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

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GUEST SPEAKER ' S ADDRESS Our world has become a pretty complicated place with changes happening so rapidly that it is almost impossible to keep up with them. It is a different world than the one that 1 was brought up in at your age. We didn ' t know about television and the marvels of communication; we would have laughed at any suggestion of playing golf on the moon; we would have scoffed at the idea that a man ' s life could be prolonged by transplants of the heart and other organs; and the model T Ford provided very satisfac- tory transportation. Today you take for granted the ad- vances of Science and Technology and Medicine that have recently been developed. Up to now you have lived a pretty sheltered and pampered existence, accepting the miracles of today without question. Your parents and grandparents grew up in a different world and had different values, attitudes, and expectations. But you should realize that, in spite of two great wars and a devastating depression, they managed to pass on to you the advantages that you now enjoy — and they did it by hard work and sacrifice. I am not going to preach to you about how fortunate and privileged you are, but whenever I see a modern school with all the facilities such as you are used to, I think of the first school in which I taught over 40 years ago. It was a liny log cabin with dried mud between the logs. A hole in the window was stuffed with rags. When the little wood- burning stove smoked too much, we opened the windows until it became so cold that we had to close them again. In the mornings the ink in the ink wells was solid ice. There was no running water and there was no electric light. And the modern conveniences were in the woods. The seven or eight pupils came to school on horseback or trudged through the snow. For lunch they had a bit of bread and sticks of garlic. This was all that the children knew about the modern conveniences of life and all that they expected of life. But they were healthy and happy and had no con- cern about an unknown future. I think that you should remember that some of our great Canadians had just this kind of background and managed to build this great coun- try of which we are all so proud. Fortunately, we have moved a long way from that kind of world. Now you know that you face an unknown future that will be exciting and challenging. The possibilities are no longer in the area of science fiction but are real. In a recent speech a cabinet mmister suggested the following possible developments in the future: domes covering deserts and arctic regions to be used for agricultural purposes; orbiting greenhouses; energy from stars; the regeneration of diseased and damaged body parts; mental telepathy may put Bell Telephone out of business; direct links between computers and our brains. Only our imaginations limit the possibilities and you will be part of these developments. How exciting for you! Now how has your schooling prepared you for living in this fast changing world? Obviously, what you learn today may be out-of-date tomorrow — but this does not mean that it has no value. You have learned some basic and es- sential skills — at least I assume that you have. I recently read of a case in the States where a boy was suing his school board for $1,000,000 because he had not been taught to read. You have been exposed to much material which you have already forgotten. In case some of you feel a little discouraged about your results, let me tell you that schools aren ' t always accurate in their assessment of a pupil ' s potential. When Thomas Edison was a boy, his teachers told him that he was too stupid to learn anything; Isaac Newton did poorly in grade school; Einstein was four years old before .he could speak and seven before he could read; Beethoven ' s music teacher once said of him, As a composer he is hopeless. ; and Winston Churchill failed the sixth form in grade school. So don ' t be dis- couraged; who knows what genius lurks in that head of yours? But I think that there are some things that you have ab- sorbed that will be of value in any kind of world of the future — and I think that you have learned them at Brentwood College. You will no doubt label me as old-fashioned and square when I speak of those things that I hope that you remember and that will give you a greater chance for hap- piness and satisfaction in life. Truth and honesty still pay big dividends; there is a joy to be experienced from reward for hard work that cannot be found in hand-outs; tolerance, thoughtfulness, and respect for the other fellow bring satisfaction; there is a difference between good and evil, between right and wrong, between honesty and dis- honesty. And the difference is important. I hope that you have learned that you, a human being, are an amazing machine, possessing a body, an intellect, and a soul. You take very great care of your motorbikes, yours cars and your boats. Your own machine deserves even greater care and should not be abused or allowed to rust or run out of gas. I hope that you have learned to develop your intellectual muscles, and to judge, to criticize, to analyze, to make decisions. You should have learned, too, to care for your bodies — to take pride in their development, and to shun those abuses that destroy them. And I am sure that you have been building a code of moral values that will always support you. Regardless of the kind of world you live in tomorrow, you will find these basic principles will see you through. The challenges that you face are very exciting. There is some tendency today for people to withdraw in frustration and say that there is nothing that they can do about the dangers of pollution, the population explosion, the deple- tion of resources, the poverty in the world, the production of food, the power of government. You can and must do something about the quality of life on this planet; you must become involved in creating a better world. It is said that to move one grain of sand on the beach is to change the course of the universe. We look to you for our future leaders. You have been given a wonderful start by your parents and by Brentwood College. Now you must work towards the development of your great potential which you will never fully use. I have great faith in you young people and I am sure that you will work successfully towards the solution of the world ' s problems. We live in a wonderful world and it is worth sav- ing for future generations. But to save it will take the best use of your intellect, your skills and your energy.

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DANA ACKERSON (1972-1973) 1st XI Grass-Hockey Badminton Club Rowing Gondoliers GRAHAM ANDERSON (1970-1973) 3rd XV Rugby Swimming Team Volleyball LEONARD APPLEBY (1971-1973) Privett House Prefect 5th XV Rugby Flying Club Gondoliers Band ERIC BAPTY (1971-1973) Head of Ellis House School Prefect 1st XV Rugby Track Team Cross-Country Team