Pickering College - Voyageur Yearbook (Newmarket, Ontario Canada)

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Outside the French elassrooms a long line of boys stood waiting for an in- terview with Mr. Beer about their aeademie program. The old veterans in the line were espeeially exuberantg they patted baeks, made wiseeraeks and laughed uproariously. The new boys watehed these anties with rather forlorn faces, and waited their turn. To many, the buildings seemed far larger and more spaeious than they had remembered them. Friends also were different, they had gained little splashes of new paint during the summer that made them refreshing, at least for a eouple of davs. Finally eame supper and everyone trooped down to his table and stood around making awkward eonversation, tlraee was said and heads were bowed, but not all. For some seeonds half the new boys eontinued to look around like ostriehes with uneomprehending eyes. and then with a swift realization they lowered their heads, extra low. The meal was very stiff. At first. new boys immediately took their food instead of passing it along down the tableg eongest-ed ehaos arose and was duly quelled. The new boys had learnt their first lesson. Despite the efforts ot' old boys, the new students only nibbled at their food and looked absolutely lost between eourses. After dinner a group of the boys started throwing a football around, still wearing their good elothes. Others attempted to settle down and unpaek. Many of the boys, however, spent the entire evening in bull sessions, sizing up the new arrivals and telling tales of their adventures. All during the evening there was a eontinuous stream of late arrivals, Eaeh old boy that returned was ques- tioned on his summer and duly warned of the various new boys that had aroused eomment. The master on duty sent. us all to bed at a reasonable but really too early hour. Bedtime . . . a kind of sec-urity for all, new and old, a warm bed and eoneealing darkness to drive away fear and strangeness like the hand elasp of a friend. Tomorrow, though, it begins again. For the new boy there is not quite as mueh terror: for the old boy that extraordinary sensation. both new and old, soon beeomes old. XVe're baek in the swim. Twenty-four

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the first day of school HERE IS AN INTANGIBLE QUALITY in the opening day of school which makes it distinct from any of the other highlights of the school year. It is, of course, a day of Erst impressions for the thirty odd new boys who enter the school this year but even for a student who may be returning to the t'ollege for the fifth or sixth year, there are images and scenes which become a part of Pickering, the picture which he will remember long after he has broken away from the student life. This fall on the 15th of September, we returned to the college in the same way, saying the same things, and asking ourselves the same questions about the c-oming year as our predecessors have done since 1927. The school was busy, and despite the lists and schedule and plans stuffed in the pockets of an apparently rejuvenated staff, well briefed for the operation, everything seemed totally confused. New students stood back and gawked, just plain gawked at everything. Masters tried very hard to play the parts of slationmaster, baggage clerk, host, old friend and Mr. f'hips all at the same time. Uld boys returning avoided con- scription as red-caps by bulling on the corridors about their fantastic summer experiences. Everybody was busy doing nothing and everything was being done. The circular drive was stuffed with cars and parents and on the steps stood Mr. Stewart watching the comings and goings, while his mental list showed the progress of the day. There were trunks and tennis rackets, suit-cases and dunnage-bags. ski-poles and rugby helmets all over everything and in the middle, Bob McClure, who looked as though he carried the weight ot' the world upon his shoulders and wouldn't have been happy with an ounce less. l'p and down the front. walk the Headmaster ran from parent to parent promising, blessing, assur- ing and confirming in a magnificent attempt to separate father and son, sister and brother, that he might see what was his for the coming year and make an approximation with three-figure accuracy. Returning students were wandering over every inch of the School plant. condemning a change in the colour of a room or approving the selection of a new faucet in the corridor washroom. Although no change could have escaped their notice several changes commanded their attention. The outside of the School had been completely repainted, and it gave the main building that well scrubbed look that means a new start and new opportunities. Between the gym and the new building to the rear of the connecting corridor, there were two common rooms for staff and students. They replaced the use of the headmasters residence and represented t-o us the encouraging interest in the material aspects of the College which had been reborn with the formation of the Old Boys' Association last. year. Twenty-three

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new boys 9' night nw Boys' NIGHT at Piekering is an annual event whieh takes plaee early in the fall term. It affords both entertainment and sport for the old boys, at the expense of the neweomers. The entertainment eonsists of skits, or short plays, performed in the Assembly Hall by the various eorridor groups. The sport takes the form of the traditional snipe hunt whieh is earried out in the fields and woods to the rear of the eollege. This year the night ot' Or-tober tith was set aside for this traditional wel- eome. No homework was assigned, thus lending a earefree atmosphere to the proceedings. At eight o'f-loek. after eostumes and neeessary stage sets had re- eeived their last-minute eheekups, the evening's aetivities began with the skits. Some were bad, some good, and others just fair, I'pper North lforridor, with Don Gilroy, a new master, as leader, took top honours. The skits over, the old boys played hosts to the new boys in the dining room, where hot dogs and hot ehoeolate were served. Everyone having satisfied his hunger, old elothes were donned, and the hunt began for the elusive snipe. New boys, under the professional guidanee of experieneed hunters ot' past years, were led to the woods where the finer points of the sport were demonstrated. l or many, the night beeame quite ehilly. l'n- fortunately, nobody eame aeross a snipe, and eonsequently the eash award whieh lllr. Rourke had -offered for a pair of the small spotted birds went unelaimed. Exhausted and in desperation, the unsueeessful hunters staggered baek to the sehool about midnight, wishing that they had worn more elothing. Their guides suffered no sueh diseonit'ort, as past experienee had taught them the neeessary preeautions to take. Although the limit itself' was unsueeessful, l believe that everyone enjoyed himself and gained a great deal of unforgettable experienee from the evenings aetivities. lilil-'l io RIGHT: Bill Hfzrrling. Dru-ffl Wagner. Wally' Burlap ,4 I fa e r I Ilnrlerliill. John Crulmm. Dnrifi Bullnrlf. Twen ry-fue