Ashbury College - Ashburian Yearbook (Ottawa, Ontario Canada)

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8 THE ASI-IBURIAN hoped that a trip of this nature will become one of the continuing traditions of the School. lYe have, this year, again witnessed a number of changes in staff. At the end of the Fall Term, we were sorry to lose the services of our resident Chaplain, the Reverend lan A. VVatson, who was appointed Headmaster of Purton Stoke School in Berkshire, England, and at the end of the year we bade farewell to our Matron, Mrs. Grant, and to several Masters, among them Messrs. Fudakowski, Goldsmith and Schovanek, whose loss will be keenly felt. Of those who joined us at the beginning of the year, most have found Ashbury congenial and have elected to stay with us. XVe should like here to say a very special welcome to Mr. Alexander, Mr. Laird, Mr. Somerville and Mr. Thomson, who have all made a very real contribution to the life of the School during this their first year with us. It remains now only to say a special word of farewell to our Graduating Class, and to wish those who are returning all good fortune in the coming year.

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THE ASHBURIAN EDITCDRIAL just why the editor of a school annual, after many harrowing weeks of hounding people for submissions, chasing facts. figures and photo- graphs, telephoning, rewriting. and generally making life unpleasant for himself and all those around him, should then be expected to sit down and glibly trot forth words of wisdom. remains for ever a mystery. Perhaps it is the very magnitude of the challenge that impels us as a class to retreat into the obscurity of the impersonal we and the safety of the comfortable cliche. Nevertheless. it is with some sense of satisfac- tion that we now come to pen these words, for the writing of the editorial symbolizes not only the near completion of work on the annual, but also the conclusion of another school year. As you glance through the pages that follow, noting some familiar names or smiling at some revived memory, you will see that it has in the main been a good year. And it has been a good year, not because of the laurels that have or have not been won, but because of the vigorous spirit of co-operation and enthusiasm that has informed so much of the varied activity in which the School has engaged. In his Valedictory Address, Michael IYennberg has spoken aptly of the 'cclose-knit loyalties, responsi- bilities and memories of a continuing clan and of what these mean in the way of tradition. But tradition itself has only sentimental value unless, while keeping what is best, we continue to face the challenge of changing times and to build a healthy future upon the firm foundations of the past. I think that as you read through this year's Ashburian you will see that that is what we have been doing. In these pages, you will End all the customary and well-loved events of the Ashbury year: the Sports Dinner, the Cross Country, the Ceremonial Inspection, the Closing Day Ceremonies, but you will find also that it has been a year of innovations and expansion, particularly in regard to the extra-curricular life of the School. The space allotted to club activities alone refiects this growth. Among the major changes that have taken place were the creation of New House, under the care of Mr. Cf. XY. Thomson, and the re-organization of the school day to allow for the greatly expanded programme of clubs and activities. Other important innovations-were the creation of the post of Director of Music, ably filled by Nlr. Thomson, the inauguration of a School Bus service, the introduction of a new Deposit Account system for personal services, and the changes in the Smoking Regulations. But perhaps the most interesting and exciting of all the new things that happened in 1968 was the educational cruise through the Nlediterranean taken by some twenty of the boys under the supervsion of Xlr. Egan. It is to be

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THEASHHURI.-IN 9 SCHCDOL NQTES Inasmuch as many of the more interesting and important events of the school year have been described in some detail elsewhere in these pages, the notes that follow will be both brief and selective. lt is merely our intention here to give some indication of the course of events and the wide range of activity carried on through the year. FALL TERM - 1967 School opened on Monday, September llth, and as soon as the usual preliminaries were completed, work quickly got under way in the classroom and on the games Held. Thanksgiving M'eekend was celebrated by a spirited double- header with the Old Boys, the Old Boys' triumph in Football being justly balanced by a victory for the School Team in Soccer. A welcome variation of normal class routine was provided on Thursday, October 19th, when the Senior School gathered in Argyle to watch an educational television production of Hamlet . On Friday, November 17th, a Parents' Reception was held for the combined Senior and junior Schools. There was an excellent turn-out, and after an address by the Headmaster, parents had ample opportunity to interview individual Masters about their boys' progress. Refresh- ments were served later in the Dining Room. On Monday, November 20th, our Grade 13 team met their opposite numbers from Elmwood in the first round of this year's Reach for the Top . M'hether it was the distraction afforded by the charming competition or their natural gallantry that restrained them from diving for the button, no one can tell, but the Ashbury boys went down to defeat. Tuesday, November 28th, saw a school party visit the Confederation Caravan at Lansdowne Park. For those who had visited Expo, perhaps an anti-climax, but interesting nevertheless. ln December, it was announced that the Short property, adjoining the School grounds, had been purchased by an anonymous benefactor who was making it available for the School's use for the next Hve years. A variety of Chapel services marked the closing weeks of the term. Un December 9th, thirteen boys were confirmed at our annual Service of Conhrmationg on December 17th, an unusual service of Holy Communion was conducted by the Reverend Herbert O. Driscoll, Rector of St. tlohn's using the music from the American Episcopal Folk Mass, accompaniment being provided by instrumentalists from Ottawa