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

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6 THE PREFECTS BACK RUW-Nancy EAIIVOII, Helen IXIL-Gibbon, Nancy Webb, Carol Cranston, Betty Nichol, Sports Captain: Judith Knight. FRONT ROW'-Suzanne Evunsg Judith Cowie, Head Girlg Anne Sellers, Jaque-line Lye, School Captain. Silence Silence is certainly a common enough word. Indeed, as I consider its constant use, I cannot help thinking that it is far too common. Accord- ing to the dictionary, silence and quiet are parallel in meaning, but anyone who is able to use the two words interchangeably cannot possibly understand the charm of the former as compared to the harshness of its counterpart. For years poets have dwelt on the beauty of this word. Edgar Lee Masters, the great American poet, used Silence as the theme for one of his best-loved poems. In this poem Masters writes on his various conceptions of times in each man's life when, filled with deep emotion, he seeks refuge in silence , With striking examples, Masters shows how the hateful and loving, joyful and fearful, victor and van- quished, all share the Great Silence. Nevertheless, silence is not restricted to those with artistic or imaginative minds, for it is often used by the purely realistic person. To most of the realists, this means the state completely isolated from sound, such as the life of the deaf. Deaf people work and live under what we think of as a great handicap, and yet with love and understanding they may lead useful and interest- ing lives. In fact, most people at one time or another, especially if they live in one of Canada's larger cities, have wished to share this silence, if only for a moment! Often as I sit alone, I think of this word and wonder why it interests me. I always arrive at the same conclusion-silence has always re- minded me of a church and of people communing with God. The few deaf people I have known have seemed to hold a far deeper knowledge of God than I shall probably ever have, and Masters' examples of deep emotion are all examples of times in men's lives when they most need God's counsel. However, in one major way I am taking the liberty of criticizing this poet, for I believe he has omitted the Greatest Silence of all, the silence of Christ on the Cross. For three hours Our Saviour hung in unbearable pain for no fault of His own. To me, therefore, silence holds a special significance as an example of Christ's love for us, unworthy though we are. For this reason I do appreciate it when the word silence is left out of all warnings and admoni- tions and its harsher counterpart employed. SUZANNE EVANS-Grade XI

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5 EDITUHI I. Optima Anni At last we have given a name to our Magazine and for young readers and non-Latin scholars I translate- The Best Things of the Year . Whether in Nursery School or Grade Twelve, each of us has her own conception of the best things that happened this year at Balmoral Hall. It may be that hundred per cent in mathematics, that wonderful Graduation Dance, or even that place on the Basketball Team. Our Magazine, with the innovation of a title this year, is a review of all these commendable events. But the very BEST thing for Balmoral Hall, and so for us, is our new building. As we go to press I look at bulldozers, cement mixers, boiling tar, great lumps of mud, and piles of gravel. What a contrast to the architect's drawing! But the drawing is to be a reality in September. For the small juniors in Kindergarten and Nursery School and Grade I there will be new classrooms on the lower floor of the building. The second and third floors will contain rows of bedrooms all equipped with gaily-patterned curtains and matching bedspreads. At last, boarders, a fireplace has arrived where everyone can enjoy fireside chats in the drawing-room. Who will bring the birch logs in her trunk? Now there will be a cold-lunch room for the day-girls-no more lunch hours in the Science laboratory, Kindergarten or Common Room. At the extreme end of the building is something for everyone-a larger dining-hall, and a completely new kitchen. Now we all wait for the completion of the building, and this thought is the bond that has held us together this past year. The trials of crowded quarters and noisy drills have been tolerated because of the pride and expectation with which we wait for the opening of our new building. As we wait, we speculate on differences in the life of the school which the new facilities will bring. The old proverb, The old order changeth yielding place to the new comes to mind as we think of our new title, Optima Anni , and our new building, the best thing of the year . JAQUELINE LYE, Editor

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7 Balmoral Hall, June, 1961. ,IUBILATE My dear Girls, My conversations with you are usually to counsel, to encourage, to stimulate, to calm, and often to reprove, but this, my final conversation, is to praise you. I am full of praise for the way you have accepted the situations that have arisen during this year of building. We won't forget this year. Boarders, do you remember packing up and leaving the Red House? And then remember that busy noon hour when everyone helped to move the remainder of the furniture to the lawn outside the White House? We moved out with light hearted abandon, but we shared several moments of sadness as the old Red House was demolished so ruthlessly, and as those lovely birch trees one by one were felled. We Won't forget this year. The Kindergarten was moved to the Art Room and the Art to the Common Room, and that didn't make it easy for after- lunch recreation or for the Art students. The drawing-room disappeared and that spoiled the rendez-vous area for some and the music hours and the recitals for others, but you have been remarkably understanding. We won't forget this year with bunk beds in the drawing-room, bunk beds in the Kindergarten, bunk beds in the Boarders' Sitting-Room, no real clothes cupboards-in fact no space anywhere. And yet I heard you happily greeting each other after the Easter Holiday-greeting each other, and glad to be back for the summer term despite the difficulties, and I watched you and I praised you. We Won't forget this year with water over the driveway, and cement mixers and mud outside, and inside, bunk beds, crowded rooms, a line-up for baths in the residence, art in the Common Room, and cold lunch wherever a spot could be found. But you have survived in a most praise- worthy manner, and I commend you. My very best wishes go with you all for a happy summer, and I can assure those of you who are graduating this June, and who will not benefit by our wider facilities, that we will welcome you when- ever you can visit us. After our Opening Assembly on Thursday, September 7th, there will be a tour of the new building for all Old Girls, and later, an invitation to the official Opening. No, we won't forget this year, but you who are returning in September will find many exciting surprises to welcome you and a host of challenging opportunities. Until then, happy holidays! Yours affectionately, as