Daniel McIntyre Collegiate Institute - Breezes Yearbook (Winnipeg, Manitoba Canada)

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D. M.C. I. BREEZES 33 be told how to spend our leisure time ? As a people we, like our triends to the south, are largely faddists in rec¬ reation. At first it is the professional, then the amateur, then the ridiculous, goofy golf, table tennis, now yo-yo. Anything for diversion and immedi¬ ate excitement. No blame to us. We need it. Recreation must be pursued somehow and somewhere, so if we cannot drink, cannot smoke, cannot read or play professional, let’s play yo-yo. It is of no use any longer asking whether one leisure or recrea¬ tion is revenue bearing. We don’t want such leisure. We play as ama¬ teurs—for the good of the sport, and our recreation is a diversion of spon¬ taneous expression of natural procliv¬ ities, or animal complexes. Hence, bludgeon the first man who speaks any longer of planning one’s leisure hours, and massacre all who would standardize recreation. It is our own sweet time to do as seemeth us well. E. H., R. 58. THE ADVENT OF MORNING The morning stars are fading fast As o’er the hills, a gleam, at last Of bright sunshine beams forth To brighten Mother Earth. The Watchman high up in his tower Has called the last long nightly hour; The nightingale in rest and ease Slumbers among the trees. The cheery lark has ta’en his flight, And o’er the world the soft, bright light Steals softly, warming all things through And drying up the dew, Until at last all things do rise; Above the dawn, high in the skies The sun in glory doth appear, Glorious, golden, clear. W. S., 58. AN APPEAL FOR THE SUPPORT OF THE LEAGUE OF NATIONS Fellow Canadians! Thirteen years have elapsed since mankind witnessed the most dreadful catastrophe in the history of civilization, and almost thirteen years since the formation of that most powerful peace-making ma¬ chine, the “League of Nations.” The most blood-life struggle that tried all nations had ended and resulted in the establishment of an International Peace League. Was that disaster es¬ sential to the European nations of 1914? That disaster where ten mil-

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32 D.M.C.l. BREEZES ony of a long ride. The “saddle” is a leather “oojah,” due south of the “handlebars,” and is rather handy for sitting on when tired. A small vanity bag is fastened to the “saddle.” The “mudguards” are usually found cling¬ ing to either wheel; on the hinder one will (or should) be found a small piece of red glass—this is a bad imi¬ tation of the will o’ the wisp. The “pedals” are small pieces of rubber attached to the larger of the smaller wheels. To move this vehicle, the novice should drop into the saddle from some elevated place, seize the “handle¬ bars,” place the feet on the “pedals,” and try to run. It will be found that the running action turns the wheel which turns the other wheel, which, in turn, turns the other wheel. Having thus started, it should not be difficult to continue—if the road is downhill. Cyclists should keep to the right- hand side of the road, as it is more convenient and the air is apt to be clearer. To have the fastest vehicle on the road extend the left arm hori¬ zontally and all other vehicles will stop, or, at least, should. If the novice sets out after 4 p.m. it would be ad¬ visable to carry a flashlight, to recog¬ nize a policeman. If all these rules are strictly ad¬ hered to, the cyclist may be safe for a few minutes. (Sgd.) PEDLAR. EDWARD GILLIES Ed Gillies, Room 6, who may justly be styled Chief Staff Artist of “Breez¬ es” 1930-31, is deserving of liberal praise for his many excellent posters, blackboard sketches and other artistic contributions which have gone far to promote the success of our year book and other school activities. We wish him continued pleasure and profit in his art. LET ’S GO! Recreation, in the form of physical exercise or of play, is an essential means of restoring poise and tone. It is here that the brain worker has an advantage over the so-called man¬ ual laborer, for he can turn with re¬ lief to physical activity, whereas the manual laborer cannot turn as read¬ ily to mental activity. The reason for this is that many kinds of man¬ ual labor are wrongly called so be¬ cause they require a considerable amount of alertness, decision and dex¬ terity involving more brain activity than some kinds of clerical work, which are largely routine. Also, phys¬ ical weariness affects the nervous sys¬ tem and makes the brain incapable of strenuous mental effort. At the close of a day’s work physical ex¬ haustion has usually reached such a degree that little advantage can be taken of educational opportunities. Therefore we have the tendency of workers to resort, in the leisure hours, to amusements that entertain a pas¬ sive mind, rather than those which demand one’s attention. The “picture shows” owe their great popularity over that of the drama and the con¬ cert not merely to cheaper prices and “lowbrow tastes,” but to the tired bodies and the strained nerves of the audience. Mental fatigue, arising from mo¬ notony and a lack of interest in life is accountable for the resort to forms of excitement like betting and gam¬ bling, or to narcotics as tobacco and alcohol. Alcohol presents a means of escape from irksome conditions of life. It is notable that drinking and gambling are resorted to by those who are either too tired or too bored to be able to occupy their leisure in more beneficial forms of enjoyment. However, let’s have freedom in ex¬ citement—even at the expense of sys¬ tem or uniformity. Why should we

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34 D. M. C. I. BREEZES lion innocent men lost their lives; where millions died in the filth and horrors of trench life; where millions met death in a thousand ghastly shapes; the miseries of men scream¬ ing in agony at their wounds, the shell-shocked, the blinded, the dis¬ abled and the maimed? Was not the organization of the League of Na¬ tions of vital importance to prevent any such future struggle? Must we continue to have future wars, or are we going to prevent them ? The war- clouds are again rising as in 1914 and we would not like to see the destruc¬ tion of our civilization which has al¬ most reached the peak of its glory. Must not, fellow countrymen, a strong determination to prevent war be made? and is not the League of Na¬ tions the only means of nations to get together and bury their animosi¬ ties, settle their international dis¬ putes and problems, and unite in the furtherance of peace ? Is it not our duty to give our whole-hearted sup¬ port towards the maintenance of the League of Nations ? Listen to the lament of Viscount Grey, that if there had been a League in 1914 there would have been no war. Is it not that the League does what the gov¬ ernments desire, and that the League can succeed only if it has the right attitude ? This, fellow citizens, de¬ pends on you who elect these govern¬ ments. Is it not true that public opin¬ ion first rallied round the League as the sole hope of a shipwrecked world, and is not public opinion the heart of the whole matter? Does it not behoove you, my Canadians, to do your utmost to assist the League by whatever means possible, and prevent future wars? How many wars could have been prevented or avoided in the past if the quarrelling governments had been persuaded to wait a little while until their differences had been settled by an impartial body, and the whole matter had been given some publicity! Think of the huge debt and the enormous cost involved in the past wars. In round figures the last war cost four hundred billion dollars. To illustrate what this gigantic sum means, Mr. Mulholland recently stat¬ ed, “You could give to every family in Canada, United States, Australia, England, Wales, Ireland, Scotland, France, Belgium, Germany and Rus¬ sia a home costing $2,500, with one thousand dollars’ worth of furniture and five acres of land at a cost of one hundred dollars per acre; and in addition to that you could provide for every city over two thousand in population in all the countries named a library costing five million dollars, a hospital costing five million dollars, and a University costing ten million dollars. Then you would have a sum left for investment in perpetuity at 5 % per annum sufficient to hire one hundred and twenty-five thousand nurses, and one hundred and twenty- five thousand teachers, and still have sufficient money left to purchase and pay for everything of value in France and Belgium!” This enormous sum of money could have been used instead by the countries involved in war for the development of their varied in¬ dustries. Let us prevent future strife and unnecessary wars and let us, by means of the efforts of the League of Nations, have peace. A. H., R. 18. Among those who spent the 24th of May week-end at Selkirk are—Jim Duncan, James Duncan, Jimmy Dun¬ can (Apologies, Jim.) Wanted—A mechanical apparatus to do Geometry propositions and, if necessary, to report at four. Apply to Room 13.