Branksome Hall - Slogan Yearbook (Toronto, Ontario Canada)

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THE BRANKSOME SLOGAN 31 I ' m sure we should have missed a great many lectures and meet- ings if we had not carefully scanned the notice board every raorning. It was a dreadful blow when we heard w e had to wear gowns ! It seemed as though we should be most frightfully conspicuous in them. As far as we could see only Seniors wore gowns, but soon the very good Freshies adopted them, and now it is quite a common sight to see three or four gowned females hastening down the corridors with yards of black material flow- ing behind them. It certainly gives them a learned and academic air, and I do not think it will take us long to get used to them. The first year elections caused much excitement. There was a long list of nominations, and we felt very important as we went up to the West Hall to cast our votes. As soon as we got any- where near the door we were met by an army of men, holding out cards on which So and So for President, or So and So for Treasurer, etc., was inscribed. A manly voice said, May I solicit your support as Councillor? We said Certainly, grasped his card, and two seconds later gave the same promise to someone else. Then we went up to a table where two grave-looking indi- viduals sat, one of whom signed and handed out a long list of nominations, and the other looked up our names in a fat book and crossed them off. We tried to retire with our slips and make our little crosses in peace, but about a dozen men crowded around, saying, Vote for So and So as Athletic Director. He ' s the best man in the year! We marvelled at the vast number of best men there were! I might say here that all males are men at Varsity, whether they are boys of sixteen or so, whom you have always considered mere children, or real men somewhere near thirt} It makes no difference, there are no boys at Varsity, and even the girls are spoken of as w omen ! The morning after the elections everyone crowded round the notice board to see the results. There were cries of delight or groans of disgust as the different names were read out. But the year of 1T6 felt itself quite big when it was able to talk of Our Executive. It seemed then, as if we really belonged to things and were just as well organized (in our own opinion at least) as the Sophs, our worst enemies and dearest friends. And we feel we have this advantage over them, that we have a whole year more than they have before us in which to make good. A. E. MARIE PARKES.

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30 THE BRANKSOME SEOGAN results of the sups came out! Everyone looked jolly and happy, and I decided that it might not be so terrible after aP to give up the dear old school-life at Branksome for that at Varsity. (Needless to say, I never have that feeling when I am over at School, or meet any of the Elouse of Lords !) That first afternoon we went to hear the President ' s address at Convocation Hall. Everything was certainly lively there ! A number of us went in together and were carefully — and loudly — counted. Then, just as we got seated, a hapless Freshman elected to sit near the front. Instantly cries of Pass him up sounded, and before our admiring eyes dozens of willing ' hands lifted him. to the skies, then FFt him down again in his new place, right side up with care ! It certainly was a funny sisrht. Every Freshman who came in that way was passed up. The i ery green and fresh ones struggled madly to keep their feet on the floor which, of course, was utterly impossible. Others, after a futile grab at thin air, abandoned themselves to the inevitable. Others, who had been to boarding-school, we decided, went up quite gracefully, one or two even waving to the assembled multi- tude! Between the passings up the different college and year yells were given, and the uproar was delightful, especially when it was accompanied hy numerous groans. When the Faculty came in and seated themselves, there was a breathless ' moment, and I expected God Save the King, but no — Toronto, Toronto, Toronto, Varsity! We ' ll shout and fight for the Blue and White And the honor of U. of T. A riperty, a raperty, a ripertv raperty re, Toronto, Toronto, Toronto Varsity! Just that shout coming in perfect unison from hundreds of strong throats, in that domed building, was about as impressive as anything I ever heard. There were no groans that time, be- cause everyone there felt that it was the best yell of all, the one in which all could join together. When we first started lectures things seemed hopeless. My first notes are utterly ridiculous jumbles of nonsense, but I soon got to know what were important points and to let the others go. It was also dreadfully embarrassing to be stamped and clapped when we came into a lecture, but we soon made a point of going early to some lectures. One thing which amused and mixed us was the seemingly endless number of societies to join, meetings to attend, lists to sign, fees to pay, and— notices to read! Some people say thev can always tell a Freshette because she reads all the notices, bnt

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32 THE BRANKS OME SLOGAN The unexpected often happens. Little did we think as we started from the cottage on a bright August morning that before noon we would have to ask assistance of the large tugboat. We were a gay party of about fifteen girls. The only men, of the party were Dad, and the men on the launch. All went merrily until after we had gone about seven miles, and, as Dad was at the wheel, we were perfectly happj Unfortunately for us, as we neared the swing bridge, the bridge-tender swung it a little farther than usual, and when the launch went under the bridge in this unusual course, it landed on a sunken crib. The boat received a terrific jarring, and we were tossed about considerably. Our two young children were very much fright- ened, and even the older members of the family did not feel at all safe. It did not take us long to decide that we would all be much happier out on the river in the rowboats, and, as it hap- pened, we had three boats with us. All of the campers at the summer resort offered us their aid also, and we had little trouble in finding accommodation for everybody. We decided that the aid of the large river tug was neces- sary to pull the launch off the crib, so we whistled five times, a signal for help when in distress. The tug was soon at our side, and then we found out how badly we had grounded. It seemed that our boat had gone across the pier, until the keel at the stern was caught on the filling of the pier. The humor of the occasion presented itself here, as we looked about us and saw two small children with swollen eyes in one boat, another boat filled with happy girls, each with a camera in her hand, and still another boat with the older members of the party in it. Our guide, the engineer and a few helping friends soon tied a strong rope to our launch, and began to pull away, but the poor old thing was stuck fast. The guide got out in the water on the crib, which was just deep enough to reach his knees. Guides are so used to dampness that that did not seem to bother him. We found that this method was not going to be satisfactory, so each one offered a suggestion. After about an hour of hard labor our little craft slid off the crib into deep water, floating and none the worse for its accident.