London Normal School - Spectrum Yearbook (London, Ontario Canada)

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FORM V. (Cont.) j % a (h ETHEL RYDER R.R. No. 1, Delhi LENA SACCARO 1897 Elsmere Ave., Windsor MARGARET SANDERS R.R. No. 6, St. Thomas WANITA SLOAN R.R. No. 2, West Lome GLADYS SCHOONOVER NANCY SMART 11 Glen Banner St.. St. Thomas 14 Allendale Ave., Windsor DORIS SMITH OLIVE SMITH MARJORIE STEPHENS R.R. No. 8, London Box 335, Burgessvi lle Tillsonburg CATHERINE SMITH BLANCHE STAUFFER CARMEN STINSON Port Stanley 75 Cathcart St., London Dresden HELEN STUBBS R.R. No. 1, Sarnia MARIETTA STYLES, B.A 1048 Florence St., London MARGARET SWANTON JEAN VAIL Box 662, Highgate 863 Waterloo St., London BEATRICE TURNBULL M. VAN HORNE 68 Southwick St., St. Thomas 50 West Ave., St. Thomas MARGARET RAYMOND Highland Road, London ELIZABETH WEAMES 240 Ottaway Ave., London ELLA WRIGHT Florence ISABELLE WYATT Strathroy

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FORM Form V. Flashes OPPORTUNITY knocks but once. In answer to this call approximately one hundred and fifty of the cream of the land (a master of School Management says so) stood on the threshold of London Normal waiting for the door to be unlatched. On a never-to-be-forgotten day Form V. was created. We consisted of Rock, Vail, Payne, Riddel! , Stubbs, Styles, Wright and even three Smiths. Al- though last in line, from our birth, we have proven ourselves outstanding from scholarship to sport and from kiddies to gypsies. (Don ' t boast about it. Very well, we won ' t.) One of the most outstanding events of the year was Miss Jean Norbury ' s impromptu speech which saved London from being dragged below the surface of the swelling wave of defeat at the Inter- Normal meet with Hamilton. To show our appreci- ation we elected her vice-president of the second term Student Parliament by acclamation. Form V. seemed to be play-minded. (Yes, and in more ways than one!) The captains of the Girls ' Basketball and Volleyball teams were Miss Margaret Riddell and Miss Jean Vail, respectively. Did you say five members of the Volleyball team belonged to Form V.? Yes, and we were so good-looking (maybe the opposite) that we had to have three sittings, ten pictures, before a suitable one was obtained. The ladies of our Form could, evidently play up to men of Form I. the best, for they were selected to form the cast of the play, The Dear Departed. The Glee Club executive seemed to consist of Form V. members. The president and pianist, also composer of a school song, was Miss Margaret Robertson. The treasurer and librarian represented us also. Evidently they did not drive us very hard, for the only time we were present one hundred per cent, was when we had our pictures taken. Space is limited, but before sig ning off I must say that there were many others participating in school activities too numerous to mention. Their pictures and names are in the group photos. Each member was a good sport and a real friend, all contributing to the advancement of our Form and the welfare of our School. We will soon be saying good-bye to our Normal School course, but not to the people we met during the year. Masters, instructors, critic teachers and friends, come and visit us in our schools. We will prove our stuff is quite enough to send you on your way -— rejoicing. For we don ' t mind being picked on, do we, Miss Wyatt? Not that we would be picked on if anyone visited us — quite the con- trary. Time ' s up, space filled, so Good morning. OLIVE SMITH Page 18 NEWS The Parable of the Wise Students AND in those days, behoid, th ere came through the gates of the city, students from afar off, and gathered together before the masters ' of the school called Normal. And it came to pass as the days went by that assignments were made unto them, and great was the task set before them. And many that were gathered together beheld what was set before them in wonder and alarm, and remarked one to another, Is not this an impossible thing? What manner of school is this? But of the seven score and ten gathered there was one, more hard-working and persevering, who straightway prepared for the day of reckoning. Far into the night, whilst others were making merry, lo! she sat alone and pondered. Her meals she seasoned with Science of Education. In dreams she walked with Sir Roger de Coverley. But when the tests came, she fell by the wayside for she was exhausted and too far spent. Certain others, however, divided their time, and when the examiners questioned, these were admit- ted, and shared the honours forthwith coming to them. And those in the school that were the idlers, and those that laboured overmuch, marvelled, and said one to another, What manner of people are these? How do they succeed? And it came to pass that many were gathered together in the halls and the assemblies, and a wise one arose among them, a soothsayer. And they questioned him saying, How is it that these people do accomplish the impossible? Whereupon the soothsayer made answer, They of whom you speak are indeed prudent. They divide their work and their play. They know when to begin and when to make an end. They work with zeal and play with exceeding great joy, while ye gather here and look on with sluggish idleness saying, ' Verily, it is too warm a day to work; we have not the wherewithal to play. ' They are active. They have no time for foolish discourse. The time- table they follow with careful exactness, and when the time cometh, they have that which ye have not. They have taken with them two angels as minis- ters, Aspiration and Perspiration. They know whereof they write. Verily, I say unto you, go and do likewise. G. STINSON

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Jane Murray ' s Pull By MARGARET GRAY H MUST have a school! Jane Murray sat in the I office of the county inspector, her eyes fixed eagerly on the impassive countenance of the grey- haired man. All I can do, replied Mr. Thompson, the in- spector, is to give you a list of the vacancies. Jane sank back in a discouraged way. But what am I to do? I ' m just out of Normal School, I haven ' t any pull, and there are so few schools left! Lina Morris had no trouble getting a school because she knew all the Board members of Section 4. Marian Hastings had an aunt in Section 16 who convinced the Board that Marian was the only one for the position; but I haven ' t any relative to help me, and I haven ' t lived in the vicinity long enough to be acquainted with school boards. I haven ' t any pull at all. You ' ll just have to go out and apply for country schools, advised Mr. Thompson. I have applied for at least a dozen, replied Jane, but there are so few vacancies and so many applicants. If only I had a fairy godmother just now. On the way home Jane scanned the limited list. There was something about each one that made it seem useless to apply. Section 5 wanted an experi- enced teacher, and Section 12 preferred a man teacher. But, alas! Jane Murray was a slight girl weighing little more than one hundred pounds, and not very fall. Furthermore, it was a long trip out to Section 12 over rough roads, and Jane ' s father had no car. Suddenly she sat upright and determined. You ' ll never get anywhere, Jane Murray, unless you pull yourself together, she informed herself solemnly. Pull yourself together. You have that much pull, I hope. Reaching home, Jane ran to the pasture and caught faithful Old Patsy. It was not long until Jane was jogging down the road toward Section 12 in a rather rickety buggy, behind Patsy, a slow but dependable old horse. Travelling along Jane was calmly enjoying the mid-summer scenery, when suddenly at the foot of a very steep hill, Patsy stopped so short that Jane was almost thrown from the buggy. What ever is the matter, Patsy? queried Jane; then looking ahead she saw the trouble. The great planks of the bridge were splintered in two in the centre, making it impossible to cross. Now what am I to do? she frowned. Jane saw that it was useless to try and fix the bridge with boards because the hole was too large. Then an idea popped into her mind. ' ' Come, Patsy, old girl; good old horse, steady girl! encouraged Jane kindly, as she guided the horse from the road, down the shallow ditch to the border of the creek. We can drive through the water alright, Patsy; it doesn ' t look deep — come now, giddap! urged Jane. But the water was deep, and just as they reached the centre old Patsy almost lost her footing, and the swirling water swayed the buggy until it seemed certain that it would upset. Giddap, Patsy! Oh! Patsy, pull! Pull! called Jane frantically. The faithful old horse put forth a last desperate effort and pulled a very frightened Jane to a safe landing on the other side of the creek. Good horsie, brave Patsy, thanked Jane as she climbed from the buggy and stroked the panting animal ' s sides. Jane started once more on her way to Section 12, and within a few hours was nearing the school- house. It stood in bold relief against the background of a graceful hill, and as Jane watched the patch from a distance, her heart filled with longing to work in it as a teacher. As she curved around the hill, she saw narrow tongues of flame licking up the grass which covered the hillside. The season had been dry and the grass burned readily. Someone must be burning the meadow, thought Jane. She gazed uneasily at the fire, and s topping the horse, climbed out to investigate. The fire had almost reached the schoolyard fence. This must be an accidental blaze, she exclaimed suddenly. Jane ' s first panicky impulse was to try and put the fire out, but common sense told her she could not do it alone and the nearest farmhouse was a full mile away. If I could only ring the bell, she murmured, I believe I can. Driving the buggy alongside the schoolhouse she hastily jumped out and unfastened one of the reins from Patsy ' s harness. Then, stand- ing up in the buggy, she made a wide swing with the rein and succeeded in encircling the belfry. A moment later she was ringing the bell with all her might. Patsy stood calmly by, not alarmed by the bell, as she had become accustomed to the sound of bells in the cow pasture. Now, Jane commented, I can go and fight the fire; surely the people in the district will hear the bell and come to my assistance. She found a flat board and became so interested in the unequal battle with the flames that she did not heed the approach of cars. Three men arrived and Jane, seeing them, merely nodded. There was no time for words. Well, Miss, I think you did Section 12 quite a favor, remarked one of the men as he wiped his blackened brow. I hope I did myself a favor, too, replied Jane. I ' d like to teach the school. You aren ' t a Board member by any chance, are you? We ' re all three Board members, was the sur- prising reply. Oh! exclaimed Jane, how convenient that you are all here together. We sort of wanted a man teacher, said one. I ' m not very big, but I ' m healthy, declared Jane, and I ' m asking for the school on my own merits. I haven ' t any pull — Ha, ha! The way you rang that bell sounded as if you had quite a bit of pull! Say, how did you get here? exclaimed the doubtful member. The bridge on the lower road was broken by a threshing machine last night. (Continued on page 38)