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

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31 Literary Society OFFICERS Honorary President r,... ,.,. . r......., J ennifer Young President ,.,,,....r...........,r Margaret Gillespie First VicefPresident .. .n... ..r.r..,. E lizabeth Kilgour Second VicefPresident .. . ..,,.,o .,.... B arbara Park Secretary. ......r ,r......,,..... . ....,....., G ail Allman Treasurer .... .. , . V... ,....4...,.,,4.,.... E lsie Albertsen Social Convenor a,., ., , ., . .. ,,......,ia, Naomi Genser The Literary Society is a new organization in the School, and we feel that it has had a successful first year. The society was formed by the students, with the guidance of Miss MurrellfWright and the support of the staff. One of its primary objectives is to enable the senior students to become familiar with the rules of parliamentary procedure. Public speaking is encouraged at all meetings. Members make motions, discuss problems, ask questions and move votes of thanks, and we hope that this basic training will help us to hold executive positions with confidence later in life. The programmes, which have been varied, included a playfreading of The Bishop's Candlesticks, directed by Miss Cook, and a discussion of current affairs organized by Mrs. McEwen. At another meeting, Miss Mann, Director of Social Work at the University of Manitoba, spoke to us about work in that field. The Society has been well supported by the students, and everyone hopes to see it continued, and its activity expanded, next year. 16th Brownie Pack Our Brownie Pack consists of twentyftwo girls who are divided into four Sixes. The leaders of the Sixes are Madeline Murray, Heather Campbell, Rose Gibbins and Penny Macdonald. At a FlyfUp ceremony held last October, twelve Brownies were presented with Wings by our Commissioners, Mrs. J. Courts and Mrs. K. Jones. These girls have since joined other Guide companies. At the same ceremony we said goodf bye to Mrs. Nelson Colville who had been our Brown Owl for the past three years. On December 10 Mrs. Colville returned to enrol six new Brownies. As this was our last meeting of the Christmas term, we held our Christmas party at the same time. We are very grateful to the Brownie mothers who provided refreshments and assisted at the meetings on both these occasions. On Thinking Day, February 23, the Pack attended a very impressive Thinking Day ceremony at the Arena. Since January, the Brownies have been very busy working for their Golden Bar and Golden Hand badges. E. WEBB, Brown Owl GAIL ALLMAN The Lilac-Mission Tea For the first time in the eight years that it has been held, the LilacfMission Tea came at the time when the lilacs were in bloom and luxuriant mauve lilacs lined the entrance to the Junior School and the gymnasium. As soon as one entered the gymnasium it was evident that this special Tea is a House event. Each House had its corner in the room with its own teaftable having a beautiful centrefpiece in the House colour. The House Heads, helped by their Seniors, had spent many days of careful planning and every girl did her part in serving, or in the many behindfthefscene jobs that such an occasion produces. As well as the Tea, the Houses had also arranged a gamesfroom which was iilled with eager participants all afternoon, and a HomefCooking booth where the Mothers' delectable cakes, cookies and candy were soon purchased by our guests. A welcome adjunct to the gamesfroom was a refreshment stand which did a roaring trade in hot dogs and lemonade. We were delighted to welcome a large gathering of parents and friends at the Tea, and our efforts were well rewarded by the announcement that we had earned over 3650.00 which will more than cover our missionary obligations which include the Gimli FreshfAir Camp, a Hospital cot in India, and the Sunday School by Post. LINDA RIDDBLL

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32 ' I The Hal1owe'en Party The initiation of new girls is always the main feature of Balmoral Hall's Hallowe'en Party, which is planned and organized by the prefects. It was held this year on Friday, November lst, and, as usual, the school formed the audience as the rather apprehensive new girls paraded into the gymnasium encouraged by the gay music of the piano. Cameras flashed from all corners of the room as the colourful procession of animals, musicians, peasants, and babies was led in by a sedate young nineteenth century couple. The Grade VII new girls opened the prof gramme with a scene from Winnie The Pooh, and The King's Breakfast, which were amusing and well presented. Following these, was a picture of Grade VIII By Night and Day. Will we ever forget the eastern slave dancers' tango to Hernando's HidefAway ? Two Grade XII stuf dents gave a hilarious skit portraying a few weeks in the life of two young lovers, john and Marsha. The only words spoken were john and Marsha but the wide range of tone and inflexion enabled these two words to speak volumes. Grade X presented a clever comedy, The Lamp Went Out. The humour lay in the fact that the words of the narrator were interpreted literally by the actors. For example, following the words, She swept into the room, in came Mother pushing a broom. A shorter item was a comical race between two babies in drinking a bottle of milk and eating crackers. The new girls having proved their ability in singing, dancing, and acting, in a very varied programme, the audience and performers merged and everyone went to the dining room where hot dogs, soft drinks and doughnuts were served amid much chatter about the preceding events. The climax of the evening came with the prefects' presentation of Cindelelli,', a highly original version of Cinderella in fanciful Chinese style. Perhaps the most amusing scene was the Royal Ball, at which the Prince, Cindelelli, and the rest of the court, shuffled in procession with minute steps, and humming a weird tune. After a gay singfsong, the party ended, the new girls feeling no longer new, and looking forward to next year when they would enjoy the efforts of others. Junior Ha11owe'en Party On Wednesday, October 30th, we had a very nice Hallowe'en party. First we had a Grand March. Then we went up to the front of the gymnasium to introduce ourselves. There were witches and ghosts, clowns and gypsies. There was even a Christopher Robin. After that all the grades from One to Six did different acts. Grade Three played forfeits, and Grade Two did a relay race on brooms around the pumpkins. Grade Four talked French to us. Grade Five and Six did a Hallowe'en play about a little girl who could not go out on Hallowe'en, and a pumpkin face came in and took her to Hallowe'en Land. We sat around in circles and had icefcream and cookies. Our mothers were invited and we were glad that many of them came. Then it was time to go home, and all of us shook hands with Miss MurrellfWright. We were given an apple as we went out. We all had a lovely time. Vicici Giurrirns, JEAN RILEY, SUSAN WESTON Grade III Cupid Capers Friday, February 14th, became a date with a new signiicance on Balmoral Hall's social calendar with Cupid Capers, the first Valentine Dance to be held at the school for some years. Despite twelve below zero weather, many came to the Dance, including staff and alumnae, and everyone thoroughly enjoyed the evening. The decorations in the gymnasium followed the Valentine theme in an original and effective way. Cupid and heart mobiles hung from the ceiling in profusion, accenting a fourffoot cupid in the centre. Red velvet drapes hung on each side of the entrance, and small replicas of the mobiles covered the walls. These decorations were planned and carried out by a committee of girls, who are to be congratulated for their artistic work. The music, by Jack Shapiro and his orchestra, was both appreciated and enjoyed by everyone. Dancing featured the Paul jones, the Butter fly, the Bunny Hop and the Heart Dance. During the Heart Dance each person was given six paper hearts. When he replied, Yes, to a question, he gave one heart to his questioner. At the end of the dance, the one with the most hearts was declared the winner. A delicious smorgasbord supper was served in the Common Room, which, like the gymnasium, was gay with the symbols of Valentine's Day. A large Valentine cake formed the centrefpiece on the Lfshaped buffet whose lace tablecloths were trimmed with heart motifs. When the evening came to an end, as all good things must, everyone went home tired, but satis' fied with the success of our Valentine Dance. SUSAN MACK