Pickering College - Voyageur Yearbook (Newmarket, Ontario Canada)

Page 28 text:

The Voyageur r W0 of the most memorable of our weekly chapel services this year were the Christmas Service and the graduating service. The Christmas candle-light service is always an impressive occasion attended by large numbers of parents andfriends and with special music provided by the Glee Club. A new dignity was added this year by the special setting designed by Fred Hagan. The front of the hall was set up as the chancel of an English village church with simulated stained glass windows showing scenes of the Nativity. It provided a most suitable atmosphere for our traditional Christmas service. v Photographs of a large number of the 'gold boysw and the school honour roll were used for the graduation service, the closing service of the school year. ln this way we had represented members who had travelled on to larger fields of service and sacrifice but who are still members of our ucommunityf, They had participated in this service in previous years and had heard the headmaster challenge the graduates into strive, to seek, to find and not to yieldf, We would like to express our deep appreciation to the members of the staff, who along with the headmaster, addressed us at our Sunday evening assemblies. Owing to difliculties of transportation we had few outside speakers but we will long remember the stirring and thought-provoking address of Rabbi Feinberg of Toronto and the deeply personal and helpful message of Dr. Bernhardt during the spring term. 26

Page 27 text:

The Voyageur It was an old, Victorian structure with a long verandah along the front and intricate carvings on the eaves and gables, probably built by some old retired farmer in the days when they had large families and a great deal of money. We went in. I walked over to the ancient piano and sat on the stool. Everything seemed as if it had been left the day before, except for the layer of dust that covered every piece of furniture in the place. Suddenly the door blew shut with a teriflic slam. A picture left its mooring and crashed to the floor. King growled. Then we both listened, there was a soft padding of feet in the room beyond the archway. I turned sick at my stomach. Then I heard the same soft padding on the stairway. I felt something touch my foot. I leaped for thc door, but became entangled with King. He charged under the piano and losing my balance, I toppled upon the keyboard. lt was like the climax of a great symphony! The tones roared in my ears and became overtones, scores of ghosts danced in my imagination. Regaining my senses, I dashed through the doorway and King followed. In his mouth was a huge rat! . We walked back along the old road. The spirit of the night was no longer present. I had lost all that zest for adventure. It was cold anyway. As King trotted along beside me again, I could see something in that canine face that almost suggested a grin. . aqaue We a eaanhq? E ARE OFTEN TOLD that Canada is not a country, but a heterogeneous combination of provinces with separate aims, separate desires, and separate interests, and to a certain extent this is true. In religion the French Canadian is very different from the sturdy Protestant of Ontario, and in politics he is 'very apt to act in a different way. ln business affairs the interests of the New Brunswicker or Nova Scotian have different connec- tions from those of the Manitoban or the British Columbian. All this is true and these divergences are great difficulties in the path of those who aim at building up a distinct and living nationality in this northern part of North America, but it seems possible that common hopes, common thoughts, common aspirations may yet unite Ontario and Quebec, Nova Scotia and British Columbia, Catholic and Protestant, East and West into one common harmonious national life. It is a common saying that no nation is ever thoroughly welded together until it has had its own baptism of blood and fire. Are we getting ours now? Certainly the sight of men from all the different provinces fighting bravely side by side, and laying down their lives on the distant prairie so that law and order may prevail, and the Government to which we all owe allegiance may hold its sway. cannot but do much to join us together and make us feel that we are all fellow citizens and brothers, subjects of the one Government, Citizens of the one country. -From the College Cabinet, a manuscript newspaper read to the students of Pickering College in the Spring Term, 1885. It is reprinted here as a matter of interest. 25

Page 29 text:

The Voyageur glee Glad . . . CAST OF THE MIKADOH h HE 'GVOYAGEURW this year almost had to appear without a write-up of l'The Mikado. The other day l saw a chap running around the school, stopping everyone he met, saying :-'Tye got you on the list. l've got you on the listln When he came to me, he explained that the bloke who was to write a criticism of the operetta left the school one morning singing:- 'l0n a tree by a river a little tom-tit, sang 4Willow, titwillow. titwillowilw He also said that nobody wanted to write anything for him and that he was about to use his snickersnee in order to persuade someone to do it. l took compassion on the poor editor, for that is who he was, and agreed to write this article. So whereas a pretty state of things. and here's a pretty how-de- dow The Glee Club's lVlikadow, once again, was a musical and theatrical treat of a very high standard. The girls' chorus was a new one and gaye an excellent performance. The director, in his own inimitable way, managed to put the show together, in spite of his illness. The primadonna was her usual charming self. both on the stage, and when helping to train the chorus. Katisha. who had started her musical career years ago on a trip to England. added new laurels to her name. Peep-Bo and Pitti-Sing were most charm- ing little maids from schoolg the latteris experienced acting. and delightful voice added much to the success of the show. The student roles of Pish- Tush, Pooh-Bah, and the Mikado were handled very well: Pislfs voice was very melodious, Poohls domineering 'tremendous swell' had the audience in tears, and the lVlik's diabolical laugh frightened it out of its wits. Nanki- Poo really Hbedewed the cheeksw of all in his line performance. It is not necessary to comment on Ko-Kois part in the operetta. It was superb. The boys' chorus lived up to the standard set by previous male choirs of the school. The men who worked tirelessly on the sets are to be congratulated on a magnificent job. 27