Ashbury College - Ashburian Yearbook (Ottawa, Ontario Canada)

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THE ASHBURIAN 31 Seniors: Ulysses Clines 1-173 -Tennyson 'Sight' Izmiors: The Cloths of Heaven - Yeats l c Irltermediatesz 'Tewkesbury Road - .Nlaseheld Seniors: I Think Continually of Those - Spender Of special interest was the extremely high quality of the voluntary selections read by contestants in each division. The winners in each category were: juniors: Burritt Intermediates: Campbell I Seniors: Farrugia I In a good-humoured and valuable summation, Prof. Johnston remarked on the great interest with which he had listened to the readings. It almost seemed unfair, he said, that one should dictate a right and a wrong way of reading poetry, that a boy should show sufli- cient interest in reading a poem made it his own personal poem, and no judge should really be called upon to criticize the particular rendition. However, he went on, there were certain standards which one could set, and after a short discussion 0'f these standards he named the winners. Participation in the contest was of a high calibre, and one can only hope that this event will always Hnd a place in the school calendar. C 0 N F E R E N C E S THE HEADMASTERS' CONFERENCE A most successful annual Conference of the Headmasters was held on January 3rd, 4th and Sth at Hillfield School in Hamilton. with Lt. Col. john Page, President and Host. Representatives attended from nearly all Canadian Independent Boys' Schools. As Hilllield is a Day School delegates were accommodated at the Tamahaac Club in Ancaster and at the Town Manor Motel. Attending the Conference as Special Guests were: Rev. Canon Charles Martin. Headmaster, St. Albans School. Hash- ington, D.C. President Fulmer of the American Headmasters' Association. Dr. VVayne McFarland, Principal of jefferson and XYilson Schools. New jersey. Dr. C. A. Brown, Registrar of the Department of Education of Ontario.

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g,, THE ASHBURIAN PUBLIC SPEAKING CONTEST It is to be regretted that this year's Public Speaking Contest did not create more interest. XVih Gerry Haslam winning everything within reach around the district, perhaps the Seniors feared the compe- tition would be too severe. However, Haslam was not participating, being content to rest on his previous successes, and the field was more open, which made the adjudicators, Mr. Carver and Mr. Spencer, hope for many more than the two contestants. Iain Ewing, giving an impressive rendering of a previously used speech on Optimism, an Ingredient for True Leadership , was well applauded by the audience. Duncan .NlacLaurin, speaking extemporaneously on 'fVVomen and Destruction , found a ready response to his views. It is not an easy task to compare these two types of forensics, and after considerable dis- cussion, it was decided to share the award between the two contestants. The Intermediate section gave Doug Chalke an opportunity to amuse his audience with an account of his family's trip through Europe the previous summer. His subject, Touring with a One-year-old , was insuflieiently prepared, and this detracted from the effectiveness of his speech. Hugh Campbell, speaking on Hypnotism , on the other hand, had prepared his speech, and he delivered it with an air of real authority. Colin Browne, choosing the topical subject, America's Klan Into Spacen, was handicapped by his own nervousness. The experience should help him on future occasions, and he, as well as the other two contestants, deserve commendation for their efforts. An account of the junior section appears in the 'fjunior Ashburiann. The awards were: Senior: lain Ewing and Duncan NlacLaurin CEqualD. lvlrermediate: Hugh Campbell. Imlior: Tom Fuller. POETRY READING CONTEST The school was most fortunate this year in having Professor George B. johnston, acting head of the English Department of Carleton Uni- versity, as adiudicator of the annual Poetry Reading which was held on Sunday. Nlay 14th in the Chapel. Prof. Johnston verv generously agreed to iudge the readings despite a crowded weekend schedule. The passages read were: 'Set' pieces - Izmiorsz The Singer Grows Old - Brown I11rc'r111cdii1res: The Destruction of Sennacheribn - Byron

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,1 THE ASHBURIAN Included in the routine business was the Annual Meeting of the Canadian Foundation for Independent Boys' Schools with Mr. Duncan Gordon and Mr. Peter Kaye bringing the Headmasters up-to-date on the progress of the foundation. The highlight of the Conference was the final dinner at the Hamil- ton Club with Dr. Leslie Severinghaus, Headmaster of the Haverford School at Philadelphia giving the address of the evening. All speakers were of high order and the Headmasters departed for their respective schools feeling that once again the inspiration offered by the speakers and the informal discussions were of great value. Mr. john Harker of St. Georges School in Vancouver has been elected President for the forthcoming year and it is expected that the Conference will be held in B.C. on March the 28th. MATHEMATICS AND SCIENCE CONFERENCE The Rev. D. T. Faught, Head of the Mathematics Department of Assumption University, VVindsor, Gntario, was introduced to the several representatives of the Independent Schools of Canada by Mr. Shipley, President of the Mathematics and Science Committee, under the Head- masters' Association, on the occasion of the Annual Meeting held at Ridley College on April 22nd, 1961. Ashbury College was represented by Messrs. H. Dalton and Marland. The Rev. Mr. Faught's address was entitled The New Mathematics, with especial emphasis on the Grade 9 Curriculum . The New Mathematics is not, in his opinion, the case of assuming a new method in the teaching of mathematics, but rather a shifting of emphasis and a change of approach towards old knowledge. It is the Committee's intention to delete from the curriculum old fashioned tech- niques, to drop obsolete material, and to have a complete revision of the geometry syllabus in Grade 9, as the course is repeated in Grade 10. The Committee also proposed to introduce solid geometry, taught by tie inductive method, to Grade 10 pupils, as a knowledge of planes, lines, formulae, spheres, etc., where special concepts could be met With, was considered to be of great importance in this modern age. In this way students would appreciate the close relationship between the sciences of logic and mathematics. XYith regards to the present Grade 9 curriculum the Rev. Mr. Faught felt that the pupils were insufiiciently challenged, and that, for that reason, there should be a change in emphasis and viewpoint. Presently there is a mixture of rules which is not only devoid of sense, but is disiointed.