Bowmanville High School - Screech Owl Yearbook (Bowmanville, Ontario Canada)

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Mr. Ainsley Commercial Teacher C34-'40J Miss Wagar at II Form Picnic 1938 The New Math Teacher 1938 Mr. Lucas First plate for the Morgan Lunney two-plate Screech Owl Cover. Discovered by the Canadian Statesman and contributed to this issue.

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THE LITERARY SOCIETY The Literary Society was the main organizing force for student activities outside of athletics, where a Boys' and a Girls' Athletic Society flourished. The Lit organized the At Home, the Screech Owl Staff, the various par- ties, the Oratorical Contest and of course, the monthly Literary programmes, when class by class, the talents of the school were paraded in music, skits, plays, and always a form song. Only the Commencement entertainment was out of the students' hands as far as planning went, though they provided all the talent there too. Of course, form teachers got into the act with advice and direction as requested. Mr. Longworth, when our form teacher in Fourth and Fifth, writes Donnie Creasser, en- couraged us to put on a shortened version of Gilbert and Sullivan's MIKADO and PIRATES OF PENZANCE which were tremendous fun and great experience. Donnie also mentions the shield that was won by the class presenting the best all round programme. Form V often had the best trained talent, but the two first forms had the larger pool to draw from and two energetic form teachers in Miss Bonnycastle and Miss Wagar. In 1934, they directed a three- act play, MAKE BELIEVE, commemorated in the Screech Owl by a drawing in pen and ink by Ieleen Hallman CMrs. R. Okel of the wood cut- ter CCharlie Spencer! and the princess C?J. MUSIC Perhaps the outstanding feature of the school in the 30's was the musical talent there and its development under Mr. Francis Sutton. He built up an orchestra, a first class chorus and for years led the whole school in a Wednesday morning sing in the assembly. But the A Cap- pella Glee Club which won honours in music festivals was the pride of the school. Again quoting Donnie Creaser's memories. In I form that year we were entered in the Durham Northumberland Musical Festival. Af- ter much rehearsing we felt invincible but Mr. Sutton was not satisfied and he withdrew our application. We were shocked, hurt, and very disappointed. Mr. Dippell appealed in vain. Mr. Longworth finally interceded successfully but Mr. Sutton proved correct, as we did not win. The adjudicator in his remarks pointed out the very weaknesses that Mr. Sutton said would be our downfall . According to the Canadian Statesman of April 27, 1939, Bowmanville High School choristers sang a program of sacred muisc and spirituals in Toronto Parkdale Church on a Sun- day evening. In the November 30 issue of the same year it is noted that the Commencement entertainment of music, dances, and 2 one act plays had to be put on a third time-- on the following Monday. By then the Commencement date had settled to the last Friday in November--then the last Thursday and Friday, and now Thursday, Friday, and Monday. The actual prize and diploma giving was divided up and sandwiched in between Acts--the big thing was the show. From '32 to '38 operettas Cthe cheap kind with low royalties--it was the depression, remem- ber'?J were presented each year, the only really memorable one ENCHANTED ISLE, where the music was Chopin's. Robert Kent played Chopin and Eileen Wight CMrs. N. OsborneJ the heroine. In 1939, 2 one act plays were sub- stituted to give the non-musical students a chance at drama. But there were so many musicians! A brief list from the Screech Owls C30-'34 and then this source dries upl follows: Wallace Horn, Violin, Bernice Bellman, Soprano, Bob Corbett, Piano and Baritone, Phyllis Challis, Piano, George Werry, Piano, Helen Argue, Piano and Alto, Dorothy Edger, Piano, Albert Cully, Tenor, Oscar Jamison, Violin, Charlie Cawker, Cor- net, Piano, Orchestra Leader, Ken Morris, Trombone and Bass, Nan Allin, Alto, Jean and Eileen Wight, Sopranos, Doug Rackham, 1st Tenor--and then all those who came later! Per- formers in duets, quartettes, choruses and all the talented dance groups are too numerous to include.

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CHRISTMAS PARTIES Another tradition which began in the 1930's was the annual Christmas Party. On the last day of the fall term, classes met in the morning determined not to work, so teachers came prepared with contests, games, and sometimes even treats. Jesse Knox CMrs. J. Slemon? remembers Mr. Wagar bringing sweets to V form, and Miss Wagar CMrs. H. Jeffery? remembers supplying her Art classes with gumdrops, jelly beans, and toothpicks for the creation of animals, etc. which could be taken home or eaten if unsuccessful. The Senior students spent the morning decorating the assembly hall, trimming the tree, and rehear- sing their skits. The afternoon activities began at two, usually with the V form literary program. In 1930, a Debate was staged: 'Resolved that Santa Claus is real'. Bob Corbett produced this memorable line about department store figures in red suits -- 'they are only subordinate clauses'. The 'real' Santa appeared at the close of the main program with a bag of gags, ap- propriate or otherwise for staff members and other fall guys. Sometimes a treasure hunt followed before supper in the gym and an evening of dancing. THE SCREECH OWL The Screech Owl, begun with such elan in 1922, celebrated its 10th anniversary in the 1931 copy by publishing a dedication to, and picture of the original staff and a guest editorial by one of the'original editors. The staff had grown from 18 to 31. Of course, the school had grown in numbers and classes 6Jr. and Sr. Com- mercia1?. The two plate, 3 colour cover was continued this year in gold and black on red but hard times were beginning to close in. 104 pages shrank to 90 in '32, to 88 in '33. By 1934 the expensive and beautiful M. Lunney cover was replaced, using only the owl from it. There were 100 great pages that year but unhappily these were the last printed until 1949, publication interrupted by hard times and war. The early Screech Owls, including of course the issues in the 20's, are a marvelous store of school history as well as showcases for the talent of the time. With Jr. and Sr. prizes of- fered for poetry and stories, competitors flooded the editors who printed anywhere from 15 to 22 pages of student literature . In 1934 they persuaded Mazo de la Roche Cof Jalma fame? to judge the stories, E.J. Pratt, M.A., Ph. D., Prof. of English, Victoria College, U. of T., to judge the poetry, and C.J. Klinck, M.A., Ph. D. - Professor of English at Waterloo College, U. of Western Ontario to judge the dramas. The latter in a message to the students, said in part -- My message to these young people is simply this: Canada's best must find expression in her literature ...... Nothing can be a substitute for masterful ex- pression and high thinking. These come only by incessant practice and by deep consecration to the noblest of arts -- the art of noble living. The winners picked were, for short stories: Sr. Robert Clark and Clifford Hall Jr. Ruth Ives and Betty Knox for poetry: Sr. Evelyn Mackinnon Ceditor of the Literary section? Sr. Selma Bartlett Jr. Beryl Thompson and Ruth Logan fOr dfamai Sr. E. Mackinnon Jr. B. Knox The Literary Society that year provided special prizes for a school song CBetty Rowe?, Cartoons CLouise Cole and M. Smith? and for linoleum cuts KC. Wright and I. Ha1lman?. Each issue included a French page, a Latin page, pictures and lists of prize winners, and a page of Exchange notes on 18 or more other school yearbooks. The pictures, though few, improved in quantity and quality but of course can't match today's output. Advertisers were mainly lumped together at the back Cwith one or two at the front? sometimes interspersed with bits of student humour-such as Cfrom 1932? Miss Smith Ccommenting on a Comp. paper? - Elford, how do you spell 'noticeably'? Elford Cox - Did I get it wrong? Miss Smith - Yes. Elford - I don't know how to spell it then. or Betty Morris - Bradley may I take your pic- ture?