Selwyn House School - Yearbook (Montreal, Quebec Canada)

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FOR THE SCHOOL YEAR 1959-1960 25 Debating This year the Selwyn House Oratorical Society was christened Omicron. lt was com- posed of all the members of Form Five, who at the first meeting elected officers for the Executive Committee. Bill Ballantyne was elected President, Steven Ayre as Vice-President and John Birks as Secretary'Treasurer. The members of the club met every two weeks, usually on a Friday and the subiects were many and varied. The meetings featured two minute speeches, hat nights, quizzes and formal debates. All were thoroughly enioyed by the members of the club. The year i959-60 has been a most successful season for the Society and we are looking forward to a few more meetings in the summer term. I would like to express, on behalf of the members, our sincere thanks to Mr. Speirs. He has devoted an endless amount of his time in supervising the club meetings throughout the past season. INTER-HOUSE DEBATING To date only two House debates have been held. They were as follows: I. Canada is only an attic to the United States. Affirmative: Macaulay House-Chris Roulson and Gregor Maxwell, Negative: Speirs House- Bruce Hamilton and Ted Manthorp. 2. The U.N. should talk less and act more. Affirmative: Lucas House-Bill Ballantyne and Jon Birks. Negative: Wanstall House - Steven Ayre and Stephen Wells. ln the Hrst debate the decision was a victory to the Negative, Speirs House. In the second debate Lucas House was awarded the victory. Thus Lucas House was first, Speirs House second, Macaulay House third, and Wanstall House fourth. We are all truly grateful to Mr. Moodey for having taken the trouble to iudge and comment on both debates. PUBLIC SPEAKING CONTEST The annual Public Speaking Contest was held at the beginning of March this year and the preliminaries were iudged by Mr. Speirs and Mr. Moodey. Six finalists were chosen and were iudged by Mr. Frank Sharpe, principal of King's School. Those chosen to speak were Bill Ballantyne, David Walker, Murray Whipps, Jon Birks, Gordon MacDougall and Ted Manthorp. Murray Whipps was adjudged the winner. Bruce Hamilton acted as chairman and Aleco Kairis was time-keeper. The following topics were selected by the finalists: Bill Ballantyne: Stratford , David Walker: 'Fabulous MONSTERS . Murray Whipps: The Production of Safety Matches in Canada Today . Jon Birks: Dogs that keep the Peace . Ted Manthorp: Will War mean destruction to the Human Race . Gordon MacDougall: Canadian Citizens in the World Today . Literary Competition Mr. Moodey very kindly iudged this year's contest. He awarded first prize in the Poetry and Essay brackets to David Walker, but decided that the standard of short story submitted did not merit a prize this year. House points were awarded in the Poetry Section to David Walker, Jonathan Birks, Peter Stein, Tommy Birks, and Philip Webster, in the Essay Section to David Walker, Jonathan Birks, Billy Ballantyne, Tommy Birks, Michael Rawlings: and in the Short Story Section to David Walker, Steven Ayre, Gordon McNeil, and Tommy Birks.

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24 SELWYN HOUSE SCHOOL MAGAZINE children. Ma, the frustrated mother, was well acted by Raymond Douse, Aunt Zinnia by Graeme Tennant, and Pa, the gruff absentee from the family circle, by Allan Zinman, but in the family all centres round the children, and upon the entry of two of them, scattering their belongings behind them, all the fun began. Hardly had Angus, acted by Paul Valois, and Barney, acted by Miles Tyrer, comfortably settled to do their homework, than they were interrupted by Claude lMichael Shaughnessyl, who found little room for three sets of books on one small table. Then the fun began in earnest and the children, acted very well and very naturally, nearly threw the audience into hysterics by their antics. At the close of the scene, moreover, one of the children wishing help with his homework, Uncle Wilbur lThomas Birksl was called in, and he brought a friend, Leander, with him. The play concluded with Thomas Birks and Tony Stikeman lLeanderl acting brilliantly as Uncle Wilbur and his friend entangling themselves in the homework. The last play The Poison Party, written by F. Sladen-Smith, was acted by boys from Form V. Murray Whipps showed skill in acting the wily Queen Mother Marie whose char- acter was further enhanced by the adept touches of Stephen Wells, the Lord Bishop du Guesclin, secret confidant of her Majesty. One of the star parts in the play was that of King Philippe, a young king deprived of his responsibilities by the imperious Queen Mother, who nevertheless spoils him. The king, boyish and cheerful, with a large appetite and a great love for animals, was well acted by William Ballantyne. It was due to the latter characteristic that the Queen was foiled in one of her schemes to slightly reduce the population , for the whole play revolves round the plot of the Queen Mother to poison Denise de Beauiolis, a lady of the court apparently in love with King Philippe contrary to the wishes of his mother. The appetites of the king and his pet rabbit Madeleine avert, however, the impending catastrophe. Denise and her father, Monsieur de Beauiolis, attend the Poison Party. Jonathan Birks put into the part of the former a touch of hauteur suitable to a Belle Dame of the court, and Teddy Manthorp, as Denise's father, also succeeded with good elfect in portraying the character desired. The small parts in a play are the ones which often merit much praise, though they seldom receive it. Val-Jean, the Queens Page, and Christophe, Steward of the Household, acted by Gregor Maxwell and Christopher Roulson respectively, were very successful parts, the right touches of servility being achieved. Last but not least, those who worked behind the scenes deserve thanks, for were it not for their invisible hands the plays would not have been produced at all. D. W. The Choir Last June we were privileged to have Mrs. Forrest, a music specialist in the Westmount Protestant Schools, to judge our annual Singing Competition. This competition was a great success, the winners in the Intermediate bracket being Richard Dobell and lan Robson, those in the Senior bracket Ralph Walker and Peter Wright. The Intermediate group sang Eric Thyman's Sailing and the Senior group Bless this house, O Lord, we pray. All these boys should be proud of their achievement. The Prize-giving Choir this year was also very successful. It sang Henry Purcell's Nymphs and Shepherds, come away, to celebrate the tercentenary of his birth, Thiman's I have twelve oxen, a two-part canon, and Bless this house. The singing was of the highest quality and the parents greatly appreciated it.

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26 SELWYN HOUSE SCHOOL MAGAZINE LITERARIH .TIC A STORM REMEMBERED ln February T952 a storm of wind swept over the British Isles doing great damage to the woodlands. Listen to that mournful howl, like wolfhound kept at bay, Enchambered in a kennel-house where he must always stayl Listen to that rushing sound- wind roaring in its course! Listen to the thundering noise of that great mystic force! Listen to the storm, my son, listen to the roar: Hark to the tempest ravaging and keep this night in shore. To the westward trees are falling: from the east there comes the light. Many lives may be lost at sea, my son, on such a fearsome night. For seven dreadful hours or more upon the seabound land The wind brought havoc in its wake across the rocks and sand, Tore roofs, hurled fence and paling down and mighty timbers too- Oh, there was such a vasty storm in Nineteen fifty-two! For seven peaceful years and more the folk have cleared away The giant corpses of the trees that died on that great day, Hurled to the ground by mighty force that fecrrful night before, When stormy winds their passions hurled against the westward shore. Through the fields of time the memory has brought forth from its shore The mighty sound, the mournful moan, the winds impassioned roar. David Walker, THE GOOD SHIP SOVEREIGN The Sovereign was a mighty ship, A mighty ship was she, And on one sunny afternoon, The Sovereign went to sea. The captain was a good man, A very good man was he, But, oh, the crew was terrible, As terrible as could be. The captain did not trust them, But what was he to do? He knew he could not fight them, They were thirty in the crew. Oh, but on the third day, The crew all turned on him, And they threw him in the ocean, For they knew he could not swim. The captain cried and shouted, The crew ignored his plea, And soon he sank beneath the waves To the bottom of the sea, But now, the crew aboard the ship, Were filled with mighty fear, None knew the way to navigate- And none of them could steer! The Sovereign was a mighty ship, A mighty ship was she, Shes gone to loin her captain At the bottom of the sea, Peter Stein, r Form V Form IV