St Michaels University School - Black Red and Blue Yearbook (Victoria, British Columbia Canada)

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School for three months and stayed for nine years. I myself came in 1948 for one year only and have stayed for twenty-two. There must be some spirit in the School which holds one and it can only be the boys, of course. Despite their many failings-and, indeed their, at times, outrageous behaviour-they are still the best of companions, and I count it a great privilege that I have been permitted to spend so much of my working life among them. As is well known, oflicially I am not due to retire until 1971, but twenty-two years' Headmastering is a very long and exhausting time, and in the early Spring I began to feel extremely tired, and so I decided it would be better to retire this Summer rather than undertake one more year. lNIy successor, Mr. Gordon, I have known as a fellow Headmaster for many years. He completed a distinguished career at the University of Alberta, where his father was Dean of English, by gaining a Rhodes Scholarship to Oxford. After service in the R.C.N., mostly on loan to the Royal Navy, where he served with Combined Operations, he returned to teach in Canada, and, after a spell on the Faculty of Upper Canada College, became Headmaster of St. John's Ravenscourt at Winnipeg, eventually leaving there to direct the Glenbow Foundation in Calgary. In addition he has found time to publish books, to contribute editorials to the lVinnipeg Free Press and to lecture on the C.B.C. In handing over to Dick Gordon I know I can leave the School, which for me has been so long an integral part of my life, in the best possible hands. University School, named in honour of a University which did not materialize until fifty years later, has many advantages from its proxi- mity to UVIC and many close ties. Distinguished Professors and visit- ing lecturers often End themselves in our own Barker Library-last year, perhaps, the most distinguished of them was Sir John Bagot Glubb-Glubb Pashawintroduced to us by Professor Roy-and from the days of the late Dr. John Ewing, Principal of Victoria Col- lege, the parent of Victoria University, the School has been honoured by the visits of these distinguished Chancellors, Presidents and Deans. Mr. Jeffels, of course, needs no introduction to this audience, and I am delighted that at long last I have persuaded him to be our guest at this annual ceremony. It is perhaps a most significant part of 1XIr. JefTel's personality that, whereas almost all other University Registrars have been overwhelmed by their task, lXIr. Jeffels has smilingly and serenely met all the challenges and risen above them. That relationship between students and administration at the University of Victoria is in such a healthy state as to be considered a model for other Universities, and this is due in no small part to the work of two men - Dean VVal- lace and Director Jeflels. The bond between this School and the University is very strong, and it is indeed a pleasure to welcome today yet one more of those links which bind us in the person of the Director of Admissions. Ladies and Gentlemen, I will now ask lNIr. Jeffels to present the awards, and afterwards to give the address. H.M. 13

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against eighty-one, and hence we came out on top! Twenty-four boys were taken. all of whom played, and their performance both on and off the playing Helds gave the greatest satisfaction to their Coach, Mr. Hialsh, and to me. The fact that everywhere we went we were invited to come again is a pretty good tribute to the boys and to their ability to mix well in the different situations which confronted them. i'iNIany of you will have noted the recently-increased political activity to obtain Government recognition of the work done by the Indepen- dent Schools of this Province. Some of you may have noted President Nixon's tribute to those of the United States in his address of March 7th., wherein, incidentally, he noted a falling off in attendance at Private Schools by some ten per cent. This, of course, is happening in Canada too. Several Private Schools in B.C. have been obliged to close through financial support failing to keep up with spiralling costs. At present, despite much sympathy for the cause from M.L.A.s, and even some of those in the Cabinet, Premier Bennett fails to be moved, but, like water on a stone, if the pressure is kept up, then it must have some effect in ti1ne. Meanwhile much skilled work by teachers goes com- pletely unrecognized, and at the same time some 27,000 children in this Province are being educated without an acknowledgement or even interest taken by the Government. Personally, I feel that, as the future of this Province will one day be affected by these same children, then the Government is neglecting its plain duty in completely ignoring their education, and if it persists in this ostrich-like attitude the' eco- nomic facts alone will shortly force some action. In School District 1124, for example, one School closed last month, releasing several hundred children on to the Public School system and hence an annual additional bill for the Government which might well have been avoided. We are not proposing to close, of course, but it could happen, and it will certainly happen elsewhere with increasing frequency from now on. Possibly what is needed is inspection by competent officials appointed by the Government to ensure that the education provided for all these thousands of children is of a satisfactory standard. Next, the Teachers' work should be recognized, and, lastly, financial help should be provided-if only on a limited scale. I am not so much concerned with examination privileges as I am old-fashioned enough to prefer external examinations, which are impersonal and the same for all, to the arbitrary grading of a pupil by a teacher who may find it, for personal reasons, even diflicult to be impartial. What is now needed is action by M.L.A.s to overcome the opposition of that small but most powerful section of the Provincial Cabinet, and the M.L.A.s will act only if they are pressed by their constituents. uReturning to tl1e year itself - always there are some staff changes and these are generally deplored, but sometimes we say good-bye with regret, as we did last year to a Master, in this case Mr. Nigel Barber, who had accepted a teaching fellowship at the University of William and lNfIary, only to report the following Speech Day that he is to return in September. Our Chaplain, Archdeacon Wfolff, the Rector of St. Lukels, came to help us out in 1964 for six months only and has stayed for six years. I recall Mr. Harry Smith, who came from Victoria High 12

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just before the ceremonies closed the President of the Old Boys Association, Dr. David Ballantyne, made a formal presentation to the Headmaster on behalf of the .Association of a magnificent silver-plate salver, inscribed with the school crest and the following words: Presented by University School Old Boys' Association to John Timmis in appreciation for his untiring efforts as Headmaster at University School 1948-1970 Needless to say, the Headmaster was, for once, speechless, and, indeed, remained so long after the applause and the School Song had ended. For him, at least, it had been the greatest Speech Day ever. ACADEMIC PRIZES English D. Hardman, G. Stewart, D. Venables, A. Adams, C. Spicer, S. Keenlyside French D. Hardman, D. Angell, D. Venables, A. Souza, D. Thomson, M. Reeves, Consultat general de France M. Reeves Latin D. Angell, D. Thomson, C. Considine Greek S. Iverson lNIathematics E. Freistadt, Thomson, P. Finamore, D. Buchan, Wu lkfan Hoo, Lo Ka-Chun Science General E. Heffernan, G. Copeland Physics Woo Hing Tung Chemistry M. Macliwing Biology D. Cornwall Old Boys' Association Prize Social Studies Lo Ka-Chun Finamore, T. Norris, S. Iverson, Travers History C. Considine Geography K. Herr Law B. Vallance 1-I