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

Page 18 text:

take and because of their insistence that the boys should strive for excellence in whatever they take on. We believe that, if the boys can learn the importance of training and working for the best standards of which they are capable, and if they can learn in their games to realize that no effort but an all-out effort is good enough, this insistence upon excellence will carry across into the more important field of academics and will teach them to be dissatisfied with mediocre results and, in fact, with any performance which is less than their best. Those of you who have been part of the Shawnigan scene for some time will have some idea of what we are striving for in this connection, because you have seen it working; but, at the same time, I feel that you will be interested to learn that our efforts and results are now being recognized in official circles. As you may know, there has recently been a great deal of criticism in this country about the standards of physical fitness among young Canadians. Indeed a Commission has been set up jointly by the Department of Physical Education at U.B.C. and the Department of Education in Victoria to study the matter, and to produce some recommendations for all the schools in the province. During recent months this Committee has inspected the programmes in several of our leading schools and for their study have selected Shawnigan as representing the standard at which other schools should aim. In consequence, they are sending a team of experts over here in the fall to spend a week at the school in order to study our philosophy and our methods. They will also measure the physical achievements of our boys next May and compare them with those in Septem- ber, so that definite results of our programme may be assessed; and on the basis of this information they plan to produce a report which will serve as a standard toward which all our young Canadians may be directed. I am particularly pleased about this because I believe that, in this way, we are able to fulfil for the province one of the most important functions of an independent school. Since these schools are free from the trappings of representative Town Meetings and P.T.A.s they can resolutely put into effect the policies in which they be- 14

Page 17 text:

most difficult to enter and you may see, therefore, that we are developing an academic climate here where good students can grow and flourish. The other members of the Graduating Class have written entrance exams for U.B.C. or for Victoria College (after July 1st University of Victoria) and we expect good results from many of them. In summary I wish to make it clear that, while our results in the academic field are already quite good, we are by no means satisfied with them. Some of us here are making it our first concern to find ways of using the limited funds and facilities which we have available to make the academic programme at Shawnigan one which is truly stimulating and fascinating for our students. We know we have a long way to go — as has any other school in this country which you care to mention— but we are dedicating ourselves to this end, and we shall achieve it. We have been encouraged by the tremendous progress which has been made in education on this continent over the past five or six years. Cer- tainly over the last decade there has been much criticism of secondary school education; but at the same time, and particularly recently, it has been a period of search for new ideas and methods, of the development of new techniques and talents, and of sound and valuable experimentation both inside and outside the curriculum. Indeed the curriculum of today in a strong school system is already quite different from that of even five years ago, and there ' s much more to come. The whole system of old-fashioned structured learning, with emphasis upon acquisition of fact and general rote learning, is gradually being replaced by courses and curricula requiring a higher level of thinking, enrichment of learning experience, acceleration of pace, and a high degree of motivation. Many of us at Shawnigan are excited by the new possibilities which are open- ing up in this modern world in the field of education, and we intend to equip ourselves as well as possible with information and with facilities so that we may provide for our boys the most uplifting and stimulating type of programme of which we are capable. Turning to the athletic side of our school life, it is my feeling that I should not lose you in a long list of results, but that I should suggest only the main highlights and make some general comments. It is true that outside of class- time we see to it that the boys participate in a rigorous and competitive physical training programme. We do this purposely, believing that there are many fine qualities of character to be developed by such a programme, and believing also that there is a direct connection between physical fitness and mental alertness. Again we have offered a wide variety of sports which has given an oppor- tunity to many boys with different kinds of athletic abilities to find enjoyment and purpose in playing games. We continue to be fortunate at Shawnigan in having a staff sufficiently versatile that good coaching can be provided in all the sports which are offered. Indeed, while other individual schools which can be mentioned achieve outstanding success in one or two or maybe three sports, our staff is producing teams which are rated among the top two or three in the province in rugby, cricket, rowing, track and field, cross country, squash and gymnastics. We are producing results in many fields, rather than in one or two, because of the careful training given by our staff in all the activities they under- 73

Page 19 text:

lieve, and can thereby provide a leadership in the field of education which can in turn serve the interests of the public schools who have so many more prob- lems to overcome. Indeed we must remember that our first concern is not for the betterment of Shawnigan, but is for the service we can provide for our country in working at Shawnigan. I hope that in the establishment of our language laboratory, in the writing and setting up of Russian courses at the secondary school level for the first time in the province, and in the proven results of our physical training programme— to name only three examples— we are beginning at Shawnigan to make a distinct and valuable contribution. Before leaving the athletic side I should mention, for the benefit of those who have not yet heard, that in a few days our Rowing Eight and Four as well as the B.C. Independent Schools Track and Field Team, which we have organ- ized, are leaving for England and Europe. For the first three weeks they will compete against clubs and schools in England and on the Continent, and then for three weeks they will be taken on a guided tour of Europe. We believe that their exposure to good competitive standards in these fields, as well as their opportunity to visit the many fascinating countries in the Old World, will provide an educa- tional experience for them which will be of inestimable and lasting value. In other spheres I would like to mention particularly the excellent results produced by our Sea Cadet Corps this year. At the Annual Tri-Service Cadet Competition held in Victoria in April our Band again won first prize; and in the Annual Sea Cadet Competitions held at H.M.C.S. Naden in May our Corps won first prizes for the Band and for the smartest Guard, and the Trophy for the highest Aggregate including all activities. Finally, we have just received our 75