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

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Editorial When Matthew Arnold wrote of this strange disease of modern life he perhaps did not realize the extent to which it would affect the world in the century following his own. Today men grope for meaning in their confused dark world and often, in the f ruitlessness of their search, either lapse into mental inertia and apathy, or escape through ever-open doors into the evanescent world of fantasy. Probably at no other time in the history of Western civilization has there been a greater demand for personal surety of purpose. To satisfy this need is a task to which a revitalized religious faith alone is equal. A sane, sound education, however, can prepare the way for such a faith by insistence upon standards of thought compatible with the belief that goodness and humility are the most desirable characteristics of civilized man. An education should do what the Latin roots for the world suggest; that something be led out of young minds, that the best in the way of human virtue be led out and this before a mass of data without a moral integrating factor be introduced. At another time Arnold said that, . . . we ought to know the best that is known and thought in the world, irrespective of practice, and politics and everything of the kind, and to value knowledge and thought as they approach this best, with- out the intrusion of any other considerations whatever. For many schools the accomplishment of this end, an end which, by offerin g to a child the essence of human experience as a guide through the labyrinth of a lifetime ' s desiring, assures it of some serenity and dignity, is not always easily attained. The modern world, with its manifold pricks, pressures, and entice- ments, is a strong competitor for possession of the young person ' s attention. It is for this reason that the boarding school, at some distance from the distrac- tions and temptations of town life, has a peculiar advantage. Not only by being closer to Nature is it closer to the reality of the world but also it affords a quiet harbour wherein the craft of a young life can be made ready for sea without fear of being swamped. By confronting the young person with the best models of character and achievement through the medium of the arts, by precept from history and example of his elders, the school may reveal to him an inner urge to create and perfect his own creations in the light of humble goodness, which is the inspiration of a true leader. Leadership which is founded on constructive effort and sound character is most urgently needed in our world. Any institution which can foster such leadership deserves an honoured and assured position in the community which it strives to serve. School Magazine Page 3