St Johns Ravenscourt School - Eagle Yearbook (Winnipeg, Manitoba Canada)

Page 41 text:

I%7 Cetdmml As Centennial Year occurs only once, it seems suitable in this issue of THE EAGLE that space be devoted to S.J.R.’s part in the celebration of Canada’s birthday. In most cases this will be merely a listing of events which are more fully written up in this yearbook or in the yearbook of last year, our Centennial Issue. To me the most interesting aspect of this review of the year is the number of events which in¬ volved the school in the life of the community at large. The school may be a micro¬ cosm of the outside world but it is also a part of that world. The year 1967 began with S.J.R.’s major centennial project, Meet Manitoba, which brought together at the school 65 students representing 33 ethnic groups resident in Manitoba. This event happened simultaneously at the school with the Lower School Headmasters’ Conference which brought together Headmasters from across Canada. The climax to both these meetings came with their joining together to attend the Russian - Canadian National game in the Centennial Hockey Tournament at which Lester B. Pearson dropped the puck. The Prime Minister honoured the school by personally greeting the Meet Manitoba group at this game. As two members of the National Team are members of our staff and the wife of a third we felt part of the team when they won the tournament in that game. In February, a large contingent of S.J.R. boys and staff journeyed by bus to the lakehead for the annual Ski Weekend. This was followed on February 18th. by the annual Winter Carnival which raised money for the SAVE THE CHILDREN FUND. During the Easter holidays I took a group of twenty-five boys on a tour of New York and visited the site of Expo on the return trip. At Expo through the kindness of The Hon. Robert Winters we were taken on a complete tour of the grounds and pavilions of Expo three weeks before Expo opened. In connection with Expo, every student at the school submitted an essay for the Centennial Expo Essay contest and we had three winners all of whom were given a week-long all expense paid trip to Expo in September. These boys were Dave Gargett, Darrell Laird, and Michael Payne. Another traveller to the East was Jim Lawson who was invited to participate in Upper Canada Colleg e’s Centennial project. During the summer months despite the impression that the school was a quiet retreat it became a hive of activity while hosting the following activities: The Canadian Amateur Swimming Association Championships Pan-Am Games Canadian Amateur Hockey Association Leadership Institute Pre-Season Training Camp for Canada’s National Hockey Team Much could be written about meeting Elaine Tanner and other sports notables in the halls of a boys’ school but I will restrict my remarks to the fact that in all of these activities staff and boys were involved in a variety of ways. Mr. Glegg was site manager during Pan-Am games while Mr. Shepherd was cashier for the dining room. Mr. Broderick looked after the arrangements for the hockey institute and Barney Anderson and John Gollwitzer were bus boys. Gavin Smith looked after the tennis courts. I blended this athletic atmosphere with my Ph.D. studies in English at the University of Manitoba during the summer and then in August represented the school at the International Conference of Teachers of English which met in Vancouver. 38

Page 40 text:

John Macbeth, Greg Hill, Ed Myers, Mr. R.L. Gordon, Bob Dunstan, Andy Wiswell, Mark Stethem, Clive McEwen, Rob Kennedy. Lauren Jacklin, Bernie Saywell, Bob Spaith, Stewart Searle, John Hutchings, Gerald Schwartz, Greg Thomas. Greg Lawrence.

Page 42 text:

Other summer activities of staff and students included Mr. Gordon’s trip to the Northwest territories and Mr. Olsen’s summer studies; both of these are reported elsewhere. Mr. Bredin travelled to Expo and to the Maritimes. Mr. Stewart attended the I.M.E. (Interaction of Matter and Energy) Science Briefing Session in Minneapolis. In the fall the biggest event was, of course, the official opening of the Dutton Memorial Arena with the Premier of Manitoba, Duff Roblin present and climaxed by Hockey Night in Winnipeg in honour of Red Dutton. The arena has been used this winter by many groups besides the school including amateur hockey groups who are not charged in all cases for the ice time. Another major event of the fall was the Annual Meeting of the Canadian Independent Schools Headmasters’ Association which for the first time met during term time: this gave the twenty-five headmasters from across Canada the opportunity to observe the school in operation while carry¬ ing on their deliberations. Also during the Fall the school hosted a weekend Hockey Coaching Workshop. I have deliberately left out of this account all those activities which went on at the school like Carol Service, Prize Day, A Theatre Happening etc.; these are school events. I wished to draw attention to those activities which make St. John’s-Ravens- court School a participating member in the community, however large you may wish to make that community. To conclude the year the boys organized their annual gift of clothes and toys for Indians in the Northwest Territories. In this way and in many others S.J.R. carries on its role in the world of education of the body, the mind and the soul. Gordon D. McLeod Staff Adviser Uuo coloi fct ja ffillowuuj om wmflmaiti o[ ' Brid CofiMmtm Co. 39