Branksome Hall - Slogan Yearbook (Toronto, Ontario Canada)

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20 THE BliANKHOME SLOCMN Branksome Hall Alumnae Association The iimual meetiiio- of the Hraiiksoiiio Hall Alimiiiae Association for 1916-17 was held at tlio Sehool on the 14th of last Juno. As usual, :t look ' Ihe foiin of a bancjuct, l)ut, in order that it mio-lit be of a vei-y s!nii)le cind. eeoiioiuieal character, Miss Kead was •ood euouii ' h to 1(M us hohl it in the School d in ino ' -room. The experiment proved a uiosf Niucessfnl one, the -atheriuo- beino- less formal than those held in ])ublic tea-rooms. After the readin ' of the annual rei)orts, the election of officers i ' or the coming- year was held. The result was as follows: — l resi- dent, Marjorie Lyon; 1st Mce-President, Daisy (Jail; 2nd Vice-Presi- dent, (iladys Hillings; Secretary, l hyllis Anderson; Treasurer, Helen (Jiltsoii. As Tleleii (Jibson has been out of town this year, the duties of treasurer were combiiunl with those of secretary. At the close of the bampiet, ijistead of the usual toasts, Mrs. Ijoosemore, president of the Thrift C()mmittee, ' ave an inspiring? ad- dress, in which she ur ed the members of the Association to take a firm stand in the campai ii for simplicity in dress and economy in food consumption. During the present year meetings for Ked Cross work have been held every Tuesday afternoon and evenin ' , Miss Read havin i ' per- mitted us again this year to serve tea at the School for those who Avished to remain. In the autumn the Association was dependent upon fees and do- nations for the funds necessary to carry on the work. As these did not meet the needs, it was decided to join with the School Red Cross Societies and hold a tea and sale of home-made cake and candy. This sale took place in the gymnasium of the School last Xovember. The sum of $218 was raised, and was divided ecpially between the societies. The Association has thus been able to carry on its work, unhampered by the need of funds. The following list will give an idea of the work which has been done : — Stretcher caps, 366 ; handkerchiefs, 504 ; wash cloths, 1,416 ; trench caps, 11; towels, 42; personal property bags, 133; pneumonia jackets, 28; many-tailed bandages, 13; hotwater bottle covers, 1; bed socks, 59 pairs; shoes, 4 pairs; socks, 25 pairs. Total, 2,602 articles. The meetings have not been large, but the Association feels that something really worth while has been accomplished. However, ' ' there is yet much land to be possessed. The need becomes in- creasingly great, and we would urge every alumna to avail herself of the opportunity for service which the association presents. PHYLLIS ANDERSON, ' 12, Secretary. When liss Hart of the Government Employment Bureau got a note from a farmer couched in these terms, I crave your judgment in helping me select a good, healthy, sensible girl — jovial, neat in her work, and of quick turn, of whom did she think? Why, of Nora!

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THE BRANKSOME SLOGAN 19 The Editorial Helplessness is just another word for Hopelessness. If more people understood this, there would no longer ])e that class of Husguided women constantly crying, Oh, I feel so helpless! This awful war — will it never end? Let us not join these futile exclaiui- ers when there are so many services we can render our country in her time of need. One who is not accustomed to self-sacrifice should com- mence by a few small tasks daily. Gradually the art of heli)ing others will become a firndy-established principle in our lives, and the old, useless days will be entirely forgotten. Over in America many are undergoing almost unbelievable suffer- ing at this moment. At this moment ! That means now, while some of us are complaining of a few necessary privations. If only we could realize that it is the voluntary i)rivations which really count ! The whole trouble lies in the fact that round about us the world, seeui- ingly, is going on in its old-time light-hearted way. If only those of us who have not had to face parting with dear one could see for one instant a stricken home, a grim battlefield, a blinded child, or a starving one ! Then perhaps it would not be so difficult for us to realize that, though thousands of miles from the actual scene of conflict, we are responsible for the lives of many who are over there. How won- derful it is that even the weakest of us can at least make it possible for others to carry help to them. Each new year brings its complement of new thoughts, and so the more advanced and gifted women are, in 1918, able to add in many ways to their aspirations of 1917. They claim now, more than the care of the wounded and the sick, as their share. It is time to dispense with the idea that women can only perform certain clearly-defined duties. Just now it is an indisputable fact that the country needs every resource at its command, and, if bigger and ({uicker results come from a wider recognition of women ' s rights in a nation ' s councils, then by all means let us win that recognition. Through all our endeavor to help, however, we should keep in mind the fact that a triumphant end to the war is our object, and all our energy should be expended on deeds which will eventually add one more rung to the ladder of our Success, one more link to our Golden Chain of Service. LOIS HOWARD, Form V.

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THE BRANKSOME SLOGAN 21 La Maison Francaise Cette anne il y a une nouvelle institution a Branksonie, c ' est la maison francaise. Otte maison, a cote de Branksome. ets assez })etite. .Mademoiselle Chaubert la dirig-e et il y a seulement (juatorze jennes lilies. Cette maison est tres po])ulaire et toutes les jeunes filles tron- vent qu ' elles ont bien de la chance d ' y etre. Dans la maison on doit parler francais toute le temps, excepte le dimanche. J es jeunes filles, (jui y demeurent, sout toujours aux tal)le; francaises dans la salle a manger et on parle francais a chacjue re pas. (3n fait tout ce qu ' on pent pour rendre la vie dans la maison aussi facile et aussi agreable ({ue possible. Cha(iue mardi soir il y a une soiree francaise et nous faisons des jeux francais ou l)ien nous ecoutons ([uelqu ' un (jui nous lit en francais. Plusieurs fois on a donne de i)etites danses dans la maison francaise; elles etaient meme plus populaires (pie les jeux. Deux fois lonsieur Ledoux, un pro- fesseur belg ' c el un membre de rUniversite de Toronto, nous a donne des conferences tres interess antes. Tout le monde est tres heureux dans la maison et on la ([uittera en juin avec beaucoup, beaucoup de regret. JEAX JARVIS, Form V. Un coin du salon bleu de la Maison Francaise