Selwyn House School - Yearbook (Montreal, Quebec Canada)

Page 17 text:

FOR THE SCHOOL YEAR 105111052 remained in London with their people, and by word and example the king encouraged and inspired all to maintain their faith in God and to endure to the end. It was the same spirit that marked his leadership everywhere: with the result that notwithstanding all the upheavals of our time, the disappearance of crowns and thrones, and the conflicts and disorders among the nations, the throne of Britain stands today more securely than ever before. The testing- time through which we have passed has served but to cement and fuse more strongly than ever the links that bind the Commonwealth together and that bind us all in a common allegiance and devotion to the Crown. This is indeed a remarkable spectacle. There is no parallel to it in all history,-a confederacy of self-governing Dominions, really a confederacy of nations, scattered widely over the surface of the earth, made up of people of varied background and temperament and outlook. and yet united in this common allegiance. There is nothing else like it anywhere. There never has been in all history. And this allegiance, as we have noted, is not merely a nominal thing. It is real. It has been tested, tested in the severest possible manner, and it has stood every test magnificently. We know, and the world knows, how genuine and how strong it is. And it moves one to ask for the explanation of it all. What is the secret of it? There is a secret here to be discovered: and that secret lies not in the realm of material things at all, but in the realm of the unseen or spirit- ual realities and values. It is closely akin to the secret of the unity of the ideal home. It partakes of the same quality. And it is a good thing to see in the world. It is one of the bright spots in the dark and sombre international picture that the world presents to us today. XYhat we think about now, however, in this time of national mourning, is what a powerful factor in bringing all this about has been the personality of our late king. Xobly supported by the queen and all the members of his family, he has set an example,-the whole Royal family has set an example to the nation that is altogether admirable and for which we may well give thanks to Almighty God. And we thank Him too for the promise that what has been so conspicuously true in this respect hitherto will be equally true in days to come, under the reign of our young and gracious Queen Elizabeth, who has already given so many proofs of her queenly character and of her whole-hearted dedication of her life to the service of her people. The king is dead. XVe thank God for his life and for the inspiration of the example which he has given to us all, praying also that the same spirit of fidelity and fortitude may be upon her who now takes up the heavy burden of the royal crown, and that God may save and richly bless our gracious queen. l17l

Page 16 text:

SELWYN HOUSE SCHOOL M.-XG.-XZINE jllilemurial Serbia tu ing Geurge Bl Un Friday, February 8th, 1952, a memorial service was held in the school to his late majesty King George VI. The service was conducted by the head- master, the scripture lesson was read by Billy Timmins and the memorial address was delivered by the Very Rev. F. Scott Maclienzie, D.D., D.C.L., immediate past-moderator of the Presbyterian Church of Canada. The complete service was recorded and broadcast on the following Sunday afternoon over Radio Station CFCF. The following is the text of Dr. iXIacKenzie's address:- Two days ago an event occurred, quite unexpectedly and for which no- body was prepared, which has shocked and stunned the whole British Common- wealth of Nations and indeed all the free nations of the world, and which has cast a deep shadow of sorrow upon us all. lt was the sudden death of our beloved king. A few months ago, when he was obliged to undergo a major surgical oper- ation, there was great anxiety everywhere until the critical period in his con- valescence had passed, but with the good news of his steady progress back to health that immediate anxiety had been in large measure relieved: and then, without warning, death struck its cruel blow, and a mighty Empire is bowed in mourning, deeply conscious of the great loss which it has sustained, and knit together at this moment in a fellowship of common sorrow. This universal grief, and the warm sympathy which goes out from all hearts to the widowed queen, now the queen mother, to Elizabeth who is now our queen, and to all the members of the Royal family, is something which stems from a deep and genuine affection for the man who has now been taken from us: for King George did enjoy the affection and love of his people in a remark- able way, and he enjoyed this because he had so richly earned it. His people loved him because he first loved them. Throughout his reign he was constantly giving proof of that fact,--practical proof of it in his own self-sacrificing devotion to their interests which were always his first consideration. Hur late king accepted the crown contrary to all his own personal inclina- tions, but from a high sense of public duty, accepted it amid circumstances of peculiar difficulty and delicacy, without any particular preparation for this high office, because there did not seem to be any likelihood that it would ever fall to him, and with natural handicaps also to overcome,-all of which, when we think of it, serves but to add new lustre to what he has achieved. Supported lovingly and loyally by the queen, he has been indeed a king in the best sense of the term. The years of his reign have been turbulent and troubled years for the world. They included the dark years of the war, when the very fate of our civilization hung in the balance, and when the king and queen and their family, equally with their subjects, shared hardship and privation, and lived daily and nightly in peril even of their lives. Through it all the king and the royal family l16l

Page 18 text:

Sl-ILWYN HOl'Sl-Q SCHOOL MAGAZINE Svrbunl ores Mr. C, R. JACKSON, MA. Vile were all greatly shocked to hear of the sudden death in january of Mr. C. R. Jackson, formerly assistant headmaster of the school. He served Selwyn House with distinction for a period of twenty-one years, and present students, Old Boys, Staff and parents alike will remember him with affection, and wish to extend to Mrs. jackson and her family the deepest sympathy of us all. No finer tribute could be paid Mr. jackson than that which was penned by one who, like himself, has ever been a lover of Greek and Latin verse. Pro- fessor XY. D. XYoodhead, Hiram Mills Professor of Classics at fXlcGill University. This tribute appeared in the Montreal Daily Star, and with the author's permis- sion we have pleasure in reproducing it in full: His name and his personality must be familiar to many hlontrealersg for he was for over twenty years on the staff of Selwyn House School: and many a lXlcCill student with deficiencies to make up in Latin found in him an enthus- iastic and painstaking tutor. When he first came to Fanada from England iu 1028, he was already frail in health, for he was badly gassed during the first world war: but he settled down to the task of teaching and the constant study of Latin, which meant so much to him. He represented a type of scholarship not so commonly encountered on this continent, for he was brought up in the practice of writing Latin verse: and unlike most such students he kept up his addiction to the end of his life, acquiring great dexterity and a very real mastery of this difficult and unusual medium. To those who loved good boetry he would expatiate with enthusiasm over his delightful and innocent hobby: and now that he has left us, we may recollect with gladness the very real pleasure he derived from this form of com- position. It is to be hoped that some of those admirable versions of his may yet find their way into print. Those who knew him well would agree that the word 'gentle' best de- scribes him. 'lihere was nothing strident about him. His voice was soft and musical, his manners charming: and he endured with patience and fortitude the restraint and inactivity imposed upon him by a serious heart ailment. His boyish enthusiasm, his gentle kindliness, his manly integrity will long be remembered by those who enjoyed the happy privilege of his friendship. l1Sl