Shawnigan Lake School - Yearbook (Shawnigan Lake, British Columbia Canada)

Page 32 text:

SHAWNIGAN LAKE SCHOOL MAGAZINE out of their stride after the first half minute, but Macrae took a risk in not responding earlier to Lake ' s spurt. Lake ' s were stroked with great determination but their bodies were not uniform enough ; their finishes were too ragged to make them fast against a head wind ; and they allowed their opponents to catch them napping at the start. Tennis - Squash - Basketball TENNIS was again popular in the Summer Term. Ames and Bradford were first and second respectively in the Ladder Competition. A good many new players have taken up Squash and there is always a number of people wanting games. A match was played against Cowichan in which the School was success- ful. At the moment of going to press one court is receiving a much needed coat of paint. Basketball has many supporters. A great many games were played during the Easter Term when Rugger was over for the season. 30

Page 31 text:

SHAWNIGAN LAKE SCHOOL MAGAZINE HOUSE RACES, JUNE, 1931 THE first inter-house races were held on June 8th and June 11th over a course of about half a mile, from the Station to the School Boathouse. 1st Heat — Groves ' vs. Copeman ' s Copeman ' s, rowing 36 to Groves ' 38, led from the start. At the end of a minute they were about a length to the good : Mcrae steadied his crew well, and they continued to gain slightly. Groves hung on well until the last minute, when they got short, lost their swing and rather went to pieces. Copeman ' s won by 2% lengths. Time : 3 mins., 1 sec. 2nd Heat — Ripley ' s vs. Lake ' s Lake ' s started at 32 to Ripley ' s 34, but in the bad water and strong head wind their extra length soon began to tell. At the end of a minute they were leading by over a length, and looked to be going to win easily : but as soon as Ripley ' s began to get the shelter of King ' s Point, Nixon spurted so well that they reduced Lake ' s lead at the finish to only y 2 lengths. Time: 3 mins., 12 sees, (approx.). Final — Copeman ' s vs. Lake ' s Copeman ' s started off at 38 to Lake ' s 34, and rowing a long and lively stroke against the strong head wind, secured an early lead which won them the race. Lake ' s stuck to their opponents well, and after passing Nelson ' s Point they made a magnificent effort which brought them within o ne-third of a length of Copeman ' s at the finish- ing post. Time : 2 mins., 58 sees. Copeman ' s rowed a good race, taking every advantage of their greater length in the water and refusing to be hurried 29

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SHAWNICAN LAKE SCHOOL MAGAZINE The School Concert IT was a great pleasure to be present at the School concert on the 21st of March, and to be asked to write my impres- sions of it for the School Magazine. Any critic of a school orchestra should take into account the youth, for the most part, of the performers, and the ex- treme difficulty confronting the conductor, of having a con- stantly changing list of members, the elder of whom leave just as they are getting more dependabl e, and so making it necessary to start over again each year. In view of this inevi- table fact it is a matter for congratulation that the concert this year shewed a marked advance, both in the music played and in the actual rendering. The intonation was better. The strings, including the double bass — that difficult instrument to play in tune, especially for a youthful player — all did well. The wood-wind was good and the brass effective. The friend who was responsible for the Tympani was always on the spot. Before leaving the orchestral work, a friendly criticism will not perhaps come amiss. In every small orchestra the wind instruments have a tendency to overpower the strings. As only very proficient wind instrument players can play softly, in tune, the obvious way to improve the balance of the full orchestra is to strengthen the playing of the strings. This should not be impossible if the string players would put more fire into their work in the forte passages. At the concert the string players gave the impression of being afraid to play out. Those of us who had the opportunity of hearing the Seattle Orchestra recently will remember with what spirit the string players carried out their work. While this is doubtless a coun- sel of perfection, there is nothing like emulation to arrive at achievement, so the point is worth mentioning and a word from a friendly outsider will not, I hope, be misunderstood. To the boys who form the orchestra I would like to take this opportunity of saying what a privilege it is to have a school orchestra. To be able to take part in the practice of 31