St Michaels University School - Black Red and Blue Yearbook (Victoria, British Columbia Canada)

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home found Canada aliye with new zest and ideas. and building to new peaks of happiness and achieyement. l imagine that many of you boys here today were born at or near the outset of that second war. for which we neyer managed to find a really satisfactory name. 1N'hen I was just learning to toddle they had the conflict of 1914-18. which they called the war to end all wars. They had an impressive new weapon in those days. called the tank. which they said would make wars obsolete. And then. a little later on. they began using aircraft to drop bombs. and the military experts said that this was the ultimate weaponlthat people would have to learn to liye in peace. Today you boys are growing up in what we call the Atomic age. or the Hydrogen agen-and people are saying the same things all oyer again. They say that the world has grown too small for warg that aircraft and bombs today are so powerful that we all face destruction, This is what we might call the philosophy of futility. This bleak and shabby outlook is denied in the presence here today! and at similar ceremonies all oyer the continentfof the new generation. the one you represent. You are our hope for tomorrow. As parents, we look at you today and wonder-what honour will you bring to us. 20 years hence? Is there a boy here today who may become an eminent Canadian statesman. who will perhaps represent our nation at the council-tables of the world? Is there a boy here who will discoyer the cure for cancer? ls there a boy in this audience who will write a great book. or an immortal piece of music. or perhaps eyen design a Canadian flag? Is there a boy here who will become a great minister? If there is, we may need him more than any of the others. Perhaps he will so illuminate the master's teachings that he will point us the way to peace. As we think of this anxious age you are now entering, we are reminded of the story of the great French scholar. Fontenelle. who was approaching his 100th birthday when death tapped him lightly on the shoulder, A friend said to him: Are you feeling ill? And he replied: I feel a slight difficulty in existingf, Well, I guess we all feel that way nowadays. The mere business of staying aliye has become a bit of a problem. In the great cities of America today you see signs: This way to the shelterf' and in almost eyery newspaper you find articles advising you how to take cover under the garage steps. Now l don't think we can work out a satisfactory life if we're constantly ducking for coyer. That seems to me a rather ll

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SPEECH DAY, 1954 It was a great privilege to have R111 and Mrs. Stuart Keate as our guests of honour. B111 Keate as publisher of the Victoria Daily Times is perforce an educator and as brother to the eminent cartoonist jeff-an Old boy of the school-has yet another tie with us while llrs. Keatels presence lent happy grace to the pro- ceedings on a day when everything possible was required to counter the effects of the appalling cold. The proceedings opened with the customary hymn, the Head- master read his report on the very satisfactory progress of the school and Klr. Keate then gave his address which was warmly received by the large number of parents. visitors and the boys themselves. He has kindly permitted us to reprint the text of his notes which are as follows: Mix Timmis. distinguished guests. ladies and gentlemen, and boys: It is a very great honour for me to be invited to give the Speech Day address this year. I think this is a very wise arrangement-to have the speeches in the morning. get them over with. and then turn the boys loose to enjoy themselves. I want to assure the students. however. that my remarks will be brief. This is because 20 years ago, at the graduation exercises of the L'niversity of British Columbia. I learned my lesson. The con- vocation address was being given by an eminent politician whose name I dare not mention. because he is still alive. Approximately ten minutes after he started I noticed that one of his ministers-a kindly, white-haired gentleman whose name also would be known to you, and who was sitting directly behind the speaker-began to nod. In a few minutes he was fast asleep. Perhaps it is just as well. For the speaker that day painted a decidedly unhappy picture of the world of 1935. He reminded us that there was a depression on, and that none of us would be able to find jobs. He predicted that there would be another world war. Although the sun's rays were slanting through the gymnasium that day. he managed to make it look like a very dark and dreary world indeed. We left our graduation exercises with despair, not hope. Now everything he said was true. and I suppose we should excuse him on those grounds. but he reckoned without one factor -which was the great spirit and determination of Canadian youth. I believe that most of us. in spite of his dire warnings, found jobs. Most of us served in that war, too. and those of us who came IO

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fearful faith. Wle made this world, and we must go on living in it-and it is obviously wise to know what to do when we're called upon to defend it. Every prudent man keeps insurance on his house and pro- perty. He hopes that he will never have to make a claim on it, but at least he enjoys the mental ease of the man who has safe- guarded the interests of his family. lt is quite apparent that you at University School have combined a broad interest in the humanities-those studies like English, history. languages and philosophy. which enable you to live congenially with your fellow men-with an appreciation of the practical facts of life as revealed in the precise equations of the sciences. You have won the admiration of this area with your recent parades in the Sunset ceremonies, and with your annual cadet review. Both these performances gave evidence of a high degree of training. And what does that mean, in the last analysis? It means hard work: it means discipline: it means an appreciation of the team spirit. That you did so well indicates that your masters have done a'splendid job of illuminating for you the ageless virtues. lt seems to me that the ideal of your school is not too far removed from that of the great Empire-builder, Cecil Rhodes. His ideal was that of the well-rounded man. His famous scholar- ships do not go to the drone or the book-worm. Scholarship is important. of course: but he placed equal importance on the activities enjoyed outside the class-room-on athletics and the human qualities which go to make up the engaging and well- balanced personality. And now I want to address a parting word to the senior boys. who may be leaving University School for higher fields ol academic training, or perhaps military service. A contemporary writer not long ago sent this message to a college celebration: - 'Don't ever take your school as a matter of course-because, like Democracy and F reedom, many people you'll never know anything about have broken their hearts to get it for you.' Those are very wise words-many people we've never known anything about have broken their hearts to get it for us. Your school began as an idea. The fact that it survives and flourishes proves thatiit was a sound idea. You who are here today are the inheritors of the early struggles of many men and women -not only the masters. but fathers and mothers as well- who have passed along. 12