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

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We should like to pay particular respect to Captain Owen Robertson (1917-19) on the award presented to him by the Royal Geographical Society for his Northwest passage voyage as the skipper of H.M.C.S. Labrador. He was awarded the Back Grant, named for the late Admiral Sir George Back, and given annually for exceptional work by scientific geographers and explorers. The cruise of the Labrador through the North- west Passage marked the first time a navy ship had made the trip; subsequently, she became the first navy ship to circumnavigate the North American continent. We should like to note also, in case this has not been noted before in our magazine, that Captain Robertson is one of seven Canadian navy men who possess the George Medal. He won it for taking command of a burning munition ship in Halifax harbour in 1943 after the crew had abandoned ship. The citation said that his efforts prevented a major explosion in the harbour. Brigadier S. E. E. Morres (1920-24) is Deputy Quarter Master General, Design and Development, in Ottawa, and now has serving with him Lieut. Colonel Harry J. Lake (1921-28). Brother Lieut. Colonel John F. Lake (1923-33) is in the British Army and was serving in Austria when last heard from. We understand that Lieut. Colonel Jim Groves, R.E. (1920-26) has retired to the country life of an English farm. Douglas H. Green (1922-29) still works the newspaper racket and is presently on the staff of the Regin a Leader-Post. Tom A. Piddington (1925-28) after a spell of teaching in California, has recently settled in Victoria again; his brother, Rev. Michael Piddington (1945-47) has been ordained in the Anglican Church of Canada and will soon be married and in charge of a parish in Northern Ontario. We had a long letter from H. Archie Turnbull (1918-22), who has spent many years in South Africa and was wounded in Italy in 1944 when serving with the 6th South African Armoured Division. Recently he has moved to Australia, where he lives at a fascinating address called Kissing Point Road, Turramurra, N.S.W. Turnbull reports that he learned a couple of years ago that Hugh Lander (1919-20) was killed in the Pacific war (though whether as a civilian or in the armed forces we do not know), leaving a wife and son. John D. Rockfort (1925-34) writes from Box 1904, Mombasa, Kenya, to say he is returning to British Columbia in 1956 after an absence of 20 years, and hopes to pursue his interest in Forestry and Reforestation here. In the sports line congratulations are in order for Tom Pearce (1931-40) who won the Canadian Epee Championships last May in Toronto. Also, Ned Larsen (1937-43) went to England last spring as a member of the Canadian Squash Team which played in an international tournament with England and Scotland. His brother Jack Larsen (1921-29) won the Pacific Northwest Veterans ' squash tournament last March. At U.B.C. we have the largest contingent of Old Boys we have had for many years. Hugh Wilkinson (1937-40) continues as an Assistant Professor in the School of Commerce. Studying at the University are John Madden, Barry Dryvynsyde, Willie Bice, Rennie Edgett, Gerald McGavin, John Burr, David Williams, Tucker Battle, David Read, Bob Simson, Hugh Mowat, Peter Hebb, Richard Douglas, Tom Robertson, Peter McBean and George Moffatt. Gerald McGavin is to be congratulated on playing for the Thunder- bird rugby team in his freshman year. Rennie Edgett, David Read, David Williams, Richard Douglas and Tucker Battle are also playing rugby on U.B.C. teams. We understand that John Strathdee is still at McGill, in 3rd year Engineering, and he has now been joined by John Kaye, taking Commerce, who has also turned out regularly for the University rugger XV. South of the line, Pat Gaffney is attending the University of Washington, where he is studying Radio and Te ' evision. Chuck Callahan has graduated from there with a degree in Electrical Engineering and is now with the U.S. Army. Also attending the University of Washington are Lyman Louis, Jeff Pruett, Michael Chadwick and Archie Patrick. George Wilson and Gerry Berg are at Stanford, and Ernest Pinkerton, having gradu- ated from there, is now an Ensign in the U.S. Navy. Ronald Obermarck is at West Point and writes how the rigours of Shawnigan life are now serving him well. Joe Stewart is attending Williamette College in Salem, and Stephen Knight is at Beloit College in Wisconsin. C. E. Paddy Morris (1929-32) a Vancouver barrister, is President of the Old Boys ' Society and has been active in keeping up our continuing interest in the school and suggesting visits of Old Boys to Shawnigan where we alwavs receive a very warm welcome. Ken Hanson (1943-47), vice-President, is with T.C.A. and (co-incidence, no doubt) spent his 1955 holidays in Barbados. Barry Dryvynsyde is Secretary; Derek L. Johnston (1926-28), who has completed a strenuous year as President of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of B.C., is Treasurer of the Old Boys ' Society and of the War Memorial Page Twenty-Six

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were understandably put out when, a few minutes after they had parked outside their new home in St. Jean, a truck backed up and smashed in the side of their car. Just a quaint old Laurentian custom. We were sad to receive a report from Ian MacPherson (1935-39) that his brother, ivfajor T. A. MacPherson, R.C.E., (1930-34) died on July 27th, 1955. Ian received an LL.M. in May, 1955, from McGill University after doing post-graduate work at its Institute of International Air Law. W. W. Watson (1930-33) is with Federal Commerce and Navigation Company Limited. In the services a number of Old Boys are occupying high posts. Captain Phil E. Haddon, R.C.N. (1919-22) formerly Director of Naval Training in Ottawa, is now Chief of Staff, Pacific Command, at H.M.C. Dockyard, Esquimalt. Captain M. J. Stirling (1929-33) is in command of 1,500 men under training at H.M.C.S. Cornwallis in Nova Scotia, having been on the staff of the Supreme Allied Commander Atlantic in Norfolk, Virginia, for two years — this job gave him much travelling in Europe and attendance at NATO m mf:- ■ ■ ■:■■ ' ■ - ' ' iSS Top (left and right): LONSDALE ' S SCHOOL Bottom: EARLY CADET CORPS 1917 Council meetings in Paris. Commander J. R. Doull (1929-32) is Director of Naval Per- sonnel (Men) at Naval Headquarters in Ottawa, and Captain C. Pat Nixon, D.S.C. (1926-33) is Director of Tactics and Staff Duties. Dick Leir (1935-40) and Craig Campbell (1929-35) were both promoted Commander on July 1st, 1955: and Craig Campbell reports that his wife presented him with a second son in May last. He is with NATO in London and Dick Leir is on a staff course at Greenwich. Tarn London is training at Royal Roads, and Derek Brooks at H.M.C.S. Venture. Page Twenty-Five

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Society; subscriptions to either of these are received at 1331 Marine Building, Vancouver, B.C., with all the old-world courtesy of a starving jaguar let loose in a butcher ' s shop. Over fifty Old Boys, and a number of parents, are contributing regularly, some in small amounts and some in large, to the War Memorial Society which has financed some important school expenditures and is endeavouring to build up an endowment fund for scholarships and other projects at the school. Cheques to this worthy and indeed essential cause should be made payable to Shawnigan Lake School War Memorial Society, and all contributions are deductible from taxable income. CHAIRS FOR THE BIG SCHOOL Old Boys who have not already presented chairs for the Big School are advised that these can now be obtained from Mr. Carr at the School Hobby Shop, suitably carved with name and years at the school, at a cost of $25.00. Additional chairs are urgently required to take care of the increasing enrolment at the school. MARRIAGES Park e-Swanson — On September 17th, 1955, at Christ Church Cathedral, Vancouver; Gordon Parke (1945-49) to Cecile, daughter of Dean and Mrs. Cecil Swanson. Maclnnes-Shaw — On May 10th, 1955; Duncan Maclnnes (1947-51) to Molly Lou, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. H. Shaw of Vancouver. ft ft ft cJLiteraru Section A DESK TOP It has never been varnished, but someone has tried to correct this omission with disastrous results. It bears upon it the scars of many battles, always between it and a pen, and it has invariably lost. Let us survey its peculiar and characteristic marks. In the upper left hand corner is someone ' s name stamped in block letters. Under- neath this is the inscription R.V. Then comes the thirteen-times table, together with an intricate geometric design, the result of painstaking effort. There are a series of gouges lower down, put there for no apparent purpose except to amuse the gouger. The greater portion of the right hand side is taken up by a diagram illustrating the differences between the American and the European agricultural belts (in blue, the colour of my ink). Someone has been at work on the edges of the desk. Now they are scalloped like an oyster shell, dinted and notched. These disfigurements interspersed with other markings make it look somewhat less than new. And I am not sure if a conglomeration of French idioms; of ill-assorted words such as Cyanide, Smudge, and Rut ; and of ugly ink-blots add to its already negligible beauty. — R. C. MALKIN. ft ft ft CASTLES IN THE AIR Castles in the air. Surely it is only in the English language that such a phrase can be found. The French, who are known for their logic, soon realize that a castle in the air is quite impossible. The Germans, who are admittedly an imaginative race, simply shake their heads in pity. Even the Danish, who love folk song and myth, find the expression rather foolish. In the first place, building a castle in the air must be very difficult unless one makes a habit of practising the art of levitation. Architects tell us that for the construction of any building it is necessary to have a firm foundation. This at once presents a problem. It would, I think, take a fair stretch of the imagination to consider the atmosphere a firm foundation. Another problem that arises (if one assumes that a foundation has been built out of air) is how to keep the castle from shifting. It would be inconvenient for its occupants on returning from a visit to find their ethereal castle had blown away. To anchor it to the ground would hardly be in keeping with castles in the air. This problem must be left unsolved. Assuming that construction has been completed, one finds that many inconveniences have arisen for the occupants. The first and most natural problem is how to mount or board this fortress in the sky. If you are a fakir the problem is easily solved — the Indian Page Twenty-Seven