St Johns Ravenscourt School - Eagle Yearbook (Winnipeg, Manitoba Canada)

Page 48 text:

Skootuuj Option Although no longer under the sponsorship of the Army, shooting in the Upper School is continuing as a Friday afternoon option. Mr. Ainley has about twenty-five regular participants, which will eventually be reduced to about seventeen, because of the time factor. It is the aim of the group to enter outside competition next year, and to teach any boys in the school who are interested, a true respect for firearms. As much as anything, we hope to teach safe firearm handling rather than marks¬ manship, but where there is ability, we hope to foster it. Boys may now fire with their own rifles and pistols, and I would like to feel that eventually the range can be used for personal sight setting and tuition in the use of firearms of all sorts, whether it be a blunderbuss belonging to David James or a Russian Army .22 belonging to Nick Tulloh. If we can turn out even a few people who know and respect firearms, we will have justified the range and have taught a lesson that the country sorely needs in this day and age of weekend hunting accident records. In Boxing Option, partners were paired off by their weight. Thirty seconds of free boxing were given at the begin¬ ning and end of each period. In these sessions Bob (Slugger) Clemis cut up many of his opponents with his piston like jab, while Kit (Ripper) Rowley amazed many by his intricate foot-work. Ed (Hooker) Horbay and Ross (The Mauller) McKnight were feared by all. Simon (Trigger Fist) Truelove made true many of his round house blows. Last, but not least, was Gavin (The Smasher) Smith, whose know-how, and boxing ability contributed considerably to the option. Boys in the boxing option would like to thank Mr. Harding for teaching us how to box properly, and for spend¬ ing his time for our benefit. tkii This year the Chess Club has been a small but active group functioning under the leadership of Mr. Geith. Last year, in May of 1966, the Chess Club sponsored a tournament at which Abe Yanofsky, international Grand Master, played 40 boys from this school, all at the same time. He recorded 39 wins and one stalemate, with Peter Lemon. In the third term of last year a chess tournament among the boys of this school was held. There were 32 partici¬ pants and the winner was John Nanson. A similar tournament is planned for the third term of this year. G(jm A small but interested group of boys have been meeting every Friday afternoon as a part of the Options program. Under the direction of Mr. Thorson, we have been given exercises to do on the parallel bars, box, mats and horizontal bars. On the parallel bars, shoulderstands and rolls are becoming easy. Neckflips, shortarm and handsprings are being mastered on the box and on the mats. However, the horizontal bar, a new piece of equipment to most of us, has proven to be the greatest attraction. To learn the ' upstart,’ a tricky raise after a forward swing to rest on top of the bar, has been the greatest challenge. This year, we have been mainly concerned with fundamentals. We have, however, all experienced a sense of achieve¬ ment: a better control and co-ordination of our bodies. Next year, we hope to start at the beginning of the season, and would like to see a slight increase in the number of interested members. Slot Cm CM Slotcar racing came to Ravenscourt on a large scale in late January of this year. The bodies are made of light weight plastic on an aluminium frame. The cars are true to life in every detail. Racers can change tires, gear ratios, rewind their electric motors, and even incorporate a braking system. The H.O. group have seventy-five feet of two lane track, complete with overpasses, switch-backs, and S” curves. The 1 24 and 1 32 scale group have fifty feet of two lane track cut out of four sheets of plywood and mounted on permanent tables. Completion date is set for the Easter Holidays. 44

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Hew Horn Sfjtfm With the end in view of greater overall participation and of having four houses in the Upper School next year, we have an experimental system at work at the moment. This is designed to involve all or almost all of the Upper School in inter-house activity. We hope that this will produce an ever increasing participation in school athletics and activities by those who are proficient, but also by those who are interested. With this end in view, we are now trying a system in which the three houses are divided into four equal groups by age. These groups will compete in all categories of sport from hockey to basketball, from volleyball to football. Thus a house with a fearsome football team may be made to look disco-ordinated on the volleyball court, just as the basketball champions may feel out of place on the soccer field. The object is total participation, not specialization. To this end also, we are returning to the point system that many of you will remember, where any extracurricular school activity and academics will balance sporting ability. Thus the librarian with an eighty per cent average who takes the lead in a school play and is a Junior Prefect may gain as many points for his house as the athlete who happens to be a member of all the school teams, but contributes nothing else to the community. As was said at the start, we are hoping for more participation in all aspects of the school life. If more people would become involved in the internal welfare of the community, we would not have to be involved in so much outside com¬ petition. We hope that this experimental system may make outside activity of secondary interest to internal competition and the greater welfare of the many, rather than the greater glory of the few. Next year’s Yearbook will report on the success or failure of our endeavours. BACK ROW: Newbound, Searle, Gardiner M., Smith G., Verges, McNight B. FRONT ROW: McGaughey, Lemon, Riddell D., Fudge, Sheen, MacDonald. One of the main accomplishments of the Students’ Athletic Association was the establishment of a new Athletic Awards program. The group was set up as a committee to determine the requirements for a letter, design the sweater, and to approve a design for the letter itself. Letters were awarded on a basis of overall proficiency on the School Senior Teams, a green letter for one year and a gold letter for two years participa¬ tion. One basic requirement was that the recipient be active during both the fall and winter terms. Eleven green and ten gold letters were awarded, with Young House having twelve recipients, Richardson five, and Hamber four. A new student organization was formed this year under the leadership of Mr. Broderick. The STU¬ DENTS’ ATHLETIC ASSOCIATION as it was called, was established in order to examine and discuss the activities of S.J.R. under the general heading of Ath¬ letics.” Several meetings and discussion were held on the subject of student participation in the compulsory sport system but because of exams, the World Hockey Tournament, etc., no real action resulted. Having made a good start this year, it is hoped that next year the group will hold a stronger influence on student par¬ ticipation in athletics. We would like to thank Mr. Broderick for his time and effort that he spent on the group. Smoi SmaJm BACK ROW: Van Haren (H), Sprague (R), Hill (R), Smith G. (Y), McEwan (Y), Verges (R), Timmerman (H), Dunstan (Y), Harasym (R). FRONT ROW: Fudge (R), Riddell D. (Y), LittleJ. (Y), Lemon (H), Gargett (R), Macbeth (Y), Sheen (Y), Leatherdale (Y), Jackman (H). MISSING: Murray (Y), Bowes P. (Y), Williams (Y). 46