Leamington District Secondary School - Phoebus Yearbook (Leamington, Ontario Canada)

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Nineteen Fifty PUBLIC SPEAKING WINNERS PHOEBUS - GT+O Back Row: Maurice Cosyn, David Suzuki. Loanne Graham. Douglas Graham, George Cole. Front Row: lane Anderson. Ioyce McGregor, Faye Hillier. PUBLIC SPEAKING Again this winter term Public Speaking played an important part in our school activities. Evidence of enthusiasm was proven by the fact that 163 students entered the eliminations from the four houses. The students are qutck to realize the advantages of the art of speaking and ihe f.ne training received at the High School. In the final contests, March 6 and 7, two speakers from each of the houses —Alpha, Bela, Gamma and Della—vied for the Public Speaking Crest. As this crest i ' 3 considered one of the most important, competition is very keen. The crest this year was won by Alpha House. The speakers who aided in winning the crest for their house were:—Maurice Cosyn, lane Anderson, Joy Morrison. Every year since its inception in 1939, enthusiasm over Public Speaking has increased and the final contests have become increasingly closer. This year the students witnessed the closest contest ever judged. The margin of points between the houses was very small, Alpha winning by a scant half point. Thus this year we salute Alpha house for being the proud possessor of the Public Speaking Crest for 1949-1950. - 8 -

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Nineteen Fifty c o PHOEBUS (T+O Jli tzxaxu CITIZENSHIP: KEYNOTE OF DEMOCRACY Canada is recognized all over the world as a democracy. Why? Because Canada is a country in which the will of the majority rules. Democracy is like a piece of machinery which cannot run by itself. It needs power. The power comes from the people who have adopted democracy for the purposes of securing their will. Therefore, it is important for every person to have a share in it. Democracy gives the citizen self-government, which can be good or bad depending upon the citizens. Citizenship brings duties and responsibilities. In modem democracies, the citizens are the rulers of the land. A country cannot be strong, intelligent, or just if its citizens are weak. Without good government, there can be no peace, no justice, no protection of family life, no security and little happiness. What are these duties which make a good, solid citizen? The first duty is obedience to the laws of the government. Just as a basketball game cannot be played effectively unless the players abide by the rules, so a modern democracy cannot accomplish its purpose unless the citizens obey the laws. Next, a good citizen should be willing to co-operate voluntarily and intelligently, performing such duties as serving on juries, holding public office when elected, and military service. The right to vote cannot be over-emphasized. The voters elect representa¬ tives to carry out their will in matters of government. Men of honesty and of good character should be elected to represent them. The responsibility for good representatives is upon the voters. In a democracy there is a battle of ballots to elect the representative; in a dictatorship there is sometimes a battle of bullets to end the rule of those in power. In order to vote intelligently, the voters must be interested in what is going on in their community, their province and their country. They should know the opinions of various candidates. Information can be sought by reading newspapers, magazine articles, listening to radio broadcasts, and speeches given by leading citizens. A good citizen should try to be impartial and think the matter over carefully before voting. It is the duty of a good citizen to take part in his community activities. Clubs and organizations have been set up to work for the good of the com¬ munity. Examples of these are church groups, Red Cross, Victorian Order of Nurses, and many service clubs. It is then the duty of the citizen to be loyal to the various groups with which he is associated. Let us realize some of the privileges which we enjoy, as the result of living in a democratic Canada. We have beautiful parks and playgrounds; paved, well-lighted streets. We are protected by a police force. For part of our education we can attend free schools; when older, we may choose any occupation. We may select our own friends, and have the privilege of speaking freely on any subject. We may choose the church we wish to attend. These are privileges belonging only to citizens in a democracy. If our democracy is going to be successful, our citizens must be intelligent and well-educated. They must cultivate an active and logical public opinion. They must have a spirit of co-operation and good-will with their fellow-citizens. They must show their patriotism by taking part in public affairs and trying to do their very best for the welfare of the country. Considering all these things, it is citizenship that is the keynote of democracy. — 10 —