Ashbury College - Ashburian Yearbook (Ottawa, Ontario Canada)

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CONN AUGHT HOUSE Alas, all good things must come to an end Qhow's that for a corny begin- ning?J. With the close of the year must come the inevitable judgment on Con- naught's success in 1972-73. I think most will concur with my opinion that this year was very successful. The atmosphere of co-operation and participation in the House was of such a dimension as to merit the Wilson Shield for inter- house competition. I can't recount which illustrious members participated on School or House teams Qdue in part to my faulty memoryj-but perhaps it isn't important. If an individual has the motivation to strive, compete, and win, the house distinc- tion doesn't matter. The individual benefits from the competition-the House merely provides the opportunity and then reaps the credit for the victory. Initiative cannot come from House officers-it comes from deep within each member of the House. What follows may induce cries of hypocrisy. Throughout the year I was as guilty as anyone of increasing the furor of house competition which, in the worst sense of the word, created a schism between the two houses very much to the detriment of the unity of the school. I think that a student should identify with a particular house, but at the same time be conscious of the philosophy which binds Ashbury College. I sincerely hope that Mr. Wallin attains the same success and achievement next year as he has this year. He has proved to be a most able and vigilant housemaster. Therefore, Connaught House, be not narrow in outlook, pompous in atti- tude, or bloodthirsty in nature, be understanding, compassionate, and helpful- especially with houses less fortunate than you! 'Bye. N. MACLEOD WOOLLCOMBE HOUSE All things considered, this has been yet again a successful year, especially in terms of atmosphere. Naturally there have been grievances from time to time, but rather less so than in the past couple of years. More salient has been a readiness to co-operate with the demands of a boarding system with all the restrictions that have to be endured. If one word had to be chosen to sum up this atmosphere, I think cheerfulness would not be tar short of the mark. This was made abundantly clear at the annual House dinner held once again at the Chateau Laurier Hotel. Over sixty members of the House put in an appearance, and a spirit of good will reigned supreme! It was equally clear on the day of the cross-country race when, at a meeting held after lunch, the three necessary teams volunteered their services-an unprecedented happening. So what if we didn't win the Wilson trophy? Perhaps we were just trying to make Connaught feel better! Mr. Inns eventually got married. and perhaps the highest compliment to the House came from Mrs. Inns, who on more than one occasion commented on the courtesy and helpfulness of the students, of both Houses naturally. Surely this is what it is all about? The ability to learn to live in a small, con- fined community in such a way that little courtesies and consideration for others may grow and flourish to the benefit of all concerned. ' In September the appearance of the school will have changed. There is little need for the inner student to have to change too. 16

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Mr. Michael Hodorek, B.A. tCarletonj takes over the direction of the De- partment of Business Studies. In addition to previous teaching experience, Mr. Hodorek has a background of ten years' experience in a Canadian Chartered Bank. One of his special concerns will be the affairs of the Ashbury College Student Company. Mr. Robert Rice, B.A. tTrent Universityl, has been appointed Ashburys first full-time Librarian. Mr. Rice was educated at Hillfield in Hamilton and is a recent graduate in History from Trent University. THE GONDOLIERSH AT ELMWOOD We have by now come to expect fine polished productions of the Gilbert and Sullivan favourites that are produced jointly by Ashbury and Elmwood each year after the spring break. This year we were rewarded with a Gondoliers that measured up to our expectations. From the opening scene in the Piazzetta with the dancing Contadine and Gondoliers until the finale in the palace where the tangles are all unsnarled, we were treated to a fine evenings entertainment. The available talent grows each year to meet the needs. Michael O'Brien and Gordon Howe made a lively pair of Gondoliers and complemented each other very effectively in the roles of Marco and Giuseppe. Don Alhambra was properly and frighteningly sinister as played by Joseph Martyniuk, who made up in dramatic quality what he may lack in singing ability. Peter Josselyn. who doubled as producer-director and the Duke of Plaza-Toro, provided a valuable depth of experience and pace to the production. Douglas Pearce in the role of Luiz proved a more than sympathetic hero and carried off his duets with Casilda, played delightfully by Cynthia Leigh, with proper youthful charm. The Elmwood girls contributed some lively talent dramatically and sweet, if somewhat thin, singing voices. But as the evening progressed the chorus filled out in volume. Janice McRae was certainly exceptional as the Duchess and showed a very sure command of the role, both as a singer and as an actress. As indicated above, Cynthia Leigh, as the Duke's spirited daughter, brought a lively dramatic talent as well as a pleasing singing voice to the role of Casilda. Both Mary Christie and Diana Conway showed a fine flair for comedy in the roles of the suspended brides, Gianetta and Tessa, who are obliged to stand helplessly by and contemplate the loss of a husband. The two sets were simple and effective. The very small stage in the Elm- wood gym presents a challenge to any set designer, but once again the sets proved more than adequate. The lighting brought a warmth to the Piazzetta and an air of elegance to the palace, while the make-up and costumes added a great deal to the whole effect. The limits of the stage make choreography a bit of a problem but the dances were lively and the blocking good. Since the revival of the Ashbury - Elmwood productions, a very impressive array of Gilbert and Sullivan's works have been presented. I think it is fair to say that they have proved their worth and have earned a permanent place in the schools' activities. The time would seem to be ripe to consider expanding the venture and moving the event to a more suitable location, one that will give a better stage facility and provide better seating for the audience. Your reviewer sat in the back row near the doors and missed much of the atmosphere from that section. I am sure that many of the juniors found it hard to see as well. Congratulations to the members of the chorus and the stage crew and ticket sellers as well as to the Conductor, Fred Graham, and the Accompanist, Lorna Harwood-Jones. E.C.P. l 15

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ASHBURY COLLEGE LADIES' GUILD PRESIDENT'S REPORT The year 1972-73 has been a successful one for the Guild. Our Annual Clothing Sale. held on September llth., realized over 560000. making it the most profitable sale to date. In late September, a Coffee Party for new mothers was held at Ashbury House, the home of our Honorary President, Mrs. W. A. Joyce. This pleasant party provided an opportunity to meet and welcome the mothers to the school. Mrs. Marland and Executive Members assisted. We were able to be of help to the Old Boys on their Homecoming Weekend. It is always a pleasure to lend a hand on this happy occasion. Two General Meetings were held in the past year, both well attended. At the November 16th. meeting, Mr. Joyce and Mr. Sherwood spoke briefly, followed by an informative talk by Dr. G. B. Bacon. Head of the Biology Department. A cheque for 51500.00 was presented to him for the purchase of special equipment for his department. The Spring Meeting took place on April 18th. Mr. Sherwood had a message for the Junior mothers and Mr. Joyce spoke on the Building Expansion Program, a subject of great interest to all. A short animated film Child Behaviour is You was shown. A mem- ber of the Guild, Dr. June Pimm. well-known Child Psychologist, initiated the making of this provocative film. The Luncheons which followed the meet- ings were generously arranged by the School. Membership remains about the same as last year, 147. This indicates that many mothers have not joined. Not everyone can take an active part in our work, but it is possible to lend support by becoming a member. The revenue from fees and all fund-raising projects provides extras for your sons at Ashbury. From time to time the Guild has replaced worn choir vestments with new ones. It was not necessary to do so this year so we decided to vote 5150.00 towards the purchase of a small piano for the Chapel, to be used for choir practice. 550.00 was provided for an outing for choir members. The sum of 5200.00 was voted for the purchase of suitable material for Dossal Curtains CAltar Curtainsj for the Chapel. A complete new set is being made by the very competent school sewing staff. The Ivory curtains were ready for the Christmas Carol Service and greatly enhanced the beauty of the Chapel. We are always interested in helping maintain this area of the school which serves boys of all faiths. Hasti-Notes were sold throughout the year. It is hoped to have an at- tractive design soon, showing Ashbury with its New Look . The second Annual Family Barbecue was held on June 7th. We were blessed with fine weather and there was much activity out-of-doors. The spacious school grounds provided a perfect setting for this tremendously success- ful get-together. The young, and many not so young, were enthusiastic partici- pants in the softball and soccer games. Many old friendships were renewed and new ones made. 800 tickets were sold-790 lined up for supper-a splendid response! The unqualified success of this project was made possible by the whole-hearted co-operation of everyone at Ashbury, Executive and Guild Members, husbands who helped, parents and friends who bought tickets. An enjoyable and profitable event, 51000.00 being added to our coffers. Guild Merit Awards were presented at the June Closing. These cash awards of 550.00 are given annually to the student in each year, 9-13 inclusive, who has shown the best all-round effort. The school project the Guild will support next year will be decided upon when renovations have been completed. Mr. Joyce will advise us where our help will be most beneficial. 17