Peterborough Collegiate and Vocational School - Echoes Yearbook (Peterborough, Ontario Canada)

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EDITORIALS Winston Churchill When Winston Spenser Churchill was twenty- five he escaped from a Boer prison-camp to find himself after three hundred miles of desperate fiight a national hero. On his way home after that war he passed through our city, and old inhabitants today can remember the slim lisp- ing youth who retailed his experiences across the footlights of the old Grand Opera House. To-day thousands of homes boast a picture of Winston Churchill smiling his Victory Smileg and passing in to breakfast many thousand citizens of the Empire look up to him as their leader and bid him an affectionate good- morning. He is the warrior-poet of our day. He has fought all his life in the Empire's wars, often the only executive on whose head new facts made their impression. In 1914 as First Lord of the Admiralty he overrode Parliamentary veto on the eve of conflict to order his Heet to battle stations, so that on the fourth of August, five minutes after the command to begin hostilities, the fleet was ready. He foresaw the air-raids, feared the submarine, practically invented the tank. A man who lives the full and vigourous life needs a hobby to stay sane. Churchill has many. During the black months after the fiasco at Gallipoli he first Assaulted the canvas with a furious cavalry charge , and he has painted ever since. In his years of idleness in the nineteen-twenties he wrote a standard history of the conflict, and a biography of his great ancestor the Duke of Marlborough. With the royalties from his history he financed a country home, and himself laid the bricks in the long wall surrounding the estate. When the brick- layers' union objected he filled out a card and applied for membership. His house-guests worked too, under compulsion, despite damage to their clothes. He said it would do their souls good. By the power of the spoken word Winston Churchill has reunited England to meet the foe. His great phrases are on everyone's lips. All Englishmen hear Shakespeare's England calling to their hearts as one of the great symphonic speeches thunders up to a memorable close: Let us therefore brace ourselves to our duty and so bear ourselves that if the British Com- monwealth and Empire last for a thousand years men will still say, 'This was their finest hour'! Churchill with the inevitable cigar whispers to himself as he writes or dictates. No sentence is put down until he has tried it several times this way and that. The rhythm of his own language sways him, instinctively he alliterates. Each word must have the right sound and flavour and proper balance in his mind. As the great ascending climaxes roll up, Churchill sitting impassioned at his desk becomes a child with a happy cupid's face: the mischievous child who dictated essays to his companions in re- turn for Latin translations. Churchill the Lisping Cicero is Britain's hero to-day: Churchill the phrasemaker. This is a war of strong personalities. It is a strange man whom we have seen at work, who directs the sailing of the British fleet and the disposition of British armies from his desk at Downing Street. The adversary is no less astonishing: the paperhanger who orders the march of armies and who has created a pas- sionate hysteria by the multiplication of shout- ed phrases. But there is nothing in the reper- tory of the little Viennese postcard-artist to equal the true Wagnerian sweep of words like these from the fine old Warrior-poet fighting to-day on behalf of all civilized nations for freedom: We cannot flag or fail. We shall go to the end . . . We shall defend this island whatever the cost may be. We shall fight on the beaches, we shall fight on the landing-grounds, we shall fight in the fields and streets, and in the hills. We shall never surrender, and even if, which I do not for a moment believe, this Island, or even a part of it, is subjugated and starving, then our Empire across the seas, armed and guarded by the British fleet, will carry on the struggle until, in God's good time, the new world in all its strength and might sets forth to the rescue and liberation of the old. HUGH KENNER. Our Thank You Our sincere thanks this year go to the many students who entered literary contributions without the stimulus of prize-giving, and also to Mr. Hale, Miss Park, and Miss McBride, who boosted the competition in their classes and then spent hours judging the entries. We feel that their co-operation has justified our war- time decision to abolish prizes. We would also thank Mr. Toole, the eflicient business supervisor of The Echoes, Mr. Shearer and Miss Lees, who headed an enthusiastic advertising staffg Mr. Henry, who looked after Page Thirteen

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JOTTINGS BY THE PRIN CIPAL 1941 Another year has come and gone and I have been again honored by the request to chronicle some school jottings. Attendance For the first time in many years our attendance Egures are lower than they were in the preceding year. In October, 19410, we had 1185 pupils enrolled, while this year we have only 1090 pupils in attendance. Of these 807 are from the city, while 283 are from counties con- tiguous to the city. The reason for this drop in attendance is the fact that the Entrance class was much smaller this year, and owing to greater activity in the manufacturing plants of the city more pupils secured employment before finish- ing their schooling. Staff Changes Mr. W. E. Jackson, who was appointed to the Voca- tional staff in 1937, and who served in the war of 1914- 1918, asked -for and was given leave of absence during the duration of the war. Mr. Jackson afterwards chang- ed his plans and tendered his resignation as a member of the staff. We were fortunate in securing Bob Maybee as his successor. Mr. Maybee is a graduate of Peter- borough Collegiate and Vocational School and comes to us highly recommended. The Commercial course by Departmental regulation has been lengthened from a three to a four years' course. This made necessary the addition of an extra teacher to the Commercial staff. lNIr. O. C. Simmers. B.A., was selected to fill the position. lVIr. Simmers is an honour graduate of VVestern University and a Commercial Specialist. He has had seven years' experience in teach- ing Commercial subjects and is a decided acquisition to the staff. industrial Activity The Vocational School at present is a regular Hive of Industry. It is filled to capacity and operates not from 9 until 4. but from 7 a.m. right around the clock to 7 a.m. next morning. There is a greater demand for skilled workers than can be supplied. Our Unreturning Brave In Memoriam Ross Allen and Christy ltlason, who made the Supreme Sacrifice in 1940 Requiescant in Pace. Thank You The pupils of the school have excelled themselves in doing various kinds of war work. In this they have been ably guided by members of the staff and one and all have shown a fine spirit of co-operation worthy of all praise. Many gave up part of their summer holidays to make surgical dressings and to knit and sew. Outstanding was the sale of War Savings stamps and certificates. I wish to thank one and all for keeping up the honour of P.C.V.S. Page Twelve The Echoes Those responsible for the publication of The Echoes gave considerable time and thought to the answer of the question, Shall we publish The Echoes this year or not? They took a middle course and decided-wisely, We think-to reduce the size and give to the advertisers and pupils the benefit of the lessened cost. The publication of The Echoes entails much time and labour and the pupils and teachers connected with it are deserving of the thanks of the student body. The Students' Council The executive of the Students' Council looks after the extra-curricular activities connected with the school. The members are kept busy from September to June. Warren Gamble, this year's president of the Council, has had a successful year and has done very well, indeed. I wish to personally thank Mr. H. H. Graham and Mr. F. E. Johnston, the two teachers who represented the staff on the Council, for their arduous and highly suc- cessful labours in connection with the Students' Council. Congratulations Winning University scholarships is becoming a habit at P.C.V.S. Last summer William Henry won a Pro- vincial Scholarship in General Proficiency at Queen's University. The scholarship was worth 3996. Barrie Jack also won a scholarship in English at the same University. Advice to Students The present war will sooner or later cease. The old Order has been a ghastly failure and will give place to a New one. To fit yourselves forthis new and better world sustained effort on your part will be required. School days come but once. You cannot afford to waste a single day. Canada will be one of the foremost nations in the post-war period. How proud you ought to be of the fact that you are a Canadian citizen! Here is a land which reaps all the benefits of monarchy without the caste and cost of monarchyg a land where there is no degradation in honest toil and ample chances for the honest toilerg a land which has started its national existence with a kindling love of Freedom, a quickened onset of Inquiry, and a reverent love of Truth. We feel that never did a country begin under fairer auspices, and that if Canada's children be but true to themselves, they will establish a stable commonwealth rich in all tl1e virtues which make nations great, mighty in those irresistible moral forces which make a people strong. Esto perpetual May no Marius sit among the ruins of a promise so fair. Q9

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