Elmwood School - Samara Yearbook (Ottawa, Ontario Canada)

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SAMARA 19 Bobby Gray is with the United States Legation here. When we go in to get our visas we always get the impression that the officials think we are a notorious character trying to flee the country, so it ' s nice to see a face who knew us when we were res- pectable students. Diana (Kingsmill) Gordon-Lennox is work- ing for the New National Health League. Cairine Wilson is active in all Welfare work with the Children ' s Aid, possibly taking first place. Marjorie (Barron) Anderson is back in Ottawa after a few months in Dunnville, but Lilian (Gardner) Hyndman is still there. Sheila Skelton is teaching in the high school at Sudbury. Among the many young Elmwoodian matrons at present making their homes in Ottawa are: Rachel (White) Garvock, Ann (Creighton) Southam, Janet (Southam) MacTavish, Frances (Bates) Stronach, Nini (Keefer) McDougalJean(Workman)Castonguay, Isabel (Bryson) Perodeau, Claudia (Coristine) Black- burn, Maryon (Murphy) Rhodes, Jocelyn (White) Blair, Joan (Shearn) Dewar, Peggy (Crerar) Palmer, Christine (MacNaughton) MacDougal, Enid (Palmer) Wotherspoon, Dorothy (Hardy) McPhee, Florence (Coris- tine) Carter, Cynthis (Hill) Campbell, Ethel (Southam) Toller. HOT SUMMER AFTERNOON THE heat seemed to have penetrated every- thing. Even the faint breeze was lulled by the hot sum.mer sun beating down on the green earth. The lake was turguoise; glint- ing and shimmering in the sunlight with a thousand twinkling lights. Mirrored in the still water was the lake-side, on which the tall pines were motionless; no ghostly rustling moved their branches. The ground seemed to wither under the all pervading heat. In the water the young fish sunned themselves, only moving to dart after some unsuspecting fly or mosquito. A snake lay on the rocks at the lake-side lazily moving its tail in the hot sun. No noise disturbed the tranquility save the hum of a distant aeroplane. Anne Binks, Form VI Matric. Keller. A PRAYER FOR OUR FIGHTING FORCES Oh God, to whom we look in hours of need, Look down on us to-day. As here I kneel before my lowly bed Lost in prayer for those away. Oh God, please watch and guard them from all harm. Be with them through the night So when dawn breaks once more across the skies It will bring the end to this long dreaded fight. To those in planes that fly through blackest hell, Please be to them their guide. On land may they bring quick defeat to those Who now have wandered from your side. When victory once more is gifted to our race And we again live happily in peace. Oh God, please answer them this prayer That hatred, war and prejudice may cease. Amen Betty Hibbard Fry Form Vb. Answers for KNOW YOUR ELMWOOD: 1. In 1915, as Elmwood Preparatory School. 2. Because the samara is the fruit of the elm. 3. To those who fought and died for Service, Fellowship and Fair Play, in the World War. 4. Mrs. Hamlet S. Philpot. 5. Mrs. Norman Wilson, Mrs. Harry Southam, Mrs. Edward Fauquier, Mrs. Hamlet Philpot. 6. Five times. In 1930, 1933, 1935, 1936, and 1941. 7. In 1925. 8 . Summa Sumar um ' ' — Highest of the High . 9. Fry: In societas humanas — Friendship to all. Keller: Ex aequa et bona! Fair play. Nightingale: Non nobis solis — Not for ourselves alone. 10. The daffodil. Mary Osier, Form VI M. Fry.

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18 SAMARA Crocket has an interesting job with the PoUsh Embassy here. She is always so busy, that no one ever sees her except our popular Allies. The Navy moved the Curry ' s to Esquimault last Spring, so Margaret is living out there with her family. Mimsy Cruikshanks is working in Washington with Nelson Rockefellers Pan-American group. Betty Carter, Anna Wilson, Clare Borbridge, Hope Wattsford and Gerry Hanson are in the C.W.A.C. All happy in the service, we hear. Nancy Doane and Muriel Inkster are draft women at R.C.A.F. Headquarters here. Jane Edwards is attending Trafalgar this year, and is about to blossom out into a glamour girl any day now, just like Sue did. Betty (Fauquier) Gill is in England, a driver in the M.T.C., as are also Pat Gait and Elizabeth Kenny. Ailsa Gerard, Pat Macoun and Gaye Douglas are working in the government. Shirley Geldhert is stuffing knowledge under her flaming locks at the University of Toronto. Esme Girouard is working in Air Vice- Marshall Bishop ' s office at R.C.A.F. Head- quarters. Three of us are burning all night incense to a new Muse. The Documentary Film has reared it ' s hydra head in Canada and Jane Smart Marsh, Betty Hamilton and Cecily Sparks have become it ' s hollow-eyed hand-maidens. Jane is one of the National Film Board ' s most talented producers and script-writers. Hammie works for the Film Board too, as a sort of messenger extra- ordinary and assistant plenipotentiary to sundry geniuses and oh-dont-they-think-they- are-geniuses. Cecily works for Crawley Films who produce documentary films. She does all kind of interesting things, includ- ing sound cutting, operating the camera, editing, and script writing, etc. Katherine Inkster, besides being treasurer of the Old Girls Association, is a district visitor for the Ottawa Welfare Bureau. Dorothy Leggett is teaching gym at the Ottawa Ladies ' College. Julia (MacBrien) Murphy has started her twins in the Elmwood Nursery School, so that she had time to do a wonderful job of organizing the canteen for the temporary buildings at the Experimental Farm. Peggy (Marr) Webber has two men to be proud of ... . her son Michael because he ' s so cute, and her husband Michael because he took part in the raid on Spitz- bergen. Jean (Perley-Robertson) Wright was living in Edmonton for a while this year, but she is in Ottawa now. We don ' t quite know where Maria Pe- trucci is now, but we were all glad to hear that, due to the intervention of the British Government, she and her father got safely out of Teheran after the trouble last year. Pam Kingstone, Winnie Newton, Sue Bourinot and Marion Monk are in the Nursing Service of the Red Cross. Mackie Edwards and Susan Kenny are at McGill. Dorothy Wardle is in her final year at Queen ' s, and is the first girl to become President of the Queen ' s A.M.S. Congrat- ulations Dorothy! Gill German is coping with the domestic situation at home, and working three days a week at the Red Triangle, which is something of a record. Muriel and Katherine Inkster, Cecily Spark ' s, Elizabeth Newcombe and Peg gy Webber devote one night a week to the Triangle. Cynthia Sims helps at the Red Cross Blood Donor Clinic. Margery Woodward also helps there, when she is able to spare some time from her arduous job as assistant secretary at Elm- wood! Frances Bell is at the Royal Victoria Hospital in Montreal. B. B. Eraser is at McGill, and Joan Eraser is in the Red Cross Office Administration Corps. Elizabeth Newcombe and Anne Perley Robertson are in the Office Adminis- tration Corps too. Barbara Watson and M. M. Blair are attending the University of Toronto. Mary Malloch and Barbara Ross are work- ing in the Bank of Canada. Mary (Craig) Desbarats has returned to Ottawa from Halifax.

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20 SAMARA . letter from Mi it J eal We were so glad to hear from Miss Neal, who left Elmwood in April, 1940, to return to England, after nineteen years of devoted service. April 18th, 1942. Dear Elmwoodians, I was most interested in hearing from Mary Osier about the Bazaar which you held. How unitedly you all must have worked to gain such a large amount for The Red Cross Fund and this shows me that all the traditions which Elmwood stands for are still being loyally upheld by the pupils each succeeding year. My thoughts are often v ith you all and I can well pic- ture the busy scene and happy time you had in preparing and carrying out this new venture. I have written individually to many of you — but fear owing to enemy action much correspond- ence has gone to Davey Jones ' locker, as no reply has arrived. I congratulate Fry on her achievements with the House Play but I hope that Nightingale, in June will have the honour of her name on The Shield. We are now having double summer time, and at present Black- out is not until 9.30 p.m. How we appreciate the longer daylight! I am at last getting more used to the vagaries of English climate, but have missed the bright Canadian sunshine, and the central heating. Now owing to further war restrictions severe economy is necessary in coal, gas, and electricity. These are to be rationed on point basis. Each p ' ' =on is allowed 36 points a month for canned goods and cereals. To-day I sur- rendered 16 pts. for a tin of Boneless Rabbit from Australia, 12 pts. for Pineapple from Malaya and 24 pts. for Pork Sausage Meat from U.S.A. So you gather the points soon vanish. Still we are well fed and the health of the Nation has not suffered in anyway. Meal ration is now l -per person per week. Clothes etc. are also rationed but this so far has not worried me. During the winter of 1940 and 1941 we went through bad air raids. No one who has not had such an experience can fully appreciate the joy of these last 6 months of being able to sleep safely in one ' s own bed, in the bedroom upstairs. Here we suffered badly and I shall never forget the night of April 16th when from 9 p.m. to 5 a.m. German bombers droned overhead dropping flares high explosive and incendiary bombs, fortunately our house received no damage. We are now revelling in Spring, and Nature has once again awakened, with hyacinths, and daffodils blooming in the gardens, and on our road, all the almond trees are in bloom. Everywhere one sees people digging and planting so that we can have more food and so save shipping. We have a large piece of the lawn dug up, and now planted with carrots, onions, beets, potatoes, etc. but our front garden will again be a riot of colour with pink phlox, fuschias and dahlias. It is noted in the neighbourhood, for its magnificent and varied blooms of dahlias, and in war time many folks have mentioned how it has cheered them to see such a floral display. Owing to domestic workers being called up to make munitions I have no help except a daily person who comes some mornings, so I have learned to do household duties and have be- come guite domesticated instead of training the young idea to shoot normally and happily, I am now cooking meals on rations and making 50c worth of meat a week last as long as pos- sible. Very little entertaining can be done, but people are becoming much less reserved and speak to one another, in shops and passing on the streets, or in gueue. I have visited guite a num- ber of schools, (Mr. Neal being Vice-Chairman of the Education ' Committee) and spoken to the scholars about Canad a, sports, school life, and of my visits to many of the beauty spots in the West. I should love to have letters telling me of your doings. Wishing you all good results for your years work, and a good Sports day with no mosquitoes!! and happy holidays. With love. Yours affectionately, K. A. NEAL.