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

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THE STAFF HEADMASTER D.D. Mackenzie, M.A., F.R.S.A. ASSISTANT HEADMASTER T.G. Bunch, B.A. SENIOR MASTER and DIRECTOR OF STUDIES W.T. Ross, B.A. IN CHARGE OF HOUSES A.C. Carr, M.A Rogers House, Science Miss Ann L. Holden, B.A Alexandra House, Biology R.V. Lironi, B.A Privett House, Geography, English J.L. Queen, B.Sc Whittall House, Physics Mrs. M. Wichlinski, B.A Hilton House, French R.S. Wynne, B.A Ellis House, English, Geography ACADEMIC STAFF Mrs. N.P. Arthurs, B.A French, Spanish, Latin H. Brackenbury, B.A Mathematics W.J. Burrows, B.Sc Mathematics, Science R. Cameron, M.A French, Spanish, German R. Common, B.A English, History R.G. Cooper, L.L.C.M Music (Instrumental and Choral) M. Cullin, B.A English, History, Art I. R. Ford, M.A English, Latin J.B. Garvey, B.Sc Mathematics, Science H.J. Martin, B.A Geography, History A.E. Nicoll, B.ED History, English, Economics R.G. Pitt, CD Physical Education Mrs. D. Pitt Swimming N.R.B. Prowse, M.A History, English P.J. Simmons, Dip. Ed Mathematics, Science Miss M. Rainey, R.N Library, Art PART-TIME STAFF J. Boel Junior Band Mrs. J. Brackenbury, B.A Remedial English J.L. Johnson, M.Ed Choral Music J. Kempster, CD Art Mrs. L. Ferreira Ceramics REGISTRAR Mrs. J.D. Mather NON-ACADEMIC STAFF Bursar L.M. Crookston Adminstrator H.L. Williams Medical Staff R.F. Stanley, M.D. Miss R.M. Ball, R.N. Mrs. M. Rumsby, R.N. Headmaster ' s Secretary Mrs. J. Lanyon Bursar ' s Administrator ' s Staff: Accountant Mrs. J.E. McClure Secretary Mrs. A. Le Poole Travel Arrangements, Stores, Etc Mrs. B. Little Catering, Etc Mrs. E. Hallet Laundry Mrs. I. Deloume Maintenance Foreman Grounds K. McAlpine .0. Finnegan

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BRENTWOOD COLLEGE SCHOO Mill Bay, B.C.

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VALETE Miss Rita Ball Miss Ball, who joined us in 1966 from her post as head of nursing at Trail, B.C., retires this year to her sister ' s home in the Okanagan. It is rumoured that she has bequeathed to Miss Rainey her trusty thermometer and a large jar of aspirin, and has assured her that judicious use of these items will keep at least 95 per cent of the school out of sick bay and on the rugby field. We wish her a long and happy retirement. Mr. Robert Common Mr. Common, who joined us from Queen ' s three years ago, leaves us this year to take a position at the new Outward Bound school at Nippigon, Ontario. He will be greatly missed by the whole school, but especially by his group of ramblers to whom sleeping in snow-caves, swinging from crag to crag, and canoeing down impossible rapids has become a con- suming passion. Speaking seriously, he has brought the gift of a great love of the peace and serenity of the wild open spaces to us all at Brentwood. We wish him happiness in his new post. R.V.L. VALETE D. D. Mackenzie Long service at Brentwood College brings many rewards, but I regard it as a singular honour to be asked by the Editor of ' The Brentonian ' to write the Valete for David Mackenzie. Pleasant though it is, the task is not without difficulty. Where on earth am I to start with a man whose interests are so numerous and varied? Obviously with Brentwood College, for I am sure that David would regard this as the greatest achievement of his life. Although Brentwood College was founded 54 years ago, the School, as we know it, is largely a creation of David Mackenzie ' s. When, in the late 1950s, he had the idea of start- ing a school; it was a lucky accident that there existed a group of Old Boys of an establishment that had burned down in 1948. They supplied a ready-made Old Boys ' Society, and, by and large, the original Board of Governors. They would be the first to admit, however, that the new school bears lit- tle relation to the old, and, enthusiastic as has been their sup- port, the school exists largely because of one man. Just as Brentwood College under David Mackenzie was different from the old school, so, I feel, will it never be quite the same again. 1976 marks the end of an era, the ' Mackenzie Headmastership. ' Although the school has changed enor- mously in the last 15 years, it has always borne ' the Macken- zie stamp. ' Hard as this is to define, I shall attempt to do so. Anyone who has met David Mackenzie must be impressed by the incredible enthusiasm of the man. Sometimes this has led to ' boyish excess ' and to what the Staff has felt is a monopoly of his time by his latest craze. How often has a Staff member found it impossible to see David on some urgent business, because this was the time set aside for play- ing in the School band, or jogging. And yet, in retrospect, he was the most accessible of Headmasters because he loved the Common Room, and its banter. He obviously regretted the move from the old M.C.R., next to his study, to the new premises some 70 yards away. How often has the Staff sought to find out what was the School philosophy, but David would not be pinned down. Looking back, I now realize one of David ' s greatest strengths was his ability to improvise. But it frequently was harrowing to be involved with some major policy change, such as going Co-Ed, where the nitty-gritty detail had been ignored. How often has the Staff read some memo of the impending arrival of some new boy who was ' a terrific athlete, very musical and bright ' only to meet some ill-co-ordinated, tone-deaf Neanderthal. Only a man with this sort of enthusiasm could have had the audacity to start a school, and then to build it to its pre- sent stage of development where it is among the best schools in Canada. Who but an enthusiast could have taken the site of the old Solarium and hewn, literally, lawns, gardens and playing fields out of the wilderness? Who but an enthusiast could see good in the worst of boys, and, in the early days, we certainly had more than our fair share of rogues. I find this trait particularly hard to comprehend, as I feel much more affinity with W. C. Fields ' comment that ' someone who hates children can ' t be all bad. ' Who but an enthusiast would have had the good sense to gather about himself the amiable group of lunatics that made up the Staff in the early days, and inspired them with his own hopes? This, I believe, was David ' s greatest gift. He managed to persuade people to teach inspirationally, often in conditions that were far from ideal, and to devote themselves, body and soul, to Brentwood. Nostalgia isn ' t what it used to be, I know, and our present Staff is professional and dedicated. Nevertheless, there is a bond between the Staff of the first five or so years that makes ' newcomers ' different. We hear them talk of the length of their Duty days, and smile, for we worked from 7:00 a.m. to 10:30 p.m. They mention the fre- quency of Duty days, and we smile, for we stood Duty every three days. A not unusual day for us was classes until 3:30 p.m., Rugby 3:30 to 5:30, a quick bite of food. Staff vs. Boys Basketball, and then rehearsals until 11:00 p.m. for the Student Staff concert. We were young, we had energy, we were athletic (we boasted the best Staff Rugby Seven in the world) and we were few, which meant we knew each other intimately. And long as our hours were, we knew David ' s were longer. Energetic as we were, he was more so. Good athletes as we were, he was better. As an Olympic athlete, and International Rugby player, David had obvious physical advantages over the rest of us. Yet he encouraged all to become involved. He wanted ex- cellence, but he also wanted participation. He was, of course, delighted when, after years of playing the 3rd XV ' s of other Independent schools, the 1st XV finally won a game. He was naturally delirious when we won the Independent Schools ' and B.C. Championships. But he was, I suspect, almost as pleased when we put out 12 different XV ' s on the same day. Basketball, Softball, tennis, soccer, snowball fights, sledge runs down the driveway, skating on the frozen tennis courts — it didn ' t matter what it was, David was there. His recent interest in jogging has led those of us with weaker wills to marvel as he has braved the elements. His philosophy is ' Mens sana in corpore sano ' and he practises what he preaches. I realize I am in danger of painting a picture of a man that is just too good to be ture — a sort of cross between Dr. Ar- nold of Rugby and Lord Baden-Powell. I mean this remark cynically, with a typical 20th century scorn of ' do-gooders, ' but I suspect David would be flattered with the comparison. He is, essentially a ' Victorian gentleman. ' In an age of relax- ed morals, he often surprised us when his Calvinist streak showed through. Years of naval service meant he had a broad outlook not often found in Scottish Presbyterians, but he could be genuinely shocked and deeply hurt by some of the actions of the students. Some of the Staff concert sketches left him embarrassed. It is again typical of him that his idea of a good school concert bore many of the marks of a camp- fire sing-song. The more esoteric productions of Gil Bunch (and which of his productions is not esoteric?) David just did not under- Continued next page