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

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Our Head Girl Nora Anne Richards Head gala VALEDICTORY Dear Girls, Another school year has drawn to a close, a year that seems to have slipped by in no time at all! It is difficult to realize that it is time for us to leave the school, and though we are looking forward eagerly to the new world we shall enter and all it has in store for us, it is very hard to say good-bye. A great many of my memories are connected with this school, since I have been in these buildings for eleven years, climbing the ladder from grade one to eleven. The buildings and grounds are as familiar and as dear to me as my own home. I will always remember the happy time we have had together. This year has been a very satisfying one, and I feel that all our projects have been successful. I think of how we worked to- gether for the coffee-party and the Red Cross drive, and it seems that one of the main reasons for their success was the spirit of co-operation with which they were under- taken. We are extremely fortunate in that we have the opportunity at Balmoral Hall to learn to co-operate, for this is one of life's most valuable lessons. Free men the world over are fighting for democracy, striving together for world peace and freedom, They are lighting for their principles and their ideals. If we are to goin their ranks, and light for what we believe in, if we wish to succeed in this world, we must first learn to work together, In union, there is strength. In our school life, we have moments of frustration and struggle, but we learn to deal with our problems wisely, and so to emerge triumphant, discovering that the world really isn't as black as we supposed it to be. Only those who have had to overcome obstacles are really prepared for life. I would like to thank Miss Murrell-Wright for her understanding and patience. She has taught us many things-things that we will remember long after we leave, for education is not only in text-books. To the staff go our sincere thanks for the interest they have shown in us, and the time and trouble they have taken to help us. To the girls, the prefects and I say thank you for your great loyalty and support, which have made our job so much easier. I have enjoyed this, my last year at Balmoral Hall, and appreciate more than I can say the honour of being your Head Girl. To you who will follow me as Head Girl for 1955-1954, go my sincere good wishes. Though you may enter your new position with much hesitancy and anxiety as I certainly did, I am sure that you will, as I did, find that the experience of being Head Girl is one that you would never have missed for anything in the world. May your last year be as happy and as gratifying as mine has been. Good luck to you all, in whatever you do. Love, NORA ANNE

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Balmoral Hall June, 1955 LET ' SOMETHING ' GOOD ' BE ' SAID My dear Girls :- I am thinking of all of you as I write this letter for your School Magazine and I am going to challenge you with the above quotation. Where do you Hnd it in your school and what does it mean to you? I shall let you discover these words inscribed above a certain familiar fireplace but I shall suggest to you something of their importance. We all like to talk but we do not always realize that our listeners are judging us by our conversation. Sometimes we talk to impress or attract attention, sometimes we talk to get back at someone or to hurt and sometimes we make a positive effort to entertain, to help or to comfort. We cannot always realize the influence for good or evil our conversation may have on those with whom we work or play but as our motive for speaking so often sets the tone for our part of the conversation, we do well to think before we speak. What do you think of conversations on the games field, in the classrooms, in the drawing-room, in the lockers? How far are you responsible for the high or low standard and tone of these conversations? When you can govern your conversation by the above inscription leaving unsaid the unwholesome stories, the unkind remarks, the unnecessary, tell-tale, gossipy remarks that do no good and find that you are still popular letting 'something good be said', you will have learned one of lifes greatest lessons. We can do so much harm in this world by what we say and the way we say it- or by our conversation we can influence those with whom we work and play for good. Let us remember this great responsibility and say with purpose, I will pass through this world but once. Any good thing therefore that I can do, or any kindness that I can show to any human being, let me do it now. Let me not defer it or neglect it for I shall not pass this way again. Affectionately yours,

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9 ifaf OUR PREFECTS LEFT-Nora Anne Richards, Glen Murray, Joan Malaher, Ann Jennings lseatedb. RIGHT-Louise Albertsen, Ann Carroll, Joan Davidson lseatedl. The Thanksgiving Service Our annual service of Thanksgiving was held on Friday morning, October 10th, in the Assembly Hall. In addition to staff and girls, several mothers of prefects were present, as these girls were to receive their cords of office during the service. As each girl entered, she presented a toy or gift to be sent as Christmas presents to European children through the Canada Save the Children Fund. After the service had begun with the singing of Prayer of Thanksgivingf' Miss Murrell-Wright addressed us on the subject of thankfulness, say- ing how very much we at Balmoral Hall have to be thankful for, and adding that we can best show our appreciation of this by giving to others, our toys for the underprivileged children that morning were a good example of this appreciation. After a Thanksgiving prayer in which the School joined in the responses, there was a brief ceremony in which the prefects received their cords of office. Witli a closing prayer and the singing of A Thanksgiving Hymn, this service ended. Ann Jennings, Grade XII. Presentation of Cords Until October 10 our prefects, who had earlier been named, wore no symbol of oliice. In pre- vious years the Head Girl, Games Captain, House Heads and Prefects of Balmoral Hall received during the first school term, their gold and green prefects' cords. And so this year, as a part of our Thanksgiving Service, cords were given to Nora Anne Richards, Glen Murray, joan Malaher, Joan Davidson, Ann Jennings, Louise Albertsen and Ann Carroll. Miss Murrell - Wright spoke to us about our responsibilities and asked each girl to think of our prefects who had been especially chosen to carry much of that responsibility. After the prefects had received their cords the special hymn, O jesus I have promised, was sung. Dawna Duncan, Grade X.