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

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16 RUPERT,S LAND GIRLS' SCHOOL n VVhen you leave school and have not had the privilege of belong- ing to a House, a great deal of your interest in the activities within the school ceases, as you have no one to whom you can come back: your class is finished with as far as the schoolgirls are concerned. But if you did belong to a House it will still be there: there may be different faces but they will still have the same good old tie and the same good old interests at heart. They will still feel Matheson or Machray or Dalton or Iones is the best, and nothing will ever change that feeling. You will be somebody to them, not merely from the year '59, but they will welcome you as one of themselves because you will be one of them and will remain one of them through- out all the years that stretch ahead. They will be starting, as you did, on the same road with the signpost, Co-operation and Good Fellowship. ' ' I entered a House in Grade III and have grown up with its tradi- tions, and today I feel I shall never forget them, nor the lessons I have been taught by them. My House has given me a bigger sense of achievement and a deeper understanding of comradeship and a chance to prove my love for her, and has set me firmly on a broad road to happiness. I am very grateful to the House System. LESLIE FLORANCE, Grade XI. C-LQ?-D THE HOUSE SYSTEM IN RUPERT'S LAND SCHOOL PRIZE EssAY-IUNIoR It was during Miss Millard's first year as principal at Rupert's Land School in 1929 that she started the House System. At first the School was divided into groups called Houses, and the idea did not mean much to the girls then. They did not have any self- government and were nothing like the Houses of today. The Houses could not be called by numbers so names had to be found for them. The first House was called Dalton after the first headmistress-Miss Dalton, the next was called Iones after the second headmistress. It would not be very interesting to have just two Houses, so it was decided that there should be four, the last two being called Machray and Matheson after two Archbishops of Rupert's Land diocese. It would be no use having Houses in a school if they were not going to do good. First of all they are to help the girls work together and co-operate. Secondly, they are for competition. That is, when a girl does good work, it honours her, as well as the House she is in. The Houses are managed by the girls, with help from some of the Staff. All the old girls from Grade III to XII can vote. The different officers are captain, vice-captain, secretary, treasurer and junior and senior sports captain. Generally a girl from Grade XII is voted as House captain, and the head girl is not allowed to take an office, because she has so many other things to do. Miss Bartlett chooses one teacher from each House to be president, and others are associates.

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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.

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RUPERT,S LAND GIRLS' SCHOOL 17 To show what Houses the girls are in there are different House signs. Une is the tie, being black and gold striped. jones has .the narrowest stripe, of a quarter of an inch, Dalton a half an inch, Machray three-quarters of an inch, and Matheson, the widest, an inch. There are also the House pins, which consist of the School pins, with the eagle on it and the House initial attached. Matheson has a Roman M, while Machray has an Old English one. Then there are the House colours. Matheson has black, Machray has green, jones has pink and Dalton has blue. These colours are worn on Sports Day. There is competition between the Houses in sports. An annual Sports Day is held every year, if weather permits, in which the Houses compete. That day, running, jumping, obstacle 'and relay races take place. It is all very interesting and exciting. Also, there are the different games of basketball, tennis and badminton which give points to the Houses. The School pays the expenses of keeping a cot in the Zenana Dlission Hospital and also helps missions of other kinds and many needy people. To raise money for these purposes there is a tea given, at which each House has a table. Generally each House tries to make the most. The Houses, nearly always, have two parties each year. One is a toboggan party and the other is generally a picnic in the Spring. Both parties are very much fun, and I am sure everyone enjoys them. After the jolly side of competition comes the working part. Everyday work counts as -well as the examinations. All school work counts in an indirect way. An A standard gives three points, and a B gives two points to your House. Orders, marks and detentions do not help your House but pull it down. Order marks take off one mark and detentions a fifth of a mark each. The House captain is not very pleased with girls who pull down their House, but very pleased with the girls who obtain an A, The Houses are not just groups any more but mean more to the individual girl now. Each girl should be very proud of her House, and show a great interest in it. Naturally, each girl wants her House to win the shield. If the shield is to be obtained each individual must do her best in work as well as in sports. MARGARET TOMKINS, Grade VIH.