Selwyn House School - Yearbook (Montreal, Quebec Canada)

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SELWYN HOVSE SCHOOL MAGAZINE Remembrance ap Qhhress By General Sir Neil Ritchie, K.C'.B., D.S.O., NIC. To-day, here in Selwyn House, you are observing RemembranCe . VVhat does it mean for us ? Why is this custom followed each year in November? Why is it practised throughout the British Empire, and many other countries too, such as the I'nited States, France, Belgium and Italy? For us it means simply that at this time we look hack, not only to the First, but to the Second VI'orld War too, and lay one respectful tribute to those who gave their lives in these two wars, lighting for the cause of freedom. And we have got freedom because of their sacrifice. This Canada of yours is a free country, where people are free to think as they wish, to say what they like and to live their lives as they want to. Freedom of this sort is a really wonderful thing, and we owe this prized possession to those who fought and gave their lives for it in two great wars. To-day we must think of them, we must understand what the giving of their lives has meant for us, and we must say to ourselves that in our lifetime we must never lose the freedom that they have passed on to us. At eleven o'clock in the morning of the eleventh day of November twhich is the eleventh monthh, in 1918, lighting stopped, and that was the end of the First XYorld XYar. Ever since then the 11th of November every year has been the day that has been observed as the special one, when we remember those who gave their lives in both XYorld Vyars, in the cause of freedom. It is recognized in every part of the British Empire and by all the Allies who fought along with the British in the two wars. The symbol of this day is the Red Poppy, which was chosen because it grows in great abundance in Flanders in Northern Europe, where a great many of the hardest battles of the First War were fought, and where much Allied blood was shed. It is amazing how many of them there are there, growing wild amongst the corn in july and August, and, as a very young Oiiicer, these poppies impress themselves more than anything else on my own memory. VI'henever I see poppies now, my thoughts go back to those days of long ago. They put me in mind of so many of my school friends who were killed in battle. I was at school still when the First XYar started in 1914, and it will give you some idea of how dreadful the losses were when I tell you that out of the 1913-1914 foot- ball team of my school, there were only four of us left alive by the end of that war. So you see that to those, who, like me, went almost straight from School to the battle fields of Flanders and lost there so many of our childhood friends and companions, the scarlet poppy means a very great deal. There can be few in this room to-day who have not had close relations --grandfathers, fathers or elder hrothersfwho fought with the Canadians in one or other, or both the wars. I would just like to tell you that the reputation made by these relations of yours as great lighting soldiers. sailors and airmen, 1141

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FOR THE SCHOOL YEAR 195111952 Peninsula, a hne, picturesque, and wealthy part of Canada which was first developed by United Empire Loyalists more than a century ago. The Loyalists turned that wilderness into a paradise. But now the descendants of those Loyal- ists who worked so hard are complaining because the orchard country is being taken over by New Canadiansf by Ukranian families who came to this country to seek opportunity and freedom. And the biggest objection these old Canadians have is that the New Canadians work too hard. XYhy, they say, whole families will work in the fields-from dawn until dusk-just like the old Indian speaker on Manitoulin Island. Our people won't do that any more-and so the I'kranian Canadians are creating the best orchards and building the finest homes. I've heard it said many times that the great thing about our modern civilization is that people don't have to work so hard. Nothing was ever less true than that. The great thing about our modern civilization is that we can do so much more, because of the machines and the power and the new skills which we have to help us. These things weren't intended to take the place of work- they were intended to make our work more fruitful. On a nice day like this, when so many of you boys are thinking of the examinations that lie ahead, perhaps even the word work is a little distasteful to you. But remember this, please, even if you forget everything else I say- the man who knows how to work, and loves work for the creative joy that is in it-he will get more fun out of life than all the idlers. no matter how much money they may have to spend or how many friends they have to help them spend it. In Canada today we are surrounded by untold riches greater than those which attracted all the treasure hunters in days gone by. The loot of pirates on the Spanish Blain, the riches of India and China-all these were as nothing com- pared to the riches of Canada today. Ten years ago we didn't know we had mil- lions of gallons of oil in Alberta and hundreds of millions of gallons more in northern Saskatchewan. XYe never dreamed that Labrador, the land that jacques Cartier and all the others who followed him sailed past because it was worthless -we never dreamed that that barren country was one of the world's richest storehouses of iron ore and that wonder metal titanium. XYe used to think small in Canada-now we're beginning to think big-and you boys are coming in right at the beginning. But all those richesfall the oil and iron and the titanium-they aren't worth anything without the right kind of people to use them. And we are desper- ately short of the right kind of people-and by that I don't mean the kind of people who speak any particular language or go to any particular church. I mean the kind of people who love this Canada of ours and are willing to work to make it better than it is today. I don't care whether a man speaks French or English, although I think he's fortunate if he speaks both. I don't care if his ancestors came from England or Ireland or the Ukraine, as long as he's a Canadian. Canada needs men today more than ever before. It is spending billions of dollars on some of the biggest industrial expansion in the world, and it is seriously short of qualified engineers. Yet engineers are probably the most important people we have today, because everything we do in mining and trans- portation and industry depends upon them. They are the men behind the scenes in all our big developments, and we don't have nearly enough of them. XVe need scientists, too-chemists and physicists who will help use these sciences for the benefit of Canadian industry. And we need writers and musicians who will help tell Canadians about their own country. VVhat a wonderful opportunity for today's Canadian boysawhat a wonderful opportunity for you. l13l

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FOR THE SCHOOL YEAR 1951-1052 is second to none in the XYorld. I have seen them in battle myself. I have fought beside them on many occasions. They have set you a great example and estab- lished a wonderful tradition of bravery and courage in battle. This, you younger Canadians will, I know, never forget. You can be very proud of their achieve- ments. I am a Scotsman and have spent my life in a Scottish Regiment. I was brought up in Britain and most of my ties and connections are there. I believe in her strength, her future and the greatness of the British Empire. Yet of all the lands I know, there is none in whose future I have greater confidence than Canada. You young Canadians have a wonderful prospect before you. In your Country you have a great prize. You have freedom here. See that in your lives you prepare yourselves to guard and hold this prize against all who may try to take it from you. You owe this to those whose memory we honour to-day. RERIEKIBRAXCE DAY SERVICE, 1051 GENERAL SIR NEIL RITCHIE .XIJIJRESSING THE SCHOGL l 15 I