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

Page 31 text:

The pine tree is particularly appropriate for a house in a school in this province while the sheaves — or garbs as they are called in the language of heraldry — can- not but remind us of the dignity of labour and the abundance of the harvest. What could be more suitable then than the motto Work is in itself a pleasure ? It has long been the custom of the sovereign of Great Britain to reward valour and distinguished service with some mark which would pass from generation to generation. The king would sometimes grant a special crest, an additional device or charge to be placed on the existing coat of arms or even a completely new coat of arms. Whichever one it was, it depicted symbolically the deeds of the individual to whom it was awarded. In heraldry we call these augmentations of honour. Sir Edward Lake received an augmen- tation of honour for his bravery at the battle of Edgehill. Today it adorns the Lake House blazer. Heraldry has been called the shorthand of history. It should help us to remember the great deeds of the past. In our case, it should remind us that we are a part of a school with a continuing tradition. If it can also encourage us to strive towards an even brighter future then it will indeed have performed a valuable service. —27—

Page 30 text:

was only when every combination and colour was exhausted that newer families began to use birds, animals, mythological beasts, human heads and arms and finally inanimate objects such as the horns previously mentioned. Of all the animals used, the lion is the most common. The ferocity of this animal naturally appealed to a military class. Lions of some forty different types and postures are known to heraldry. The one used by Ripley House, the lion rampant, has long been a favourite. The motto Acta non Verba is particularly appropriate in this case. Copeman ' s blazers display the head of a griffin. This is a mythological beast, having the body of a lion and the head, claws and wings of an eagle. In the eyes of those who lived in the Middle Ages this united the fine qualities of the two creatures. The Groves ' House emblem is a contrast to the foregoing. Strictly speaking it is not an emblem in the heraldic sense at all. Rather it is an adaption of the Groves ' crest. Some explanation may be necessary here. The word crest is often misused to the pcint where it refers to any and indeed all heraldic devices. In actual fact a crest is merely a part of a coat of arms, being that portion which was worn on top of the helmet and which was designed to distinguish the wearer when a visor concealed the face. Can anyone imagine a knight crowned with a pine tree and two sheaves of wheat! Fortunately crests were very rarely worn. Some of the older ones might have presented a tolerable appearance mounted on a helmet, but a few of the modern ones would certainly look ridiculous. I do not wish to imply that the Groves ' crest falls into this category. As a matter of fact, like the Ripley House emblem, the design and motto are complementary. —26—

Page 32 text:

School Life —28—