Branksome Hall - Slogan Yearbook (Toronto, Ontario Canada)

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i8 The; Branksome Slogan right wrong — the charge given by King Arthur to his Knights when they were sworn in as Knights of the Round Table. In the hurry of school life, there is little time for analyzing our thoughts and im- pressions. It is only as we near the end and look back upon the years that the influences that have moved us most be- come clearer. In our school we have been taught to do everything, whether games or les- sons, with our whole heart. It is the girl who takes part in all sides of school life who is most respected. We must serve our class, our team, and our school. Later, as seniors, we learn that even this it not sufficient. True service includes not only responsibility for our own character and conduct, but also for the community. Indeed it was no easy motto that King Arthur gave his knights, to live pure, speak true, and right wrong. It is no easy motto for us to follow, but every Branksome girl is proud of both our mottoes, and honestly endeavors to live up to them, and so upholds the tra- ditions of the school. And in after days when we scatter to many lands, may we have strength given to us to continue what we have begun to do here: Serve God, keep well the road. HIS being the twenty-fifth an- niversary of our school, it seemed to be peculiarly fitting for our editorial to deal with its progress and development. Branksome Hall was founded in 1903, The first principal was Miss Margaret Taylor Scott, who carried it on until 1910. The building was then on Bloor Street, where the Manufacturers Life Insurance Company ' s building now stands. The house was just a pri- vate dwelling, having accommodation for 30 girls. It was there only a short time, and in 1910 was moved to 592 Sherbourne Street, and two years later to our present location on Elm Avenue. The growth of the school has been steady, and it is interesting to trace how year by year buildings have been added until the group was formed which clusters about English House. When Miss Scott retired, her work was taken over by Miss Read, a member of the staff, under whose capable manage- ment the school has flourished and grov n tremendously. In 1917, French House was added fci the resident girls who wished to special- ize in French. This has been a great success, and is still carried on. In 1921, the school had grown so much that it was found necessary to join yet another building for the resident girls. This was named Scott House, in memory of the head mistress who started our school. It was not only the boarders who were increasing in number, but also the day girls — indeed, our day school is so large that in 1924 it was found necessary to add six new classrooms and a wonderful new gymnasium. The latest and most popular of our new additions is a swimming pool, which was opened in October, 1926. Our present number of girls is 250, which has grown from 70. Surely when the present is so encouraging, the future holds even more promise of prosperity and greatness. FRANCES SMITH, Form V.

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J bitoual Above the ancient door of Branksome Hall in Scotland, that castle from which we so proudly take our name, stands this motto: In varld is nocht nature has vroucht yat sal lest ay. Thairfore serve God, keep well ye rod, thy fame sal nocht dekay. In the world there is nothing nature has wrought that shall last forever. Therefore, serve God, keep well the road, thy fame shall not decay. It is a good motto, but perhaps Miss Scott, while taking the name, thought the motto rather long for girls, and so she chose our own motto, Industria et Scientia — Industry and Knowledge. We have another motto in our school, too, for the prefects have for their own special motto: Live pure, speak true, I 11 I 17

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The: Branksome: Si ogan 19 The Influence of Envirnom Canada, it is often said, is one of the youngest countries in the world, and yet we never hear these words repeated with scorn, for even now it is recognized as a land of astounding present prosperity and of even greater future promise. It is a land in which we are proud to dwell, not only because of its vastness and its hidden riches, but because of the charac- ter and achievement of the people whose possession it is. That character and achievement are known to all the earth. If they had not been fully recognized be- fore, they were made manifest by the deeds of the sons of Canada on the fields of Flanders and on the battle-scarred ridges of Picardy. The spirit of the Canadian people is the spirit of Vimy — a name which no Canadian can utter without emotion and pride. If our land has already produced men of that sort, we need place no limits to our hopes of what our nation one day may be. I should like to mention one or two of the factors which make us confidently believe that the Canadian people will go on from strength to strength until, in the arts of peace, they will prove as con- summate as they have proved on the fields of war. I will not say much about the physical influences of the land itself, al- though these are by no means inconsider- able. The climate, especially in the north and west, demands and de velops a hardiness of the bodily frame which tends to make our people capable of severe and sustained toil. There is, however, one physical influ- ence to which due emphasis should be nt on the Canadian People given. In Canada, and particularly in that part of it in which we dwell, we have a mingling of Arctic and almost Tropical beauty. The white garment which shines in the sunlight of a Toronto winter day will, in a few weeks, be changed for the garment of many colors — red, orange and green — of the Cana- dian summer. Two other nations have the benefit of such contrasts and some day these contrasts will produce an art and a literature all their own. The great Rus- sian writers discovered their solemn mes- sage amidst the Russian snows. The great Italians found theirs amidst the al- most endless summer of the Mediter- ranean, but the Canadians are touched by both types of beauty and will learn one day to blend them. The chief influence, however, which plays upon us for good is the influence of the pioneer spirit. We cannot pay too great respect to the brave men and, perhaps, the still braver women, who, with their own bare hands, tamed nature to their own uses and peopled the loneli- ness with homes. They have bequeathed us the legacy of a spirit which has re- moved the word impossible from our dic- tionaries, and has taught us that by shar- ing one another ' s burdens we may make our lives richer and more strong. The spirit of brotherhood is the spirit of Canada and it is this that makes us confident that God will hear our prayer. Lord of all lands, make Canada Thine Own. MOLLY SCLATER, Form III. Spring When the beautiful spring time comes. And the sap from the maple runs. And grass begins to get green. The little birds here are seen. Time Flowers pop out of the ground. Tulips and snowdrops are found, Robins soon come on the scene. And everything starts to get green. MARY KINGSMILL, Age 12.