Branksome Hall - Slogan Yearbook (Toronto, Ontario Canada)

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YEAR BOOK, 1957 Page 13 BRANKSOME EVENTS 1956-1957 September 6th — Opening Day. 14th — Gathering of the Clans. 14th— Old Girl ' s Basketball Game. October 2nd— ' Macbeth . 5th — Installation of Prefects. 5th — Long Week-end. 10th — Junior Sports Day. 12th — Senior Sports Day. 15th — Royal Danish Ballet. 18th— Basketball— St. Clement ' s. 22nd-26th — Ramabai Week. 23rd— Basketball— St. Mildred ' s. 25th— Basketball— B.S.S. 26th— Form V Picnic. 26th— Form IV Plays. 30th— Basketball— B.S.S. November 1st — Basketball — Havergal. 8th— Basketball— St. Clement ' s. 9th — House Dance. 9th— Short Week-end. 13th— Basketball— St. Clement ' s. 13th— Royal Winter Fair. 15th — Basketball — Havergal. 16th— Rev. Mr. John Stott. 19th — Examinations Begin. 27th — Examinations End. 27th— Earle Grey Players. December 7th— Fourth and Fifth Form Dance. 12th — Christmas Dinner. 16th — Carol Service. 19th — Holidays Begin. January 10th — Opening Day. 18th-19th— Third Model Assembly of the United Nations. 18th — National Ballet Company 21st — Second Installation of Prefects. 25th — Miss Read ' s Dance. February lst-2nd — Visit from the Buffalo Seminary. 8th — Long Week-end. 15th — Open House. 20th — Kiwanis Festival. 28th— Inter-School Swim Meet. March 6th — Inter-School Badminton and Bowling Meet. 8th — World Day of Prayer. 8th — Long Week-end. 15th— Form II Plays. 22nd— Form I Plays. 29th— Talent Night. April 5th — Form III Plays. 9th — School Badminton and Bowling Meet. 11th — Holidays Begin. 24th — Opening Day. 27th — Alumnae Dinner. May 9th — Examinations Begin. 11th — Inter-School Tennis and Baseball Meet. 17th — Examinations End. 17th — Long Week-end. 24th — Strawberry Festival. 24th — Graduation Dance. June 3rd — School Swim Meet. 5th — Closing Church Service. 6th— Junior Graduation. 7th — Senior Prizegiving. 7th — Garden Party, Readacres. r

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Page 12 THE BRANKSOME SLOGAN HEAD GIRL ' S MESSAGE ' ' Almighty God ... we pray Thee to bless this school, that whatsoever things are true, hon- est, just, and pure, may here forever flourish and abound. As another school year draws to a close, I look back upon it as one of progress in spirit, in character, and in learning ; and yet I pause and wonder. Has every girl en- tered into the school activities wholeheartedly, eager to make friends, anxious to do her part, honestly desirous of playing the game? Each of us will receive from her school life only what she contri- butes. In the years to come, we will never look back with regret on what we have given, yet we shall despair of that which we have not. Each girl has a part to play in the growth of this great school. Both the tiniest child in grade one and the prefect in the fifth form represent Branksome. All through our years in the school we must not only play the game and strive to live by our corner stones of truth, honesty, justice and purity, but also we must be a part of the spirit that is Branksome. We must endeavour to enlarge the school with a wider influence and what is most important, to preserve in it an unblemished name. Miss Read, the staff and we, the students, are that spirit of which we are so proud. We are Branksome. Let us continue to make it the school to which we may always say we are proud to belong. ' ' Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatso- ever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue and if there be any praise, think on these things. Think on these things and you too will Keep Well the Road.

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Page 14 THE BRANKSOME SLOGAN PRIZE ESSAY, 1956 ' Breathes there the man with soul so dead, Who never to himself hath said, This is my own, my native land? This quotation from Sir Walter Scott ' s ' ' Lay of the Last Minstrel appears to be a very noble thought indeed when first read, but upon closer examination I believe that its merits may be challenged. Scott ' s idea was one of fierce patriotism for one ' s native land but let us consider, what is patriotism ? Is it a good or evil power in the minds of men ? Is it necessary in the growth and survival of a nation or is it an instrument towards destruction ? Before contemplating the merits of patriotism one must go back a little to the beginning of civilization as we know it to-day. At first, humanity consisted of man and his family who did not associate with others, but lived solitary, nomadic lives. Within this group existed a form of patriotism in which each family kept together, jealously guarding its meagre belongings and often fighting viciously to protect the family integrity. The next step was in the formation of the community, and, after many centuries, the isolated families merged to bring the village into existence. During this change a great lesson was learned by humanity — to live peaceably with others and not to trespass on other people ' s rights and privileges. Although each person has a certain pride and love in his own community, he rarely tried to force his ideas upon his fellow men. In time, larger communities called nations were formed and so civilization took on a shape not unlike our present day world. Now that the background of the development of countries and its natural result, patriotism, has been established, let us liken civilization to a vast army. An army marching together towards the unknown. Each nation is represented by a battalion, each community by a platoon and so on to the very last man, everyone having a position in the march of humanity. With this arrangement of everyone working as a unit towards a common goal, lasting peace. Life is a fairly simple matter of planning and executing that plan. However, matters do not remain in this state for very long; one of the nations or battalions soon becomes so full of its own greatness and has such a feeling of love or patriotism for itself that it wants to subjugate the rest of the army. Patriotism moves it to aggression. Hitler drew a picture in blood to illustrate to us the terrible results of this type of intense patriotism. He was a colonel leading the German battalion against the world, against the rest of the army of humanity. Being filled with patriotic feelings for, and pride in, Germany, he wished