Selwyn House School - Yearbook (Montreal, Quebec Canada)

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SISLWYN HOL'Sl'1 SCHOOI. MAGAZINE The Scouts' XYeek-end at the .-Xlpine lnn, St. Nlarguerite. On Saturday 25th, twenty-one scouts with the S.hl. entrained at Park .-Xvenue Station. Trayelling Com- fortably in a private car we arrived at St. Marguerite, and were met by Mr. XYanstall and Hr. Pattisson who had come up on lfriday. We quickly arranged about our sleeping quarters and baggage, for we w'ere eager to ski before lunch. We found the snow rather crusty in exposed places, but that did not deter us from working up gi lieai-ry appetite. Lunch over, we ski-.iored to the Chalet Cochand and tested all the slopes around the Chalet, including the toboggan run, which became quite fast, on account of constant patronage. ln the evening games followed dinner, and our I.eg Wirestling and Cock Fighting amused the visitors at the Inn. By far the most popular game proved to be High Cock- alorum, and we found that both skill and judgment were requisite for success in the game. Three of our number demonstrated their ability at Rope Spinning. :X slight fall of snow during the night invited early activity next morning, and our excess energy had to be restrained until the hotel was properly awake. .-Xt lO.30 a.m. we assembled in front of the lnn and sent off Scouts P. Barott and P. Mackenzie as our hares. They left, loudly promising us good skiing. This we got, but it was all too short, for our hares found to their evident surprise that trail-laying on skis was slow work, and the hounds caught them at the foot of Hill 60. Our last afternoon was spent running off a Slalom Contest. We ski-jored to the house of Mr. .-X. Purvis, and there we devised a somewhat irregular, though quite sporting, course. We had to start on a winding drive and then turn off sharp right down a steep slope, turn left to avoid a large bush, and lastly negotiate a difficult right turn in soft snow in order to pass the finishing mark. Scout Porter won, with the fastest time of I5 secs.q l'.l,. Birks came second with I7 secs. P.l,. Henderson, who was the first to complete the course without mishap, came third with 18 secs. We are glad to note that every Scout tried the course and managed to pass the finish in spite of numerous falls. Mr. H.I'. Douglas of the Montreal Ski Club has promised to present a Cup for the winner of this race. Our sincere thanks go to Mr. and Mrs. Purvis for allowing us to ski in their grounds and for their very enjoyable refreshments. The route hack to the lnn was down hill practically all the way, and most of us forsook ski-joring, preferring an excellent finish to the week-end by skiing back. The train journey home was uneventful, no axles or couplings were broken as we had fondly hoped, and we reached Park Avenue Station and our parents only twenty minutes late. On the last day of the month we played St. George's Church Scout Troop at Hockey at the Coliseum. The Visitors beat us by 5 goals to 3 after a very fast game. They were fast skaters, while the lack of substitutes rather taxed the staying power of our team. P.l.s. Birks and Kemp scored our goals. We hope to do better in the return match. is!

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SFLWYN HOCSI-1 SCI-IOOI. NIAGAZINP Ilfillffl' Tami. We held our meetings on the school grounds and on the Mountain, until the weather became too inclement. We then repaired to Scout Headquarters on Bishop Street, but Toy Shop activities in December forced us to seek shelter elsewhere. Through the kind- ness of the Rey. Dr. G.H. Donald we used the Kildonan Hall during this month. Orfobfr. The Nlontreal Central District held a Treasure Hunt at Montreal Wiest. Scout Grier had the good fortune to be in the winning Patrol. The Scouts were directed entirely by typed instructions over a course of about a mile, and the use ofa compass was necessary. The outing ended with refreshments and a singsong around the camp fire. Part l of the Sphinx Patrol course vi as held at H.Q.: all our P. Ls. attended together with the T.l.. .Vo zwzzber. The .-Xrmistice Day Silence was observed by the customary Troop Parade at ll o'clock. This year, the bugler blew the Last Post from the balcony of the iNIaster's Common Room. The success of the Sphinx Training Courses led to the organization of a Seconds' Rally which was held for the first time this year. Most of our Seconds attended, and we hope they learnt exactly how to be helpful to their P. l.s. DFC6Illd67'. The Scout Toy Shop again claimed our attention. However, we did not put in as many hours' service as last year. The total number of toys repaired this Christmas amounted to 16,600 The end of the term saw all recruits invested, except 3 who joined after half term. All the P. Ls. had passed Part l of the Sphinx Training Course. :Xt this time 331 ofthe Troop had their Second Class Badges. Once again we managed to send Christmas hampers to poor families. Ezuler Term. At the beginning of the term the standing of the Patrols in the Competition was in the following order: Hyena, Fox, Wolf, Buffalo, Cougar, Eagle, Bulldog, Lion. During January, February and March we skated at the Coliseum and occasionally on the School Rink, on Tuesdays, and held our meetings on Fridays at Headquarters. Yarzzlazy. All our P. Ls. attended Part 2 of the Sphinx Course, at this time. 5 P. Ls. have passed this test and P. Ls. Henderson and Johnston have completed their final test. We hope all our P. Ls. will finish this course. February: VVe attended the Central District Rally at the Montreal High School, taking part in the Relay Race and the Tug-of-war. P.L. Henderson and Scout Grimaldi amused us by their efforts at blindfold boxing. The Troop Colours were carried by P. L. Birks and P.L. Patch with Scout I. Barclay as Colour Guard. The T.L. and all our P.Ls. went to the annual Patrol Leaders' Banquet. They listened to a very humorous speech by Mr. John Stiles, Chief Commissioner for Canada, but did not see anything so inspiring as the Rope Spinning of last year. l7l

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FOR THE SCHOOL YEAR 1932-1933 EXTRA SCOCT NFWS At this time, we are pleased to learn that P.I,,. sl. Kemp has passed his final Sphinx Patrol test. The return match played at the Coliseum against the St. Georges Church Troop, resulted in a win for Selwyn House. We scored six goals and the visitors this time two. Our team was more sure of itself. PL. Kemp scored three goals. The selling of tickets for the Scout Jamboree in April is now in full swing. Each patrol is trying to sell the largest number of tickets. The standing of the patrols in the inter-patrol Competition is as follows: Hyenas, Fox, YYolf, Cougar, Bullialo, Lion, Bulldog, and Ifagle. The must extiting thing il sam in 1932. By far the most exciting thing I saw in l932 was that quaint and old-fashioned village which Yankees call Noo York It was in the middle ofthe month of Hay that I arrived in the Big City with much trepidation and a small suit-case. My Doctor had advised me to take a good rest, so of course I went where all people who need good rests do go, to New York. As I stepped oft' the train tand was immediately stepped over by six porters and three bystandersl I could not help noticing how deserted and quiet the Grand Central station was. There couldn't have been more than titty thousand people there at the outside. Such a peaceful atmosphere for me to rest in I As soon as I hailed a taxi, ten greedy looking drivers pushed and rushed me into ten difierent cabs, and my bag into ten other ones. Thus in state and in twenty taxis we proceeded to the Hotel, which only took us, in the admirably conducted New York traH'ic, three hours and seventeen minutes. However, I did not much notice the Hight of time, as I was in a daze, trying to Find out ifl was still alive, and how much the cabs would cost. Arrived at the Giltmore, I was shown up to my room on the hundred and seventy third floor in an elevator which took two seconds to go up. After dinner I went out on one of the lower terraces on the ninetieth floor, to look over the city. Below me was one of New York's busiest intersections, crowded with masses of people and motor cars. Most of the people seemed to me to be gangsters, and most ofthe cars were long, black, sleek touring motors with a masked man at the wheel, parked outside prosperous looking banks. These cars I knew, by the movies U, were all ready to make a quick getaway with fifty thousand dollars to the Mexican border. As I was contemplating this scene, one ot' the gangsters below just for fun took a pot shot at me with his gat Luckily for me the aim was bad, and the shot only hit a baby some distance away. A policeman, who had been a witness of the gangster's play- fulness, shook a reproving Finger at him, and for a minute I thought he had hurt the poor feIlow's feelings, as he looked quite peeved. However, I soon perceived that he had bucked up again, for the next minute I saw him relieving an old gentieman of the weight of his watch and chain. ' L In the dead of that night I secretly tied together my blankets as a rope ladder, and with my suitcase let myself down to the ground, and crawled to the Station, where I took the first train home. I had found that I had quite recuperated, and did not need any more rest. New York had cured me. STEPHEN LEACOCK, Jr. Form YI. I 9 l