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

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20 A New Experience Before coming to Balmoral Hall I had heard, read and imagined countless stories of boarding school life but never in my wildest dreams had I imagined anything quite like this. I shall begin with the advantages. First and foremost in importance is the fact that it teaches you to live with other people. You no longer have the time, the energy or the power to think of your- self all the time. You must adjust yourself to the likes and dislikes of other people and learn to con- sider their comfort as well as your own. You will find yourself becoming a happier and a more well- balanced individual because you are becoming a more considerate and thoughtful one. You are given a chance to express yourself and to discuss your problems, ideas and theories with other people your own age. As a result you develop mentally and your outlook on life becomes much broader. You stop thinking in terms of What shall I wear tomorrow and I wonder if the party will be a success. School work takes on much greater importance. The idea is no longer- How soon can I finish this and get out of here? but How much can I learn? The two years I was in High School I did not open a book, but now for some strange unknown reason, I find myself wishing I had more time to learn the things I would like to. Of course, as with everything else in life, there are disadvantages as well as advantages. After the first few months you find yourself longing for home, your old friends and for the careless, thoughtless existence which comprised your former life. It is necessary to work much harder at every- thing you do here. The standards are higher and more exacting. There is no such thing as sliding through your work. You do it. There is no half-way or three-quarter way mark in any part of this new life. You must give all you have to give. There is a humorous side to our lives here too and a dangerous side. One night not long ago when I was peacefully wasting away the night sleeping, I felt a tug at my covers and I heard a small voice whisper, May I get into bed with you? The absurdity of the situation annoyed me. I wasn't awake yet and my sleepy brain couldn't figure out what was happening so I rolled over and fell asleep again. Two hours later I awoke, blue with cold. I looked over at my little uninvited friend and trembled with suppressed rage. She was not satis- fied with occupying three quarters of my bed, but had blissfully wrapped herself in my three blankets and my two sheets and was softly snoring to her- self. I gave up in despair, took my room-mate's feather tick and using two bath towels for a pillow, I spent the remainder of the night on the floor. Now for the dangerous side of our life. Have you ever raided an ice box, felt the tense suspense while tip-toeing from the scene of the crime up the creaking stairs? Into your room you steal, a gleam of fiendish satisfaction in your eye, to enjoy the plunder. Never has a piece of dry bread and pea- nut butter tasted the same. Have you ever out- witted a housemother, taken a pillow and a blanket and studied in the bath tub? No? Well you have not lived a dangerous life, then. With its advantages and disadvantages, its fun and its danger, boarding school life is a new and worthwhile experience for me. It has made me a more thoughtful person and I know that years from now I will remember the night I spent on the floor, with a towel for a pillow. I will prob- ably tell the story to my grand-children. Sonja Nelson, Prince Albert, Sask. Gifts to the School We are happy to acknowledge with grateful thanks the following very useful and attractive gifts which we have received in the past year: from Judith Patton, a 1952 gradu- ate, a silver flower bowl, from Mrs. Gordon Konantz, a leather-bound Visitors' Book, from Mr. A. E. Hoskin, some iris roots for our garden, from Mrs. R. M. Dennistoun, a dessert set in blue glass, a cheque for the Library from Mrs. james Richardson, a make- up kit for our Dramatic Group from Mrs. W. K. Chandler, and for our Science Labora- tory a very much needed pressure-cooker from Mrs. N. F. Carnegie. If you have read the above paragraph you will know that we are grateful for all gifts, but we still dream of the day when we shall have a row-boat, some junior play- ground equipment, some better rugs, lamps and pictures, and even a new piano for our drawing - room. We may dream with abandon, but who knows- this may be a land where dreams come true.

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I9 What's In A Book? I have often thought, Ever since I was three, What's in a book? - Would it interest me? People have asked me, Why don't you look Behind the covers- Explore a book? And then one day When I was bored I found a box, Where books were stored. As I opened that box I never dreamt What I'd find in those books, Or what they meant. Now, often, you'll find me In corners or nooks Contented - exploring The land of books. janet Davis, ' Grade IX. Izzlermedifzle Lileimjf Competifiozz Prize Poem Whither ? It was the tenth of june. Tomorrow we were leaving on our summer vacation and the house was in a horrible turmoil of trunks, clothes and clean- ing women. Yes, it was hard to believe. We were really leaving at last. But where were we going? Nobody but Dad knew-not even Mother. For the past two months we had been racking our brains trying to think of some different place to go. Our thoughts didn't coincide, though, and we all wanted to go somewhere different. joey wanted to go to the mountains, Dad to South America, Mom to the lake resort to which we went last year, and I just wanted to travel anywhere. I like travelling because I am so proud of our little home town and when- ever anybody asks where I live I like to answer right out and watch their puzzled faces. But to get back to the story, nobody could decide, and so Dad went down to the travel bureau and had a long talk with the man. When he came home joey and I jumped with glee at the smirk on his face. We knew he had decided. Where are we going, Daddy, where? joey shouted the moment Dad came in the door. Well, I've been thinking it over, son, and I think l'1l keep it a surprise. You just wait and see. Now the time was almost here. Mom had packed enough clothes for a three-month vacation. Warm clothes, cool clothes - and we were all prepared. Mom and I went downtown on a shopping spree. I was going to buy a coat and a bathing suit. I found just what I wanted, we bought a few other things and then we separated. When I got out to the car I saw Mom had bought a lot more things but when I questioned her I was again kept in suspense. Well, curiosity killed the cat, and I surely didn't want to die yet, and so I held my peace and did not ask any more questions. That night we were all sitting in the den after dinner talking about what was ahead of us. Dad informed us we were going by car and I was satis- fied. My mind was full of guesses as to where we might be going but of course I couldn't be sure. Tomorrow would tell. I went to bed at nine o'c1ock. We were to get up at seven and I wanted to be bright and wide awake to face the unknown. My dreams, I'm sure, were very fine, but unfortunately I was so tired I fell right asleep and can't remember whether I dreamt or not. The morning dawned bright and beautiful. I woke with a start at the alarm. joey and I were so excited that we had to force our breakfast down. Mom seemed perfectly calm. Dad was a little ex- cited, though. The car was packed, the water heater turned off and the house locked. We are ready to leave. I don't know what is ahead, but whatever it is, I am ready and I know I shall enjoy it. Susan Moore, Grade IX. Intermediate Lilemfy Compefifimz Prize Story. Dieting At Balmoral Every few days in every term Some boarder decides to lose weight, It catches her like a measle germ And meagre's the food on her plate. No bread or potatoes, salt or fat, The housemothers watch with despair, She wants her stomach so nice and Hat, And a waist with a Hollywood air. But then comes the vision of fluffy, whipped cream Or chocolates or candy or pie, She says, Well, just one, with eyes all agleam, And we say, It was a good try! Brenda Dougall. Grade VIII.

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21 THE STAFF BACK ROW-Mrs. Coulter, Miss Kirby, Mrs. Smith, Mrs. Price, Miss Lucas, Miss McMillan, Miss Boreham, Mrs. Wright, Mrs. Nixon, Mrs. McEwen, Miss Coubrough, Miss Hawkes. MIDDLE ROW-Mrs. Elliot, Mrs. Wilson, Mrs. Turner, Mrs. Vaughan, Mrs. Dennis, Miss Sharman. FRONT ROW-Mrs. Brown, Miss Elliott. Remember When . . . . . . the River Room in the White House had a midnight seance . . . Leone heard that men wore tails', for dinner parties . . . Miss Hawkes phoned Mavis, only to be told that she must not be disturbed from her studies . . . Craig Gowan beat Ballater at volleyball . . . the boarders ate chow mein at 9:00 p.m .... Nora Annes render- ing of Rachmaninoff caused a landslide in the Kindergarten . . . Grade I defied Mr. Thorsen . . . the bolt of the Mixmaster was served up for dessert . . . Sylvia's cheeks wore a permanent blush . . . Maureen made peppermint creams . . . the library became the Press Room one afternoon . . . Jennifer said, I must be getting Canadian . . . . . . Sue knew there'd be a history test because Miss Boreham smiled at her . , . the water main burst . . . Eve said, I beg your pardon? to Mrs. Smith who replied, I hoped you would. On the Job I arrived at the Alexanders' home about eight o'clock that night. Mr. and Mrs. Alexander went out ten minutes later, leaving full instructions about putting Dot to bed. At eight-thirty, I bathed Dot for attempted toj. Twenty minutes, five bath towels, two bath mats, fifteen toys, two cakes of soap and a box of Kleenex later, I was finished. There was about an inch of water on the bath-room floor and I went wading through it into the bed- room with Dot. After reading her four fairy tales, she went to sleep. At nine o'clock, eleven boys and girls came over, and we had a party. First of all everybody raided the icebox which contained milk, ice, butter, apri- cots, lemons, celery, olives, sandwich spread, lettuce, bread, carrots, hot dogs, pickles, cheese, eggs, soft drinks and a few other things. Every- thing but the kitchen sink went into the sandwiches. We all had a lot of fun and ate nearly everything in the house. Poor Mrs. Alexander! The phono- graph was blaring as loudly as possible and half the kids were jiving. All of a sudden I remembered the baby. She was so quiet that I had forgotten her. Dianne, Joanne and I rushed upstairs to peek at her. I tiptoed into her room, looked in her bed and let out an awful scream. Dot was gone from her bed! I rushed into the bathroom to find her lying on the floor half dead with an empty bottle of rubbing alcohol beside her. I nearly fainted on the spot. First of all I phoned the Doctor, then took Dot downstairs and fed her dry mustard to make her sick. We rushed her to the hospital, and she was soon better again. I apologized to Mrs. Alexander and she was very nice about it. That is the last time I will ever have a party. I will stay on the job . Nancy Bathgate, G rude VIII.