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

Page 9 text:

Our Fine Arts programme, something which we have been trying to improve above anything else, is fast reaching a stage where it certainly needs no assistance. ' The Gondoliers ' was well received, the choir impressed, and the art was unrecognizable over previous years. We finally have teachers of exceptional calibre without exception, and the future of this area of school life seems very bright. So far, this report largely resembles a headmaster ' s speech, but I now start commenting on faults, so here it differs. We had one major shortcoming in the school this year, and even then it is perhaps an unsolvable one. Apathy riddles all public schools and most private schools, including Brentwood. Considering, however, that we had a graduating class who were willing to in- itiate things, it was unfortunate that it became so apparent at this time. This is not to say that all the graduates were people who found satisfaction in starting things, or had the talent to do so. But many had the will, and this outshines any other quality when there is a force behind it. People are easily disillusioned by lack of support, and we became so. This school can and needs to be changed in many ways, even teachers are willing to admit mis- takes, and the Headmaster is always open to change, whatever any of you may think. We here hit the age- old problem of com- munication, which has recurred through history and been lec- tured upon countless times. It is even a favourite word of the young at present. Instead, you, and in this I include many members of Grade 12, preferred to sit back and complain among yourselves, and complainers only annoy and certainly do not con- vince or change people. The most sensible changes this school can make are those advised by the students, for you live and hopefully thrive under the system, and you certainly know what you dislike about it. The Grade 12 ' s speak because they have to speak. It is from them that changes are made, because they supposedly carry your likes and dislikes. Evidence of your dissatisfaction is that nothing was ever further from the truth. The Headmaster operates as unreachable, although he has repeatedly said that he is not. He will be receptive to your comments, he will appreciate your views, as long as they are sensible. He would not be a good headmaster if he didn ' t, and a poor headmaster wouldn ' t have lasted for thirteen years at a school of Brentwood ' s calibre. I leave the problem in your hands. If you consider it as such, you will do something. If you think it is unsolvable, which it may well be, this school will never be what it set out to be. Since this replaces an editorial, I suppose I should say something of this magazine. Unfortunately, this suffered as much as anything else from apathy. I do not blame you for that, for much of it is my fault. You were informed but not made in- terested and I eventually thought, in all my conceit, that I could write and produce the whole thing myself. That conceit quickly changed to fact — I did do the whole magazine myself, but I do not say that in pride, for I was too quick to refuse the help of others. There are mistakes in this book, and I take full blame for those. There are a few poeple I could thank, but they know who they are, and I think that that is probably enough. I offer my gratitude to you, and wish there were more like you. I would only mention the Headmaster, who allowed me to try it in the first place and certainly had numerous reasons to relieve me of it, but who let me finish it. This is one facet of school life that does need changing. But it is not something that one should rush into without considerable thought, something which I did and now regret. I am satisfied that I produced this magazine, but I realize that the manner that I did it in was detached. We all learn by our mistakes. And now to the future. As the 1973 school year opens, we have perhaps what is finally a staff without a weak link, although that again is a retrospective observation, a drive to update the school and add many new buildings, and many new goals to reach for. We have long-range plans and more immediate ones. People often say that this school is striving for the best it can achieve. That is true, for we should always be looking for as high a goal as we can practically attain, and even higher. The essence of progress is characterized by Tennyson ' s timeless lines — To strive, to seek, and not to yield. That is what the future of Brentwood College is all about. 1

Page 11 text:

STAFF HEADMASTER D. D. MacKenzie, M.A., F.R.S.A. ASSISTANT HEADMASTER T. G. Bunch, B.A. IN CHARGE OF HOUSES A. C. Carr, M. A Senior House A. L. Golden Alexandra House R. V. Lironi, B.A Privett House N. R. B. Prowse, M.A Ellis House J. L. Queen, B.Sc Whittall House ACADEMIC STAFF J. Boel H. Brackenbury, B.A. W. J. Burrows, B.Sc. J. E. Davies, B.A. I. R. Ford, M.A. J. B. Garvey, B.Sc. D. G. Hudson, B.A. J. Johnston, M.Ed. J. G. Kempster F. Martin, B.S.A., B.L.S. H. J. Martin, B.A. R. Orr, M.A. R. Pitt, CD. W. T. Ross, B.A. D. Yellowlees, B.A. NON-ACADEMIC STAFF L. M. Crookston R. F. Stanley, M.D MissR. M. Ball, R.N. Mrs. M. Fenton, R.N. Mrs. J. Foster Mrs. J. E. McLure O. Finnegan K. McAlpine Bursar Medical Staff Headmaster ' s Secretary Bursar ' s Accountant Maintenance Grounds Maintenance Buildings