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

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Standing: R. L. Obermarck, P. A. Nash. Seated: J. A. Kaye, C. D. Brooks, the Headmaster, B. A. Coates, R. D. P. Ross. With Derek Brooks as Head Boy the other school prefects were Barry Coates, John Kaye and Ronald Ross, later joined by Ronald Obermarck and Peter Nash. Coates was Captain of Rugby and Kaye, Captain of Cricket. Throughout the year there were events of interest in Victoria and elsewhere, to which sundry boys had access; symphony concerts, the Everest lecture in Victoria, Canadian Club lecture in Duncan, the Harl em Globe Trotters, and the All Blacks Rugby match, to mention a few. During the Michaelmas Term we were fortunate in having Mr. Donald Grant lecture to us. He spoke on The Pacific Ocean and the Countries around it. This, as can be imagined, led to an interesting discussion afterwards. After Christmas we had a most illuminating talk by Lady L. Fletcher on Africa and the Mau Mau Rebellion. Lady Fletcher was obviously a most cultured and widely travelled lady and has recently spent many years in Africa; thus she proved an excellent authority on one of our problems as a member of the British Commonwealth of Nations. Her talk was not without touches of humour, however; in fact, her tales of how the Mau Mau women waited continually on the whims of the men made us realize that possibly we could learn something from the Mau Maus! Also during the Lent Term we enjoyed a lecture by Doctor E. A. Pye, who made a year-long voyage in his twenty-nine foot cutter Moon-Raker, across the Atlantic and into the Pacific Ocean. The spirit of adventure and courage displayed by Doctor Pye and his wife, and one crew member, in performing this voyage, captured the imagination of us all, as did the unassuming but descriptive account that Doctor Pye gave with the aid of his photographs. Toward the end of February we were all most grateful to Mr. John Wade for his interesting talk on the Architectural profession. He pointed out many of the happy phases of such a life; at the same time the boys felt that his implication was that, if they wished to be millionaires, they would stand a better chance if they studied cooking or some other such calling! A few weeks later the Senior School attended the Everest Lecture in Victoria. The Comradeship and courage of Sir Edmund Hilliary and George Lowe, to name only two of a great team, won the hearts of all who heard them. Such an experience will never be forgotten. In the Summer Term we rejoiced at the opportunity of hearing a lecture from Captain Morgan. He has been the leading Standard Oil representative in the Persian Gulf and was able to supplement his talk with enlightening films on the development of the Anglo-Iranian Oil Company. The weather, always an important factor in school life, as elsewhere, was kind to us in the Michaelmas Term. Swimming was permitted in the lake until early October. Page Six

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Reprint of article in the Vancouver Sun : — The Archbishop of Canterbury, with Mrs. Fisher and their son Temple Fisher, paid a short visit Saturday to Shawnigan Lake School, on Vancouver Island; the head- master, G. Peter Kaye, was once a pupil of the Archbishop when His Grace was headmaster of Repton School in England. The Archbishop was introduced to the governors and the staff of the school, and then lunched with the boys. The Archbishop gave an informal address, which included several amusing reminiscences of his visits to other boys ' schools in the Commonwealth. At one school in Australia, the Archbishop said, he was taken on a tour of inspection of boys ' dormitories and studies. In one study four small boys sprang smartly to atten- tion — their faces were shining, their collars were clean, and the study was a model of neatness and order, the Archbishop recalled. On the desk were neatly piled three books. I went ovei and picked them up one by one — the first two were detective stories, the third was a Bible. The small boys all looked very pious. But my suspicions were aroused; I lifted the Bible, and found underneath an open hand of cards — strictly forbidden in the school! I tic Archbishop also visited the school chapel, inspected the new war memorial plaque, given by the Lieutenant-Governor, The Honourable Clarence Wallace, C.B.E., containing the names of 41 Old Boys killed in the Second World War. ti School I loted The commencement of the school year 1953-54 saw a capacity enrolment in the Main Building of 121 boys, and the return to the Staff, from Oxford, of Mr. E. R. Larsen, as Senior Master, and Mr. Lester Bullen as Groves House Master. To them, and also to Mr. M. D. Robinson who joined the Staff as Senior Language Master and House Master of Ripley ' s House, we extend a hearty welcome. The upstairs portion of the Private Wing was made over as an apartment for Mr. and Mrs. Larsen (the latter being familiar to many Shawnigan Old Boys as Sue Fraser of Strathcona Lodge School). Among the matrons we welcomed also Miss Bartholomew in Ripley ' s House, and Mrs. Luxton in Lakes House. The latter later gave way to Mrs. Whitney but returned to Shawnigan in September, 1954. Page Five

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In the Lent Term we were visited by some snowfalls. While this disrupted rugby and occasioned much shovelling, there was considerable opportunity and enthusiasm for Skiing, resulting in one broken leg. The Summer Term was badly mis-named, since the sun was conspicuous by its absence. The other misfortune of this term was the virus epidemic in the first few weeks, to which no fewer than 75 boys succumbed, thus disrupting normal routine to quite an extent, though not disasterously for examinations, the cricket season, or the cadet inspection. The School flag-pole was the victim of a winter storm, and great was the fall thereof one evening during the Christmas term. No damage was done other than to the flag- pole itself, but the task of reconstruction proved formidable. However, with the aid of a gin pole, some skilled and unskilled ' labour, and the patient efforts of Mr. Jenkins the school carpenter, all was in readiness for the Annual Cadet Inspection in May. At the end of the year we bade farewell to Mr. James and Mr. Townend. Mr. Painton had regrettably been forced to leave earlier in the term due to ill-health. To them all, as well as to Miss Grace and Miss Ruth Solly, and Mrs. Whitney, we extend our cordial thanks and best wishes. Dk. Reverend £ M With Id A link with the past has been severed by Mr. Willis ' s retirement from his office as School Chaplain. During a term of some thirty years Mr. Willis has held at various times the position of Senior Master, Housemaster, Chaplain and Acting Headmaster. For a period he left us for Parish work in Victoria, but his appointment to the Parishes of Cobble Hill and Shawnigan allowed him to renew his duties as Chaplain, and after his retirement from active Parish work he continued as our Chaplain until the end of the Summer Term. A more sincere and devoted friend of the school it would be difficult to find. Though Mr. Willis ' s official connection with the school is ended, he will always receive a welcome here, and we wish him good health and a long life. - U. krirnsh rimdnire There will be many among the ranks of Old Boys who will learn with sorrow of the death of Mr. P. T. Skrimshire on Saturday, October 2nd, 1954, in Vancouver. At the Memorial Service which was held at St. Peter ' s Church, Quamichan, V.I., on Wednesday, October 6th, all branches of the School, Governors, Old Boys, Staff and Students, were assembled in a tribute of respect for one who gave so much of himself for the benefit of the School and earlier generations of boys there. Before teaching at Shawnigan Lake School Skrimmy taught in the Duncan District, and an appreciation of his earlier work, written by a former pupil, is quoted from The Cowichan Leader, as well as an appreciation from an Old Boy of Shawnigan Lake School. Reprint from The Cowichan Leader — P. T. Skrimshire, An Appreciation. It is a long while since, with a strange reluctance for study and a keen desire for wonderful adventures among the pine woods, along the river banks or up the face of Mt. Tzouhalem, I pedalled over the flats and up the slopes of St. Peter ' s Church to Quamichan Lake School; there to meet Lance Bazett, Eric Elkington, the Stilwell brothers the Wood brothers, Denis Deighton, Joe Fall, Stewart, Billy Maitland, the Green brothers, Inverarity and Hanham. If any have been overlooked from the years 1906-09, my apologies, with the forgetful- ness that comes through the crowded years as my excuse. Mr. Skrimshire put the situation very clearly when he said of us, ' Billy Maitland was the brightest of a dull lot. ' So the terms passed, and slowly, very slowly, we digested something of the hard diet of Latin and Euclid and Algebra. The large grasshoppers clicked in their flight and landed on the dusty summer roads, snow fell, frost came, and the generous Dr. Stoker and his wife made tea for crowds of skaters on Quamichan Lake. We were all boys, accepting Nature ' s gifts with open, grubby hands. But there was something else we accepted, though at the time we did not understand or appreciate what it was. We accepted hours of patient tuition by P.T.S., and, in recess, instruction on how to kick a football and play on a team. Page Seven