Miles Macdonell Collegiate - Macadonian Yearbook (East Kildonan, Manitoba Canada)

Page 34 text:

Valedictory Mr. Chairman, Honoured Guests, Teachers, Fellow Graduates, Ladies and Gentlemen: I want to thank the teachers for selecting me to do the valedictory ad¬ dress, and hope I can express the feelings and thoughts of th e graduates of the class of ’60. Do you remember, fellow graduates, way back when we first came to Miles Mac. as “freshies”, a little unsure about high school life? It is really not so long ago, but so many things happened between now and then, it is hard to believe that it did take place in such a short span of time. Do you remember that first freshie dance, the Christmas dance, the Exams, the operetta, and oh, a hundred other things? Before we realized it the year was over and we had passed to grade eleven. Again opening day came with some new faces and new rooms, but it was not quite so strange. Then came the dances, the freshie, and the Christmas, but this time, we were “top dog’’. Next we plunged into our exams, then the fun in the variety concert. We were constantly kept busy with our studies and with our various activities and clubs such as curling, bowl¬ ing, science, drama, badminton, and square dancing. We had our Easter exams and our field day. We had our “lemon’s ade’’, that is the prelude to graduation, the last call for dates, the feverish activity and now finally: To-day is graduation day. For most of us it is a “jumping off place” in our lives, the transition stage between adolescent and adult. Some of us will be going out to meet the world; some to higher fields of study. To all, the years will bring new experiences, new challenges. 32

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RON ERNIE PHILLIPS: Ron’s our man from 11- G. In all sports he can be seen. Ambition: Hockey Star. Probable Fate: Rink rat! HELEN PLUCHINSKI: Helen is a dark-haired lass who never says a word. She likes all sports, and likes to bowl. She is a friend to all. DENNIS ROBBINS: Ha, ha, he, he,! That’s Dennis from 11-G. He’s cute, he’s smart, he’s always there at Donna’s bark. GERRY YON SHIPPER: Gerry, the sleeping beauty of 11-G. Frequently seen with C. B. Roster on the Elmwood team. Ambition: A big league star. Fate: Goldeye sliver picker. LYNN SKALANY: 5’2,” eyes of blue, friendly smile and pretty too. Lynn plans to be a secretary we know that she will succeed. SHIRLEY STOYAN: Able secretary of our class, is quite a studious little lass. Fate: Wife of S.S. PAT KLASSEN: Blue eyes, brown hair, for the boys, she does care. An important role “M” will play and that is on their wedding day. RON MASTIN: Ron Mastin is the boy with curly hair, you can see him almost anywhere. To finish eleven is his aim. Later, having wealth and fame. DONNA McLEOD: Yacketty, yacketty, yak here comes Donna from Miles Mac. She is cute and she is sweet, she is F.N.’s way down deep. HENRY THIESSEN: Henry Thiessen’s personality is pleasing, because of this, the girls he’s pleasing, his athletic record couldn’t be bigger, on the ice, they call him “Trigger.” SHIRLEY TOMLINSON: Shirley Tomlinson is the one always ready to have some fun. In her courses she does excel and in sports she does quite well. JEAN URIAS: Jean Urias is the girl whose hair falls in long brown curls. She has the personality that hooked us all in 11-G. RICHARD VINCENT: Richard Vincent is the boy whose lanky form we do enjoy. He and Charlie make a pair and about girls he doesn’t care. LLOYD WHITE: At sports he really flies, always happy, has no sighs. Great at fun, quite a klip no matter where he may be it. JOANNE WOYTOWICH: Joanne Woytowich is a girl of medium height. Ranger fan with lots of fight. On the track she can run, anywhere she’s lots of fun. 31

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Today we feel proud, (we are graduating), but let us feel a little humble too, for we did not get to this point entirely through our own efforts. We had the help of some of the most important people in the world (to us anyway), our parents, our teachers, our friends. I know I speak for all the graduates when I extend a heartfelt thanks to our parents and to our teachers. To you our parents, for your unselfish devotion, your constructive criti¬ cisms, at times so rebelliously and foolishly resented, your endearing patience, we can only say thanks, we shall ever be indebted. We assure you all your sacrifices are not and will not be forgotten. I would like to thank our teachers for their encouragement, for their help in all fields, and for their efforts in equipping us for our future life. You our parents and you our teachers have tried to instil in us high ideals, high goals, and the knowledge of what is right and wrong. You have taught us there is this something else besides just the subject matter which rests in our text books. On this our graduation, it is not the end of our learning, but the beginning. Now we must go out and utilize the knowledge, the skills, and the high ideals we have learned from our parents, and from our years at Miles Mac. I also would like to take time to thank our friends, and our school compan¬ ions, who worked with us, played with us, shared in our victories, and in our defeats. The experiences we had with our friends have formed a wonderful part of our high school days. Some of us here today have achieved high scholastic standing, and some of us have not, but both of these mean absolutely nothing if we do not leave our school with a new concept of the world, with the ability to think, and with the desire to achieve some goal, some ambition, and to do the absolute best we can. Then we have mastered the principal purpose of our schooling. Douglas Mallock sums up that spirit in his poem entitled “IF”. If you can’t be a pine on the top of a hill, Be a scrub in the valley, but be The best little scrub by the side of the rill, Be a bush if you can’t be a tree. We can’t all be captains, some have to be crew, There’s something for all of us here There’s work to be done and we’ve all got to do Our part in a way that’s sincere. If you can’t be a highway, then just be a trail If you can’t be a sun, be a star For it isn’t by size that you win or you fail Be the best of whatever you are. 33