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

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GORDON BELL HIGH SCHOOL hearted support of everyone have encouraged the Staff during the most difficult steps, and are sincerely appreciated. Now let us present a brief resume of the activities of the students of Gordon Bell during the past year. In athletics, the members of our various teams fought with a determination hardly to be equalled. In soccer, rugby and basket¬ ball we did not fare so well, but in hockey, curling and Field Day events we bewildered the other competitors by extending them to the utmost of their In the realm of music our choirs and orchestra did remarkably well, con¬ sidering the fact that we competed with groups which had been together for the last few years, while this is the first year our musical activities were carried out on a large scale. The students were assisted in all their work by a very capable teaching staff, in extra-curriculum activities as well as pedagogically. Their co-operation and example account to a large degree for the marvellous school spirit which has been evident during the year. This spirit, we hope, will pervade the school just as strongly next year, and one of the main purposes in publishing this book is to put before the old student a reminder, and before the new, a record of past achievements, so that each might know what is to be equalled and what is to be surpassed. A Tribute O NE OF THE MOST energetic and diligent members of this year’s staff is Mr. G. E. Snider, class teacher of Room 13. Mr. Snider is deserving of special mention in this Year Book, not only because of his many extra¬ curriculum activities, but also because it was he who organized the book and started the first work upon it. At the beginning of the year Mr. Snider, together with Miss Argue, organ¬ ized the Male Voice Choir and the Mixed Choir, and devoted much of his time in training these two groups for the “Festival.” May I add that their success was due, to a great extent, to the tireless efforts put forth by him. Besides the choral work, Mr. Snider also took a most active part in dramatics. Under his expert supervision, two plays were put on by the students of Gordon Bell dur¬ ing the past year. This is the first time in the history of Winnipeg that a school has produced two plays in one term, and their unqualified success can be attribu¬ ted mainly to the many long weeks of toil put in by Mr. Snider in training the actors. Finally, apart from his choral and dramatic work, Mr. Snider miraculously found time to set the wheels of industry humming in producing Gordon Bell’s first year book. It was he who made all arrangements for tenders, photography, and composition of the book. Without his valuable aid there would have been no year book. But all this work was too burdensome. At the beginning of May, an infected leg forced him to absent himself from school, but he persisted in returning in order to train the choirs for the “Festival.” After a week’s strenuous work, his leg again gave out and this time he had to make his absence permanent. The loss to the school can scarcely be estimated. His valuable advice to the year book staff was missed; the choirs will miss him greatly, and the various classes which he teaches will also suffer severely. But we were fortunate in having him while we did and can only hope that next year will see him able to carry on his marvellous work for the benefit of the Gordon Bell School.

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GORDON BELL HIGH SCHOOL EDITORIAL C ONGRATULATIONS, Gordon Bell! Gordon Bell High School! A short two years ago you were merely one of the many Winnipeg Public Schools, now you are one of the Big Four. You did, indeed, distinguish your¬ self as a Junior High School, but in your new rank the way is opened to even greater achievements. Your first year in your new status has been one of triumphs that will ever form an inspiring tradition for your future mem¬ bers. You have suffered losses—yes, losses as magnificent as your triumphs— yet they shall serve as a spur to greater and ever greater efforts. Forgive our feeble words when we say that your first year, as a first year, has been one of which you may be justifiably proud. And we are! Congratulations, Gordon Bell! Our new title brought with it many privileges and opportunities by which we might show our metal. We now compete with the other three High Schools in sports; we now play our part in the Literary life of the schools of Manitoba, as is evidenced by our accomplishments in music and drama; our scholars now will enter the struggle for the scholarships that offer so many tempting oppor¬ tunities to the ambitious student; and we now have the privilege of publishing a Year Book, in which we might set forth our deeds and glories to our hearts’ content. The organization involved in the production of our Year Book was no light task. Once, however, the work had been begun, everything ran smoothly, for the entire school co-operated most marvellously, its resources being thrown open to the Editorial and Business Staffs, and students as well teachers offering their services gladly. Conscience will not permit us to pass over the work done by several of the teachers. Mr. Snider gave much of his valuable time in organizing and advising the Staff. Miss Laidlaw and Miss McTavish also devoted much of their time, in and out of school, to the literary aspect of the book, and it is through their tireless efforts that the “Short Story and Poem Contest” was as successful as it was. Miss Blanchard and Miss Flanders aided the staff greatly by typing notices, messages, and material. At the business end of the book, special mention should be made of Mr. Gow and Russ Grant, who looked after the sale of advertising. Under the direc¬ tion of Mr. Gow, Russ and his associates established a new high mark in the history of ad-selling for Year Books. It is due to their splendid work that our Year Book has been enlarged to its present size. There are many others deserving of mention, but as space does not allow, we must content ourselves with saying that the intense interest and whole-

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Student Council