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

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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 —

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Nineteen Fifty - ESCAPE My heart was heavy laden, I knew no joys of peace In the busy world in which I lived Where noise seemed not to cease. I wandered far away one day, To a place where great trees stood; And an arbour, a beautiful gateway Was an entrance to the wood. And as I walked into the wood, The arbour disappeared, But something seemed to tell me There was nothing to be feared. The surroundings were almost silent. But for a bubbling stream, Which wound in and out Through the velvet green. Here and there along the way Fragrant flowers stood, Which added grace and beauty To that enchanted wood. But soon the arbour re-appeared: Reluctantly I went Compelled, it seemed by an unseen force. Resentful of the time I ' d spent. And oh, in vain how I have searched, Even in dreams for that lost wood. I ' d leave all earthly troubles And live there, if I could. —Joann Rome 11A IT ' S REALLY NOT SO BAD Junior Poem The alarm clock rings, at a quarter to seven, To stay in bed would surely be heaven, But your bus you must catch, half a mile away; Is this a good start for any day? When you get to school, you expect to be warm, But sometimes you wish you had never been born; You look in your memory, see at a glance Yourself at home reading. Love ' s Romance. You say that you hate school, but I doubt if that ' s true, For when you don ' t have it you wish that you do; You seem to like one teacher, the other you don ' t, But when you get down to it you like them both. School is over, till next morning at seven, Joy, laughter and happiness reign; But unless you re at school, you ' re really not living, So you re always willing to go there again. —Beverly Trevail 9D PHOEBUS - —11 —