Brentwood College School - Brentonian Yearbook (Mill Bay, British Columbia Canada)

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existed. The Team ' s suggestions that the College should develop a Department of Fine Arts teaching Drama, Music and Art, and that the number of boys should be raised to 350 could not be imple- mented in the near future as it involved the expenditure of some two million dollars. Having talked at length about the Downey Report, the Head- master dealt quickly with the other activities of the year. He was delighted to announce that the 1966 Graduates had achieved 70 passes in 72 papers written. These had included one 1st Class Scholarship, and two 2nd Class Scholarships. It had been a magni- ficent year in Sports. (Details are in the Sports Section of the maga- zine.) The Flying Club contained 14 boys with licences, and the College presented two Dramatic productions Pygmalion and Hors d ' Oeuvres , the 1967 College concert. There were no staff changes for the year 1967-68. Mr. Orr was to be married in the summer and would move into Whittall House replacing Mr. Rees. Tribute was paid to Mrs. Hallet and the kitchen staff, Mr. Finnigan and the gardeners, and the Head Prefect, Michael Ohman. In conclusion the Headmaster addressed the Graduates, wishing them luck and expressing a hope that they continue the disciplines they had learned at Brentwood. He warned that freedom without disci- pline is licence, and advised individualism, not negativism. They could express their individuality by criticism, but their criticism should always be constructive. It was hoped the Graduates would visit the College, and the Headmaster and Staff are always delighted to see them. The Registrar and Dean of Students at the University of Vic- toria, Dean Jeffels was then introduced by the Headmaster as a doll — the description by the Headmaster ' s daughter who had been at the University of Victoria. Dean Jeffel ' s rebuttal took the form of an extract from the letter sent to him by the Headmaster inviting him to speak. Brentwood is renowned for the shortest Graduation Ceremony on record. I give an address which is con- stantly interrupted by the Flying Club, barking dogs, and the atten- tions of passing seagulls. No-one listens. Having thus satisfactorily disposed of the Headmaster ' s introduction, Dean Jeffels assured the Graduates that his topic was not crossing the threshold of a new adventure — a topic he himself had endured on many occa- sions. Instead he would attempt to examine and define the student ' s manners and mores. In the Classical tradition he would produce the universal by examining the particular which was in this case 4

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GRADUATION DAY Graduation Day 1967 was held in glorious sunshine on June 24 in front of Senior House. At 2 p.m. the School Flying Club held their fly-past and then the Headmaster welcomed the large number of guests. He devoted most of his address to describing the activities 1 PREFECTS Standing (I tor) Fred Hayes, Glint Cripps, Randy Howarth, John Mitchell, Bard Haddrell, Darwin Watt, David Farris, Brian Scott-Moncrieff. Seated (I tor) Don Tansley, Arne Dahl, Robert Leaf, Michael Ohman (Head Prefect), The Headmaster, Ralph Dale, Brian Kenning, Mark Stone, Philip Stothert. of the team of investigators from the University of British Columbia who, under the direction of Dr. Downey, had examined every aspect of life at Brentwood College. The Downey Report, which will be published probably in July, commented favourably on the calibre of the teachers and the teaching, the food, the physical programme, and the morale of the School. It was critical of the Prefects ' system, the library building, and recommended that there should be more experimental teaching, a swimming-pool and that the half-term holidays should be longer. The Headmaster commented that the teaching was limited to a certain extent by the demands of the Government examiners and that plans for a new library already 3

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his own days at the University of Cambridge just after the war. The students at Oxford and Cambridge were the most eccentric in the world and the British system of State Scholarships meant that the criterion for entrance was brains not blood. Soon after his arrival he had been informed that Cambridge gives no degrees for attending lectures and taking notes. It might be more advisable to drink beer and match wits in the Junior Common Room. He was amazed by the clothes of the undergraduates, but soon found that he too was affecting the crumpled look. The lecturers came in for a certain amount of admiration for they delivered their papers whether anyone were there or not. If after a few moments those who were there took out the Times newspaper and read the ads or did the crossword puzzle, the lecturers remained unperturbed. They took no offence and none was intended. Dean Jeff els then gave an hilarious description of a Cambridge tutorial. Once a week he endured this ordeal, always preceded by an essay crisis involving blood, sweat and tears. After a pleasant chat about the latest Footlights Revue, rugby or the beauty of the daffodils in the College gardens a glass of sherry and a biscuit might be produced. No -one at this stage seemed the least interested in beginning the tutorial. Eventually in a thin, reedy voice a name would be mentioned by the tutor (it always seemed to be Dean Jeffels ' name), followed by the dread summons Well, what about this thing you have prepared on the French epic? Immediately the tutor would slump down into his chair and appear to go soundly to sleep. At the conclusion he would reveal that he had in fact been listening very attentively by proceeding to rip to shreds the offering. On an essay that the student considered superlative, and on which the greatest care had been taken would be placed the highest accolade — the lean praise of Good show. An essay that the student considered first class would be granted the comment Barely fair, and a passable essay would evince No comment. After these hilarious and at times lyrical descriptions of a student ' s life in England, Dean Jeffels came to the core of his address. At Cambridge he had seen in practice those qualities which had made the British educational system what it was. The British student learned self-criticism, perseverance and stamina. He hoped that the Brentwood graduates would find similar qualities at the University of Victoria — a stimulating, intellectual climate where there would be excitement for the mind and charm for the spirit. Dean Jeffels concluded with the words of his Cambridge tutor Good Show and God Bless. 5