Pickering College - Voyageur Yearbook (Newmarket, Ontario Canada)

Page 33 text:

Rain OFT, slow dropping rain soothed the dusty, wind-weary leaves of an old pine. This was not the first time rain had fallen on the old tree in the long years it had stood on the hillside. During those years, the insistent west wind had bent the tree. Life had left its mark on it. Fighting many battles and enduring many trials had given it an appearance of being willing to listen to the troubles of others with a sympathetic ear. This night the rain stirred the weather-beaten pine 's memory-gentle rain on the roof or on your face always does this.-Many things drifted from the past. Tales long ago forgotten by questing man. The old, log cabin on the edge of the sandy trail and over which the tree put protecting arms was empty now. Just on the very edge of its memory, the pine could recall that a laughing young giant had come up the slope, had paused to gasp at nature 's noiseless, startling beauty, covering the valley. The cabin had been built to the ringing, swinging of the adventurerls axe. Soon after a lithe woman came striding up the grade and joined the man in his seeking. One night-it was raining that night too-they had sat on the door step. The rain, dripping from the rough eves, made puddles at their feet. The pine leaned close to hear their dreams and hopes for days yet to come. But that was long ago. The years brought joy and children and pain and sorrow. A neighbour came up from the valley and his words disturbed the peace of the settlers. The man went away and did not come back. The woman laboured in the field, became stooped, lost the gleam in her eye. In the evening she sat on the step and gazed far off towards the distant ridge. On rainy nights, about a fire, she told the children that the man had gone far away to fight other men. If he hadn't these other men would have come and taken their little cabin. The pine listening over the chimney wondered at that. No one had even been near there to take the cabin. Men are funny creatures! Then the woman and the children went away and never came back .... Two nights ago a wandering pair stopped and sat under the pine whis- pering, Hshishingw branches. They were young and keen.-Pine trees are good judges of men. They see and hear so many, you know.-These wanderers felt the wonder, the ringing silence, the mystery of life thrusting upwards. Un- usual people these, in such a day of monotonous frenzy. They went over the hill, laughing softly. Life seemed good to them. Youth is a time of great hope, but sorrow and disappointment are such merciless robbers, thought the pine. This rain brings drowsiness. 'Tis a good rain- Dry grass will like this- Rain. Will it rain all night? Sleep-pine trees sleep! Yes, it was a long time ago that . . . But it is still raining. Why don't men walk in the rain more? Maybe it is because they think They are no longer rooted in the ground. They have forgotten! Rain, nature's tears of ecstasy! Rain . . . night rain . . . Pattering, homey rain . . Rain...Rain... , C.R.B. -. N29 -

Page 32 text:

all-important fact that because the make--up of each individual is entirely dif- ferent, a distinction should be made. If pupils have not yet learned how to work without being forced, surely someone should see that both time and money are spent in an endeavour to change the system. As it is now we are admitting a weakness in human nature and have so far only made clumsy attempts to improve it. Other countries have already made successful reforms and are carrying out further experiments. Due to the rapidly increasing number of students in the last few years, the courses are being made more difficult in order not to overcrowd the universities. This may be all very well, but on the other hand many of us feel that the specified courses in many subjects are already much too long to be properly studied in one or two years as the case may be. Usually we spend the whole year just storing up facts. At the end of the year we find that we possess only half of the true value of the course. Very little if any time can be taken for discussion and outside reading and as a rule absolutely no effort is made to teach pupils how to get out intelligently the material that is crammed into their heads. Training in expression should go hand in hand with the acquisition of knowledge. It is indeed unfortunate that under the present system we receive practically no encouragement to really think for ourselves. As a result, by the time we are ready to receive a diploma, in most cases creative thinking has been killed and very few retain questioning minds. Not nearly enough attention is paid to the stimulation of the imagination and all in all a sort of mass mind is developed so that those who do not attend university remain very susceptible to crowd appeal. Perhaps we should be more thankful for the opportunities that we have, but still we find it hard to be content when we feel that so much improvement can be made. It is our sincere hope that those responsible for the matricula- tion requirements will see fit to attempt new policies in the important task of giving the best possible educational training to Canadian youth. -MD. REGARDIN G EXCHANGES To whom it may concern we would offer a slight explanation of our policy or lack of policy in regard to exchange with publications from other schools. Magazines have been received from several schools in the province and we would thank those who have been so kind as to make some criticism of our former volumes. Because the enrollment of the school is still limited to about ninety-five students, the lion 's share of the work involved in printing a magazine is borne by a very limited group. The fact that this is so means that there is a definite lack of experience and the editors feel that as yet we are incapable of offering mature criticism. In the near future, however, it is expected that we will have more confidence in ourselves and an exchange department will be added. s. N28 -f

Page 34 text:

THE NEW EDUCATION EELLOWSHIP C1NTERNATioNA1Lb 11 Tavistock Square London, W. C. 1. Engand April 50th, 1950 My Dear Boys: I have often thought of the Sunday I spent with you all at Pickering College and I am going to tell some of the English schools I visit about the group of boys working in Canada in the same spirit as they are, trying to find a way to make of education a joyous adventure. You have no idea how important it is for those of us who are trying to change the orthodox type of education to be able to tell of ac- tual experiments that are being tried out, and I shall be very glad if you will let me know from time to time how you are succeeding, what you are doing, and what you feel and think about it all. I hope some of you may visit England and come and look us up. I will take you to see Frensham Heights School in Surrey, about which I told you. I hope you will all have a good holiday. Please tell Mr. Statten that we are waiting for his article on the camp with some jolly photos, to go into the August number of the magazine. With every good wish, Yours sincerely, TEX-Gfffbn.-4.4, - if Organising Director.