Mount Royal College - Varshicom Yearbook (Calgary, Alberta Canada)

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MR. W. J. COLLETT Principal 1

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Of course there would have to be adventure in Dr. Garden’s life for his family is an offshoot of the “Gay Gordons’’. Dr. Garden has lived a full life — and a life he can draw on for anecdotes by the hour. Harking back to his pastoral days he can recall the couple he married in the Porcupine Hills. At the con¬ clusion of the ceremony he signalled the bridegroom that “you may salute the bride.” “You can picture my amazement”, he laughed, “when the young man snapped to attention and gave her a military salute.” Or later when he was helping to introduce ex¬ perimentation into education with his curriculum at Mount Royal and the college was expanding so rapidly that it was bursting at the seams. In 1948 he called a board meeting, asked for $250,000 — and got it because the people of Cal¬ gary had confidence in this quiet, bespectacled man. Of his school days in Calgary he can sit back and muse happily of friendships that have survived the wear and tear of time. And he remembers all his students for his two greatest hobbies, are young people and religion. THERE ARE some who would disagree with Dr. Garden’s philosophy for he thinks that people take religion too seriously. “They sometimes fail to realize that there is joy in religion”, he said “for religion is life.” But then”, he added, “many people cannot help that for they commit a more grievous crime almost daily — they take themselves too seriously.” farewell message Your request to write a farewell note for the Varshicom of 1959 is appreciated, but is a rather difficult assignment on account of the host of memories of the past eighteen years that keep crowd¬ ing into one’s mind. However, the dominant memory is of the students who have attended the College during my term of office. The close association of students and principal that is possible at Mount Royal College produces a feeling of intimacy and friendliness. Wherever I go I meet former students, and the warmth of their greeting gives me a thrill of real pleasure and appreciation of the relationship that the College makes possible between us. The Class of 1959 holds a unique place in my life, as you are my last group of students as principal. When I met with you at the first Assembly last September I was impressed not only with your numbers but even more with the quality of personality I saw in you. Your work and loyalty have more than borne out those first impressions. The thoughtfulness and kindness shown to me, your retiring principal, will never be forgotten, and the Study Clock you so generously gave me gives a “tick” of remembrance for each one of you. My warmest thoughts go with you as you take your places in life or go on to further education. It will give me great pleasure every time we may meet in the future. There will be changes at the College in the future as there have been in the past, but I hope it may never grow so large as to lose the friendliness and individual interest in each one which has characterized its life from the first principal, Dr. G. W. Kerby, and the original Board of Gov¬ ernors. The students and teachers have done much to develop this spirit during the years and to build an institution where the best in education is offered in an atmosphere of personal interest and genuine personality appreciation where students are people. Farewell does not seem to be the right word to use. Mount Royal College will always hold a large place in my affection, and as long as I live my interest in her staff and students will be un¬ abated. My best wishes to one and all, and I am looking forward to even better things for the College in the years that follow. With happy memories and deep appreciation of the staff, student s and members of the Board of Governors, Au revoir — not farewell, JOHN H. GARDEN 6

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principal’s message - year book 1959 In Ancient Greece every Athenian Youth on reaching the age of manhood and being formally enrolled as a citizen on the rolls of the Athenian city took the following oath: “My fatherland, I will transmit in no worse state but greater and better than 1 found it. I will obey those in authority, and I will ob¬ serve wholeheartedly the laws now in force and whatever others the people may pass. And if anyone seeks to annul the laws or refuses to obey them, I will not heed him; but alone or with many others I will defend them.” The Athenian youth, in other words, promised that he would work hard at becoming a good citizen. This meant that he would refuse to do anything that would destroy the beauty or sully the reputation of his city. In addition to that he undertook to accept the responsibility of co-operating with others to keep his city beautiful and strong. Also he promised to defend his city against any¬ one who would attempt to break its laws or lower its standards. Some people might say that in taking an oath like this the young Athenian was throwing away his freedom because he was limiting his activities. Actually he was enhancing his freedom by creating a situation whereby people might live together in peace and safety. Intelligent obedience to law produces the greatest freedom that the human race has known. Oftentimes when in our College life we have been forced to “reprove” certain students who insist on smoking in the corridors, littering the lunch room, missing classes and committing other misdemeanours, the muttered, underbreath response is “This is a free country, isn’t it.” Countries are not made free by anarchy and license but by a consideration of the rights and privileges of others. In our life together at Mount Royal College we have sought to demonstrate that true freedom comes by the exercise of privilege within the framework of law and order. Not only is this prin¬ ciple applied to the conduct of students in the halls and in extra-curricular activities, but it is an underlying philosophy of all our teaching. We hope that our students have learned the lessons of freedom well and that they are able enthusiastically to endorse in their own lives the idea behind the Athenian Oath. If so we have every confidence that the graduates of Mount Royal College will be the good citizens that Canada needs. W. J. COLLETT