Ashbury College - Ashburian Yearbook (Ottawa, Ontario Canada)

Page 17 text:

THE ASHBURIAN 15' CLUBS AN ACTI ITIES More was done this year than for many past to provide the boys with extra-curricular activities other than sports. The chief stumbling- block to hobbies and clubs in a school where great importance is attached to the participation of every boy in a daily programme of sports. was of course the difficulty of finding a suitable time for club meetings. This year's solution, that of using the Friday night prep period, was not entirely a satisfactory one, and doubtless some changes will have to be made in the coming year. In general, however, the clubs were well supported and, while one or two were somewhat fitful. many were run with considerable success. The strong guiding hands of masters will be necessary for some time before the boys are capable of running the clubs independently, and the staff have not stinted with time or encouragement. The following clubs met. Cbfm' and Bridge Club. .1111 F11d.1le0-Ixslei Many a keen discussion of strategy followed the games played regularly on Friday evenings in the rooms of Nlr. Fudakowski or Mr. XYebb, avid players of both games. Drawmtic Society. ,llr. Abel and ,llr. lV.1ts011 Since the school lacks the proper facilities for a stage production. the idea was mooted of a combined production with the Elmwood girls to be presented on the stage there. Agreement was soon reached at a meeting at Elmwood attended by Mrs. Blyth, the headmistress. Nlrs. Harwood-jones and Mrs. Van Dine of the Elmwood staff and by Xlr. XVatson and Mr. Abel from Ashbury. A report of the fruits of this meeting may be read elsewhere in this magazine. Suffice it to remark here that a great deal of work was done by very many people during the winter term and part of the spring term in order to ensure the success of our double bill, A Battle of Hits by Norman Williams and Trial by jury by Gilbert and Sullivan. Driving C ourse. ,ll r. Saba-mlzele During the Easter term a first was achieved at Ashbury College. A driver's training course was organized as an extra-curricular activity. This course was the first ever to be offered at an independent school in Ontario and was only about the second or third offered in any school 1

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14 THE ASHBURIAN This last activity was missed Cro their great chagrinl by all the members of Grade 12, who accompanied their English masters, Mr. Abel and the Rev. I. VVatson, to a performance by the Bristol Old Vic of Shakespearcfs .lleastzre for ilf6'C7.S'1l7'6 on 17 May. The spirited perform- ance it was given provided excellent review just before the final examinations. The Upper Sixth similarly enjoyed a production of Hamlet during that week, while a third party made the same trip down to the Capitol Theatre to see Romeo and Iuliet. A feast of Shakespeare which we shall wait long to enjoy again! :Xf 9? 36 The half-term weekend extended from Friday 19 May to Monday 22 May. il: 'lf 3? The Upper Sixth were able to enjoy a performance of another of their set plays when the Cathedral Players presented Shaw's St. 101111 in the Anglican Cathedral. Live theatre has been very much a part of school life this year. Sk SX: PX: On Friday morning the 26th of May Mr. Fudakowski took Forms 6C and 6D on a Geography field trip. Some items seen were the edge of the shield in the Gatineau Hills, glacial formations in Quebec, and sand and gravel pits in Ontario. The trip was educational and enjoyed by everyone concerned. PX! S? 3? The same afternoon, Mr. Joyce took the whole school on a trip to Pleasure Valley in the Gatineau Hills where he proposes to have a camp for the school. lt is planned that boys will be able to swim, hike and ride there and generally enjoy the outdoors. The trip was a foreshadow- ing of greater things to come. if 4? if The closing ceremonies took place on june 10th. RB.

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16 THE ASHBURIAN in the Ottawa area. The course consisted of twenty-Hve hours of class instruction on safe driving techniques, eight hours of behind-the-wheel driving practice and eighteen hours of observation. Students who successfully completed the course received, in addition to an Ontario motor vehicle operator's licence, a safe driver certificate from the Department of Transport. Pictured above with Mr. Joyce and Mr. Schovanek, staff co-ordi- nator for the course, are Mr. Comfort, who gave the lectures on safe driving, Mr. VVaterman, accident prevention organizer for the Ontario Department of Transport, and some of the nineteen boys enrolled in the course. Gastrovzovnic Society. .lI1'. lVats011 Mr. Sherwood was the host of the first club function, at which a Bangkok Curry was served. No doubt this and all subsequent meetings were relished by the small but voracious club membership, but it must be observed that they may have had something to do with the compara- tive failure of the Exec to put Mr. TVatson in shape! .lflusic Club. .lIr. Fortier Nluch was done to further the musical interests and understanding of the dozen boys who meet each week at Nlr. Fortier's apartment to listen to and discuss all kinds of orchestral music. Riding Club. .1111 IVillia111siu1d .lIr. Fortier Nlany outings were enjoyed bv a surprising number of keen eques- trians in the fall and the spring. The Riding Club's success was largely due to Dr. Hudson who provided transport to and from his Triple L