Pickering College - Voyageur Yearbook (Newmarket, Ontario Canada)

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Punctual arrivals and mass enthusiasm gave the extra touch to the splendid beer-garden setting of the formal. The orchestra pumped its notes over the small crowd from the excited beginning to the nostalgic end of Pickering's gala night. Merely the highlights ofthe P.C.socialcalender have been pointed out and only a drop in the bucket at that. Our year at Pickering is peppered with student participation in a spectacular drama, an operatic glee club production, energetic pep-rallies, crisp football games, Sports Day, and, of course, the farcical spring festival. A highly compact and exclusive Chairman's Ball, and a recital by Mr. Schaus also leap to the memory. Naturally, the great success of these occasions has been largely a result of the toil put in by the students in their own time. All that I can say now is Hoorah Pickering and in the words of the late Bayne Cummer, t'We will remember these thingsf' Rob Grande ,I 5-. Q s ? I M. W. . W ,n . t 2? f. Q' .11 A ,Q ,A t ww

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The intellectual treat of the evening was the Grade X production, The Day Hell Went Out and Went Modernn, an adaptation of a play of Aristo- phanes by Mr. J.W. Boake. Its plot begins with a Dantesque trip by two earthly mortals fJohn Noer and his slave Gary McLeanQ to hell to seek for their former leader and headmaster, Archelochus Jones. After descending into the kingdom of the damned with another stiff , fJim Burnhamj these two travellers witnessed a contest held before the ruler of the underworld, Satan, for the post of Minister of Education. Dale St.Clair played his part as more of an exuberant college boy on a fling than a wily Satan. There were two contestants for the honoured position and each had to present his educational philosophy. On the one hand there was Whip Lash QAncel Kerry, the arch-conservative, who would impose a stern type of discipline and a solid core of academic studies upon the young, innocent scholars. The progressive wing was represented by Archelochus Jones, fMike Drachej whose programme was more permissive and lenient than Whip Lash's. Jones believed in the self-developing philosophy. In these two speeches, as throughout the play, there was much social satire and comment on present- day society. Moreover, there was some very good acting in this piece. Congratulations to the three directors - Mr. J. Taylor, Mr. N. MacLean, and Mr. J. Boake, for an excellent evening of dramatic entertainment. Social Activities ''Supercalafragelisticexpialadocious'' is the only adjective which can begin to describe the long and varied social programme for 1964-65. The clanging of bells at all hours of the morning greeted the tradition- steeped day of initiation. New Boy's Day was with us once again. The master-slave relationship prevailed as the old boys ordered their domesti- ques to perform various stunts, jobs and impossibilities. The evening gave face to new talent at Pickering as skits were endured by the accom- plished old boys. This was followed by a movie which rounded off the action-packed day. Ontario Ladies' College, a select group of femmes-fatales, played host to a busload of P.C. gentlemen late in October. Two of our younger masters were present to see that strict etiquette was observed. Despite this surly bond we passed a pleasurable evening. To bring the soccer-football season to a close, an annual dance is held. This informal affair brought our husky athletes to the dance floor for an enjoyable soiree. The long and laborious second term was marked by one dance: our return-dance to O.L.C. Harry Huriy and his enthusiastic crew of bar-boys and record-changers provided the icing for a delight of a night. With many promises and assurances the young damsels departed at eleven thirty in their grey Gray coach before it could turn into a pumpkin. Twenty-six

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Preparatory Department When school opened in September, those of us who were not new to Firth House found it more or less as we left it except considerably cleaner. As we looked around we found that in accordance with the 10-year plan for Pickering, the assembly hall was larger, a new stage with plenty of room in the wings had been added, with an art room and a craft shop underneath, behind the Prep dining room. The craft shop had been newly equipped with tools and many interesting things can be made there. The old craft shop has been moved down near the barn and is to be used, so we are told, as a chicken coop. Looking a little farther, we also discovered that the Headmaster's house had been enlarged. Early in the fall Mr. Howarth, the farm manager, took us on a tour of the school farm, which consists of about 250 acres. He told us of the various uses of the land and which crops he grew in which fields, and ex- plained how we could have a great deal of pleasure on the farm without interfering with the working of it by remembering simple little things like closing gates after us and not chasing the pigs. This year we had more tutors than usual. We- started out with Ralph Simons, and Jim Gardiner, who left us at Christmas and was replaced by Hugh Ferguson. At the same time Peter Harper joined us as a tutor. The tutors have been most pleasant and friendly and, while they have been firm in enforcing the rules of Firth House, they are also ready to help you with problems and to play games with you. Five times during the year we have special week-ends, or 'flong week- endsu. The week preceding is filled with anticipation and little else is thought of. On the Friday at noon we leave for home and with mixed emo- tions we come back on the Tuesday morning. Halloween was a little different this year. Everybody, teachers, nurse, tutors and students piled on a bus and were off to the city to see f'My Fair Ladyn. Only one boy was lost and he showed up before it was time to go home. We all enjoyed the show, the trip, and, of course, the food when we got back to the school. fwenlv-ezglvt