Ashbury College - Ashburian Yearbook (Ottawa, Ontario Canada)

Page 16 text:

T141 THE ASHBURIAN they put up a good show, showing courage and promise for the future. This was also true of the hockey team. Much enthusiasm was shown in skiing this winter, more for exercise and pleasure than of a competitive nature, which to my mind is no bad thing, said the headmaster. The cricket team enjoyed a good measure of success, al- though it did not win the inter-school trophy. The junior soccer team success- fully carried off the Colonel Fraser Cup. The health of the school was good. Mr. Archdale commended Miss Mac- Laughlin, Mrs. Fraser and Miss Barker, the school nurses, for their untiring vigilance. Staff changes for various reasons, military duties and health, for example, do not help in the efficient functioning of the school. This year we have been unfortunate in that changes took place in the middle of the year, said Mr. Archdale, although in Mr. Walsh, Mr. Chestnut, Capt. Dare and Mr. Belcher we obtained hard-working, enthusiastic colleagues who have thrown themselves into their work. Mr. Archdale lauded the way in which the staff has pulled together and has taken on extra duties cheerfully. l-le also spoke of the way in which the prefects and other bays have co-operated to do whatever they could to make for the general good. More Serious Side- The sale of tickets for the annual play netted the Red Cross 515274.00 Debates and meetings of the international Relations Club, at which several distinguished people spoke, rounded out the more serious side of extra-cur- ricular activities. Many trips to the Parliament Buildings, the Archives and other educational places of interest were arranged for the boys. ln conclusion, the headmaster said, I feel that if parents, governors, boys and staff all work together in harmony, no school can fail to be great. While I want to express my gratitude for the co-operation of many of these categories, l would ask that next year this co-operation be unanimous. ln his valedictory address, R. G. R. Lawrence, head prefect, and captain of the school for the past year said: We shall take away with us two funda- mental principles which at all times Ashbury has stressed-those of courage and duty. To older and wiser people it appears, and rightly so, that this world which we are now entering is a chaotic and frightening one. While we grant the truth of this fact, it does not in any degree dismay us: we face it with happy confidence. Col. E. F. Newcombe of the board of governors was acting chairman of the occasion, and among those present were Norman Wilson and Senator Cairine Wilson, Mr. and Mrs. Shirley Woods, Mrs. E. F. Newcombe, Dr. G. P. Woollcombe, l-l. S. Southam, Col. and Mrs. J. D. Fraser, G. J. K. l-larrison, head- master of Abinger l-lill School, now incorporated in Ashbury, and Brigadier- General and Mrs. C. H. Maclaren.

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THE ASHBURIAN I 131 JUNE CLOSING HE closing took place on Friday, July llth, in the afternoon. The Annual Sports were held in the morning and there was a short leaving service in the Chapel after lunch, A move was then made to the gym where the speeches and prize giving took place. The following account of the closing was taken from the Ottawa Citizen:- Perhaps among the prize winners this afternoon there will be future leaders who will help to make Canada a great power in the art of understand- ing. said Sir William Glasgow, Australian l-ligh Commissioner to Canada, at the Ashbury College closing exercises yesterday afternoon. Sir William reviewed Ashbury's part in the wars of the past and brought to mind the things that Ashburians are learning to-day to fit themselves to carry on the traditions of their predecessors. You are learning discipline and self-control, qualities that not only make good leaders but good followers as well. Indeed, a man must be able to obey before he can command. Much Pioneering Ahead. Not forgetting the day after victory, Sir William spoke of the many things that Canadians have yet to do. There is much pioneering yet to be done- pioneering in the fields of international relations-learning particularly social science, which is the practice of helping the poverty-stricken. Presenting the Annual Report N. M. Archdale, l-leadmaster of the school, spoke of the many inconveniences and handicaps brought about directly and indirectly by the war. l, and others concerned with schools, have been greatly disturbed by the very uncertain state in which education appears to be at present, he said. The attitude assumed by many boys who intend to enter the armed forces that it does not matter whether or not they matriculate is one of shortsighted- ness. They forget that after the war they will find the lack of some academic standing a definite handicap in either obtaining a job, or entering university, as presumably some of them will wish to do. Referring to the curtailment of subjects not of essential value to the war, and replacing them with courses in defence, aeronautics and other specialized sciences, Mr. Archdale said, l feel that a democracy cannot exist when a nation is composed almost entirely of technicians and specialists. Let us by all means give all we have got to defeat the Axis nations, but don't let's lose sight of the future. Sports Carried On Although cadet and defence work took much time, the sports were carried on as in previous years. ln the first term the football team was young and in- experienced, but although it was not very successful in the inter-school matches,

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THE ASHBURMN I 151 VALEDICTORY lGiven by R. G. R. Lawrence, Head Prefect, at the Closingl HOPE you will forgive me, lodies ond gentlemen, if I refer to myself os the old mon of Ashbury , hoving spent nine yeors, more thon holf my life, within these scholostic holls. Perhops, for o few moments you will ollow me to tell you something of whot its trodition meons to us, the closs of nineteen forty-three. The Groduoting Closs of forty-three ore leoving school ot o very cruciol stoge in the history of the world. At no other time hos so much depended upon the otmosphere ond bockground of the young people of the notion, nor upon the chorocteristics which hove been formed ond the chorocters which hove been moulded, of the young men who ore leciving school oll over the Dominion ot the close of this term. All of us who ore groduoting here to-cloy hove no doubt looked forword to this occosion with o keen feeling of onticipotion, but it is only now thot we fully reolise thot we ore closing o chopter of hoppy memories, of comrodeship. But even more importont thon this, we sholl, toke owoy with us the two fundomentol principles which ot oll times Ashbury hos stressed, those of couroge ond of duty. At this moment there is one primory duty before us oll, thot of serving our country, but even in times of peoce there will be tosks confronting us which will demond on equol devotion, And the successful occomplishment of duty, whether in peoce or wor, demonds the other fundomentcil ottribute of couroge. Other boys who hove groduoted from Ashbury, some lost yeor, some the yeor before, ond mony others before them hove reolized these truths, they hove not swerved from their duty ond they hove not locked couroge. To the older ond wiser people it oppeors, ond quite rightly so, thot this world which we, the closs of forty-three, ore now entering is o chootic ond possibly frightening one. But while we gront the truth of this foct it does not in ony degree dismoy us, we foce it with hoppy confidence. Here ot Ashbury we hove been set o stondord of conduct ond hove been tought mony things. lt is now our responsibility to put those things, which we hove leornt, into procticol use, ond to endeovor to mointoin this high stondord, so thot those who hove left this school before us, ond those who will follow ofter us, con honestly feel thot we hove done our best ond corried on the Ashbury trodition, of duty ond couroge.