Steinbach Collegiate Institute - Black and Gold Yearbook (Steinbach, Manitoba Canada)

Page 22 text:

VALEDICTORY Mr. Chairman, Dr. Donnelly, Ladies and Gentlemen: The graduating class assembled here has chosen me to deliver a valedictory address, or, more simply, to say farewell. It is an honor which I shall not soon forget. We are graduates of 19 47, the eleventh senior class to graduate from the Steinbach Col¬ legiate. In many ways we are like those who graduated before us, young, intense, eager for the future. That is how you, who are here to¬ night, will look at us; as another group of fresh- faced young men and women who have complet¬ ed their high-school training, and now, for the most part, are ready to take their places in society. To us, the graduates, this occasion is a symbol: a symbol of achievement; a symbol that stands for all the algebra lessons, poems and history dates which we have mastered in the course of our student days. This moment com¬ pletes the first link in tne career-chain that we are now beginning to forge for ourselves. That is why we are a little more solemn-looking to¬ night than is our usual habit. That is why we havc- planned these exercises with care, and that is why we are now asking you ; our parents, friends and acquaintances, to share with us in the results of our planning. We are proud of the fact that we are the largest graduating class in the Collegiate’s his¬ tory. To you this will be a sign that our communi¬ ty is growing ever more conscious of the advant¬ ages of an education. To us, the record size of our class meant a bigger and better school year. This may be said despite the predominance of the stronger sex, for, what the feminine part of our class lacked in quantity they more than made up for in quality. One of the most fascinating aspects of our school life has been to experience the degree of intimacy and open-handedness that radiates be¬ tween students and teachers, and between stu¬ dents in their relationships with each other. This constructive companionship is what we are most sorry to leave. During the winter our class has been transformed from a mere roomful of people into a well-knit unit, where each student knows his place. We have come to know and tolerate each other’s viewpoints. We have formed com¬ mittees and teams; completed successful schemes and ventures for the betterment of our school life. In plain words, we have worked in harmony and played in harmony. The word “co-operation” does not cover these relationships adequately. In my estimation it is more than that. It is the deep urge that every person has, to feel the warmth spreading within himself when he is doing something really worth while and in harmony with other people. This feeling of being useful and helpful to others for the pleasure that it gives, has been carefully nurtured in us by our teachers. It is now as we are about to leave school that we begin to realize the many advantages we have enjoyed. Our Christian homes have given us a good solid base upon which to build our life houses. The responsible members of our com¬ munity have given us earnest, capable instructors who have shown us how to build on these foun¬ dations. We can and do thank you ; the members of the community, for the chances you have given us, but our thanks will not be complete until we have shown you that your efforts and our own have not been in vain. It is now up to us. Here then is our message of farewell. We are young and strong and cherish our little dreams and ambitions and we believe in them and will strain mightily to fullfil them. You who are older may smile sometimes at our intensity, at our wild dreams and our stubborn faith in the future. That is as it should be. We will smile too when we have reached your age and your station in life; but to youth striving is everything. So we will strive and some day, perhaps, looking back along the chains we have forged in our lives we will be able to say, though they are not as numerous as we had hoped for, the links in our chains are well-shaped and forged out of the steel that endures. -— Elmer Reimer. PAGE EIGHTEEN

Page 21 text:

O ' X ici eA. On Thursday, May 8th the grade XII class of the Steinbach Collegiate Institute held their graduation exercises. The anticipation, the formal gowns, the bouquets, the black suits, the diplomas and the gay lunch, ming¬ led with an atmosphere of impressive for¬ mality, combined to make a thrill that the graduates were not to forget soon. The ceremony began in the E. M. B. church at 8 p.m. when the S. C. I.’s Girls’ Chorus walked in while Mr. Art Rempei played the organ. The graduates followed as the organist changed to the strains of “Lar¬ go”. The girls in formals, supplemented by bouquets of spring flowers, and the boys in black tuxedo suits made a picture that had all the formality and beauty appropriate to the occasion. After “O Canada” had been sung, the Girls’ Chorus, conducted by Mr. A. M. Rem¬ pei, sang “Come Thou Fount of Every Bles¬ sing”, accompanied by Miss Norma Rempei at the Piano. Mr. A. M. Rempei gave a few opening remarks and then the valedictory was delivered by Elmer Reimer. Following these remarks by the valedic¬ torian one of the graduates, Aaron Warken- tin, sang a baritone solo, “My Task”. The guest speaker Dr. W. E. Donnely, then de¬ livered his address. In his speech to the graduates Dr. Donnely had his text on Genesis. “As a tree that is planted by a fountain whose bows reach over the wall.’’ Dr. Donnely stated, “There are many walls in the world” he wanted the graduates, as they go into their various new places in the world, to reach over these walls, and the best way to break them was by reaching over them, the fountain, being the inspirations they would ; d from their various experiences in life, a . . to keep a forward outlook, “to grow as Jo° -pu, never stopping, they must always keep on grow¬ ing, a’ways learning more.” After this address the principal of the Collegiate, Mr. A. M. Rempei, presented di¬ plomas to the graduates. The seventeen boys and seven girls in this year’s graduating class constituted the largest class that has ever graduated from the Steinbach Collegi¬ ate Institute. The Governor General’s meda 1 was awarded to Bill Schroeder. The program concluded with a final selec¬ tion bv the Girls’ Chorus, “Brother James Air”. Then the graduates and the Girls’ Chorus slowly filed out. The ceremony in the church was followed by an informal lunch for the graduates and their guests, in the auditorium of the colle¬ giate. The lunch was prepared by Miss S. S. Johnson and the girls of the yrade XI Home Economics class. PAGE SEVENTEEN

Page 23 text:

Jliah School XI-VII PAGE NINETEE