Pickering College - Voyageur Yearbook (Newmarket, Ontario Canada)

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in trust for mankind The Headmasters Address to the Graduating Class at the Closing Chapel, June 6th, 195-1. They only are loyal to this school, who, departing, bear their added riches in trust for mankind . ITHIN 'rHEsE XVALLS much has been though and dreamt and pledged by you and by me in these days together, n-ow so nearly past. For here surely, as autumn changed to winter and winter to spring, here, as we meditated under- the guidance of Pickering men - Staff and Committee alike, of Rabbi, Quaker, one speaker in the twilight of his days, younger men on the threshhold of lives of service, two former Headmasters who know and love our school, here surely, something was added to -our stature, something of understanding, something of self-knowledge, -- a vision of a better way of life which we reverently call the Kingdom of God. And now as we gather together for the last time, each one of us may look into his own heart to discover what has happened to himself within these walls. Those of you who know Pickering best, will know that everything of good in our school must find its roots here in Chapel, whether it be the way we live together, the way we play together, the ambitions and goals we set for ourselves, the kind of men we want to become. These thoughts about our growth and development in the year past must be of special significance to those-our eldest sons-about to take their leave of Pickering. who are sitting with us tonight for the last time as students of this College. But is it necessary to tell you, men who have been here one, two, tour, five or seven years, of the ideals which form the only justification for the existence of this school? I believe so! One of the meanings of the verb to graduate is to change by degrees and as you leave this hill-top, there will be a change in the degree of responsibility you must accept. VVhatever strength has been added unto you during your stay within these walls, has not been given for your own personal aggrandize- ment. It has possibly often seemed so, even to th-ose of us who have had the responsibility for your education. At times you and we have forgotten the ultimate goal - that the only purpose of our being on this planet is to build Jerusalem in this our green and pleasant land, to help one another. Everything we do has this common basis , . . whether it be in the area of academics, athletics, intellectual pursuits, cultural absorptions . . . and now more than ever must you know, as Pickering men, that you bear a great trust. What is this great trust? ls it made up of these tiresome truisms, these pat platitudes, these words, words, words? It is not! It is, indeed, based Twcn.ty'six'

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anthropology and medicine: Dr. Alex Sim considered The Adolescent and his Cultural Background , and Dr. Jack Denne spoke on Attitudes . One Sunday, Mr. XYallace Forgic showed pictures of Camp Tonakela in Indiag he was accompanied by Dr. John Hastings, who later spoke in Chapel on A Life of Service . Mr. Vtlilliam R. Cook conducted a service of readingsg this was of especial interest because Mr. Cook had contributed largely to the creation of the form of worship which has been used since the re-opening of the School in 1927. Mr. Anthony Frisch, as Secretary ofthe United Nations Association in Toronto, discussed this world organization with special emphasis upon its final dependence on the attitudes of individual human beings. With special pleasure we welcomed back two former Headmasters and present friends: Mr. Rourke told us his thoughts On Coming Back , and Mr. McCulley made an impassioned plea for the life of thc spirit under the heading To-morrow is Already Here . .These men have given us incalculably much in the pastg we are so bold as to count upon their continuing generous interest in the future. V A Scene from the Grade X Production, The Little Man Twenty-fzfv

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on the principles we have learned here - but principles put into practice. What are these principles, what. has Pickering given you, what are these added riches which we ask you to bear in trust? You know them as well as I. They form a faith, a set of values, a set of attitudes. 'That faith is in a God who has given us the right to choose between good and evil. Call it, if you Will, a belief in goodness. In biblical language it means Thou shalt love the Lord thy God, with all thy heart and with all thy soul and with all thy might, and thy neighbour as thyself. From it stems our Quaker belief in the value of the individual, in service, in tolerance. Pickering men judge others on their meritsg what matters race, colour, or a difference in the way in which we worship God or our individual concept of the ideal? Pickering, therefore, has given you a faith. But Pickering has given you something else: a freedom in which you may test this faith, a freedom which may turn to license, Whenever your faith fails, a freedom which carries with it a responsibility, for our individual free- dom is limited whenever it trespasses on the rights or freedom of the group as a whole. One must learn to use freedom. At first we act like a litter of new born puppies learning to walk, we waver, totter and fall. But then with strength and practise we learn to walk with firmness and steadiness. Freedom gives self-knowledge. Pickering, therefore, has given you freedom in which to grow. And Pickering has also given you an inner Force, a Strength, a Self-discipline, courage, if you prefer, to work out your faith, your ambitions, in a spirit of freedom. In our first Chapel service I likened our four pillars to Faith, Fun, Friendship and this Inner Force. This latter principle is the one which makes everything else fall into place. Have you ever noticed in a gathering, a bull- session in the corridors, a committee meeting, a staff meeting, when the con- versation has become negative and unconstructive, someone will raise his voice in positive, forceful support of a principle, and the character of that gathering is thereby given heart and hope? Have you ever noticed within yourself, after a period of discouragement and aimlessness in the face of your heavy tasks, that you will suddenly take heart and fight? This is the spirit, born of your faith and sorely needed by it tif faith is to have any meaningl which we call the inner Light or Force. And so, those of you who are ready to graduate, go forth in this month of June, in the year of our Lord 1954, with a Faith, a standard of values, even if you do not think of it in those terms, an under- standing of Freedom and a Force or Will to fight for your beliefs. But, remember, the degree of your responsibility is now and forever greater, for these riches are given to you in trust to be defended, spread and passed on to others. Last year's School Committee Chairman used to raise a question about our school code, these beliefs, he said, are no monopoly of Pickering. Thank God for that! They represent the dreams and hopes and efforts of good men everywhere. Your loyalty now becomes a greater one, as it transfers from this College to the larger community, and I assure you Pickering will lose nothing in that transfer. Twenty-s'cveri