Selwyn House School - Yearbook (Montreal, Quebec Canada)

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FOR THE SCHOOL YEAR 1966-1967 I9 modest scale. We paid outa total of 52,623 against revenues of 52,504 and we go into the new year with a balance of S2,437. This fund is still far too small for our needs but I am encouraged to know that it is in existence and hope that until such time as we can make a concerted drive to enlarge it, that you will all give the fund your support. In terms of physical plant, our first rehabilitation of this building in 'l96l gave us I5 classrooms. We now have expanded to 22 classrooms which, except for Grades 'I and 2, house a double-stream of classes, all the way to the llth Grade. While this has been a gradual process, I should especially mention the successful completion last Fall of the new two-storey, 40,000 cu. ft. addition on the northwest corner of the building at a cost of S70,000. We are particularly enthusiastic about the art room which has proved immensely useful, both for our young budding Rembrandts, as well as for staff conferences, not only internal but the growing number of interschool matriculation staff conferences held with the appropriate McGill faculty each year. We see our numbers levelling off at approximately 440-450 boys now that the upper grades of the school are start- ing to fill out. For the time being then, we are fairly well in balance and this year we plan no major additions to the school proper. While we are taking a breather, this year we have no intention of stand- ing still. We have a very pressing need for a hockey arena and we have a sub- committee working on that problem. The library, which grows in popularity and usefulness, needs a major overhaul and modernization. Our dining facilities which are so attractive are squeezed to the limit. These projects, together with the academic changes provide much to chal- lenge us all. In thinking of these challenges, from time to time, I ask myself where do we fit in? What is likely to happen to private education in the next ten years and what role should we play? Thinking back over the half-century that Selwyn House has been in exis- tence, there is one simple guide that stands out clearly and it is this: Service to the Community. Selwyn House itself has over 55 years provided this community with an everexpanding educational service, always keeping up with the times without discarding traditional ways that are proven. Perhaps more important, our gra- duates have gone on to play important individual roles serving the commu- nity, in education, in medicine and in politics. We have graduates in the legal field, social service and, last but not least, the field of business and commerce. All through this history runs the common thread of service to the community. Our goal then, is to continue to provide a useful educational service incli- vidually and collectively - to equip each and every graduate in the best way we know how, to go on to institutes of higher education and then to move on into the world to take up whatever challenge they find before them, each one taking something a little bit extra in the way of character and knowledge, so that they are equipped to serve the community. ln conclusion, let me express my thanks to my fellow board members for their continued enthusiasm and support during this year and on their behalf, let me thank our total staff, who under the inspi- ration and able guidance of Mr. Speirs, have concluded a most successful year. May I wish all a very pleasant summer vacation. We look forward to seeing most of you in the Fall and to those who are leaving us, go our very best wishes where ever you choose to continue your studies.

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I8 SELWYN HOUSE SCHOOL MAGAZINE The Governors' Shield tfor over-all ascendancy in inter-House Competitionl Speirs House The Jock Barclay Memorial Trophy ffor all-round ability in Middle Schooll N. Tobias The Lieutenant-Governors' Silver Medal ifor Academic Distinction in Middle Schooll Norman Tobias The Thomas Chalmers Brainerd Memorial Award fpresented by Mr. Charles Lineaweaveri W. Wanklyn The Governor-General's Bronze Medal ifor Academic Distinction in Senior Schooll Dan Roden The Jeffrey Russel Prize CAwarded for all-round ability and presented by Mrs. H. Y. Russell Gary Gentles The Lucas Medal IAwarded to the most outstanding boy in the Senior Form of the School in work, games, leadership and character, on vote of Staff and his fellow-studentsl J. Allison The Chairman, Mr. H. Norsworthy reported as follows: Dr. Ross, Mr. Speirs, ladies and gentlemen and boys of Selwyn House School, it is a pleasure to welcome you once again to our annual prizegiving. I would especially like to welcome the new members of the staff for the forthcoming year as well as our very good friend and colleague, Dr. Stephen Penton, Headmaster of Lower Canada College, here on the platform and also let me say how nice it is to see the evengrowing number of Old Boys who are in the audience. I would like to digress here for one moment to tell you that Dr. Penton is President of the Q.A.l.S. which groups all the E.S.l.S. into one body. While it is only one year old, under his leadership it already has made a significant contribution to the understanding of our joint aims by the Governement. Mr. Speirs will speak in detail about the academic and sports' achieve- ments of the year, so I will confine my brief remarks to the business side of the school's activities. I1 is hard to realize that this evening's prize-giving is the fifth to be held on these premises and I think it would be appropriate to review quickly where we have come these five years and to take a few minutes to see where we are going. In 1961, we were 292 boys ard a staff of 15 when we moved in through the last of the dust and rubble. You may remember we did not graduate our first matriculation class until the academic year '63-64, that van-guard class numbered just 11 boys. Last year, our graduating class had grown to 15. This year 21 boys will sit for their matriculation exams. From 292 in 1961, next September we will be 445 strong with a teaching staff of 26 which, if I am not mistaken, will make us the second largest independent English boys' school in the Province and amongst the first five or six in the country. Last year, I announced the inauguration of the Selwyn House Scholarship and Bursary Fund. Our activities for the first fiscal year have been on a very

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2O SELWYN HOUSE SCHOOL MAGAZINE The Headmaster Report In his Headmaster's Report Mr. Speirs indicated that the for-reaching changes recommended by the Parent Commission would, undoubtedly, affect the Independent Schools but he was confident that through the Quebec Associa- tion of Independent Schools the Ministry of Education would be kept cognizant of our position and that we would be able to work harmoniously with Quebec in carrying on our important work. Turning to internal matters he continued I should like to comment briefly on some of the highlights of the year. The sports programme has expanded and consolidated. Our third-year football team showed splendid spirit and determi- nation, winning all games but one, whilst the bantam team battled against heavy odds, climaxing a hard-fought season with a cliff-hanger game against B.C.S. which we won. The Under I3 Soccer team had o IO0'to victory season, with the Wanstall Cup happily in its possession once more. In hockey the seniors won half their games, the Bantams after a shaky start won the last six straight, while the Under I3 experienced either decisive victories or equally decisive de- feats. Perhaps our most noteworthy success in sports was our winning of the Hec- tor Sutherland Ski-ing trophy in the keenest of inter-school competition with our ancient rivals, and special tribute should be paid to Michael Culver, team captain, for his fine leadership. Without a fine corps of competent and enthu- siastic coaches, their good results would have been impossible and I would like to congratulate Mr. Anderson, Mr. Sherwood, Mr. Messenger, Mr. Tees, Mr. Moss- Davies, Mr. Lewis and Mr. lversen and all other masters who assisted with the various teams. From the school magazine published once more under the able direction of Col. Brine, you can get some idea of the multiplicity of organised activities that make up the busy extra-curricular life of our school. In this short report I cannot refer to them all, but I should like to mention the debating groups under Mr. Hill and Mr. Becker, the dramatics under Mrs. Marsh and Mr. Moss-Davies, the special gymnastic work under the direction of Mr. Lewis - involving a de- monstration before the Canadian Association of Physical Education, a Y.M.C.A. competition against other Westmount Schools in which we won every event entered, a T.V. presentation of gymnastic movements and a highly popular house competition involving some I20 boys. I should like also to mention the fine T.V. performance of a special choir under the capable direction of Mr. Phillps and all his fine work for the carol concerts and school functions. I am very happy to report the continuation of our scholarship scheme inaugurated in 1965. Last year we gave one full outside scholarship and two bursaries and two inside school scholarships - all of which will be continued. This year under the direction of Col. Brine, we held another most successful scholarship examination for admission to our Form Ill IGrade VID. Competition was of the keenest and we awarded two outside scholarships - to Michael Lapin of Roslyn School and Ian Brown of Briarwood Elementary School and one outside bursary to Andrew Ford of Beaconsfield Elementary School as well as two inside shared scholarships to David Knight and John Wooler, all tenable to matri- culation. I should like to say a special word at this time to the graduating class. This is the group that sets the tone for the whole school and we have been very fortunate in the calibre of our Form VII this year. In all the varied departments of academic, athletic and administrative experience they have shown good lead- ership, an excellent spirit, and a genuine desire to give everything they have in their all-round activities with that happy blend of seriousness and humour, and an inexhaustible fund of cheerful vitality, and we would extend to them our con-