St Boniface School of Nursing - Estole Fideles Yearbook (St Boniface, Manitoba Canada)

Page 10 text:

QrJuatlon fa US TOLD TO fl yOUOG SISTER Imagine—my graduation day! Certainly never thought it would arrive. Jeepers, am I ever tired; guess I got about three hours sleep—I can never sleep when I’m excited, can you? Wonder how my hair will turn out? Guess I’d better take the curler out or it’ll be all frizzy—probably will be anyway— Oh well, I still have six hours to think about looking right. How’s the weather? No! I can’t believe it—sun’s shining! It’ll rain before this afternoon for sure—so keep your fingers crossed. Somehow I can’t realize that we were able to get everyone settled in real honest-to-goodness hotel rooms. 1 hope no one’s feelings are hurt because they didn’t get tickets for graduation. Probably left someone important out, but I’ll hear if I did. I wonder how the flowers will look? Remember the dream I had in which everyone forgot to order the flowers? Pat, maybe you’d better bring crocuses, just in case. Do you really think my pictures will turn out well? Oh, well, you don’t have to be so blunt. Look at the time-—I’ll have to get started—no thanks, couldn’t eat a thing, for a change. Well—look at me—I’m nearly ready. Does my pin look straight? My fingers are sore from trying to get it right. And have I too much lipstick on— or enough? What if I sneeze during the ceremony—I’ll be so embarrassed, not to mention the red nose I’ll probably have for the reception. And if I don’t sneeze, I’ll trip for sure. Even now I shudder at the thought of trying to find everyone at the reception. And when I think of the sleep I’m going to lose tonight because of today’s excitement—but things like this just happen once. I think it’ll be a lot of fun, don’t you? MARION FERG. Give smiles, and more will come to you, Give help and never trouble, Give joys to others here and there And yours will surely double. Give of your strength to those with less, Give reverence to sorrow, Give thoughtful gentleness today And then again tomorrow. Give with an open hand and heart, Give with full faith, believing That open hands and open hearts Are constantly receiving. Give love to every thought you think, For love is constant giving, Then wait and watch real riches come To all your life and living. (With apologies to Alfred Lord Tennyson) 8

Page 12 text:

Valedictory Today, May the eighth, is to most of us here a very important day. To us the graduating class it is the day for which we have worked and planned for three years; the dream day we scarcely dared believe would come true. To you, our parents and friends, it is the day on which you share with us a great honor and wish us luck and good fortune. The preparation we have had for our noble work has been serious and thorough, but as we pause for a moment to see in retrospect the three years that have elapsed, many pleasant and interesting events which may seem trivial to others have left us very vivid memories. Our first Christmas party, for many of us our first Christmas away from home; the donning of our new caps which sat like crowns upon our heads; the summer holidays when we were once again reunited to our families; the long hours spent poring over books to initiate our¬ selves to the mysteries that had to be understood to pass our qualifying exam¬ inations; then the thrill of receiving our blue bands accompanied by much im¬ portance! We cannot forget lectures and classes or our first day in the operat¬ ing room. All these formed the warp and woof of the fabric of our nursing education. Soon we found ourselves with yellow bands, a trifle bewildered, as we realized that we weren’t as clever and overpowering as we as cap-nurses considered other yellow bands to be. By this route we have travelled to arrive to today, the unforgettable day on which we receive our black bands, medals and diplomas and enter our pro¬ fessional career as graduate nurses. There is much to do in the field that lies before us, and with the eagerness of youth, we anticipate with pleasure the new tasks, the new friends, but we will always cherish the memories of our Alma Mater and of our student days. What have they done for us that we deem them so important? They have fashioned us from the raw material received three years ago, timid and fright¬ ened, yet eager girls, into the confident, happy women we feel we are today. You have watched us mature, you have helped us develop. We hope you are well satisfied with the finished product of these three years. Now we must look to the future. We are urgently needed, we must try to serve in the best manner possible. We must gain exprience but we must cap¬ ably use the knowledge we have already acquired. During the past years of war, nurses had marvelous opportunities in every field of their work. Now we may work hand in hand with other members of our profession as we help to maintain the peace. To the future students, the nurses following us, we wish the happiness which we had in training. We also wish that you may experience the same feeling of satisfaction and complete joy on your own graduation day. We will miss you and we will reminisce as each May comes upon us. We will try not to fail you, all of you who have taught us the meaning of this noble profession. Today we have reached the summit of our dreams. We must not falter. We must go on. Sisters, graduates and instructresses who have guided and helped us through these years, we thank you sincerely from the bottom of our hearts. Doctors who have given freely of your valuable time, you have had a major part and important task in our education, and you have done your part well. To you, our parents, love and thanks for the sacrifice and unselfishness by which you made our three years’ training possible. A special little “Thank You” to the many boy friends who have been most patient and understanding. We do not forget our friends and their kind hospitality. Thank you, seems so inade¬ quate, yet there are no other words to express all we feel. To my classmates, I would like to express my appreciation for the honor and privilege of giving the valedictory address. I hope I have expressed a portion of the sentiments in the heart of each one of you. I am proud, as all of you are, to be a member of this 1946 graduating class. IRENE E. WALLWIN. 10