Selwyn House School - Yearbook (Montreal, Quebec Canada)

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FOR THE SCHOOL YEAR 1957-1958 17 Board of Governors The Board of Governors accepted the resignation of the Hon. Mr. Justice G. Miller Hyde at its October Meeting with profound regret. Judge Hyde was the moving spirit behind the formation of the Selwyn House Association on the death of Mr. Wanstall in 1945, was twice chairman of the Board of Governors, and during his terms of office initiated extensive additions and improvements to the school plant, which were of immense value to the suc- cessful running of Selwyn House. We should like to place on record the school's deepest appreciation of his enthusiastic and farsighted leadership over the years, and, though we regret his withdrawal from the Board, we are happy in the thought that his devotion to his old school is unabated and his good judgement and wise counsel are readily available at all times. After a three-year spell of service Mr. Gordon MacDougall has resigned as chairman of the Board, but he has left the memorial of his leadership behind him in the Dining Hall, other additions to the school plant, and the structural changes which effected such a transformation on the top floor of the school last year. We congratulate him on a magni- ficient iob so conscientiously done, and we are delighted that he has agreed to remain on the Board. The new chairman of the Board, Mr. H. Stirling Maxwell, is no stranger to its chal- lenges and its problems, because for many years he has chaired its Building Committee and kept an eagle eye both on repairs and structural additions. We are fortunate to have his leadership and look forward with confidence to a fruitful term of office. A special vote of thanks is due Mr. Ross Newman, who has wrestled with the hon. treasurer's duties so capably over the post few years. We wish Mr. Wakefield an equal measure of success as he takes over these arduous tasks of finance. To fill the single vacancy on the Board, Mr. Percival T. Molson was appointed a member after the last annual meeting. As one of the younger Old Boy parents, and one who is also on the Board of the Old Boys' Association, he has much to offer by way of keen, practical interest in furthering and developing the good work of the school. Staff Notes We were pleased to welcome to our Staff four new members in the Fall -Miss E. L. Pick, who took over administration of the school library after the grievous loss sustained by us all in the passing of Mrs. Warren, Madame Francoise Salathe, who succeeded Madame Gyger in the French Department, Mr. Brian Cleary, who assumed direction of physical education and scouts, and Mr. Timothy Rutley, an Old Boy of the School, who has taken over the Manual Training Department in addition to regular classroom duties. Two members of the staff will be leaving us in June, Mrs. Farquhar and Madame Salathe. When the last structural addition to the school was completed some two and a half years ago, we were most fortunate in securing the services of Mrs. Etanda Farquhar, who had helped us out in former years, to teach in the iunior and middle school. Mrs. Farquhar's quiet competence and devotion to duty have been a source of great strength to the school, and her kindly personality and charm will be greatly missed. Madame Salathe has been with us only since September, when she took over the teaching of French in the junior and middle school. We are grateful to her for her wholehearted efforts and enthusiasm, and extend our best wishes to her as she returns to her native France, We are always happy to hear from Miss Snead in England, to have visits from Mr. Howis and Mme Gyger and to get good news of other former members of the staff like Mr. Mayer, Mr. Howes and Mr. Cooke. We were most grieved to hear of the sudden passing of Mr. Gyger and extend our deep sympathy to Madame.

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I6 SELWYN HOUSE SCHOOL MAGAZINE Remembrance Day 1957 Address, by Colonel Ross Robertson As on Old Boy of Selwyn House School and as Commanding Officer of my Regiment I am very honoured and privileged indeed to have been invited to attend this Remembrance Day Assembly and to have the opportunity of saying a few words to you and would like to express my thanks to your Headmaster for inviting me. The llth November- Remembrance Day - is the one day set apart each year when we pause and honour the memories of those many thousands who lost their lives in two Great World Wars and those lesser conflicts which have taken place since. We honour then' because when their services were needed they did not hesitate to answer the call to duty and we remember with humble gratitude the sacrifices they made for us. Our commemoration of Remembrance Day centres on a two minutes' silence. There are parades and bands and gun salutes but the very heart or remembrance is that brief silence. This silence will be observed in every sort of place-in the forests, on the sea, in humble cottage and in the central parts of the great cities. Due to differences in time it is like a succession of silences moving as a noiseless stream around the globe. We honour bravery no matter what prompts it. lf men make sacrifices in fire or other disasters our honouring them does not mean we approve of these calamities. Horrible as we hold war to be, it is a great test of manhood and we admire those who bravely meet the test. Our gallant dead need no words of praise. Nothing we can say will add to their fame and we can only stand in silent admiration. At the same time I think we should also give some thought to the future and our responsibilities in preserving the precious heritage which so many gallant men and women have fought and died to defend. We are fortunate in living in this wonderful country of Canada where we take freedom as a matter of course. You boys are fortunate in attending a school such as this and obtaining all the many advantages available here. Many thousands throughout the world are in no such happy position and no one can clearly foresee what the future holds in store for us. One thing is certain and that is that we must all be prepared in body, mind and spirit to meet whatever challenge may come our way and to meet it with a clear under- standing of the tremendous advantages and opportunities offered by our Canadian way of life. You as the students of to-day are the leaders of tomorrow. Tomorrow is not so far off and the responsibilities that await you cannot be avoided. In either a state of peace or war you must be prepared to play your parts as those gallant men did whom we remember to-day and particularly those who went from this school, In these uncertain times with new types of armaments being developed and the existing animosities between nations we are at times apt to grow discouraged, but in our more serious moments we are sure that at last war must be forever abolished and peace prevail. The men we remember to-day died to end war and we must all resolve to complete their sacrifice by doing all we can to preserve and maintain the happiness and freedom which we enjoy today. So, as we pause to remember on this llth day of November, we must also look to the future with a spirit of courage and resolution. This can be the final note of our silence fulfilling the poet's words: Over the broken dead Woe to the nations of men Over the trenches and wire Who in their heat or desire Bugles of God rang out- Break that stern order of God - 'Cease Fire' 'Cease Fire'

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18 SELWYN HOUSE SCHOOL MAGAZINE Mrs. Dorothy Warren When the Geoffrey Wanstall Memorial Library was formed in l947, we were extremely fortunate to secure the services of Mrs. Dorothy Warren to undertake the arduous work of adding substantially to the nucleus of books then on the library shelves and of organising the new library for action. Mrs. Warren brought to her new task not only a wealth of library experience alike with adults and children, but also an intense love and profound knowledge of good literature, a sympathetic understanding of the various phases through which the youthful readers pass, and a rare ability to interest students not particularly attracted by books, Not only so, but she herself displayed such an enthusiasm for the passing interests of the boys, that what might have remained only a fleeting fad was transformed into a worthwhile project, with exhibits of valuable examples that led to endless research both by the librarian herself and her insatiably curious fellow-enthusiasts. Never at a loss she would comb the shelves of book-stores and other libraries, write to information services, consulates or embassies, for data required for class projects, Royal Empire Society essays, and other juvenile researches. The boys came to take it as a matter of course that Mrs. Warren would have all the answers ready for them -what kind of rock they had picked up on Mount Royal, what Babe Ruth's batting average had been, and what had happened anyway to the contents of the pyramids! But to the staff she was a continuing marvel land often a very present help in time of literary troublel-her loyalty and devotion to the best interests of Selwyn House, her able scholarship and her happy humour were a source of pride and joy to all her colleagues over the ten years we were privileged to know and love her here. Last summer she turned very ill and iust before school re-opened in September, she passed on to higher service leaving a great void in our midst but a rich and gracious influence for good on the minds and hearts of her friends at Selwyn House-young and old alike--that will abide as a benediction upon us all The Dorothy Warren Book Shelf. Friends and admirers of Mrs. Warren have most kindly presented books to the library in her memory. Amongst the volumes already donated are the following: Audubon- The Birds of America, LeBourdais-Metals and Meng Disneys Worlds of Nature, Life Magazines The World We Live ln, and the first two volumes of the Encyclopedia Canadians.