Balmoral Hall School - Optima Anni Yearbook (Winnipeg, Manitoba Canada)

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24. SPURTS NUTES The first event in our Sports Year at Balmoral Hall was the track and field meet. Everyone took part in the races, high jumps, hurdles and games, with great enthusiasm. Soon after track and field day, our tennis tournament began. Tennis is one of the best sports to-day and I hope more time will be devoted to it next year. Then came our skating races. Here we met with a great response, and although we are not all Barbara Ann Scotts, most of us managed to slide round the rink twice and receive a house point for our respective houses. Hockey was introduced this year, and I know that we will soon have an efficient team. The indoor winter sports consisted of ping- pong and volleyball. Nearly everyone in the school entered the pingpong tournament, and the standard of playing was very high. This was also a house competition, in which everyone who entered re- ceived a house point. The girls of Grades X and XI entered thc High School Volley Ball League again this year and learned a great deal about competitive playing and team work from this experience. There were also House Volley Ball teams and games. Early in the spring we began our basket-ball coaching. Everyone enjoyed the practices and games. The last sports event of the year was the base- ball competition. We all know that a great deal of organization has gone into the work of the sports year. It is the student body which makes all these games pos- sible. Our Sports Programme is planned not only to teach the more popular sports of to-day, but also to teach team work and fair play. Each year better facilities are available for sports, and it is the support and enthusiasm given by all the girls which enable sports to be carried on efficiently. May I take this opportunity to extend my best wishes to next yearls Sports Captain. Joey Adamson, Sports Captain. RESULTS OI' GYMNASTIC EXAMINATIONS Midget: Winner: GLORIA CLARK Runner up: KATHERINE KAUFMANN jfnziorrc Winner: SALLY BLANCHARD Runner up: FAITH WILSON I fzlerm edifzter : Winner: SYLVIA PIERCE Runner up: DAWNA DUNCAN Seniors: Winner: CATHY YOUNG. Runner up: GLEN MURRAY VOLLEYBALL Balmoral Hall entered the city league again this year. Despite our losses, the enthusiasm of the team was high. Early morning practices proved beneficial due to the excellent coaching of Miss Christie. Six games were played, three at home and the remaining three at Lord Selkirk, Technical Vocational and Sargent Park. Good luck to next year's team. TENNIS LECTURE On October 27, the Senior School had the plea- sure and privilege of listening to a tennis lecture given by Mrs. Barbara Swanick. Mrs. Swanick is associated with the Dewpool Scho-ol of Tennis in England. During the lecture, she showed us films of the championship matches played at Wimbledon and pointed out such things as correct style, technique and foot movement. S-he also showed us the proper way to 'hold a tennis racquet and the proper way to serve. All in all we learned a great deal from both the films and the demonstration. PING P0 NG This year the Ping Pong tournament was played during january with the games being refereed by Glen Murray, Eve Riley and Muriel Edmonds. The finals were all well played with Beryl Hoare, Gail Brooking, and Muriel Edmonds winning the junior, Intermediate, and Senior Com- petitions respectively. An enthusiastic interest was taken in all the games with Ballater House coming first. TRACK AND FIELD Balmoral Hall held its Track and Field Meet on Thursday, October 11th. Carolyn Wilson, Dawna Duncan, and Cathy Young won the high- est number of points in the junior, Intermediate, and Senior Events respectively. The events that these three girls took part in, along with the rest of the school from Grades I to XII were potato races, sack races, minute shots, high jump- ing and dashes. The House competition was very close this year, and it was a hard won battle for Braemar who once again took top place. Ball- ater, only one mark behind, came second.

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gg 23 IJHAMATIC CLUB NUTES On March 14, 1952, I sat in the auditorium at Balmoral Hall waiting for the lights to dim and the curtains 'to part on the first play of the evening. There were to be three plays performed for the public that night-The Bathroom Door by Grade X, Miracle At Blaise by Grade XI, and The Crimson Coconut by Grade IX. These were the plays which our adjudicator, Miss McGougan, had chosen as the best. My thoughts went back to the two days when she had come to judge our work. We had prepared five plays, the titles and the casts you have read. Each classroom had worked hard on its play. On the afternoons of March 6 and 7, these plays were performed for the adjudicator, for any parents who were able to attend, and for the school. Miss McGougan felt that all the plays were in- teresting and well-prepared, but naturally she singled out some for special commendation. She also praised individual actresses. It was the Grade XI play that she found most moving. Miss McGougan praised the background scenery created for The Princess and the Woodcutterf' She also commended jennifer Steward for her facial expressions and movements in her part as the Yellow Prince. The costumes in -the grade VIII play were very colourful and Susan Carnegie, as Nouz-Hatoul, was very graceful in her movements and gestures. Miss McGougan was pleased with the rapid movement in the Grade IX play and with its excellent characterization. Eirene Landon, as the waiter, was especially convincing. The Grade X play was a very enjoyable farce, done very well by its cast. joan Davidson, as the young man, gave a very consistent performance. It was the Grade XI play that was the most difficult to perform, and for this reason, Miss McGougan was especially pleased with the atmos- phere which was created and sustained through- out the play. Cathy Young as Madeleine Giraud gave a restrained, convincing performance. All these thoughts passed through my mind as I waited for the final presentation of the plays. From the money which our guests donated to our dramatic effort, we will be able to supply our- selves with much-needed equipment. From the kindly adjudication of Miss McGougan, we have already derived much help. From the plays themselves, we have gained new experiences. We look forward to next year's dramatics with great enthusiasm. Lorna Craig, Grade XI. THE COMMAND PERFORMANCE October, the sixteenth proved to be a very exciting day for the people of Winnipeg. This was of course the day when the Princess Elizabeth and the Duke of Edinburgh visited our city. From the time the Royal couple arrived at the airport, anxious people lined the streets to get a glimpse of the popular couple. Memories of that day will linger long in the hearts of Winnipeg people. An outstanding feature of the day's enter- tainment for the Royal couple was the ballet per- formance at the Civic Auditorium. It had been previously arranged for the boarders of Balmoral Hall to attend this exciting affair. For the occa- sion we donned our best dresses and tried to look our very smartest. At seven-thirty the taxis arrived and we quickly took our places in them. When we arrived at -the Auditorium the atmos- phere was filled with excitement. The usher showed us to our seats and we made ourselves comfortable as we waited for the arrival of the Princess. The lights were dimmed, the curtain rose, and the orchestra played the overture. Before long we were witnessing the ballet, The Wise Vir- gins. Presently it was over and the stars were making their curtain calls. The time had come for the most exciting moment of the evening. We could now hear the crowds outside cheering and then the Princess and the Duke, along with the party from Government House arrived. We rose to our feet as the orchestra played, God Save the King. We then cheered and clapped as the Royal party was seated. A bouquet of flowers was presented to the Princess who looked very charming in a pale yellow net evening gown. She also wore a white ermine wrap and a glittering diamond tiara. The sparkle of the tiara had caught the eye of the audience and everyone was craning his neck to get a glimpse of the Princess and Duke before the curtain rose for the performance. Soon the lights were out and the curtain rose on the Ballet Premierf' The ballet Visages,' followed. After this, the Royal Party left, while the people cheered. The performers of the even- ing had a thrill of a lifetime when they met the Princess and Duke before they left the building. The excitement inside the Auditorium was receding as the curtain went up on the fourth ballet, Finishing School. Presently this delight- ful ballet was over too. The entertainment which had been presented for a Princess was over, but the memories of the ballet itself and of the Princess, will always be treasured in our hearts. Carla Gustafson, Grade XI

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-LE Gymnastics . . . mano Ann mwcme 1 On Friday May 2nd and Saturday, May 3rd, a piano recital and display of gymnastics and dancing were presented in the auditorium of the school. The programme was divided into three parts, the first and last parts being devoted to gymna- stics and the middle part to piano selections and dancing. All the girls in the school took part in the programme from the smallest children in Grade I to the senior girls in Grade XI. The Grand March at the beginning of the programme brought all the girls into the gym- nasium for the singing of O Canada. The gymnastic work ranged from Very simple exercises to balance work, swinging on the ropes, work on the spring box, exercises in mat work and moving designs on the bars. The piano num- bers consisted of piano duets and solo piano selections. Dancers presented technical work and exercises, simple junior dances, a graceful pas de trois, a Russian peasant dance, frieze dance, ball dance and lively tarantelle. School uniform was worn for most of the evening, but for certain dances colourful costumes were used. We take this opportunity to thank Mrs. Far- rally, Miss Camden, Miss Bird, Miss Arnold, Miss Rossell and Mr. Thorsen who trained us for this work. Carol Feinstein, Grade XI. GYM Bell sounds. File out. Down stairs. Don't shout. Shoe on. Forgot my sock. Lend me one? Don't talk. Zipper broke. Hurry now. Get in line. Yes, but how? Up at last. Lead in. All here but Mary and Lynn. Take your distance, two by two. Hurry Zane, put on your shoe. Now commence, two, four. Pike, jack, touch the floor, Forward roll, neck-stand high, Arabasque and don't sigh. Point the toes, arch your back. Now a back-bend on the rack. Rest awhile. In comes Lynn. Where's Mary? Can't find a pin. Oh, well! Straddle-roll, Cross-legged turn, jump the pole. Door opens. Mary's in. Walks over, whispers to Lynn. Bell going? Good show! Relief at last. Let's go. Dawna Duncan, Grade IX. Miss SHARMAN: to a very talkative pupil. What was the formula I just rubbed off the board? PUPIL: I don't know. MISS SHARMAN: Well rome barb Hex! year and maybe you will!