Shawnigan Lake School - Yearbook (Shawnigan Lake, British Columbia Canada)

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GRADS 17

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ignorance. Without the ability to function, what one knows has little more than entertainment value. And without a concern for values, a knowledgable and efficient person may thoughtlessly direct his life to shallow purposes. The mature young man, on the other hand, may be expected to continue his growth and development throughout his life, increasing his contribution and his personal happiness as he grows older. In these terms, education is achieved through the boy ' s total experience: at home, out in the community and at school; in his social life as well as in his studies; with others of his own age, as well as with adults. The failure of much that is classed as education stems from a lack of concern for, or control over, anything but studies in the classroom. The great advantage of a boarding school is that the whole process may be integrated. At Shawnigan the sports, hobbies, excursions and entertainments are not just a means of keeping boys happy. The structure of discipline is not just to ease the work of the staff. The life in the Houses and the meals in the Dining Hall are not just to provide room and board. Along with the academic programme, all of these aspects of school life make their contribution to a boy ' s education; - to his maturity. Almost all these experiences sharpen perception, increase knowledge, develop judgement, build self-discipline and, above all, make boys aware of the needs and rights of others. Some of them develop special skills and qualities; courage, tact, memory, speech, confidence or technical knowledge. All provide the framework for growth in close association with adults as well as other young people. And all this can be good fun too, for perhaps the greatest lesson of all is that one ' s burdens are lightened by laughter and one ' s path smoothed by the presence of friends. H.C.W. SHAWNIGAN LAKE SCHOOL EDITORIAL 1971-73 In this issue we have combined the years 1971-72 and 1972-73. We had hoped that this issue might be published at the end of the 1973 academic year, but this goal proved elusive and, therefore, publication has been delayed. Our reason for consolidating both manuscripts was primarily to save on cost. Last year ' s issue ran so far behind schedule that it was not practical from a financial viewpoint to publish two separate issues in one year, so a combination was formed. The main drawback with this system is that the possibility of omissions and other fortuitous errors is increased two-fold. There are some immediate omissions. It will be noticed that there are no write-ups on the Grads. This can be attributed to the fact that no adequate mat- erial was written. From an editorial vantage point, one could safely conclude that both years have witnessed considerable change in the various structures of the school. The most notable has been in the administration. In 1971-72 there was a comprehensive search for a new Headmaster to replace Mr. MacLachlan. Mr. MacLachlan became Acting Headmaster in September of 1967. He was replaced for a short span in September 1968 by Mr. Powell, and then he was appointed permanent Headmaster in October 1968. Mr. MacLachlan continued as Headmaster for the next three years. He announced his resignation in January 1972 and soon afterwards departed for Rhodesia for the remain- der of the academic year. In the meantime, Mr. McClelland, the Assistant Headmaster, took over as Acting Headmaster. It was during Mr. MacLachlan ' s absence that Mr. Hugh C. Wilkinson ' s acceptance of the Headmastership was announced. Mr. Wilkinson emphasized two points in his introductory speeches to the school in the summer term of 1972; these were bullying and theft. This year, 72-73, he had implemented measures to curb both theft and hazing. The latter point created a controversy between the Head- master and the seniors. The seniors wondered just what kinds of hazing constituted a crime. The Headmaster maintained that any and all hazing constituted an infrac- tion, and therefore seniors would henceforth desist from such practices. In 1971-72, there was also the Pacific College Plunge ' . Pacific College, whose counterpart is Atlantic College in Wales, was to have been a subsidiary of the Shawnigan Lake School complex. I refer to it as a plunge, because to many of us it seemed a hastily put-together plan without much foresight into the financial end of things. There are still a number of us that do not understand just what exactly the annexation would have accomplished or, for that matter, what its function was to have been. Finally, 71-72 saw the final year of the matron system. It was decided that the laundering, sewing, etc., would be carried out under the auspices of the main school. This was done in order to save money. Unfortunately, both efficiency and the quality of the laundered articles were sacrificed. This year, 1972-73, has been a year of change, and therefore the change has been met with opposition and resentment. The resentment stems from the fear that the traditions of the school will be changed. Perhaps this resentment may be justified in some cases; I myself do not want to see all the traditions swept away, but I maintain that resentment was inevitable once the school decided it had to change. There can be no doubt that it had to change or else cease to be. I think that the resentment has been the toughest obstacle for this year, but it is something that will gradually diminish over the next few years, and precedents for new traditions will be established. I do not envy the unwary Headmaster of the future who tries to change those traditions! C.T.H. 16

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HAROLD HAYES Head Boy 1971-72 Head Boy ' s Letter Writing for two Head Boys it is very difficult to compare, yet easy to contrast the past two years. For there have been two Headmasters and with the coming of the second, a great deal of change. Change, especially amongst the almost reactionary ' ancien regime ' of prefects and boys, can sometimes present many problems; not the least of which is a lack of enthusiasm and cooperation. Therefore, envisaging more change in the coming year, I would like to offer this advice to the prefects and boys at Shawnigan. If you find that there is something you don ' t like; a new rule, a piece of tradition swept away, don ' t work against this and the administration in a destructive way, breeding discontent and unhappiness amongst your peers. Instead, support the administration and its policies with enthusiasm, trying at the same time, if you like, to change through constructive discussion that which you don ' t like. Change is inevitable and in a progressive school like Shawnigan is constant. Therefore: Thou, through all change, Fix thy firm gaze on virtue . . . Macaulay, ' Lines Written in August ' JEFF WINSLOW Head Boy 1972-73 18