Trafalgar School - Echoes Yearbook (Montreal, Quebec Canada)

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articles for the Social Service work carried on at school. The Juniors have been most enthusiastic about this kind of work. In music and art we have done very well. The girls who are interested in that side of school life have worked very hard both for their House and for the School. The conduct standard has not been as high as it might have, but steps have been taken to remedy this and we look for a great improvement in the future. We were all delighted when we learned that Mrs. Leonard was to be our House Mistress. As we have been privileged to be the heads of Barclay House at its beginning, we would like to extend best wishes and a hope for success in years to come for Barclay House. Anne O ' Halloran, Marion Mills, Heads of the House. FAIRLEY HOUSE Service before Self It has been said of Miss Fairley: — Hers was a noble face so strong and kind; And it was she who built Trafalgar up, And helped to make it what it is today — A happy place to all who use it well. Miss Fairley was the first Head Mistress of Trafalgar, and although none of the girls of the House knew her, we all can still feel the great strength and the high ideas that she gave to the School. In the twenty-six years in which she was Head Mistress she devoted all her time and thought to the girls. She was a living example of our motto, Service before Self , and so we of Fairley House feel it an honour to bear her name, and realize that we have much to inspire us. Fairley House is now just four months old, and since the very beginning the girls of our House have shown a keen interest in everything. Scholastically we have done quite well, having come second at the first mark reading. In sports we have ma de a good start, too. Our very enthusiastic Basketball team came first in the basketball competition. There are fifty-two girls in our House and they all have their special interests. A great many of the girls are busy making garments for the Sewing Circle, and we shall have quite a nice collection to send out West. Then some of the girls are specially interested in Art, and others in Music. We are planning to have competitions of various kinds this term, and the girls are eager to enter them. Our House Mistress is Mrs. Mitchell and she is most kind in helping us in all our activities of the House. Fairley House is showing a great deal of spirit, and is determined to prove itself worthy of its name. Anne Dodd, Elizabeth Anne Kendall, Heads of the House. [20]

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T better. We have always had a strong Form spirit in School but the Houses draw Senior and Lower School girls together and give them something to work for in common. The School was divided into four Houses which are called Fairley, Barclay, Ross and Riddell. The Heads of the Houses were chosen from among those of us who were Prefects. The division of School was done by lot and in this way the Houses were each comprised of girls from the Upper Second Form to the Matric classes. The matter of choosing a mark of distinction between the different house members was rather difficult. After much discussion it was decided that each House should have a colour and a small ribbon of that colour should be worn by each member. Fairley is distinguished by a red ribbon, Barclay by a green, Ross by a yellow and Riddell by a purple ribbon. The aim of each House member is to gain by work in studies, sports or other activi- ties such as music, art and needlework, points for her House. There are also points taken off for bad conduct and this stresses the necessity for all House members to be careful of their behaviour. Besides every day work and sports special basketball matches were played last term. These were most enthusiastically upheld by all the Houses. The Spelling Bee and General Knowledge Competition were keenly contested and greatly enjoyed by every one. We are very grateful to Mrs. Wynne Robinson who, herself an Old Girl, has pre- sented a Shield for competition between the Houses. This award to be gained makes working for the House much more exciting and we are all anxious to find out who is the first winner. Barclay House was named after the eminent Scotchman, the Reverend Doctor Barclay, D.D., LL.D., who was for many years President of Trafalgar School. Dr. Barclay was devoted to education in all its branches and Trafalgar was his pet school so we all hope that Barclay may become the pet House of Trafalgar. Dr. Barclay set a wonderful example in athletics for he was known throughout the Dominion for his high ideals of physical training. The House has done fairly well in living up to the excellent tradition that Dr. Barclay started. Many points were obtained at the Gymnastic Demonstration and some at Skiing. The Basketball matches were not so successful for us but that was not due to lack of enthusiasm for all the girls were very keen and we all have high hopes for the future sporting events. In studies Barclay House has shown itself capable of hard work. Some of the girls have done extraordinarily well and gained many points for their House. The Spelling Bee was our greatest success as Barclay House won both in the first and second round. There are also many girls who have shown themselves capable of hard work by making BARCLAY HOUSE Tende Bene et Alta Pete ' [19]

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ROSS HOUSE Suaviter in more, fortiter in re We of Ross House are proud of our name, for it was Mr. Donald Ross who founded Trafalgar School for Girls. He had planned to found a school named Ross Institute in memory of his mother, but on purchasing a site for the school and finding that it was known as the Trafalgar property he decided that the name of his future school should be Trafalgar Institute . The aim of Mr. Ross was the education of young women of the middle and higher ranks of society with special emphasis on religious and moral training as part of the curriculum or, as he said, to qualify young persons for discharging in the best manner such duties as ordinarily devolve upon the female sex . Each and every member of Ross House has entered into this working group whole- heartedly and has tried to be worthy of the name which our House bears. We all feel that we are most fortunate in having Miss Bedford- J ones, who is a Trafalgar Old Girl, as our House Mistress. The House has found her an invaluable aid, and we are glad of this opportunity to thank her for her great help. At the last reckoning of marks, our House was fortunate in having the highest average. Marks were gained by our members for many different achievements and good general work. Some of our girls won gym awards, some gave in needlework for the mission in the West, some made outstanding posters, and some were members of the different teams. During the Lent term, we had inter-House basketball matches. Ross House came third in the series. This inter-House rivalry stimulates great interest, and we look for- ward to success in the Debates, General Knowledge Tests, Spelling Bees and other friendly contests now in contemplation. We believe that the instit ution of the four Houses marks an advance in the life and work of the School and hope that, in future years, our successors, as wearers of the yellow badge of Ross House, will justify the high hopes we have for the steady progress of our House and the maintenance of its position. WiLMA Howard, Mary MacKay, Heads of the House. RIDDELL HOUSE Facta, non Verha We of Riddell House are very proud of our name, because it came from the first Secretary of the School — Mr. Alexander F. Riddell. Mr. Riddell held this position for forty- two years from the founding of the School in 1887, and he always fulfilled hi? duties faithfully. He was a close friend of the founder, Mr. Donald Ross. We hope that we will always be worthy of his name. The House System was a new idea this year, and we feel that it has provided more interests in the School. There was great excitement on the day in February when Miss Gumming announced the names of the Houses, and then read out the names of the girls [21]