Ruperts Land Girls School - Eagle Yearbook (Winnipeg, Manitoba Canada)

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14 RUPERT,S LAND GIRLS, SCHOOL the honour, Barbara Sweeting and Iocelyn Richardson were selected, and the choice was felt to have been justified when their letters came across the Atlantic relating their impres- sions of the Coronation scenes, and when they returned from England full of enthusiasm regarding' their trip. Iocelyn was one of the lucky few privi- leged to sing to Their Majesties on their visit to Winnipeg on May 24. As Head Girl, Iocelyn has shown a great sense of respon- sibility, an enthusiastic interest in every School activity, and a cheerful equilibrium in daily school life. She has been more than populaI+she has been liked and looked up to by all of us, and so well has she proved her affection for and loyalty to the School, that we know that however busy she finds herself in her Home Economics course at the University, she will find time, now and then, to pay us a visit and see for herself how things are going in the old School to which she has given such loyal service. She takes with her our best wishes for all possible success and happiness in the future.-S.L.T. IOCELYN RICHARDSON 966 THE HOUSE SYSTEM 1 PRIZE ESSAY-SENIOR Each person in this whole wide world has a natural desire for success: the coolie in China for more rice, the headhunter in Africa for more heads, and so on throughout the world to the schoolgirl. She also dreams of coming to the top and of some day having achieved that irresistible something which is success What is success? Success is happiness in life and joy of others. But there are many and varied roads in life, of which only one leads to this goal-post success, and if at school the child is set upon this road, how much easier her path in life will bel There is the signpost Selfishness, which points out a narrow, lonely road, and there are also the signposts Underhand Methods, Shiftiness, Foolish Pride, Carelessness, and Lack of Interest. These signposts may be passed by, the place to leave them is in school, and a sure way to leave them is demonstrated by the House System. What is the House System? I have taken as an example of this system one directly beneath my notice, the system applied in my own school,.Rupert's Land. It is a system by which the pupils of a

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RUPER'r's LAND' GIRLS' SCHOOL 15 exciting of the year, and fortunately resulted in a win for the School for both teams. A new feature in basketball started by Miss Faraday, is the junior team, which has proved to be a popular idea with Riverbend and St. Mary's Academy. Deck tennis is a new game organized last year by Miss Faraday, and provides great competition and enthusiasm amongst the Houses. Tennis is well under way now, and we are looking forward to a successful term of it. The Houses have been very active this year in carrying their responsibilities, the competition has been great and they have been working very hard, each trying to obtain the coveted shield. The most outstanding feature of the year, for the Houses, was the Zenana tea, which is entirely arranged by the four Houses g each House sends out invitations and is responsible for a table. The tea was very successful this year and resulted in a substantial contribution to the mission work that is being done.. The Alumnae Association has also been very active this year, the members entertained at a silver tea which was held in the School and was very successful towards helping the Old Girls' Scholarship Fund. On May 5th was held Old Girls' Prayers at which it was very nice to see so many old friends. Many of us who are leaving this year will probably become Alumnae, and for those who are not too busy it would be very nice to meet again and chat over our happy school days at the Alumnae Reading Club, which meets on alternate Monday afternoons. I cannot express how happy I have been this past year in being honoured with the position of Head Girl. I hate to see the year draw to a close, and although I shall no longer be a student here 1 shall always remain a part of this fine school and its fine traditions. 1 would also like to say how grateful we are to Miss Bartlett and the Staff for the marvellous help they have given us, and finally 1 would like to thank the prefects and the girls for their splendid co-operation that has helped to make the year such a happy one. IOCELYN RICHARDSON QHead Girlb. The School year 1958-1959 is nearly over, and we pause to think for a moment of the girls who are passing out from Grades XI and XII to continue their studies at the University, or to take up other work elsewhere. Especially are we sad to say good-bye to those who have been with us for a number of years, whom we have watched advance step by step from junior forms to matriculationg we cannot mention all of them, but one we must, and that is our Head Girl, Iocelyn Richardson. Iocelyn entered the School in 1955, and soon proved her ability in the field of sports: she became a member of the Second Basketball team in 1954, of the First in 1955, was School Sports Captain in 1957, and crowned her athletic achievements this year by winning the much coveted Senior Gymnastics Cup. When two members were to be chosen to join the Canadian Schools Coronation Tour, in May, 1956, a vote was taken to discover which girls were considered by the School to be most deserving of

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RUPERTIS LAND GIRLS, SCHOOL 15 school are divided into groups under teachers and a committee chosen by the pupils of each group. These groups are called Houses, and each House works as an individual, thus providing essential competition. All points gained by each person in the House are totalled together, points being added for work and sports, and deducted for bad work and behavior, and at the end of the year a shield is presented to the House gaining the most points. This system cultivates an unselfish competition and establishes better feelings in regard to the school subjects. If you are working with a great many others for the good of one, it gives less opportunity for foolish pride and less scope for selfishness. You are not likely to be selfish if you know others whom you are working with will be hindered by your selfishness, and if acknowledgment goes to a large group, you cannot be so full of self-pride. YVhen you enter a House it is your duty to do your best for your House and to help it in every way possible. Since this is the case you will be encouraged to do the best you can in regard to work and sports and behavior. If you know that if you consciously do poor work, or behave badly, or refuse to join in sports, you will be rather looked down upon by the other members of your House, you will naturally strive to better your ways, while on the other hand if you do try to work hard and cannot succeed, there will be others to help you, having no selfish interests of their own but only the interests of the House in mind. In this way the House System is a stimulus to work, sports and behavior. If you work solely for yourself, you do not take a great interest in the doings of others, and in this way lose a clear picture of school, while in a House the thoughts are always for the general welfare of the school as a whole. Is it not easier for four Ccounting Houses as individualsj to work better than about one hundred and fifty? I certainly think so. The four Houses are the most important part of school. They are all the hopes and dreams and thoughts and efforts of the schoolgirls, and are the foundation of school in the abstract sense. If you are merely divided into forms you lose contact with the younger or the older girls, which is not right. A House mixes all ages, the big girls help and show the little ones, while the little ones teach the older ones to be more thoughtful, considerate and under- standing. As the House committees are chosen from among the girls, it gives the girls of the committees a chance to shoulder responsibilities and help the entire staff in the important matter of discipline in the school and self-discipline for the girls themselves. A captain is chosen who must manage the affairs of the House, the senior and junior lieutenants look after the seniors and juniors respectively, the sports captains the sports, the secretary the minutes and records, and the treasurer the accounts. All these positions require thought, unselfishness, interest, co-operation, and leave the girls with a better idea of fellowship, management, and ability to cope with respon- sibilities.