Pickering College - Voyageur Yearbook (Newmarket, Ontario Canada)

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During the winter term, we were happy to welcome three Old Boys to lead our Sunday evening reflections: XVard Cornell, programme director of London's radio-TV station, Jack Struthers, editor of the Newmarket Era and Express , whose address in part is printed elsewhere in this magazine, and Craege McQuarrie, who shared with his Reflections on Returning . Old Boys Gordon Hay and Bob Moffat joined us for two evenings during the spring term, Gordon is principal of NViarton High School, Bob showed us slides which he made during his stay in Pakistan where he taught the children of Canadians engaged in engineering projects there. Current students contributed much to our services during the winter term. The members of Grade Ten Latin class arranged a service of readings, and eight members of the School Committee spoke on two successive Sundays. Chairman Jamie Murray's text was Sow a Thought to Reap a Destiny g Skip Gilcln-ist's theme was Appreciation g Addie Blankestijn was inspired by a phrase from Ulysses - -and not to yield g Arch Leitch offered us 'tThe Silver Rule g Al VVhite spoke on f'Energy and Tony Allen on Honesty g Charles Beeris topic was Spirit and Determination , and Bruce Andrews expounded Donne's theme, No Man is an Island . NVe are very grateful to these young men for the effort they made to share their highest thoughts with their fellowsg they have further strengthened a well-established tradition. Rev. Duncan VVhite, of the United Church, Newmarket, was a welcome guest speaker during the spring term. His good humour and air of deep conviction drew a response both happy and thoughtful from his audience. Mr. Veale and Mr. McLaren were other members of the staff who spoke to the school, the former on Faith , and the latter, appropriately, on Mathematical Morality . Our thoughts at Christmas time were guided by the Headmaster at our tra- ditional candlelight service. A lovely backdrop showing the triumphant angels had been designed by Mr. Jewell, Mrs. Beer sang for us, and Mr. Peers led his Firth House Choir in Christmas selections. Special music was also provided at Easter-time by these artists. At the final service of the school year Mr. Beer, speaking especially to the graduating class, reminded us that we must hold our talents and skills In Trust for Mankindng we must learn in order that we may teachg we must acquire in order to contribute, we must grow strong in order to serve. He thus provided a kind of summing-up of the Christian thinking which we had been exploring throughout the year. Nineteen

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chapel at - pieleering college Where there ts no vision, the people perish. Proverbs XXIX:18 T HE '6VISI0N,, or THIS COMMUNITY IS RE- NEWED EACH SUNDAY evening of term by the readers and speakers who conduct our Chapel services. A body of readings has been accumulated over the years expressing our ancient founding ideals of service, the worth of the individual, tolerance, freedom under law, and the necessity of putting spiritual values first in order to aspire to a Christian life. These readings are complemented by speakers who, in general, are keenly aware of the spiritual and social responsibilities which must be accepted by the citizens of a democracyg many of those who address us are present or former members of the staff or student body, others are friends of the school who have an understanding ot, and a sympathy for, its objectives. In the opening meeting of the year, the Headmaster recognized the Thirtieth Anniversary of the re-opening of the school in speaking of Our Inheritance . The reception service for new students was, appropriately, taken by Joseph Mc- Culley, Headmaster, 1927-1947, who spoke on the theme Neither Hot nor Coldvg at this service the lesson was read, according to tradition, by the Chairman of the Board of Management, Samuel Rogers, Q.C., who personally greeted each of the new students after the service. Mr. Donald Davis, of the Crest Theatre, visited us, and read movingly a letter written by a soldier fighting in the Napoleonic Wars, he enjoined us, on the basis of its sentiments, to avoid conformity and commit ourselves with courage to an ideal or a. point of view individually and sincerely arrived at. Mr. Stewart and Mr. Blackstock also took services during the autumn term. Mr. Beer spent three weeks in October in association with a group of Ob- servers maintained by the Society of Friends at the United Nations in New York. Un his return, he reported to us on his experiences there, taking as his title The Hope of the NVorld g in the course of his remarks, he emphasized the critical necessity of our developing 'tmutual trust in one another, as individuals and as nations. Subsequently, Mr. C. N. T. NViddrington, former Assistant Headmaster, described for us the purpose and function of the United Nations Emergency Force, with which he served in Egypt and in the Gaza Strip . These first-hand observations were both encouraging and inspiring. Eighteen

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An obligation to fulfil From an address by Mr. J. E. Sfruthers, in Chapel, March 2, 1958 URELY, Mosr OF You, EVEN You PEOPLE who just entered this school for the first time last. September-have grasped the ideas that give reason to the existence of Pickering College. There are many terms we can use to try to explain it . . . Tolerance, responsibility to the group, trust and faith in the individual. But I am not here to describe what the school is doing and what you are doing. I am concerned about what happens when you walk out that front door for the last time, into a. life some people call the jungle , where it is going to be very difficult to apply this experience you are having at Pickering. Out there is the greatest challenge you will ever have in relation to Pickering. You can ignore it if you want. Perhaps the greater percentage of Pickering gradu- ates do ignore it. But as an old boy of this school, I believe that each one of you has an obligation to fulfil when you leave. I think you must try to apply the ideas you are beginning to understand here, to life out there. In attempting to explain what I mean, it is necessary to talk about my own experiences when I left school. I have no misgivings about talking of myself tonight because it is my duty as an old boy to do so. Through a series of circumstances, unimportant to you, I became the Editor of a weekly newspaper. One of the biggest challenges I met was not the one where I was to try to be a responsible newspaperman. It was in managing a business which employed a full time staff of about sixteen people and a number of other part time workers. An old boy of this school, who came on the newspaper staff last fall, noticed that personnel relationships, attitudes towards the business and the employer were different from those in establishments where he had worked before. He noticed that employees in the plant did not punch time clocks. An em- ployee did his job without a foreman breathing down his neck. People started work at eight. o'clock in the morning without the boss being around to see exactly what time they started. Yet the work was being done. Production was maintained at a high level. In fact I am of the opinion that production is higher in our plant than if time clocks were punched and we had a system that called fer overseers and stool pigeons. There may be one or two critics among you who will say, Oh, that's just good psychology and there is just a. selfish motive behind it to get more work out of the men. One can find a number of answers to that. Under which system would you prefer to work? Isn't that one good reply? When our old boy came on the staff, he was somewhat amazed at this system being used in our business. My answer to him was, Why is it so surprising to you? You went to Pickering. You should know what the connection is ! As a matter of fact, the importance of that connection had not occurred to me with any great impact. Subconsciously, what I had learned about living at Picker- ing was bemg carried on in the so-called jungle world of dog-eat-dog living. Twenty