Branksome Hall - Slogan Yearbook (Toronto, Ontario Canada)

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Page 4 THE BRANKSOME SLOGAN EATON ' S HAS JUST TWO WORDS TO SAY ..ITHANKYOUr We at Eaton ' s are very glad to have met such a direct young person, who represents her school. She is the one who guides our activities planned especially for your group! Our Young Shops are geared to meet your needs, fashioned for your busy lives, stocked with the items you want, for every day use and special occasions. It is a challenge for us ... we think you will like the way we have met it ! EATON ' S Jan Cavanagh THE STORE FOR YOUNG CANADA

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YEAR BOOK, 1965 Page 3 DEAR GIRLS: The philosopher Aristotle once said, ' Happiness is the meaning and the purpose of life, the whole aim and end of human existence . Superficially, it means different things to different people but there is one point on which all philosophers agree and that is that true happiness stems from a quality within ourselves, from a way of thinking of life . Abraham Lincoln expressed it this way, ' Most folks are about as happy as they make up their minds to be , while Marcus Aurelius said, ' Very little is needed to make a happy life. It is all within yourself, in your way of thinking . The philosophers all point out the importance of having something to do, congenial work, something to hope for, and something to be able to do for others. Search selfishly for happiness and she eludes you; forget yourself, and lol she becomes your companion. When I look at you girls, both those who are graduating and those who have only travelled part of the road, I realize the truth of these observations. We are said to have a happy school and I believe that it is partly owing to the fact that so many of you take part in so many worthwhile activities whether they be games, helping in various organizations, or being generally useful wherever needed. Certainly those who are happiest are those who are able to forget themselves. Last summer I attended the meetings of the Canadian Headmistresses ' Association held in Vancouver and Vancouver Island the first week in July. When the meetings were over Branksome graduates in Vancouver held a tea at the Tennis Club which was attended by women who were Branksome ' girls in 1903, by recent graduates and a sprinkling of all age groups between. There were mothers of small children; some with grown-up families who now have leisure time; there were university graduates and there were career women. We had a happy time together and I was interested to hear of their interests. The woman who called for me at my hotel was going the next day to entertain a girl who was being allowed out of the reformatory for a day. She was planning what she could do to make it a happy day and one that would help give the girl some needed self-confidence when s he was given her freedom. Another Alumna could not be at the tea because she was in charge of an art exhibit that was being shown in the Gulf Islands. Someone else was going to give some weeks ' volunteer service to an organization similar to Bolton Camp. These were all cheerful, happy people. Many of you, too, throughout this past year have known the joy of helping others not so fortunate as you. One of you will be winning a prize for service at the end of the year. You all have your dreams of what you hope life has in store for you. If you are able to think of others and do something for them, even in a small way each day, you will have tapped one of the greatest sources of happi- ness and will be able to say with Edwin Markham, May God bless ail those who go out from us to a wider life, and help those of us who return to broaden our horizons and do our duty according to our several abilities. ' Ah, great it is to believe the dream As we stand in youth by the starry stream; But a greater thing is to fight life through, And say at the end, The dream is true f '

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YEAR BOOK, 1965 Page 5 EDITORIAL A school without spirit is like a sailboat without wind. Both school and boat may have the essential materials to perform their functions — the school with teachers, pupils, desks and chalk ; the boat with skipper, crew, hull and sails, but it is an intangible element that makes the diiference between a winner and an also-ran. A sailboat without a heaven-sent gust of wind cannot make progress : a school without spirit cannot successfully fulfil its aims. What is school spirit? To various individuals it has diverse connotations. To the student who has perhaps just passed her first year at Branksome, it is a series of wild, exhilarating cheering-sessions at class, clan and school sports events. Or it is polishing two hundred pairs of shoes in order to make her grade victorious in the Ramabai Contest, or wrangling two ads in order to ensure winning the cake in the Slogan Contest. At this point spirit means the enthusiasm which is imperative in order to attain a goal — to win a prize — or to come a very close second. But once a girl has spent a few years at Branksome, her initial concept of School Spirit undergoes a metamorphosis. As she becomes more familiar with the traditions of the school, she sees that although it certainly is magnificent to be victorious, external victory is not what she has really been seeking. Her aim is an inner success — the satisfaction of knowing that she has done her all — her best — and that no one could ever ask for more. It is obvious that external and internal glory cannot always concur, but the girl who has spent some time at Branksome knows that it is the feeling of inner contentment that is her subconscious goal. School spirit seems to be used mostly in reference to the field of sports but it has other appHcations. In our own school song the aim of Branksome Hall can be extracted from the lines, Up then ! truest fame hes in high endeavour Play the game, keep the flame Burning brightly ever. This is the core of the elusive spirit that fills our halls and classrooms, and lays the firm foundations for a very strong character — the will to try that is ingrained in every Branksomite. These soHd foundations prepare the student for a successful life after she has left the hallowed halls of her Alma Mater. Sir Henry Newbolt ' s words written in honour of his great awareness of schoo l spirit seem extremely suitable for the kind of goals that should, do, and will govern the lives of Branksome girls throughout their lives: This is the word that year by year, This they all with a joyful mind While in her place the School is set, Bear through life like a torch in flame, Every one of her sons must hear. And f alhng fling to the host behind — And none that hears it dare forget. Play up ! play up ! and play the game ! ' ' KRISTINA SZANDTNER,