Kelvin High School - Kelvin Yearbook (Winnipeg, Manitoba Canada)

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hKs— Flash-light pictures of various groups gave added hilarity to the scene as old- time rivals or friends or enemies were snapped together regardless. Finally the hubbub was stilled for a few minutes when one of the 1912 graduates presided at a more formal meeting in the auditorium with our present principal on his left and our former principal on his right. Unfortunately our first two principals could not be present, but they sent messages of greeting and regret. The school, the graduates and the present-day pupils were greatly hon¬ ored by the presence of our former superintendent of schools, Dr. Daniel McIntyre, and also of Dr. J. C. Pincock, superintendent at the present time. What a spon¬ taneous burst of enthusiasm when announcement was made that a library would be started in honor of R. T. Hodgson—to be called “The R. T. Hodgson Library” in recognition of his many fine qualities of heart and mind and of his great work in Kelvin, and such heart-warming applause when Mr. Hodgson rose and in his gentle way thanked every one for the honor done him. At the end came that old battle-cry of Kelvinites old and new, that battle-cry which show that Kelvinites are not mere onlookers in the game of life, but are whole-heMi participants, that they are eager and anxious to get into the game to do t mtmost for the honor of the school and never to give up till the final count is taken; to meet emergencies with courage; to play the game fairly as true sportsmen; to accept failure without whining, and to gain success with true pride. Live up to your old battle-cry: K. T. H. S., K. T. H. S., Are we in it? Well I guess! Race ’em, chase ’em, Eat ’em up raw, Kelvin, Kelvin, rah! rah! rah! K - E - L - V - I - N ! ! S. C. M. EXTRA-CURRICULAR ACTIVITIES FOR ALL E DUCATION in its broadest sense is the gradual unfolding or developing of our personalities so that we may react adequately to real situations. Ex¬ pressed in simpler terms the definition really means that education consists of two main functions: firstly, that of training the intellect to think clearly, logically and concisely; and secondly, the ability to work or play harmoniously with others. All our actions, thoughts and speech deal with ourselves in relation to other people and therefore it is of vital importance that we should understand thoroughly our fellow men and women. Perhaps the ability to think clearly is the more important, but both functions are extremely necessary for the leading of a well-balanced life. The greatest student in the world if he cannot influence others will find much of his work futile, but conversely anyone who has the ability to influence people strongly, yet who does not think logically, may constitute a serious menac e. It is obvious that unity of personality is the main aim of education, and to lead a happy life it is necessary that we have all our instincts and faculties working in unison. In the high school of today the training of the mind is in the control of our teachers, and rightly so. The personality is left to be developed by means of extra-curricular activities such as Athletics, Dramatics and Socials. Athletics are probably the most valuable as a personality builder for those who are physically fit. Through sports we are able to build up a healthy, sound body, an invaluable 18

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A TEACHER LOOKS BACK W E DID 1 not stop to think, on that morning twenty-five years ago, that some of us who brought our classes from the four corners of Winnipeg to Kelvin, might still be in our places to receive them on the twenty-fifth anni¬ versary of the opening of the school on Friday, the twelfth of March, 1937. Yet such is the case. Nine of that first year’s staff still remain in Kelvin. One of us was absent for a number of years doing excellent pioneer work in Junior High School organization. He returned to us some five years ago to direct the des¬ tiny of his old School. They were a bonny crowd of boys and girls, those youngsters of twenty-five years ago, of twenty years ago, of ten years ago, of last year and they are a bonny crowd of men and women today; men and women of whom any teacher would be more than proud to say, “I helped a little in forming their minds and characters”; men and women who have taken their places in our community, city and provincial life, and who are ready, willing and able to carry on successfully and courageously the work begun by their fathers and mothers; men and women who are giving excellent account of them¬ selves in home-building, in the professions, in the musical and artistic life of the city, and in the business world. But of Friday night’s reunion itself. The former students came in shoals and dozens and hundreds. Some, little changed, others squarer and rounder, still others minus their crowning glory, but all anxious to see whether teacher was smart enough to recognize them in their new guise. What an uproar! Much worse than the first few hectic months when we were trying to organize the school into a unified whole from the various units that had come to us from LaVerendrye, Alexandria, Greenway, Lord Roberts and many other schools. On all sides, greetings between old friends, eager questionings about absentees: Do you re¬ member? Can you tell me who I am? The shouts of joy when one could name a person not seen for twenty years. Where is Miss B . . . ? I want to tell her . . . Has Miss C . . . gone? She told me I could write, I want to thank her. And Mr. L . . . ? “There’s a man that taught true courtesy,” . . . and Miss McB ... or Miss Macd . . . Endless inquiries about past and present teachers, about old school chums lost sight of in the rush of life, about the younger generation, whether it was as good or bad as the older? Bewildering, but fun. “Come on, I want you to meet my wife or my husband,” as the case may be—“My children are learning “Frere Jacques” or “Latin Veils” or “Hi SCh.” “All that any one has to do to know what the passing years have done is to look out of the window and see the twinkling lights of the parked cars—five streets lined with them—they are no longer dad’s cars but our very own,” said the first student of Kelvin. How delighted these old boys and girls were with the efforts made by present- day pupils to give them a warm welcome home! They loved the mottoes, the decorations on the board and tried their best to rival them. The gym in cherry and grey revived old memories of happy hours spent there, the auditorium, of old time lit’s, the walks around the school, of famous exploits and deeds of derring-do.

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- - - hKs asset in later life. But more important still, we are taught co-operation, unselfish¬ ness and self-control, and through the striving towards a common goal we learn to know and respect our playmates more fully. But, aside from all their value as an education, athletics afford a pleasure which only those who have experienced it can realize. After weeks of intensive training there is nothing equal to the thrill of a hard-fought competition. Dramatics are also another very significant extra-curricular activity. This year Kelvin was singularly fortunate in that so many students were given a chance to take part in some production. The Grade X play, “The Pageant and the Opera,” afforded an excellent opportunity for all who were interested to contribute to school undertakings and thus appreciate Kelvin more fully. The third field, and perhaps the most important for increasing or understand¬ ing of others is social activities, such as room and school parties. In the room entertainments one really gets to know and appreciate his fellow classmates, while through school associations and dances he meets and associates with those from other rooms, thus broadening his outlook on school life. The weakness in our present educational system lies in the facfljhat the second function of education, that of associating harmoniously with others, is not sufficiently emphasized. Until all the advantages accruing from Athletics, Dra¬ matics and Social Activities are made available to each and every student, our schools will not be working to full advantage of everyone. True, the extra-cur¬ ricular activities do play a very beneficial part, but only to a small minority. The object of our high school system should be to turn out graduates with an all-round healthy normal development and able to meet any problem that may confront them with a balanced, unbiased attitude. Turning from the theoretical to the practical, I am sure that when this class of 1937 graduates, they will leave behind them many fond memories and friend¬ ships. For myself, this last year at Kelvin has been one of the happiest that I have spent. May we all, after passing into the wider realms of manhood and woman¬ hood, find the realization of our dreams and aspirations at Kelvin. Maurice Hooton. THE LIBRARY T HIS year Kelvin is very fortunate in having Room 13 set aside as a library. Book-cases were procured, tables set up and the whole room laid out so as to make studying more enjoyable. The library remains open from nine o’clock in the morning until five at night and is placed under the capable charge of Mrs. Sweet, who has been largely resposible for the great success that it has achieved. Anyone desirous of obtaining a book, from a high class novel to the latest treatise on Political Economy, has only to mention the fact to Mrs. Sweet and the volume would appear forthwith as if by magic. Her knowledge of books, where they are and what they contain, is truly amazing, and this, coupled with her kind con¬ sideration and willingness to help all pupils greatly enhances the attractiveness of the library. At present our library contains about fifteen hundred books, but the dona¬ tion from the R. T. Hodgson Memorial Library Fund, established by the old students in memory of Kelvin’s former principal, should greatly increase the number of books available. 19