Pickering College - Voyageur Yearbook (Newmarket, Ontario Canada)

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ur. e. le. r. FUNDAMENTAL PRINCIPLF OF EDU- CATION should be t-o make the pupil realize the meaning of excel- lence. These words of Sir Richard Livingstone seem to me to be particu- larly meaningful when I consider the service of over a quarter of a century rendered to Pickering College by Robert E. K. Rourke. Those of us who knew him in classes, in the Glee Ulub, in the Root of Minus One Olub, or in any situation during his head- mastership, know him as a man to remember for that challenging educa- tional precept. This insistence on a goal of perfec- tion, coupled with his own excellence in the art of clarification, has made of Bob Rourke one of the finest teach- ers of mathematics on this continent. XVe have been fortunate to have had Hurry JI. Beer, B.,-l, f7'm-ontoi him with us for so many dynamic vears. Pickering has gained much from this association. By his books and speeches her name in scholarship has been spread across the country and over the borderg his teaching has been a constant stimulus to student and colleague alikeg by his yvit. and humour, so well attuned to the art of Gilbert and Sullivan which he has made traditional with us, laughter has filled our halls. Under his headmaster- ship, Pickering has remained true to the traditions established by his pre- decessor, -loseph Mclffulley, as well as to the educational ideals of her founders, the Society of Friends. In taking over the headmastership of our school, I pledge my loyalty to those same ideals and traditions, and to the religious principles implicit in themg in plainer language, I pledge my loyalty to the kind of Pickering we all know and love. Our concern must continue to be with the individual and with a Christian understanding of his strengths and weaknesses. Only thus will our contribution to Uanadian education be as great as it has been in the past. Only thus will we be able to continue to explore those realms where the human spirit may tiourish. This is my personal tribute to the Headmaster who is leaving us. I have sat under him in classes: it has been my privilege to work in close friendship with him as my Headmaster. His departure will be keenly felt, yet he leaves much of himself' on the hill-top. He is a man to remember. H. M. B. Eighi

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a farewell to picleering 0o'rs uaow DEEP AND XVIDE in twenty-six years. Loyalties are forged, tasks are tackled, and friends are made. Pickering' offers an ideal environment for these thingsg the beloved community has a way of gripping and challenging and rewarding its members. The decision to leave the hilltop was not for me lightly made. I was one of the lucky ones who had the privilege, in January 1928, of joining those who were re-founding Pickering College. That was a. great day for me. I came as a tyro of twenty-two to begin the job of moving my castles from the air to the ground. I often had to let enthusiasm substitute for wisdom and skill, but I honestly believe that I have always tried hard to approximate my best. My failures were of the hand and the head, not of the heart. For Pickering tlollege and the things for which it stands soon became a part of meg they are now a vital factor that must govern my future thinking and living. How can I ever forget the ups and downs, the successes and failures, of those fine years? There were lots of worries. Some were trivialg some were global. The team of dedicated young men who were my colleagues brought the school through a world depression and through a world war. Other young men, similarly dedicated. will bring Pickering through whatever lies ahead. No, I would not call back a single year of the twenty-six. It has not all been easy going, sometimes I felt the problems were much bigger than I. But the successes have always been greater than the failures, and the trend is ever upwards. The school is better now than it ever was, yet not as good as it will surely be. A new opportunity and a new challenge now lie ahead of me. I believe that it is good for the school and good for me that I should accept them. Strong, capable hands and stout hearts are left to guide the destinies of Pickering. I doubt neither the high hopes nor the high quality of those who will surely transmit this City not only not less, but greater, better and more beautiful than it was transmitted to them . For me there will always remain pleasant memories, - worthwhile work, warm friendship, great fun. Aeneas, many years ago, said it for ine: Haec ohm memzmssc Jurabzf. These will indeed be wonderful things to remember. -RoBER'r E. K. ROURKE Seven

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two editorials XVHAT PICKERING BIEANS 'ro ME INCE I HAVE sPEN'r THE BEST PART' or MY LIFE up until now at Pickering, it is no wonder that the school has come to mean something to me. As an independent school, it is distinctive in its purpose, and the success of this purpose can be observed in the character and personalities of most of the students. Notice that I say most , for with success there must be failure, and the school has failed with some. I know the school has had an influence on me, but to what extent only the future will tell . As a community the school has a way of life which does a multitude of things for you. It teaches you to stand on your own two feet, think independ- ently, make your own decisions, and yet still accept the advice of those who are older and wiser than you. Seldom, if ever, are you told to do a thing without the teachers first consulting you and pointing out the reasons behind his injunction. Activities within thc school, such as Glee Club, dramatics, debating and scientific clubs, combined with Chapel services, add greatly to our spiritual, social, and intellectual life. The school is run in a more democratic style than that of its contemporaries. The absence of many rules and regulations leaves many decisions up to the student, which certainly is a great asset in character-building. The opportunity to think and decide for yourself instead of following a set pattern of rules prepares you for your future, where you will have no alternative but to think and decide for yourself. At a private school whether it be Pickering or not, you are away from the shielding hand of protection offered by your parents. If you make a mistake. you must take it like a man. Often parents, when their boy is in trouble, protect and side with him, so that he never realizes the importance of his mistake. This type of false security may lead to the making of more immature decisions which will only bring eventual disaster to the boy. Pickering was sometimes referred to in its earlier days as a school where bad boys go, and if that were the case Calthough I know it isn'tD, I would be proud of the fact that I am a bad boy. fi'o-oPER.v1'1oN Pays OEF! CReprinted from The Qunlfer fl'I'fI,Cli'6'I', June 6, 19535 S 1 sxr MYsEI.E DowN to try and write on a highlight of the fast-fading but ever-pleasant school year, I could not but feel that the whole school year has in itself been a most outstanding one. The whole tone of the school in general has been outstanding. The attitude of the school has indeed been one of co-operation and almost everything has been viewed positively. The year has been one in which expectations have come true, because on re-entering the school in September, many of the old students remarked on the attitude that even then was evident, and many of us felt that this would be a. year to remember. Nine