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Page 16 text:
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Valedictory Address Mr. Chairman, Mr. Armstrong, Platform guests, Graduates, Ladies and Gentlemen. As we look around us this evening the scene appears very familiar. How often we have been in this same auditorium surrounded by those whom we know. It is a great pleasure to be here once more, as a class, as a group of friends who have spent their adolescence together. We know, however, that although we are once again in this familiar building and sitting with those who have spent five years with us, that this is no ordi- nary event. Tonight is our night, the last time that the Graduating Class of 1965 will be together in Grantham High School. We are proud to be present at this Commencement - to be recognized for the feat which we have accomplished, but we are also sad. For tonight marks the conclusion of our association with Grantham as well as the conclusion of five years of youth. Charles Dickens once described the 18th century in a manner very applicable to our high school career. He wrote, It was the best of times, it was the worst of times, it was the age of wisdom, it was the age of foolishness, it was the epoch of belief, it was the epoch of incredulity, it was the season of Light, it was the season of Darkness, it was the spring of hope, it was the winter of despair, and we had everything before us. Certainly our high school days were the best of times when we received an A for our English essay, when we made the winning basket of the game. But they were also the worst of times when we didn ' t quite reach our expectations, when we barely lost. It was the age of wisdom when we saw the point the teacher was making and the age of foolishness when we were too stubborn to admit we were wrong. It was the epoch of belief — we never doubted our teachers ' profound statements. This evening is a time of remembrance. I suppose each one of us remembers the first time he entered this auditorium in Grade 9 - scared and a little overcome. WE were the short, high-voiced students who didn ' t know their way around. But time passed quickly. Grades 10, 11, 12, rushed by with a flurry of assemblies, sports events, dances, and exams. And then came that glorious day - the day that we walked in as Seniors of Grade 13 standing - tall, deep-voiced and proud. That day passed also. We left behind the status of Grade 13 and once again have begun the climb to achievement and recognition. As we walked down the halls this evening, we remembered the educational aspects of high school, the new fields of study we encountered. For it was during high school that we discovered the romance of foreign languages, the precision of mathe- matics, the broadening scope of the sciences, and the magnitude of history. We also discovered the endless hours of homework and the tension of exams. Because of our high school experiences we come before you tonight - mature, intelligent, and educated. There are probably a few parents and teachers who smile at that last phrase. Well we may not be mature and we may not be intelligent, but we have received a great part of our formal education. Now is the time to acknowledge those who have helped us in our pursuit of knowledge, wisdom, and understanding. Although we might have forgotten to say it before, we now say thank you to our parents. When we needed a pat on the back or a gentle reminder in the right place, there was always some- one to accommodate us. When we needed sympathy because we were so overburdened or encouragement because we were so dis- couraged, our parents never failed us. Neither did our teachers whom we would also like to thank. Without an understanding principal and competent instructors we might not be receiving our diplomas this evening. Of course, we didn ' t enjoy de- clining every French verb in the book, sweating over every algebra problem in the exercise, or having our history homework checked every day. Nevertheless we learned to persevere and to think. In a sense we are like diamonds which are most valuable after they have been mined, cut, and polished. As a rough piece of rock becomes a precious gem, so we become persons of worth when we have discovered ourselves, developed our characters, and brought forth our talents. Moreover, as a diamond cannot become a beautiful stone by itself, neither can we become mature, educated adults alone. Our parents and teachers are like the jeweller with his diamond and have worked diligently to begin the process of making us worthy human beings. But we are no longer adolescents, and we must do the refining ourselves. Tonight is significant in this time of change. It is a formal recognition that our adolescence has passed. Whether we have joined the working force or whether we are continuing our education, we know that decisions are now our own and that we must make them with a new maturity. St. Paul wrote in his letter to the Corinthians, When I was a child, I spoke as a child, 1 thought as a child, I reasoned as a child. When 1 became a man, I gave up childish ways. Tonight is our last link with our years as high school students. Like St. Paul, we are no longer children. Our generation will soon move into the positions of decision and responsibility. As we look back on the wonderful years of our youth, we must also look ahead to the future. May we use the opportunities afforded us to meet the challenges of the future. May we and the classes following us use our faculties and our education to let our knowledge unto wisdom grow .
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Page 17 text:
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Grade 13 Graduates FRONT ROW: Janet Longhurst, Anda Lazdins, Heather MacLellan, Helga Cleve, Linda Bergman, Christine McColeman, Jo-Anne Hanshar, Susan Bradley, Barbara Bogar. MIDDLE ROW: Bernard Bedard, Dennis Bailey, Beverly Mathies. Valerie Kaye, Elaine Klassen, Laura Neufield, Judy Goodson, Diana Lotocki, Josephine Gottardo, Gerald Ediger, Paul Coombes. BACK ROW: David Mee, Thomas Murray, Bob Dyck, Richard Copeland, Robert Watson, Kenneth Predovich, Keith Becker, James Lee, Theodore Nemych, John Borbath. FRONT ROW: Jane MacLean, Margaret Muir, Marilyn Taylor, Nancy Williams, Janice Wills, Pat McGuire. MIDDLE ROW: Ed Wiebe, Larry Reynolds, Les Westlake. Walter MacKenzie, John Stimac, Gary Kuzyk. BACK ROW: Tom Sinclair, Wayne Hill, Gordon Williams, Jim Linton, Jack Hamoen, Ron Wawrinty.
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