Galt Collegiate Institute and Vocational School - Specula Galtonia Yearbook (Galt, Ontario Canada)

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SPECULA GALTONIA 27 Just at the beginning of Mr. Gundry's career as Principal, came the Great War, and other things had to stand aside. Three hundred and forty- eight of the school's pupils and ex-pupils went to the assistance of their country. Forty-eight of them gave their lives in freedom's cause. In 1921, a tablet was erected in the school to the memory of those who had served in the War. On August 7th, 1923, the cornerstone of a great new building was laid. The upper story of the old building had been turned into classrooms, but the new school was needed. When it was finished, there stood one of the linest high schools in Ontario. It contained a great auditorium, fittingly named Tassie Hall, two gymnasiums, and a large Vocational Department, besides the Collegiate Institute proper. It was the School ' as we know it. In 1925, there passed away old Mr. MacGeorge, who had been care- taker of the school for over forty years, having lived on the grounds. Mac was a great favourite about the Collegiate, and he formed almost a part of the institution. In the same year came the death of Mr. Gundry. He had been ill for a short time, and during his illness, Mr. R. S. Hamilton acted as principal. Mr. Gundry had done much for the school and had piloted it through one of the greatest periods of its history. The new principal was Mr. T. H. Wholton, who had been a member of the teaching staff of the school. He took up his duties in December of 1925. The next year, a system of rotation of classes was introduced, whereby the classes moved from room to room, instead of moving the teachers as formerly. Miss Norma McVittie took up the duties of School Secretary, and lately Miss Dorothy Biehl has taken her place. We have a great school, with a splendid record. Let us, the pupils of to-day, endeavour to keep up this record, and to help our school to attain even greater and more excellent achievements than in the past. '4 Wanderlust By WREATHA LAING Take me out to the timbered hills, Far from the haunts of human ills, Out where the starry splendour fills A haggard soul with hope. Out where the fields are fresh and green, Out where the feet of few have been, Let me bask in a sylvan scene Far from the city's smoke. Take me out where the mountains sleep, . Wrapt in the gold that the great gods keep Far from the filth that misers reap, Far from their sordid trade, Out where the golden eagle flies, Deep in the wealth of the morning skies, Out where the great blue heron cries, Far from the city's parade.

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26 SPECULA GALTONIA Many of the boys who attended the Tassie Grammar School came from distant places, and they lived in authorized boarding-houses through the town. Dr. Tassie boarded forty of these boys in his own home on Welling- ton Street. Mrs. Tassie was a motherly woman, who looked after her quota of boys with great care. When they were ill, she dosed them with old-fashioned remedies, and cared for them in every way possible. The sports of the boys were varied. They played cricket, football, and baseball on a playing-field on a site south of the C.P.R. Station, and east of North Water Street. In summer they had bathing, and boating on the river behind the school, and skating, sledding and snowballing in the win- ter. Dr. Tassie held sway in the school for a period of twenty-eight years. However, his manner of teaching and disciplining was not in accordance with the new methods which had been introduced, and he and his staff resigned in 1881. Mr. John E. Bryant, principal of Pickering College, became the next principal of the school. He believed in modern methods, and soon closed up the girls' school down-town, and had both boys and girls taught under the roof of the Collegiate Institute Commercial and Art Departments were established, and a Literary and Musical Society organized. Special attention was paid to sports, and soon the school had a splendid football team. In 1884 Mr. Bryant was given some important work to do by the Minis- ter of Education. Before its completion, he was afflicted with deafness, which necessitated his giving up the duties of principal.. The next principal appointed was Mr. Thomas Carscadden, who had been English Master on Mr. Bryant's staff. He held the office of principal for thirty years. During his period of oflice, several important changes were made. The school adopted a system of hot-water heating, having discarded the old coal-stoves formerly used. The interior of the school was partially changed. The boys' hat-room was made into a classroom, and two unfinished rooms on the second floor were furnished for classrooms. However, on account of the crowded conditions, and the need of a physics laboratory and a museum, it was decided to build a large addition to the school. Accordingly, the eastern wing of the school was torn down and a new building, three stories in height, was erected. On the First of July, 1905, the cornerstone of the new building was laid by Mr. David Spiers, Chairman of the Board. The year 1902 saw a great Tassie Reunion in Galt, when the Tassie Old Boys gathered to honour their former teacher. In 1907, Agricultural, Manual Training, and Household Science De- partments were established in the school. In 1899, Col. A. J. Oliver organ- ized the first Cadet Corps, which has continued and grown since that time. In 1911, a permanent School Secretary was appointed, to look after certain things in connection with examinations, records of names and attendance of pupils, and other things of like nature. Miss K. F. Jaffray was the first to fill this position. In 1914, Mr. Carscadden resigned his office, and Mr. A. P. Gundry be- came principal. Mr. Carscadden continued as English Master until 1925, when he received the degree of LL.D. from the University of Toronto.

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28 SPECULA GALTONIA - - - - - - - - - - - - - 4 4 A A 4 4 A 4 A A 4 4 - A 4 - - 4 4 - - - - A l A 4 - - - - - - A l - 4 4 - - f F15 an ig -X gr MUSIC and DRAMA 4 1- A A fi :s1?76?I?75i1T7oYiWi1f7?'iWFTRWSEWKVWRMYFKVT707T751?7iflh7fVT51T756WT1fKT1WT1P751?7oT1iKi1W1FKi1li'WW1i12 , The Magic Ruby HE presentation of the operetta The Magic Ruby by the Glee Club and Orchestra of the G.C.I., under the direction of Mr. J. L. Nicol, A.C.C.O., proved to be a great success in every way. Both nights saw capacity houses on hand arfd when the show was over they were loud in their praise of the whole cast and especially of those who so ably took the more important parts. The plot of the operetta centres around the Magic Ruby, the property of the Rajah of Rajahpore, which insures the strength of the Rajah's kingdom. This ruby is stolen by the bad spirit, Raj the Rakshaka, who has under his command the Imps of Darkness, who dance for the enjoyment of their master. Meanwhile Harry Lisle, a clerk in the Government Offices, has fallen in love with Nelly O'Neal, the adopted daughter of Major-General Bangs, V.C., and Nelly in return loves him, but her father will not consent to their marriage because Lisle is poor. When the Rajah discovers that his ruby is gone he offers great wealth to the one who brings it back to him, and with the thought of Nelly in his mind, young Harry Lisle goes forth to find the ruby. He galns the friendship of Electra, the Goddess of Light, and with her help he wins over the Imps of Darkness and finally gets the ruby itself. In a colorful scene he re- stores the ruby to the Rajah and then turns to Nelly, while the Major compli- ments him and drops all his old objections against him. In the midst of the pro- ceedings a great commotion is heard and presently Pat McGee and Ah Sin enter together, with the wicked Raj the Rak- shaka a captive between them. Leona Rieman, who played the part of Nelly O'Neal, has a very good voice, and both looked and acted her part well. Her lover, Harry Lisle, was well played by Jack Sanderson, who also has a splendid voice. James Waring, who took the part of Major-General Bangs, V.C., proved that he really would make a good major, while his array of medals almost made him lean to one side with their weight. Harold Wildfong made a thoroughly dignified rajah, although we hardly knew him be- neath all the make-up. The humor in the operetta was supplied by the constant bickering between Clifford Burnet, who played the part of Pat McGee, a homesick Irishman lost for love of his homeland and a certain sweet col- leen of whom he sang, and John Ewart, who made a very good Chinaman as Ah Sin, the Rajah's servant. These two gen- tlemen acted up so that we were afraid they really were after each other's throats. Raj the Rakshaka, a bad spirit of dark- ness, and Electra, the Goddess of Light, were portrayed by Cecil Walker and Alice Iredale respectively and both these people proved beyonddoubt that they have talent. The dances of the Imps of Darkness and the Spirits of Light were very pretty and lent an air of lightness to the operetta. The choruses were splendid and far be it from us to pass any remarks on them. Really we had no idea that we had such musical talent in the school. The Orchestra, which provided the music and accompanied the singing, proved that they are getting stronger and better every day. Much of the success of the operetta is due to the untiring efforts of our Principal, Mr. Wholton, who gave freely of his time and experience to insure that the operetta would be a thing of which the school could be proud. Miss Duggan, who looked after the dances, and the Misses Sabine and Knapp, who supervised the making of the costumes, are also to be praised for their work. Mr. J. L. Nichol, who conducted the musical part of the operetta, is indeed to be congratulated on the results he obtained. The Glee Club is now starting to work on a more difficult theme, which they in- tend to present sometime next year, and if they can repeat the success of the Magic Ruby the position of music and dramatics in the school will be strongly established.