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

Page 8 text:

SPEAKER ' S ADDRESS [AN ABRIDGEMENT OF THE ADDRESS OF MICHAEL BUTLER TO THE GRADUATES OF 1979] I have the feeling that Mr. Ross got his phone numbers mixed up when he called me about this address. As a matter of fact, I was certain of it the day after his phone call. I live across the inlet so I can see the school from my home. And there was this great pall of murky smoke wafting across from Mill Bay, obliterating all vision. Knowing Brentwood ' s propensity for fires I thought, My God, the headmaster is burning down the school rather than have me for prize day. But then I listened to the CBC and heard that it was just the Mounties at the Cowichan Dump burning up 35 tons of Columbian marijuana. A most wasteful extravagance — I feel sure that if Bill Bennett had had any say, he would have given away 5 free ounces to every resident of British Columbia. Anyway, I understand that the wind was from the north- west that day and that some of the masters have not got their heads together since. Speaking of masters and fires — I hear that the master of The Boy on the Burning Deck and other such sagas was seen coolly watering down his petunias while Whittall House burned. There is some one with his priorities straight. And what about Mr. Queen? The cat — the Jensen — and lastly Whittall House. As a matter of fact, I was previously taken by surprise some years ago when asked to become a governor. But that choice was soon explained — the former headmaster was packing the board in order to get a favourable vote to enrol girls in the school. Not that I am alone on that. The present chairman of the board of governors advanced his election on the strength of his well-researched and witty report to the board on this same subject. However, I do have one additional personal credential. I come from that still very small group of families in which there are three generations of old Brentonians. First there was my uncle — among other accomplishments he helped build the chapel. Next came myself and my brother. While my brother was in the old school, it mysteriously burned down, sparing only the chapel, in deference no doubt to our uncle. But my brother turned adversity to advantage — he parleyed all his school contacts into a successful practice as a social divorce lawyer. He has not sent any of his kids here — he tells me he likes the fees at Prince of Wales High School better. I do not want you to get the idea however that my brother is cheap — because you will find out otherwise if you ever get a bill from him. But as I was saying there has been a third generation — four sons of mine — all very dissimilar — all of them great talkers however. In fact the last one would have been here with you today if a couple of years ago he had not got into a shouting match with an assistant housemaster and talked himself right out of the school. Advice number one then from my speech — learn when to talk and when to shut up. And if you think that ' s a hint that I am nearly finished, you are dead wrong. Advice number two next. This is an address directed to you, the graduates. However, I cannot ignore that here today are many of the crowned heads of Vancouver, Edmonton and points east and west. Because, but for them, you graduates would have all gone to Westside High and been gorging constantly on MacDonald ' s french fries instead of on Mrs. Hallet ' s. Those french fries cost your parents a lot of money and they deserve at least a passing thought. Your parents, that is, not the french fries. Fathers and mothers, then, for a moment only. A friend who was advising me on what to talk about today said, Tell the young graduates not to embarrass their fathers. Well, I would like to turn that thought around just a bit. Parents, do not ever be embarrassed by your kids. Today they are being unleashed upon a very un- certain and rapidly changing world. From now on they have to find their own way. And they are going to make mistakes. They will do outrageous things, but also I am sure some generous and unselfish ones you may never hear about. Be supportive of the good, but do not turn your backs on them for the bad. Don ' t follow them across that line which your own principles do not let you cross — but always be there to welcome them back if they have regretted crossing it. And if the worst comes to the worst, move into a one-bedroom house. So now I have ninety-two eager and shining faces to whom I must direct my wordly wisdom. A mixed lot I suspect. At the extreme there are those few of you who will get 4

Page 7 text:

VALETE GEORGE MALBY This year we bid farewell to Mr. George Malby who has been with us but one year teaching mathematics and physics. He began and gave great impetus to a wrestling programme as well as stimulating interest in the Stock Market. He leaves us to continue his career in the world of business and we wish him all success in the future. MAISIE RAINEY It is with great regret that we say goodbye this year to Miss Rainey. She has given great service to the school, initially as librarian and assistant housemistress in Hilton House, and latterly as Senior Matron. She has brought a degree of cheerfulness and compassion to her role which will be missed greatly. We all wish her good luck and good future in her visit to New Zealand. BETTY COCKER Mrs. Betty Cocker joined our nursing staff some three years ago after having held senior nursing positions in Edmonton hospitals. Her good humour and firm friendly approach ministering to the halt and lame will be sadly missed in the Health Care Office. She joins her husband in returning to the Alberta capital and our sincere thanks and best wishes for a happy and successful future go with her. BRIAN GRAFTON Dr. Grafton leaves us after two years during which he has taught English and been responsible for the Bren- tonian, both with considerable success. A keen photographer himself, he has brought his experience to the Brentonian publication and the Photography Club as well as coordinating the entries for the U. Vic. Sym- posium. He has given considerable impetus also in the area of journalism and creative writing. We all wish him every success in his future endeavours. 3

Page 9 text:

all the praise today. You are the ones that today seems really to be all about. I do not want to take anything away from you — it is your day. I got a few prizes on just such a day as this some thirty-five years ago. But then they had no one else to give them to as I was the only boy to pass senior matric in five years. Those prizes did not make me any better than all the others. They reflected what I had already done — not what I was going to do. So, Valedic- torians and the like, listen to me as I talk to the others. Tomorrow — that is if you survive tonight at the Village Green or wherever, even you Jim Baird with your champagne tastes — all of you, you are basically on your own. Brentwood has done what it can for you — and we thank you for what you have done for the school. I might say the school is a very different one from my day. The war years were bad ones — and there was little leadership, so little response from the students, com- pared with today. If you had removed classroom doors at that time, you would have probably left them all at the septic tank. I tell you this to show you that things have changed a lot. You have had a school that has given you a great deal of knowledge — practical as well as academic — and you are expected now to put that to use — to your own advantage and to the benefit of others. And your first and most important task now is making a decision for yourself, about your future. One more personal interjection from the past — the last one, I promise you. A while after I left school, I went to live with my father in England. After a few months, he got tired of my sitting around the house, drinking his gin. He did not mind me drinking it, he just resented my watering it down for him — so he let me know one evening that I had a choice of either working with his accountant or with his lawyer. He said that I could choose between them after a luncheon with each. The lawyer drank three gin and tonics, a bottle of wine and a couple of brandies with his lunch and talked about nothing but mountain climbing and winters in Switzerland — so here I am today, a lawyer, not an accountant. Thus, while I did not have the school life you had, I was not expected to make my own decisions either, the way you are. I do not know whether I envy you your freedom and your uncertainties. Because one thing is for sure. The world is not going to beat a path to your door. Nowadays nothing is going to happen to you if you just sit around dreaming great dreams, planning great plans and bemoaning the lack of money and help and opportunity. You are ahead right now: it is in your control to stay that way or to lose your edge very quickly. There will be lots of company in that quicksand of self-pity, despair and disarray. But most of that company did not have the background or the breaks you have had. By all means, you have got some time now, so do not hesitate to waste it, if you want — but waste it con- structively for yourself. Get out, see things, do things, experience that there is a whole other side of Canada and the world that you know very little about, a lot of which you have been lucky to miss. Go ahead, be a little selfish too if you want — this is not advice you would usually hear in an address like this because that is a tricky course to follow. However, I have faith that you will not let your selfishness hurt others — and that you will only be selfish long enough to solve your own uncertainties and then will be generous enough to help solve those of other people behind you. I guess that what I am trying to say to you all, is, whatever you do, participate. I think our part of the world at last is finally getting over those rather puritan stock criteria of what success really means. But therein lies a trap. Because while now you can do and be anything without too much criticism, this leaves it more up to each one of you than ever before to find your own place. So you have to take charge of your life. For goodness sake, take charge. And let ' s see you — each one of you — back here at Brentwood soon. Success or apparent failure. Let us participate with you as you with us in your continuing life. Not all the old Brentonians at the annual weekend are or should be jocks . Not all the governors of the school are or should be successful businessmen or parents. This school is moving with the times — that is probably its greatest strength. And we can go on learning from each other. So that ' s it, budding Beethovens, Einsteins, and Roth- childs. One of you may make it that far — but the rest of you, of us all, must be content with our smaller successes. It is a personal, a subjective world in which you will take part — just measure up to it, in your own light. And once you have, you will have the equivalent not of a one- bedroom house but of a fifty-bedroom palace at your disposal — and you might just even want to invite your parents over for the weekend sometime. June23, 1979 5