Pickering College - Voyageur Yearbook (Newmarket, Ontario Canada)

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ditorial The following articles appeared throughout the year in the QUAKER CRACKER and were deemed to be .sufficiently thought provolfing to he included in this edition of the Voyageur. - what are you doing ? rrn THE FINAL TERM w1ZLi. UNDER win' we should all take a moment to refiect on exactly what we have to accomplish here at Pickering College. Are we here to gain only a satisfactory standing in our grades or are we here just for the fun of playing games and pulling pranks? It is obvious to most that neither of the above provide at satisfactory answer to the question of why we are here. Here at the College there are outlets for all interests - in sports, in hobbies, and in extra, learning. First and foremost we attend the College to gain a sound education which will either enable us to go on to institutions of higher learning or will enable us to go into the business world. However, no one can live a balanced life merely on studies alone and for this reason we have the full range of athletic activities, all manner of clubs and dramatic and musical societies. Also, we are given the opportunity to help organize and run our community through the Student t'ommittec and individual corridor committees. It cannot be denied then, that there is much we can do to keep our bodies fit and our minds keen. In the majority of cases a. commendable effort is put forth in all fields. On the other hand there are those in this school who are not participating enough. It is admitted that some people have more capabilities than others and, as a result, appear more active. NVe realize this and would like to emphasize that it is the individual who should judge for himself just what he should be doing. On this line of thought we ask every individual in the school, What are you doing? If you can answer this question honestly and feel no guilt, then you are doing your share. lf, on the other hand, you feel you are not participating as much as you are capable of, then we earnestly hope that you will now activate yourself and do something useful and productive. There is nothing as rewarding as the feeling of accomplishment and success after working at something ha1'd. There is nothing as satisfying as knowing you belong to, and are, a useful part of at group - whether in class or on the field. NVe hope that to the question, VVhat are you doing? a number of you will, upon analysis of your own position, break open and put forth your best effort down the final stretch. Six

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a personal worfl to the students HE FOLLOWING PAGES will bring back a flood of memories to you, the students of 1957-58. As your Headmaster, I hope that these memories will be happy ones, as you scan the pictures and read the accounts I of the varied activities that filled our days during the past year. It is my personal hope that you will take some time to follow the train of thought thus provoked by memory, before starting your next year's experience, wherever il may be. In examining your own past year, you THE HEADMASTER will find it a mixture of success and failure. Some of your goals were not attained, whereas others approximated the high ideals you set for yourself, whether they were intellectual, physical or spiritual. These latter, mark well and identify the elements which brought their succcess. Perhaps you belonged to a team impelled by a cohesive spirit, to a class stirred by the joy of learning, to a group bound together by a vital interest in a common pursuit, such as drama, music, discussion or school affairs, perhaps you felt the thrill of mastering an academic subject, perhaps you began to apperciate the value of quiet meditation and prayerg perhaps you found out how to learn from your mistakesg perhaps your corridor. your school, or even just one other person. was made better because of your presence at Pickering last year. It is my personal belief that these good things in life take place. only if we as individuals bring into our lives a self-discipline which places the good of the group above selfish interests or, in private matters, our highest long-range ideals above super- ficial, short-term pleasures. Discipline need not be a cold, unfeeling concept, if we appreciate it as part of wisdom along with courage, forgiveness and unselfishness. Indeed. these other qualities may not exist, without it. Elton Trueblood, a Quaker philosopher. has said that, 'fthe heart of discipline is the constant vision of greatnessw. In this view, greatness does not mean public acclaim on the world stage. It is the attainment of all men who struggle to fullil their own inner potential, however small the measure, in the service of their fellow men. Thus, if we keep the vision of our own possibilities constantly in mind. discipline, far from being a begrudging obedience to authority, springs fully from the heart. That is why it is closely allied with love as a basic requisite of uthe good life . This personal word is therefore addressed to you in the hope that our past year together. here recorded, has brought us all closer to an understanding of the need for this kind of discipline in our lives. If so, our memories of this year will remain rich, indeed- -HARRY M. BEER. RA. Five

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on criticism ECENTLY THERE HAS BEEN A LOT or oR1T1c1sM directed against the leadership of Grade Thirteen and the Committee. Some of this criticism has a sound basis, some of it, however, does not. It is a good thing to have criticism but are the people who are criticizing entitled to do so? By this we mean, have those who feel there has been no leadership been giving their all when asked to help out in school projects? A case in point is the band for the opening baseball game. Many students refused to help, and yet soon after, they were criticizing the Committee for no action in this matter. Our school cannot be run on just leadership alone, nor for that matter can it run without help. We need both and we believe that in this school there are the qualities of leadership and the qualities for helping. At times there has been a lack of leadership, at times a lack of help, but not of both at once. This is the last term, so let's see if we can reach a high point in hclp when asked for it, and forceful leadership when the need arises. Before you criticize anything or anybody study your position. You should question your right to criticize. Have you given enough yourself to be able to look at someone and tell him that he is doing a poor job? If you still feel justified in criticizing, then try to offer constructive suggestions rather than just criticizing for its omi sake. Perhaps you, the students, feel that you do not have enough outlets for your criticisms. VVe suggest two very important outlets. One is the NVednesday morn- ing assemblies. These assemblies are for the discussion of student problems, but unfortunately are not being used for this. XVe suggest that more serious thought be given to these assemblies. Another is the Quaker Cracker. We regret that the Cracker has not been used effectively this year. This is something which should never happen again, and we trust never will. Therefore, do not let your criticism become like a wild horse and run loose, rather harness it, tame it, and use it well. friendly persuasion VERY MEMBER or THE PICKERING COMMUNITY is under a trust, not only to his teachers but also to himself. If a boy can discipline himself to shun the wrong and strive for the right, then this mutual trust becomes the source of a binding co-operation between the student and the master. However, no boy can possibly keep on the straight and narrow pa.th and when he goes astray it is the friendly persuasion on the part of the advisor that brings him willingly back to the fold. The boss uses orders to get results but the leaders of Pickering firmly believe that friendly persuasion does a much better job. And so the choice is put before us. VVe can either accept or denounce this method of friendly persuasion. Those boys who accept this fair offer are richly rewarded for their wise decision. Isn't this the basis for our successful community here on the hilltop? -BILL BRYANT Seven