Gordon Bell High School - Purple and Gold Yearbook (Winnipeg, Manitoba Canada)

Page 59 text:

GORDON BELL HIGH SCHOOL 57 The Late-Room By MAUREEN CAMPBELL There’s something about a red-brick school That makes one long for the open air, To be out from under the teachers’ rule, With never a thought and never a care. When it looms up big before you And the bell re-echoes its chime, You think “Do I really have to go— What’s the use when I’m not on time?” For the general rule of Gordon Bell Is an hour at four for a minute late, And so “Better late than never” Is now “Better never than late.” The teachers stern their vigil keep O’er the victims in their power, And every teacher takes his turn In the “Late-Room” for an hour. When you think of the hour before you go, That one long hour of work, You wish you didn’t have to go, But it will be two hours if you shirk. So with footsteps ever-lagging To Room Three you wend your way, And with the others who were late For an hour there you stay. Judges ' Comments The judges of the Short Story and Poetry Competition or 1933 feel some¬ what reluctant to express an opinion concerning the quality of the material sub¬ mitted. Considering the number of pupils in the school, surprisingly few en¬ tered either stories or poems. It is to be hoped that a much larger entry will feature next year’s contest. With regard to the stories, the judges felt that the average story submitted was hardly of a standard worthy of High School students. There was a tendency to the “blood and thunder” type which too often tempts the amateur writer. The result, in most cases, is a cheap unwieldy mass of detail, lacking style and cohesion. Of the story which won first place, “The Passerby,” by Lovell Clarke, it may be said that the judges found no difficulty in fixing upon it as their unani¬ mous choice. It is written in a pleasantly discursive style. The plot is good and is worked up to a satisfactory climax. The story has atmosphere, which means that the reader re-lives the various happenings. Second place was awarded “It Happened Like This,” by Stafford Wilson. It has flashes of style of another variety. The characters are fascinating in their (Continued on page 58)

Page 58 text:

GORDON BELL HIGH SCHOOL POETRY 1st PRIZE Dream Ships By IRIS RUTHERFORD At even tide when the world’s at rest. From a port of mystic hue, A beautiful ship comes sailing O’er waves of rippling blue. Its decks are a-gleam with silver, Its masts are wrought of gold, Each swaying sail of moonbeams made, Hangs glistening fold on fold. It’s the ship of dreams embarking Till misty dawn breaks through, Carrying on board its cargo Of wonderful dreams come true. 2nd PRIZE The Storm By ALISON WARNER The air seemed foreboding, we heard the gulls cry As clouds gathered o’er us and dark¬ ened the sky. The wind moaned and whistled through forests of trees, The waters around were disturbed by the breeze. Each bird felt uneasy and flew to its nest. For a mist was approaching from out of the West; It came rapidly nearer, the sky dark¬ er grew, The storm burst upon us! The wind wildly blew! Great oaks and tall pine trees crashed to the ground. Waves lashing the rocks seemed to echo the sound! ’Neath the force of the rain the earth trembled with fear, The roar of the thunder was awful to hear. The storm soon abated, the dark clouds rolled by, The sun struggled forth and bright¬ ened the sky, Again the birds sang and all heaven was gay, But the havoc below lasted many a day.

Page 60 text:

GORDON BELL HIGH SCHOOL Dr. Cordon Bell r r THE WORLD of today a great number of our finest public institutions are named after great public-service men—men who have rendered significant services to the community in medical, scholastic or political lines—men who have left something behind which will benefit future generations. Hence, in our city we have all our schools named after famed citizens of the past. Perhaps one of the best known is our own, named after Dr. Gordon Bell, a man well known for his tireless endeavors in the interests of public wel¬ fare and the advance of medical science. It is gratifying that, since our school was named after this marvellous doctor, the “powers that be have seen fit to raise the status of this institute of learning from that of a Junior High School to a High School proper, which means that in it will be laid the foundations of many a medical career, which will perhaps, be as notable as that of Gordon Bell himself. Dr. Gordon Bell was born on May 22nd, 1863, the son of John and Mary Ann (Wright) Bell. He was educated at Pembroke Collegiate Institute, and then was sent to the University of Toronto, where he received his Bachelor of Arts degree in 1886. After much hard work at the University of Manitoba he received his M.D. and C.M. degrees. A few years later, after further study, he com¬ menced practising his profession in Winnipeg. The name of Dr. Gordon Bell soon came to be quite famous, not only in medical circles, but also through all sections of the city, for he shared his pro¬ found knowledge with associates, gave unstintingly of his knowledge to his pro¬ fession, and ministered to rich and poor alike, irrespective of race, color, or He specialized in pathology and bacteriology and knew so much about these branches of medical science that his word was final in anything pertaining to these two sciences. In order to enlarge his store of knowledge, he took a post¬ graduate course at Vienna, where he chiefly studied the eyes. As a matter of fact, his thirst for knowledge was so great that it often took him away from his practise, and finally induced him to stop practising. Dr. Gordon Bell died in Winnipeg, mourned by all classes and especially the medical world. His death was a national calamity. Canada, and especially Winnipeg, lost a citizen whose influence for good will long be felt and whose sincere efforts in relieving the sufferings of the sick will be forever remembered. A fitting tribute to such a great man is to have a school named after him— an institution where all his ideals of humanity and benevolence will be taught to the future citizens of Canada. As for those of us in this school, his life and the principles for which he stood should be an inspiration and a guide to every Gordon Bell student. Judges’ Comments (Continued from page 57) tendency to be “different.” The plot, however, is somewhat weak from a struc¬ tural standpoint. The poems were more uniform in quality, and it was not quite as easy to decide upon the winners. “Dream Ship,” by Iris Rutherford, seemed more poetically inspired than the majority, and was deemed worthy of first place. “The Storm,” by Allison Warner, is also good poetically, and ranks second. It is the earnest desire of the judges that Gordon Bell students, in the years to come, will foster a keener and more active interst in the Short Story and Poetry Competition.