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

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30 GRADE XII IN THE MUSIC ROOM The Carol Service Crowded stores and Christmas present problems were soon forgotten as we gathered on two afternoons to remember the true meaning of Christmas, the gift of the Son of God. The first service was for junior School parents and friends and the second for the Senior School. The choir, carrying candles, led the School into the hall to the strains of Once in Royal David's City. Following the Open- ing Prayer, a Recital of Carols opened with Martin Shaw's exhilarating Fanfare sung by the choir. The first Iunior School ChoTr Grades I. II and III, sang the Czech carol Rocking and Grades IV, V and VI fol- lowed with their version of the French Bell Carol . The Choir ended the carols with A'The Flowering Manger by Percy Buck, and Ding Dong Merrily on High. The story of the Nativity was presented by members of the Senior School with pas- sages from the New Testament read by members of thc Iunior School at the first service and by Seniors at the second. After the Benediction had been pro- nounced, the School recessed, singing with the congregation, The First Nowell . As the echoes of this carol died away many people remarked that the service was a love- ly beginning to the holiday season. JANET HARRISON The Orchestra Throughout The Ages On Thursday, October 4th, Grades Four, Five and Six went to a Symphony Concert. Victor Feldbrill was the conductor. The first item was Hungarian Dance No. 6 by Brahms. The music was written for gypsy dances, and was light, gay and fast. You could imagine gypsies dancing gaily and shaking tambourines. Before Suite for Strings by Purcell Mr. Feldbrill told us about some stringed instruments. The third composition was The Water Music, by Handel. This was a fascinating piece, and I wished I could join the musicians on their trip down the Thames. The next piece, Finale from Symphony No. 1, was by a famous German composer, nam- ed Beethoven. It was based on scales, and was very interesting. The Ballet of the Sylphs by Hector Berlioz was about some fireflies who tried to hypno-tize a man called Faust. Lastly we heard the Firebird Suite by a Russian composer, Stravinsky. Ati first the music was very soft. When the Prince was breaking the spell it became very loud. orchestra musicians Mr. Feldbrill conducted the very well, and I think that the are very talented. I enjoyed the afternoon very much. SOME MEMBERS OF GRADE VI

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29 Red Feather 'Fiesta This year we had two main objectives in October-fthe Initiation of new girls and the Community Chest Campaign. The Pre- fects decided to combine these two functions and hold a Red Feather Fiesta, hoping to raise enough money for us to be a Gold Feather Giver and, if possible, to buy a new record player for the Common Room. Initiation itself was planned to help the Fiesta. The new girls wore large red fea- thers for the preceding week, and worked hard selling tickets and helping with pre- parations. On November Znd, they laboured in the traditional way, carrying old girls' books, polishing shoes and reciting the Pre- fects' Pledge. By nightfall it was impossible to tell the new girls from the old among the colourful Spanish peasants and aristocrats who attended the Fiesta. It was an evening of fun for everyone. After some quick News Flashes from the Prefects, Miss Murrell-Wright cut the red ribbon, thus opening the Fiesta. Everyone sang, Getting to Know You, and then sales began. Colourful booths lined the gymnasium while in the centre stood a table holding a jar of beans and a beautiful Christmas cake. Around the Fish Pond, many colourful fish dangled in a net while across the gymnasium a lighted tree stood above the Christmas Gift Booth. Gifts from all over the world sold quickly at the Seven Seas Booth, while, close by, the Fiesta Specialty Madcaps were soon sold out. Around these booths, people were occupied in throwing darts, getting a ball in the Clown's mouth, and playing other such games. Meanwhile, downstairs, 'Miss Martin had won herself an apple by half submerging her head in a tub of water while admiring Iuniors awaited their turn. Those not so fond of water tried to bite an apple off a string. Some who had exhausted themselves playing ping-pong, shuffleboard, or golf, sat down with a hot-dog to try and put names to the Grade Twelve Baby Pictures. In the centre of the room a steady flow of people flocked to play Bingo, and outside, the candy and popcorn business flourished. At nine forty-five, all sales stopped, and everyone gathered around the piano. We sang while waiting for the final total to be cal-culated, and the prizes for certain acti- vities were presented. Mary Hamilton won the cake for guessing its weight, Madeleine won the last 'Brenda Balmoral for calcu- lating the number of beans in the jar, and Dawn Smith claimed the Buried Treasure. The evening ended with the enthusiastic singing of the School Song, and everyone went home poorer in pocket, but richer in heart. The financial goal for the Fiesta had been set at one hundred and thirty dollars, and a thermometer had been placed outside the gymnasium to show progress towards this goal. By nine o'clock, the mercury was up to the ceiling, and so we had to wait until the end of the evening to hear the final total of three hundred and fifty three dollars. Two hundred dollars of this was sent to the Com- munity Chest, andthe fifty convenors proud- ly wore the gold feathers sent in recognition of this effort. DOROTHEA DEMPSTER MARYEL ANDISON DIANE MORTON United Nations Day October 24, 1962 We were all reminded on Wednesday morning, October 24th, that this was United Nations Day - a day of major importance to nations all over the earth. Flags of over one hundred members of the United Nations were displayed in the library and books and pamphlets invited students to learn more about the work of this international organi- zation established on October 24. 1945. Where is thy reign of peace, And purity, and love? We thought seriously about the question as we sang these lines in our opening hymn at Morning Prayers during the early hours of the Cuban crisis. It may have been the very question the member nations asked themselves when they formed an organiza- tion for the preservation of world peace. To help us understand the significance of the United Nations Day, Miss Murrell- Wright read part of the pledge of the United Nations. After Prayers we went outside to the flagpole.We may remember shivering in the blowing snow as lane Moody lowered the Union Iack to repla-ce it with a United Nations flag which was her gift to the school, but let us hope we always will remember the last line of our closing hymn that Morning. as a promise that the work of the United Nations will be rewarded and . . . Earth shall be fair and all her folk be one! SUSAN RILEY

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31 Journey Through The Forest Anna was very glum. She loved being a nurse in Grand Falls, but she had never done anything really important. Grand Falls was a lovely little town with narrow streets lined with big oak trees. The trees arched over the road making a green roofed tunnel. The houses were very neat and tidy, and almost every house had a lush, green lawn. Anna was working in her office when a note came, saying, Wanted desperately at Heart Forth Cottage, and signed, HD. Heedford. She had heard gossip about Mr. Heedford from some of the ladies in the town. Evidently he was gruff and unsocia- ble. He came into town every two weeks, with his daughter Aileen, to get supplies. Anna thought life was becoming more in- teresting. She did not tell anyone where she was going, but got her bicycle and started riding towards the forest. After riding a short distance, she looked up at the sky and noticed it was beginning to get cloudy. First there was just a little cloud, but then it began to spread out like a bolt of material till it covered the sky. Icy rain began to fall, and Thor's hammer echoed through the forest. Anna crept into a trunk tree. After sitting there for she began to think that for really needed, and that she to do something important. bicycle in the tree because of a decayed a little while, once she was might be able She left her the wind was too strong for her to keep her balance, and she guessed that this would be no small rain. The rain began to slash across her face like a thousand silver swords. The trees bent their great boughs, trying to sweep her off the pathway like a piece of dirt. Looking up, Anna saw the lightening flash in weird, crooked shapes across the coal black sky. She kept walking, undaunted by the fury around her. She remembered, that not far ahead she would find a stream. Instead of a stream, she found a furious river which was sweeping poor bedraggled animals a- way from their homes. Anna knew that to get to the cottage she must cross this river. She walked along its banks until she came to a hugh trunk of a tree which had been pushed over by the wind's strong arms. Anna crossed the log with very little difficulty, but when she came to the other side, she felt she was being watched. She looked all around, but could see nobody. Suddenly something made her eyes turn to the tree tops. A pair of large, yellow, glassy eyes were gleaming at her hungrily. There was a mountain lion with wet, straggled fur around his lean body. Anna was paralysed with fear. The ani- mal crept bit by bit to the end of the branch. He arched his body ready to pounce. He drew back and came flying at Anna. A shot rang out through the forest. There was a dead silence, and even the rain stop- ped pouring down. The clouds rolled away to let the golden sun shine down on the scene below. The wet leaves on the trees shone almost to the point of blinding one. Down below the mountain lion was lying in a small pool of blood. Anna stood looking at him with wide, unblinking eyes. lt had only landed a foot away from her. The crunching feet came through the forest. Mr. Heedford appeared with a smoking gun in his hand. All right? he inquired. Anna nodded her head slowly. Ye-es, she answered, but rather shak- ily. He took her arm and started walking towards the cabin. The cabin was very small and was pain- ted white with blue shutters. It was like a house in a fairy story. Mr. Heeford ex- plained that this was Aileen's dream house. Anna finally came to her senses and asked if Aileen was very sick. He said he thought she had pneumonia. They went into Aileen's dream house where lip, the dog, was guard- ing her. She was very sick! Her face, framed by a mop of black hair, was deathly white. The little girl was in a restless form of sleep and breathed very deeply. Mr. Heedford looked at Anna with an anxious face. Anna opened her bag and gave the girl a shot of penicillin. The hours dragged by with no change. The sun finally went to bed and the silver moon shone on Aileen's pale face. Then she began to stir! She looked around the room till her gaze fell on her father's face. Aileen grew stronger every day. Her cheeks became rosy from the fresh country air. After a week at the cottage, Anna told them that she must get back to the hospital. They promised they would visit her when they came into Grand Falls. Anna set off into the forest. How dif- ferent it was from the last journey. Birds were singing, trees gently swaying, and the sun was shining brightly. ELSPETH DEMPSTER-Grade VIII