Central Collegiate Institute - Analecta Yearbook (Calgary, Alberta Canada)

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| ' HRKh or lour years ago, the members of |p§fof|!V the 195 3 graduating class ventured i|P, - M M irresolutely into this ancient edifice of learn- | ing. Tonight, upon taking our leave, we have somewhat the same feeling as we had % during those first days here — a feeling of bewilderment and desolation, for we are entering a new phase of our lives. We are happy, and yet we are sad. What student would have thought, those few short years H | ago, that he’d ever be sorry at the prospect of bidding farewell to this old, and then seemingly unimpressive school. Confused, and slightly apprehensive, we were first introduced to Central High. To our joy, the fears and doubts, existing ■ entirely in our minds, proved groundless, and as time flew by we grew to be part of this small, yet virtually ever active school. The atmosphere was friendly, and a helping hand was ready should one falter. Together we cheered our teams in victory, and swallowed our sorrow in defeat. Together we watched, with overflowing admiration, our scholars and athletes on Awards Day. We struggled with our maths., languages, and sciences. Through our clubs and interschool activities we gained practical knowledge. Because we learned that there is no short and easy road to success, our most important achievement was the acquisition of perseverence and determination; further¬ more we grasped the true significance of co-operation through our realization that humanity will never successfully survive unless it adopts some form of universal compatibility. Yes, our sojourn here has truly been rewarding. At this time our thoughts naturally turn to those who have made tonight an actuality—our principal, and our teachers. Mr. Weir, who has always been a friend and a guide, is also saying good-bye this year. A more sincere and conscientious principal we could never hope to have. May we extend to you, sir, our most heartfelt thanks. We can never adequately express our appreciation to our teachers, so greatly are we indebted to them. They have coaxed, prodded, pleaded, and reprimanded us, and in return they have suffered, I’m sure, a thousand and one mental anguishes. Their nerves have been strained to the point of breaking, indeed often beyond. They are the bulwark of humanity. With their thoughts and inspirations as a perpetual beacon, we shall go forth through the fog of the future. And so, dear old Central, through whose; corridors we have walked, in whose classrooms we have studied (more often not), and whose walls have so nobly borne the brunt of our bruises, we are sorry to leave. No matter how eventful the future may be, our high school years will remain forever treasured among our memories. We shall never forget you. —RAPHAEL ENGLE. 11

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r Ualedlicta ' i f - ' itthe beckoning future. As we look back over wA mtm S r 3m, ° ur school life, we realize that these last years spent at Central High, have been, un- v .J r Mi« doubtedly, the hardest, but also the happiest. J| and. in many ways, the most memorable y Central High School will always stand for || certain definite things m our memories First H (.1 all this school will stand for a sound edu¬ cation which has given us the opportunity to I attain further ambitions, whatever they may be. An education of that kind calls for teachers of the highest qualifications and character. We have had such teachers. We have never been able, and never shall be able, fully, to express our gratitude for all that they have done for us. The school stands, too, for association with one of the finest groups of students to be found anywhere, for a wealth of never-to-be-forgotten friendships made by working and playing together, loyally, enthusiastically, and—for the most part—harmoniously. In achieve¬ ments, both academic and ahtletic, we are proud that our school is second to none. We hope that we have done our part to keep up the great tradition! The fame of Central High has been built up through the years under the leadership of Mr. Weir, who has for the last eighteen years been its principal. This class of ’53 is the last to graduate in Mr. Weir’s term of office. We should like, therefore, to thank him, with special emphasis, for all the devoted service he has given to the school, and to us, and to wish him, wholeheartedly, a long and happy future. At the same time, we wish to welcome Mr. Foser, who, next year, will be the new principal. We hope that during this past year at Central, he has grown to like us as much as we have liked him. On this graduation night, it is fitting that we think of the future, for, come July, we shall all be scattering to follow the paths of our choice. We know that we, as Canadians, are among the favored of the earth. We rejoice that we live in a free land, a land which is overflowing with opportunities. At the same time we must never forget that freedom and opportunity have their responsibilities. It must be our task to take advantage of those opportunities and to preserve that freedom. This we can and must do by carrying out the standards of responsible citizenship, the foundations of which we have learned here, in our high school years. And so to you Central High, we give our thanks for all that you have given us—education, friendship, ideals of citizenship. We hope that in the future you may be proud of us, as we are proud of you. —LEONOR HAW. 10

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' “THIS, our 38th Year Book, marks the end of an era in the history of Central High School. Our principal, Fred D. Weir, retires at the end of June and to him we have the honor of dedicating the 1953 Analecta. Fred D. Weir was born at Guelph, Ontario, the son of a Baptist minister, the Rev. Wm. Cornett Weir, B.A., B.Th. He started public school in Everett, Washing¬ ton, moved with his parents to Toronto. Ontario and passed his High School Entrance Examination while attending school at Carle- ton Place, Ontario. His high school work was likewise taken at several places. In 1901 he entered the Carleton Place High School, moved two years later to Georgeton Ontario, and finally to Waterford, Ontario, where he obtained his Senior Matriculation. Mr. Weir then entered the Simcoe Model School where he earned his Ontario Teacher ' s Certificate; later he gained his Alberta Certificate at the Calgary Normal School. This was followed by a period of teaching at Clear Creek, Bailieboro, and Riverside in Ontario. In 1909 F. D. Weir entered McMaster University then located in Toronto. While at McMaster, where he obtained his B.A. degree, he won five university scholarships and still found time to play on the rugby team and to be a member of the track team. Our principal’s connection with Central goes back to January 1914 when he joined the staff as an instructor in Latin. A year later he moved to Camrose to become principal of the Practice School of the Camrose Normal. From September 1919 to June 1922 he taught Latin at Central. When East Calgary High School was opened in 1922, F. D. Weir became its first principal, a post he filled until September 1935 when he returned to Central, this time as principal. Under his leadership Central has become the outstanding academic school in the province. Fred D. Weir’s educational philosophy might be summed up in the statement that the function of an academic high school is to give her students a sound basic preparation for further work at a university and that other activities are secondary to this objective. That this was done at Central has been proved by the long list of matriculaion scholarships won each year by Cenral students and by the frequency of the names of Central graduates in the honor lists of the University of Alberta and other universities across the country. The other activities also have had their place at Central during F. D. Weir’s principalship, such as the athletic “Grand Slam’’ of the school year 1950-1951 and the winning of the Ferguson Memorial Trophy this year. To Principal Fred D. Weir we say good-bye. Central will long re mem¬ ber you. May you and Mrs. Weir have good health and long years in which to enjoy well-earned leisure. 12