Elmwood School - Samara Yearbook (Ottawa, Ontario Canada)

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14 SAMARA and Norman Wilkes, besides many others including a performance of Cjn-ano de Bergerac. We spent a very enjoyable evening early in December at the Chateau Laurier when Wilson Macdonald read aloud some of his poems. He had previously done us the great honour of coming to Elmwood to read us some of his beauti- ful poetry, and on that occasion had offered a prize of one of his poems in his own writing to the Elmwood girl who wrote from memory the longest list of Canadian poets. This prize was won by Mary Rosamond, and the poem was most beautiful in every way, and is valued not only for its own beauty but for the beautiful writing and colour design, in which Mr. Macdonald is an adept. THE RAPIDS I walked along a woodland path. When, from a valley merging, I came upon a wondrous sight Of giant waters surging. They skipped and pranced along the gorge. And then, in torrents rushing. They dropped a hundred feet and more To hurry on a-gushing. And in and out and round about Played nymph and watermew, While dancing here and flitting there. The rainbow fairies flew. But still I see them in my mind, Those crystal waters foaming; And ever fancy that I hear The music of their roaming. — Betty Gordon, Form III.

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SAMARA 13 Do you know who my room-mate is? What are the new girls like? Oh, I do hope my room is on the new floor! These were among the first remarks we heard on September 15th, 1926, when the boarders returned from the holidays. It had been found necessary to furnish the top-floor entirely during the summer, to accommodate more of us. Thirteen bedrooms, five bathrooms, a large art-room, various roomy cupboards and trunk-rooms met our eager and delighted gaze — but most important of all a most cosy and artistic sitting room for us — the senior boarders. This year, too, the tennis courts were finished and have been a delight to all, but especially to us, as only boarders were allowed on the courts after four o ' clock. During the winter they were tunred into a skating rink; it is doubtful whether we most en- joyed skating on it or clearing it off! We found changes, too, in the resident staff, which now numbers six. Miss Soame and Miss King have returned to England ; Miss Hancox and Miss Craig are now here and in addition we have a trained nurse, Miss Hulbert, and a gymnastic and games mistress Miss Myers, with us this year. We hope the new mistresses are having a very happy year with us. In the autumn we played a Badminton tournament with the day-girls and needless to say, were victorious, but our triumph was short-lived — as soon after they defeated us at basketball. Mrs. Buck has taken or sent us to a great many delightful en- tertainments this year. Among them were those given by Ruth Draper, William Heughan, the Westminster Choristers, Elly Ney,

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SAMARA 15 OLD GIRLS ' NOTES My dear Old Elmwoodians, I am taking the opportunity offered by the School Magazine to write to you all collectively to tell you of our hopes of forming an Old Girls ' Association in the near future. I am sure that you will all agree that we are now sufficiently grown up to have an organization of this sort. On looking back through the records I find that over two hun- dred pupils have been enrolled. Many left in the days when we were very small, particularly the upper classes, and went to board- ing schools in Canada or abroad. Three are married. Surely that sets the seal on our grownupness ! Many of you have shown in various ways that you value your associations with that somewhat delapidated, rambling old home- stead which once housed us and from which has sprung our present beautiful building. It is always a very great pleasure to me to welcome any of you here and I should be very happy if as many as possible of the old girls could meet at Elmwood one day in June and make plans for future reunions. I shall be very glad on this occasion to arrange hospitality for the night for any girls coming from a distance, who may desire it. Definite invitations will be sent out early in June. The progress and welfare of the school are so very much in the hands of its old pupils that I am hoping you will feel able to re- spond readily to this suggestion that past and present pupils should have a closer link. Yours affectionately,