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

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24- -Ds desc.- -D D.- - SPORTS CAPTAIN AND HOUSE HEADS The Sir James Aikins Memorial Trophy- Less than one hundred years ago, on the island of Samothrace, were found the remaining white marble pieces of a statue representing Nike, Goddess of Victory. In 506 B.C., Nike was believed to have led to victory the armies of Demetrius and to her honour this monument, sculptured ingeniously, was erected upon the cliffs of Samothrace, overlooking the Mediterranean. Fate, in the form of plundering Romans soon destroyed Nike, along with numer- ous other Greek works of art. Wheii found and pieced together Nike stood as a winged figure in long, flowing robes facing out as though heading, unconquered, to victory. Through the thoughtfulness and far-sightedness of the late Mr. Harold Aikins, Balmoral Hall now has a replica of this statue to remind us, one and all, of the victory we are seeking. It is our aim at Balmoral Hall, to gain victory in our school work, in sports, over ourselves and thus achieve higher standards. 1 Former winners of the Sir james Aikins Mem- orial Trophy:- 1950-1951-Braemar 1951-195 2-Ballater 1952-1953-Ballater 1953-1954- May the best House win! janet Davis, Grade X. Christmas Boxes Again this year, the week before our Christmas holidays began we brought gifts of food, clothing and toys to Morning prayers. These were later parcelled and made ready for Christmas delivery. These boxes were sent to the Point Douglas Mis- sion, to the Fairford Indian Reserve and also to Canada Save the Children Fund. Grades XI and XII brought specially wrapped gifts to be sent to the thirty girls at Mrs. Bryant's School. Those of us who went to the Mission learned how very happy our gifts had made people on previous Christmases and we heard from the let- ters received how much the boxes were appreciated by the others.

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.L -. LL, 23 Did You Know That . . . Five girls from grade eight were in the Christmas play and Rosemary Lloyd-Davies took a leading part? On the day of the Smorgasbord we had a fountain of youth? The pipes in our classroom burst showering the floor on the quarter-deck. Grades VII and VIII almost melted in the balcony on February 5? Elizabeth Dalgleish won the intermediate speed- skating races? Beryl Hoare and Rosemary Lloyd-Davies won the intermediate table-tennis doubles? Judy Bonnycastle has been on the highest moun- tain in San Francisco? We have a globetrotter in grade VIII? Nancy White has been around the world. Lynne Cousens is our hgure skating star? Eva Pokoly can speak four languages? Grade VIII is making aprons for our project in Home Economics and dolls for Art? Joanne Wilson has twice played the piano over the radio and also took part in an operetta called Rumpelstiltskin ? We were beaten by grades XII and X in the inter- form basketball and the total score for the two games was 6-81? The inkspots which were covering the floor were washed off by eighteen unseen ghosts? That this report is about grade VIII and by grade VIII? Grade VII Class Notes Last September our Grade VII Class stood on the threshold of the Senior School with all the time-table changes and responsibilities that come with growing up, even just a little, and getting into the Senior School. Most of us have been together for a number of years. There are Gail Allman, Ann Brumell, Maureen Ford, Kathy Kinley, Amy Laird, Peggy Neal, Diana Sheppard, Barbara Sidgwick and Faith Wilson who have come up from junior School. We are glad to welcome more classmates to Bal- moral Hall this year. They are Betty Dawson, Susan Dickinson, Diana Elwood, Geraldine Holmes, Edwina Hylton, Brenda Love, Heather McPherson, Lesley Musgrove, jane Ross and Helen Smith. We nearly all take dancing, jane Ross was our star on Sports Day, Susan Dickinson had a lead in the Christmas Play, and Helen Smith was one of the lucky girls who was on the stage with the Sadler's Wells Ballet. Guess Who? by Grade IX Who is the girl with blonde hair and brown eyes, In swimming a whiz but with mind in the skies? A basketball player for House Braemar A little dark girl and a skating star? Craig Gowan is proud of a basketball star She is fair, she is quick-in games shell go far. Who can often be seen in a trance? Who misses lunch to ballet dance? Who is the girl whose name stands for Peace?' Whose artistic efforts increase and increase? Who is the girl from Campbell Street Whose father gave her a trip for a treat? Who is our new ballerina this year, Who meets every Latin test with great fear? Who is our boy who isn't so neat, But nevertheless who can be quite sweet? Who is our artist who used to have braids Works at Latin and French and keeps up good grades? Our class president is a help to us all She shines in a gym class and plays basketball. Who is our Thicket Portage lass Who is well liked by all our class? Who is the girl with the Schade past With a crown of red hair but who never moves fast? Who is our genius through and through, And she is a part of a twin set too? Half of a whole is this fair lass And younger she is of the two in our class. From Reddit she comes and is Head of the Red Nearly head of the class too-Wfhat .1 head? What a head! Star boarder, ex-boarder, and musical too Good at art and at games. Guess who-guess who. Ufho is our Girl Guide dressed in blue Wfho enjoys looking after Brownies too? Who is our new girl so fair and so tall? She's allergic to Oxfords but not to baseball.

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.- . L gg 25 Kungsholm Chicago! The very thought of that booming metropolis sends a shiver down anyones spine. The Windy Cityf' the fastest city in America, the centre of the meat packing business, Wabash Avenue, Bonwitt Tellersg Northwestern Univer- sity, Cicero, all these names make Chicago famous the world over. Besides being an interesting and thriving city today, Chicago has one of the most fanciful and fascinating histories of all cities. But, this is only leading up to my story, which is a story because of a gentleman by the name of Leander Hamilton McCormick. Leander McCormick ordered the internationally famous architect, Stanford White, to design for him a residence and he built an imposing home at Rush and Ontario Streets, in a district where the wealthy Chicagoans of that day set a faultless standard of good taste and elegance. The Leander Hamilton McCormick home has stood unchanged by the passing parade of a great city continually on the march. In rooms which once echoed the music of string trios or the golden voices of opera stars, today, stately walls look down upon a scene of the same gracious living for which they were built. For here, in this setting, is a restaurant providing fare for people who prefer to consider eating as a luxury. Because Frederik Chramer believes that good dining is the first requisite of good living, he has established Kungsholm which is worthy of the fine house. The building itself is unique. Each brick, which makes up this house, came from Belgium, separ- The giant-carved oak ately wrapped in straw. doors at the entrance were brought from Italy, as were the heavy iron knockers which are at- tached to them. The rooms which were once familiar to Leander restrained elegance al- transformed very aptly McCormick retain their though they have been into dining rooms, cocktail lounges, private party rooms and so on. Throughout these main floor rooms is a rich carpet of blue and gold Qextremely familiar to Winnipeggersj especially woven into a pattern of three crowns which form the emblem of the house and are taken from the Swedish Coat of Arms. The name, Kungsholm is taken from a castle in the north of Stockholm and means Kings Home, and I assure you the food that is found here is worthy of such a noble name. Naturally in a place so named, the Smorgasbord fof which we also have had some tastej is most conspicuous. It is a triumphant and artistic achievement of all Scandinavian countries. It is not merely a buffet dinner but a presentation of the finest of native fish, meat, cheese, and other fine delicacies. But Fredrik Chramer does not only specialize in serving the finest in foods, he also presents a Miniature Grand Opera Theatre for the pleasure of his friends and guests. Fine opera and good music are Mr. Chramer's hobbies and have been for many years. His operas are performed by electrically manipulated life-like puppets standing thirteen inches in height. From these, he has gained not only extreme pleasure but relaxation from business as well. Consequently in building this miniature opera he has realized a life-long dream. giving personal joy to himself and satis- faction to all his guests. Mr. Chramer has in his repertoire twenty-four operas, including Victor and Columbia master- pieces presenting the very best operatic perform- ers in Madame Butterfly, Faust, Carmen. La Traviata, The Barber of Seville, Mikado and many more favourites. An extensive wardrobe of more than tive hun- dred opera costumes is a necessity, One hundred and forty pieces of scenery including street scenes, gardens, formal drawing rooms, a bull Arena and churches, are used and even more important is the full size opera orchestra. Each of the twenty-five puppet players is in full dress suit playing his instrument-violin, cello, harp, clarinet, flute and French horn. The tiny conductor leads the puppet musicians keeping perfect time with the music from the record. Over the stage are inscribed these words, EI BLOT TIL LYST, NOT ONLY EOR AMUSE- MENT and often now when I think of Chicago, I add to my list of famous places that of Kung- sholm for long it shall be that I remember the superb service and the impeccable entertainment which was offered so humbly in this gracious and stately establishment. Carol Nixon, Grade XI. The Coventry Cathedral Address We were very pleased to have Provost R. Howard of Coventry Cathedral, England, as a guest at Prayers. Provost Howard came to talk to us about the spirit of the British people and their final desire to rebuild. Provost Howard described Coventry Cathedral and then gave us a graphic description of its bombing, which left only the tower of the Cathed- ral standing. He told us of the plans to build a new Cathedral, of the Coventry crosses made of nails from the rafters of the bombed Cathedral. Provost Howard explained the Canadian Friends of Coventry Cathedral scheme, whereby Canadians could also help this new Cathedral. We were en- thralled by his description of the new Cathedral, which is to be a symbol to all the world, of the triumph of Christianity over evil. We are planning to raise the thirty dollars necessary to become a Canadian Friend of Cov- entry Cathedralu and to place our maple leaf on one of the aisles of the new Coventry Cathedral. Eirene Landon, Grade XI.