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

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18 RUPERT's LAND GIRLS' SCHOOL HOCKED by the sudden death of President Roosevelt, stirred by the great vic- tories Which the Allied armies have won on every front, harrowed by the awful price which men are paying to maintain our freedom and theirs, I must now try in some way to bring the past school year into perspective. By the time that this is read the thunderstruck amazement and bewilderment created by the President's death will have abated, and the effects of that catastrophe will have been partially clarified. Meanwhile it is difficult, yet necessary, to conjecture what the next few months may hold. It is the duty of all the Senior School, as future citizens of a chaotic world, to acquire and maintain an intelligent and broad-,minded outlook upon both national and international affairs? I fully realize how easy it is to see no farther than 'our school Walls and city limits. The-re has been a worth-while Red Cross effort this year, especially in the very successful bazaar held by Grades V., VI. and VII. The juniors might remember that in only a few more years they w'ill .be the prefects, we who are now the Council only dimly recollected Old Girls, that the more a girl ,does the mone she becomes capable of doing. The Intermediates, too, have shown considerable executive ability, initiative, and increasing maturity in outlook. Such things as knitting and sewing may seem small when compared with the magnitude of this war, but they constitute something essential which every average girl can do. As the battle for Iwo lima fully testified, the greater the victory is ,the greater are the casualties: I am fully aware that we have not done all that we could, in our circumscribed school world, to alleviate universal suffering. Therefore I urge that next Sieptember, now that peace has come within our grasp, the girls will not forget Mrs. McWilliams' excellent explanation of the aims of the U.N.R.R.A., and will, by doing their utmost, small as their individual part may seem, help to create peace in our homes and com- munities, in our country, and in the world. Although the girls' war effort has not always been commendable, we have had considerable activity in other lines in our school this year. Inter-house competition, especially in sports and in our music competition, has been keen. Therehave been other activities too, to prevent any semblance of peaceful calm from stealing over the old building. As can be seen by a glance at the School Calendar, we had our Initiation Day in late September. Then the Staff again very kindly gave three Christmas parties, one for the juniors, one for the intermediates, and one for the seniors, which proved to be most entertaining, the senior party closing, in what is becoming a traditional manner, with the singing of Christmas Carols and Auld Lang Syne. In February of the Easter term a Variety Show was held in which the majority of the senior girls took part either as performers or as equally important stage assistants and business managers. Near the end of the Easter term the grade nines presented a most amusing play, Sauce for the Gosling, and gave the proceeds to the Red Cross. Our Annual Mission Tea is to be held this year on the fifth of May in the Summer term, and then will come what might well be called the climax of'all the activities of our School Year, Prize Giving. As in any well constructed story, We are gently brought down to earth again. This occurs a little later with a lapse of holidays and the arrival of our reports. - i I 1 ,gf This year twenty-three girls from the senior singing class did something which has not been done for over ten years. We competed in the Festival against Oxford House. The test piece, The Rising of the Lark, from Oxford House was Worth 83 marlcsg it dropped two marks in value when we sang it. Oxford House again proved

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THE EAGLE 17 ,e unfortunate occurrence in Grade II. when a boy succeeded in beating her. Last June she had the distinction of winning one of the first four city Isbister Scholarships. Amy is planning to take an Arts course next year, either at Queen's or Manfitoba University, and we are confident that she will continue to distinguish herself. ' Amy has taken an active part in School sports, and has been on the first basket- ball team since 1943. She loves country life and animals, as a hobby collects Qin her own wordsi bugs, fiowers and stamps, drives the family car, is fond of skiing. I-Ier personality, as well as her abilities and varied interests, has fitted her well for leadership, for though quick in sympathy and understanding, she maintains an attitude of impartiality and a certain air of detachment which enables her to keep a sense of proportion and make wise decisions in moments of strain and crisis. By they time this Year Book is in circulation another Head Girl will have been elected to succeed Amy. We wish her good success throughout 1945-1946, feeling that she. will often draw on her memories of the example set by her predecessor to whom we must return for a last comment. Our best wishes follow Amy for success in her Grade XII, examinations in june: we thank her for all that she has done for us during the. past year, we believe that a fine and happy life lies ahead of her. l S.LL.T. 35-T 1 HQ Although the actual surrender of Ger- many to the Allies was not made until May 8, for us in Canada, for us at Rupert's Land, V-E Day came on Monday, May 7, when we received the news that fighting in Europe had ceased. The news was greeted in school in different ways: with exultant cries, quiet tears of remembrance, stunned silence. At nine o'clock the school held a special service of Thanksg'iving and Commemoration in the Assembly Hall. In spite of the cold, driving snow that day and on May 8, there were joyful par- ades on the streets of Winnipeg, and out- door celebrations. Coloured bunting billow- ed from numerous windows, while truck loads of exulting people rattled through the streets. The people of Winnipeg flocked to the churches, regardless of denomination, to offer thanksgiving, and the loved ones of those who would not return were fervent in rejoicing for their friends. Those of us who went with the School to Holy Trinity will long remember that impres- sive service in the packed church, and the inspiring words of Mr. Finlay. Grateful as the congregation was to God for this great victory, they realized that rededica- tion was essential in bringing about the defeat of Japan, and a lasting peace. The speeches of Winston Churchill, President Truman and King George, throughout Tuesday, emphasized this strongly. V-E Day in Europe was a great day, the oppressed countries were at last free from the Nazis. But, deeply thankful for their release as they are, they do not for- get, and we must not forget, that to re- build Europe and to establish lasting peace is a task even more huge than was the task of winning the war. V-E Day for the world was like standing before a mas- sive, broken wall, once impregnable but now in ruins. The great Nazi fortress and the tower of Berlin has been smashed, and now, though in ruins, the people of Europe are eagerly peering for a sign of the dawn of peace on the horizon. They know, as we do, that peace will not be established until each person in the world has worked for it. This was the message that V-E Day gave to humanity. . JUNE SINDEN, ELSPETH YoUNt3.

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THE EAGLE 19 themselves to be musically our superiors when they earned 86 marks for their own choice, the difficult setting of Schubert to The Lord is my Shepherd, while we gave Dr. Staton 85 marks worth of The Water of Tynef, I hope that next year the girls will enter the Festival again and make an effort to win. But whether they win or not, I have sufficient confidence in their good sportsmanship to be sure that if they do enter again they will do justice to their teacher's training and profit by the experience. This year a School Song was composed which we are publishing in the magazine. In connection with this song, a most interesting paragraph was noticed in an old school magazine dated 1931. In her letter to the girls, Miss Millard. then Head Mistress. said this: 4 For some time I have been meaning to suggest to the school that we should try to compose a School Song, or to choose one already written, for Rupert's Land. I feel that school spirit would be increased very much by our singing together a good song which in some way embodied our aims and aspiration. VVill you try to help us? If you fail, I am g-oing to suggest one of ,Iohn Oxenhanfs, the last verse of which is: 'Ever onward to the tight, Ever upward to the Light. Ever true to God and Right, Up and on l' Those words and the ideas conveyed fit in rather well, don't you think, with our crest, the eagle, and our motto, 'Alta iPetens'? We cannot claim for our song that it is good : it was written as an experiment with the idea of encouraging other suggestions. Its permanence is not anticipated, but it is an attempt to embody in some way the girls' aims. and it was received with some enthusiasm by them. When I leave these girls and the school I will feel that I am leaving something of myself behind me, but I will also. I hope. after twelve years, be taking something of the schooI's aims and ideals with me. I feel that I owe the school a debt of gratitude for giving me the privilege of having such experiences as I have wandered or rushed through this year. -Especially do I want to thank Miss Bartlett, Miss Sharman, and Miss Turner for their guidance and assistance throughout the year, I would probably have gone to the dogs without them. A paragraph remains. When I first began to write this I had just heard of Roosevelt's death. As I finish, the San Francisco conference is embarking on its fourth day. The majority of the peoples of the world are involved in this conference and we must pray that, all nations respecting the rights of one another in a' time when mercy tempers justice, generations in the very near future may be able to say that they have striven until The war-drum throbbld no longer, and the battle flags were furl'd In the Parliament of man, the Federation of the world. AMY Bissr CHead Girll.