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

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THE PREFECTS Elsie Shzmdru, Hfrhvrtu Gvnsvr, Jwzmm- Sutlwrlzmnd, Durutheu Dvxupstvffr QSprmrt,s Cuptxuiul, Clare McCulloch, Carol Alhortm-rx, Julia Bm-rry, Dizuuf Mr'Nz1ug11t,rmn, Mildrn-d Shandro QS:-hool Captalirlh, Bcftty Nichul QHQad Girll. JUNIOR SCHOOL LEADERS S'l'.XNDING-.Ianv Fr-rguson, Linda Gail Arnett, Murtvhu Grmxtrex. KNEELING-P:1trir'i:1 Spnrrmv, Dm-lmrnh Divksnu, Carol Armytage.

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5 IEDITIIHI L The hand that signed the paper felled a city. -Dylan Thomas. The power and importance of a hand came to me so clearly one day in class as I read this line of poetry that these thoughts developed in my mind :- We take the words we read before us for granted. We do not realize how they have been set before us. What do we owe to the hand, the tool of the brain? What has been given to us by the hands of yesterday? They have given us laws, scientific facts, historical data, literature, and music. Consider civilization without these things. Without a hand to write these down we would not have the laws of our society, Arrhenius' theory, the story of Napoleon, the plays of Shakespeare, or the music of Bach. My second thought stems from the theme of the poem, a hand without a heart is power without mercy. So is it true that a hand without intelligence and learning is power which can be used wrongly, and learning and intelligence which does not make use of the hand, is waste. Thoughts and ideas originate from the brain. If in communion with the brain man has a hand to executive its impulses, he probes, uncovers, and discovers the world before him, around him and beyond him. The electric bell interrupts my thoughts and forces me back to reality. I am practical. I think not of man without a hand but with one. I think of our schoolg I think of the many hands that are concerned with it, of those that built it, those that organize it, those that teach in it, and those that learn in it. Are we using our hands to give to it what it gives to each of us? Are we hiding our talents or using them to the best of our abilities? I ponder on our youth counselled here at school where the uncontrolled scribblings of our hand are molded into the expression of thought. Here too our hand has learned if it has not the skill to win the game it must show good sportsmanship by shaking the hand of the winner. The hand in the frontispiece, is the hand of state. Here it is opening our new building by cutting the ribbon so that we might pass through new doors to better things . Finally I think of the hand that waves farewell to our school-after one year or many years. What is this hand taking into the world with it? It has the opportunity to do good or evil. It takes with it a training, if the brain is a good brain, that will make its signature a worthy signature. The little hand today, may tomorrow be the hand of the nurse who soothes, the hand of the bride given in marriage or the hand of the teacher who educates. Be it one or all of these let us discipline our minds today that it may be a useful hand tomorrow and that it may do good as it reaches out to meet the challenge of life. BETTY NICHOL, Editor

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7 Balmoral Hall, June 1962 Dear Girls, Once again it is June. Once again Optima Anni recalls for you the events of the year, and presents for some of you, your literary efforts in print. To these I add some glimpses of this School year, each of which is NEW and so makes this year different from other years. DALTON HoUsE - a NEW residence and a joy to all. AIKINS HOUSE - a NEW name at last for the White House and names on all the School buildings. JUNIOR LEADERS f a NEW group. I shall watch you with interest as you take your experiences with responsibility into the Senior School. GERNIAN - a NEW language choice-pursued with interest by a group of Grade IX's. Keep it up girls! LATIN - a NEW language for Grade VII. Latin used to begin in VIII but Grade VII's have proved themselves quite capable-Have a good holiday Grade VI-Latin in September! FRENCH CoNvERsAT1oN -renewed efforts in the Junior School and NEW emphasis in Senior School with final oral tests for XI and XII. We're not bilingual yet but we're going to be. TAPE RECORDER - NEW equipment to help with French conversation, music and speech improvement. And so we continue in our Search for Better Things . Who knows what opportunities will await you in September. Till then to the seniors who must still write examinations good luck, to everyone a happy holiday, and to those of you who are leaving, God's blessing on your new endeavours! Yours affectionately, We Thank You This year's magazine would not be complete without a special word of thanks to the many who are supporting our BUILDING CAMPAIGN, begun in 1960 and continuing until 1965. We are always happy to be remembered in a practical way. From the list of gifts which follows you will see that many have remembered us in many different ways. Every gift has added something to education or to the comfort and improved appearance of Balmoral Hall. Two chairs and a chesterfield for the drawingroom, an electric stove for the recreation room: a large picture by Robert Bruce for Dalton House hall, new rugs for Aikins House, wood for our new fireplace, names for all the School buildings, a special globe for our Senior Library, and a complete renovation Of the pillars and verandahs of Aikins House.