Pickering College - Voyageur Yearbook (Newmarket, Ontario Canada)

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THE HEADMASTER

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DEDICATION William P. Firth, M.A., D.Sc., 1867-1934 . . AFTER A LINGERING ILLNESS of three years' duration there passed away on Octoa ber 12, 1934, one whose whole life was interwoven with the history of Pickering College for a period of over forty years-Dr. William P. Firth. Born in Bradford, England, in 1367, he came to Pickering College as a young man after spending two years in the Friends' School at Union Springs, New York. From 1892 until 1917 the school prospered under his leadership. This period witnessed the removal of the school from the village of Pickering and the inauguf ration of its work in our present admirable surroundings. While building operations were in progress following the disastrous fire of 1905, Dr. Firth completed his work for the D.Sc. degree at Queens University and spent a year there as a Fellow in Chemistry and another as lecturer in the same subject. Although his training was in science, he maintained a broad and humane inf terest, not only in education but in much wider fields outside and particularly in the work of the Society of Friends in Canada. The refopening of the school after a lapse of almost ten years gave him an opportunity to express his continued interest in education. The present character of the school and its physical plant owes much to his keen judgment and deep interest. His leadership and the consecrated service of himself and Mrs. Firth were acknowledged when our new junior Residence building was opened in 1931 and named Firth House. To Mrs. Firth, whose keen interest in the progress of the school continues, there is extended our deepest sympathy. In memory of one whose name will forever be associated with Pickering College, this volume is most respectfully dedicated. -. ,,

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A PERSONAL NXXGRD ll ODERN MAN, by his technical progress, has made the world one living organ' ism. Whether we like it or not, we must recognize this fact,-we must become worldfminded or perish. Worldffellowship is no longer the idealist's dreamg it is the stern demand of reality. But fellowship cannot be enforced or superfimposed. It presupposes free' dom of choice and action in all relations of man with his fellowfmen. A fellow' ship is, in essence, a society of freefmen. At a time when stormfclouds, black as night, hover over the field of interf national relations,-at a time when democratic government is being challenged all over the world,-in a period in which the only freedom of millions is the freedom to eke out the most miserable existence in a world of plenty, it may seem naive to hold aloft the banner of liberalism, democracy and the humanist traf dition. But the very conditions only make it the more necessary that those who believe in the essentially religious doctrine of the worth of human personality should shout their convictions from the houseftops. All proposals for change must be judged by this standard. It is the superfimportant task of education, and particularly of Christian education, in this, our changing world. For this purpose Pickering College was founded. To this cause it is still dedicated. With the shining vision of a social and economic order in which man to man the world o'er shall brothers be, our graduates go out from these halls year by year. That all of them may play their parts worthily and courf ageously is our most sincere hope. Pk Pk Dk Pk bk The pages that follow form a record of another year, In days to come those who have participated in this year's activities, will undoubtedly unpack the scented store of song and flower and sky and face and count and touch and turn them o'er. To them these pages will recall happy memories. To the out' sider, they may provide some glimpse of the variety of activities that hll our lives and the spirit that permeates our labours. Once again I close with an expression of deep gratitude to a loyal and enf thusiastic staff for their unstinted devotion to their tasks,-to students and parents for their cooperation throughout another happy year,-and to the editor and staff of The Voyageurv for the worthy manner in which they have brought together and presented for your approval this record of the year l934f3'i.