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

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HEADMASTER ' S REPORT Honoured Guests, Parents, Friends, Faculty, Senior Class and Students. It is a great pleasure to warmly welcome you to this the 20th recognition ceremony held since Brentwood was re- established on this beautiful site in 1961 . As this day represents the single opportunity for me to report to our parent community, I feel no great urge to try to be brief. To the contrary, excited as I am by this oc- casion and stimulated by it, I quite happily will reveal in some detail the 1980 81 story of Brentwood. To launch into a summary of our academic position, may I refer to a lead headline in a local newspaper which provided statistical evidence pointing out that ap- proximately 11% of high school graduates in British Columbia continue their education to post-secondary levels. This fraction represents a decline over the pattern of recent years. It is interesting to note that 81% of this year ' s senior class have already applied for post- secondary study. Whilst I hope that this school shows a deep concern for qualities such as responsibility, beauty, creativity, humour, self-discipline, self-sacrifice, and service, the aforementioned statistic is not only a reminder of the academic orientation of Brentwood but also it is a reflection of the sense of urgency with which students today will respond to their natural inclination to learn if the school and family units are doing their job in the way that I think is being carried out at Brentwood. Undeniably, however, we must check the quality of the Brentwood education against whatever external stan- dards can be found, so I will mention some particularly outstanding achievements with the hope that it is felt that the school had something to do with the quality of work produced by the students whose names will be raised. A Provincial Chemistry Award, through a Canada-wide competition, was won by Miss Ruth Buchanan, who also gained admission to Harvard, Princeton and Yale. The University of Victoria invited 24 students from the province to be presenters at the Humanities and Science Symposium — two of our students, namely Nicki MacLaren and Simon Monckton, were among that number, and four other students were asked to attend as observers. I would be remiss if I did not mention last year ' s provincial scholarship winners, namely Wendy Bellham, Julian Craddock, Angie Gerst, Chris Rolfe and Garry Ullstrom. This year a team of junior mathematicians in the school in Grades 9, 10 and 11 had results which topped all schools in British Columbia with the group finishing 14th overall amongst students representing over 1,100 different Canadian schools. In addition, graduate Terry Van Vliet applied to the Canadian Officer Training program, was selected, and will receive educational benefits valued in excess of $30,000. Each year the Province of British Columbia awards 24 scholarships to students who are outstanding not only academically but in respect to athletics and the con- tribution they make to their community. Last fall it was announced that Tim Christian of last year ' s graduating class was to receive one of these awards and this month it has been announced that a member of this year ' s graduating class, Bonnie Robinson, would be a recipient. These inspirational achievements notwithstanding, their unchallengable validity as student accomplishments unquestioned, may I emphasize that the task of educational self-appraisal cannot be completed with reference only to the accomplishments of the gifted. How well are we doing with those students whose main

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However in the days before School opened an old Chevrolet drew up. Three elderly ladies and one elderly gentleman all dressed in jeans and T-shirts got out and they came in and said to me that they would like to look around the School. So I introduced myself and asked them their names and they possibly didn ' t hear me again as they didn ' t say anything, and I took them around the School, And I gave my name again and they still didn ' t say anything. Finally I said, You must tell me who you are, just for the record . And the lady in the forefront spoke up and said my name is Mrs. Unkenford. Immediately the dollar signs started flashing and I thought this is great . Particularly when she said and I ' ve got something for you. I expected her to produce a basket absolutely crammed with $100 bills. Well, she went to her car and she certainly brought something in. But the something was two old photographs and a firescreen which had been woven by the boys in the old school. She climbed in the car, said goodbye, and I have never seen nor heard from her again. Sir Michael Butler referred to fees. You know, it ' s happened since the School started. The Headmaster has always objected and the Governors have always said yes they ' ve got to go up. Well, one year this happened to me and the usual notice went out. Unfortunately, this year the secretary typed a little bit of an error. She spelt annum — the fees were going up to$2,500 perannum, only she spelt it a-n-u-s. One of our doctor parents un- derstood what it meant and why it ha d to be, but he wasn ' t going to pay that way. He was going to pay as he always had done: through the nose. I remember the first day we took girls. This was surely, in my view, at least the greatest day that the school had . We campaigned vigorously and even visciously on behalf of these young ladies and ultimately we were successful in getting permission to have girls. The first year we took 17 of them and now there are 80. It ' s incredible. But it ' s absolutely beautiful and ladies, you have made so much difference to this School that it ' s just incapable of being aescnoed. I think it ' s absolutely magnificent and academically you have done the boys a great deal of good but more than that, socially you have supplied something — I ' m being very serious now — you supply something which is very much missed and I think the School now has the perfect emotional status for its students. Also for its staff. There were three groups of people who made this School work. Four really, if one includes the students. The first group of people are the Governors and we started this School with the most immense group of Governors that you have ever seen and although the individuals have changed they are still the most remendous group of people you will ever meet. The Governors are the people who run the School you know, and they don ' t pay much attention to the public relations aspect, but financially they run the School, they make it possible, they provide support for this School to operate, and the Governors when wft started, were the most unbelievable Deople. as indeed they are now. And ihe other people to whom reference has already been made — I won ' t mention anything more about them, are the staff. And thirdly, of course, the parents. Your graduation day is one of the most important days of your life and you are certainly not about to sit there and listen to any great sermon from me. But I just want to tell you the things upon which we established this School, the things upon which the Governors agreed and the staff agreed when it first started and the things upon which the Governors and the staff agree now. First, we think that discipline is very important, but not just discipline. Not just the Army, Navy, Air Force type of discipline, not the unthinking, unyielding type of discipline, the type of discipline which goes along with hair, and attention to people and their needs, but disciplined discipline. Discipline has always been the number one priority in this School. And the next thing, we want you to be concerned with and to work in co-operation with other people. We want you to get along with other people. And the friend- ships that you make at this School, the friendships you make at this School, the friendships that may split up today, temporarily, will remain with you forever more. The people I went to school with many many years ago I am still the greatest of friends with, because I went to this kind of school. And you will find the same thing. The associations that you have had in this situation are magnificent. And this is the second most important point with which we all agree. And the third thing is this: the desire to participate in activities. Not only academics. I agree that academics are the most important activity of all in school. But you shouldn ' t stop there. The participation in all aspects of life is just as important as academics or anythingelse. So just don ' t imagine that you come to school here for the sake of academics. I know very well that you don ' t imagine this as you ' ve been through all this for many years. But that ' s an important point to pass on to the people who are coming up. And the third and last point is the desire to contribute to something for the sake of the contribution and not for the sake of money. The Governors of this School have always given of their time and of their efforts and of their money. They don ' t get any reward at all, except the satisfaction of seeing the thing work. And that ' s the kind of contribution which we have been trying to point out to all of you. Remember the motto of the School: De Manu in Manum — From Hand to Hand. Now you have been the receiving hand up to today. From now on you go out and be the hand which gives all these things to young people, your sons and daughters, in due course, and all the others. I hope that some of you will become Governors one day but of all I would say that the most important thing is to give what you have learned to people with whom you are associating — young people with whom you are associating in the years to come. I want to wish you all the very, very best of luck in the future. You will remember today, of course. But remember all your school days. Remember all your school friends and remember to pass on what you have learned from hand to hand. David Mackenzie June, 1981 Now I don ' t want on this occasion to give a long lesson.

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strengths lie in areas other than academics? How careful are we in assessing whether or not a student is indeed making full use of his her intellectual resources? How adequate is the preparation for scholastic life outside of this relatively small but structured school community, are examples of the questions which must frequently be addressed. I assure you that I do indeed seek answers to such inquiries: your faculty does and must: the students have and must continue to participate in this most im- portant critical process. Indeed, I would be greatly remiss if, as your Headmaster, I was not trying to promote an open climate in which valid praise and just criticism can flourish. By so doing we hope, on a day to day, class by class basis, that we can keep our academic work at Brentwood strong. I cannot extend this function by providing you with detail about the individuals and groups in the school who have excelled in athletics and the arts. Although our recognition ceremony was held last Saturday, I will nevertheless take a few moments to review the highlights. In painting and drawing John Pulos was awarded a first prize in a local poster contest. In the Cowichan Regional SprinR Fine Arts Fair our students took five out of a total of eight awards, led by Kathy Giles, Douglas Jung, and Julia Schenck. I believe it is impressive to note that this small school had five entries judged exceptional by the B.C. Young Artists Biennial Exhibition Committee. Four pieces of art work were accepted for the final exhibition which will tour the province during the next two years. In another local Cowichan Valley exhibition involving all schools in the Duncan region, in a total of four possible award areas our students took three of the prizes. In Pottery, again at the Cowichan Arts Fair in April, Adam Wensley, a member of the graduating class, took first prize. The record continues in Creative Dance as we entered dance categories in the Victoria Regional Festival and shared the Victoria Secondary School Trophy with a senior school from Saanich. The Choir and the Band presented two concerts in the Brentwood Auditorium and two in Vancouver. The Choir won the Reimer Award competition in the Victoria Music Festival. In voice competition, in the same festival, winners from this school were Ben Butterfield and Erin Thrall. In the per- formance area, however, the music and dance depart- ments combined with the Drama Club to present Guys Dolls. Last year I was able to safely say that our production of Oklahoma!! represented an exceptionally fine effort. With all due respect to that fine show, however, I have to say that it was surpassed by Guys Dolls. The performers, the stage crew, the student technicians for sound and lighting merit considerable praise. To single out individuals would be wrong, so the entire cast, 70 in all, plus the supporting crew and the directors are to be thanked for a wonderful production. The athletic side of the school was equally impressive and successful. Again, we are tempted to measure suc- cess by the number of victories or a comparison of the win loss columns. To do so would be wrong, however, because the physical conditioning, the self-discipline, the self-exploration, the attitudes which arise from par- ticipation in games are in the end much more important than the win! These truths notwithstanding, a recap of the features of the year deserve mention. I n track and field the senior boys team was third overall in Vancouver Island competition, led by Mark Williamson who was named the top athlete in both the Vancouver Island and British Columbia track meets. He is an out- standing athlete who undoubtedly has a future on the national and international athletic scenes. Our junior track was also strong, with Keri Young and Skip Barrett leading the team to impressive showings. The Rowing Club had another extremely successful year by placing a clear first in all of four major regattas, including an aggregate win over universities from Washington, Oregon and California. Perhaps the most significant development in the Rowing Club was the depth of strength at all age and weight levels. The heavy eight was not challenged by any other school and the senior girls four defeated the 1980 U.S. Youth Team. The Club, their coaches and captains, David Ross, Daryl Oakley and Bonnie Robinson, deserve to be commended. The girls ' Field Hockey Club, led by the inspirational play of Captain Anne Evamy, had its most outstanding season, culminating in a successful United Kingdom tour in April, where they won seven, lost five and tied three games. Despite having a total of 80 girls in the school, we believe that we were probably the fourth best team in the province. The senior Soccer Club, captained by Rory Carr, won the Independent Schools Trophy, and the Rugby Club, at the first XV level, fell one victory short of capturing the top position. The tennis teams had an excellent season, winning the senior boys ' trophy and placing second in the girls ' division. Whilst I could go on, because of the intensity of the level of par- ticipation I will not do so in the interests of time. However, it would be wrong not to mention the non-competitive area of Rambling and Community Recreation. Mr. Wingate and his students continued their valuable work in the Salmonid Enhancement Project and because of their service to the community in other ways, eleven were awarded silver medals by His Honour the Lieutenant Governor Henry Bell-Irving and two others received their bronze. I do not have a complete summary available from the Swimming and Scuba Diving programs; however, in this last term alone 74 students received recognition at various levels of the Royal Lifesaving Programs. Special congratulations go to Alison Ranger and Douglas Jung for qualifying as National Lifeguards. At the end of this ceremony I will have more to say about the Cycling and Rowing Clubs as their efforts will not finish with the close of school later this afternoon. As we expect our swimmers to use their expertise in support of community water safety programs, it is ap- propriate to turn now to two senior students, namely Kathy Palfy and Alison Nunn. At their private initiative these young ladies responded to the Provincial Gover- nment ' s program entitled Counterattack , which represents a fight against the abusive use of alcohol and, in particular, to highway safety. Out of the 40 applicants to this program, 11 received awards, and two of those