Ashbury College - Ashburian Yearbook (Ottawa, Ontario Canada)

Page 8 text:

5 THE ASHBURIAN EDITORIALS The inevitability of change is apparent to everyone so it comes as no great surprise to some, that many changes are taking place at Ashbury before the next School Year. This year the changes have been perhaps a little more far-reaching than ordinarily, but we are hopeful that they will prove to be benehcial and keep Ashbury on the move. The departure of a Headmaster and those who have served their School for an extensive period unquestionably triggers off a series of changes. Things will never be quite the samev, they say. This of course is true, but the desire to get away from the sameness and the expectation that everytding will be better is the argument for the change. May it be so! To all those associated with Ashbury during the past 16 years- Students, Staff, Old Boys, Parents, Friends and Governors may I say that the past 16 years, even though there have been lesser moments, have been generally happy and exciting. This has been an experience that I shall always treasure. Thank you for your many kindnesses and friend- ship. R.H.P.

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THE ASHBURIAN v MR. R. H. PERRY, M.A. lllCAD.XlASTl .R, 1950-1966 A TRIBLVIT. Ronald ll. Perry came to Ashbury on a hot summer day in .Iune 1950, and began his tenure of olhce at that time. l le had been working at the University of Toronto prior to arriving here, and had had a period of service in the Royal Canadian Air Force, and at Pickering College. During the past sixteen years he has accomplished much for Ashbury College. Argyle has been built, two new Staff llouses have been built, one laboratory has been renovated, and another laboratory with new locker rooms has been constructed. Xlr. Perry has been interested not only in the internal fabric of the school, but has beautiiied the grounds with many trees and Hower beds. The School enrolment has increased by about one hundred students. The New Boy Register shows that one thousand, four hundred and thirty-six boys have been enrolled at Ashbury College during the sixteen years. Uut of this group, one hundred and forty-three have already graduated from University, one hundred and two are now in University, four hundred and fifty-four have graduated from the top two forms of the School - Grades 12 and 13, and of course two hundred and seventy-five are still here in the School. But all of the above are cold figures. What about the man? Here has been a Headmaster of many talents. He has been an able administra- tor who has not been reticent about delegating responsibilities. He has been a Headmaster who has always been interested in all his students. His philosophy has been one of kindliness, persistence, and service to others. He has consistently tried to understand the modern young man. This philosophy has also been carried over to the Staff. He has always been interested and helpful to all who have worked for him. He has left us all with happy memories. His final address in Chapel- Faith and Prayer - he has always had faith in the innate good- ness of people, and rarely has he been let down. He has believed in sensible rules and regulations, a great supporter of all the School Sports. and punctilious in school attendance. He has rarely thought of himself at all. To be a Headmaster, one IULISI nearly be a Nlaster of all trades. This he has fulfilled to a high degree. Yet withal, here is a humble man. a lover of nature, a great supporter of Canada. XYhat else could one say? -in all -a gentleman in the highest sense of the word, a man of courage, faith and wisdom. Ashbury College will miss him. His good works will live on in the hearts and minds of many students and staff, as well as Parents. His life is gentle. and the elements So mix'd in him that Nature might stand up And say to all the world, This was a mann.

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THE ASHBURIAN We have come to the end of an era, an era spent under the watchful eye of Alr. Perry, the headmastcr of Ashbury College. l lc was thc guide and inspiration in the religious, educational and athletic phases uf a schoolboy's life at Ashbury. As we, looking at thc cadet corps motto - Acer Acerporin - realize. that it was indeed Nlr. Perry who carried out its full meaning. Acer acerpori can be translated as - as the twig bends so grows the tree. l le used his green thumb talent to cultivate in the boys an appreciation of honesty and truth, and endeavoured to make them correct and upstanding gentlemen that would be exponents of honour, courage and grace. Mr. Perry is a man whose background is deeply rooted in the arts and humanities. XYhen he first came to the school, sixteen years ago, the arts and humanities were of predominant importance in education. Since then however, science and technology have been accentuated, and Nlr. Perry has greatly helped the school to progress and expand in these fields. At the same time a student at Ashbury is given a solid grounding in the arts, an important essential even in science. We IHUSI also take note of the great steps that Alr. Perry has taken to make the school an enjoyable place in which to live and learn. During his long association with Ashbury, the physics and chemistry laboratories have been built and constantly renovated to provide the student with the equipment to learn about the world he lives in. Nlr. Perry has con- scientiously laboured to instill the school with the spirit of a community where boys work and live together. He has taught the students of Ashbury the qualities of altruism and self-discipline. He has trained them to face the Brave New XVorld. However there is in the lives of all great men, a point of time when the torch is handed to others, when a man may simply say: I have given of my best and it is now the turn of another generation to assume my burden . Such a moment is a moment of great honour, a moment of infinite sadness and a moment for profound gratitude. Such a moment was met by Thomas ei Becker with a display of fortitude that has illu- minated history, although his Constitutions of Clarendon were no more significant to his purpose than were Alr. Perry's hierarchical difficulties to his. We honour Mr. Perry for the courage and conviction with which he pursued his course, we mix our sadness with his in human acknowledgement of a deep personal relationship, and we offer him our abiding gratitude for his deep understanding and unfailing compassion for the problems of a schoolboy.