was the night in the fall of 1934 when he knocked Summerside 's Ernie Gallant kicking in the first round at the old Crystal Rink. At the outbreak of World War II, McNeill announced his retirement from the ring, leaving a record of twenty wins in twenty-five fights. In 1984, the old ring warrior is enjoying good health and residing on Chestnut St. in Charlottetown . 172