Stratford Normal School - Classic Yearbook (Stratford, Ontario Canada)

Page 72 text:

, --1-if . -i.I,1.,s-- Page Thirly-Four THE CLASSIC June 1922 hearty welcome, and the inspiration received from the ministers both in the class rooms and in the pulpits, will ever live in our memories. Though our thoughts upon such occasions turn much to the past, yet our hopes and interests are even now wrapt up in the future. If we are to reach there the goals we have set for ourselves, we must be prepared for much work yet ahead. Once Normal graduates were regarded as having reached the summit of their educa- tion. We must banish that from our minds. It is only as students that we will progress. He who ceases to learn, ceases to live, for- Not enjoyment, and not sorrow, ls our destined end or way: But to act that each tomorrow Find us farther than to-day. Never were opportunities more abundant for the im- provement of a teacher's educational status than today. All doors have been opened by the introduction of EX- tension Courses and Summer Sessions. 'Let us resolve to take advantage of these golden opportunities. Like old Ulysses may we find our spirits H-yearning in desire To follow knowledge like a sinking star, Beyond the utmost bound of human thought. As we advance educationally we shall not only re- ceive increased salaries, though that should occupy a secondary place in our scheme of things, but we shall experience the real pleasure that always attends the making of honest efforts. For we build the ladder by which we rise From the lowly earth to the vaulted skies, And we mount to the summit round by round. All things are possible for the person who is willing to strive for them. May the future accomplishments of our year mark us out as men and women who were will- ing to pay the price. The inauguration of an annual reunion for ex-students is a feature of our year that will be particularly remem- bered. We were indeed privileged in being the first hosts to the graduates of all the years since the opening of the institution. Let us all make a special effort to meet together at the Banquet next year, there to renew the friendships which we have formed. ' It is these friendships, perhaps, which have affected us more than any of the other influences by which we have been surrounded. For them alone we would deem our Normal year well spent. For a brief span Our paths through life together lie, They widen out- We smile and say 'Good-bye.' But who dare say Our meetings been in vain, If but the memory of the smile We each retain. - H. E. ELBORN. EDITORIAL COMMITTEE Mr. H. G. Martyn Mr. H. G. Manning Miss 1. E. Anderson Miss L. Gibson E. Nethercott H. M. Smith Mrs. A. J. Stewart

Page 71 text:

June 1922 THE CLASSIC Page Thirty-Three Halnzilirtnrg ul am a part of all that l have met: - Yet all experience is an arch wherethro' Gleams that untravell'd World, whose margin fades For ever and for ever when l move. No other words seern more applicable to us today, as graduating students 'of Stratford Normal School, than these of the poet Tennyson. Each of us must realize, as we take leave of one another, that the year we have spent together has left a very definite mark upon us, and that we are indeed a part of all those things with which we have been associated. Undoubtedly many of us, perhaps all of us, fail to realize the measure to which this holds true. Yet the influences of the friendships we have formed, the course of study we have pursued, and the associations that have become indelible in our mem- ories, have achieved much in the way of moulding our characters. Last September We caught the gleam, through the arch of our high school experience, of our coming year at Normal School. With the passing of time We have moved forward, and, while we have done so, the mar- gin of our untravelled world has gradually receded. Gur Normal year is almost completed, and has taken its place in the ranks of our past experience. Yet it will be accorded, l am sure, a very dear place in all our hearts. To-day we face an event for which, ten months ago, the most of us eagerly longed--the breaking up of our Normal year. It was with real pleasure, during those first beautiful Autumn days, that we pictured this fare- well, and regarded it as the shutting of the door behind a disagreeable ordeal through which we had found it necessary to pass. The hour of farewell has now ar- rived, and how different do we find our feelings! As our eyes travel around this familiar building set in its attractive grounds, and we see about us those who have been our companions during the past months, it is im- possible to stifle a feeling of keen regret at the thought of our approaching departure. As we silently review the time we have spent together, we realize how much we owe to the many people who have helped in making our period of training both pleas- urable and profitable. Among these we accord first place to our Masters. Their patience, their encourage- ment and their inspiration have won for them a warm affection in all our hearts. The training of the teacher of tomorrow requires more than polished academic ac- complishmentsg it requires broad vision, lofty idealism and a spirit of sympathetic co-operation. Our staff have more than fulfilled these difficult requirements, and the stamp of their personalities will exercise a lasting influ- ence on us all through the coming years. Closely associated in our minds with our Masters are the teachers of the Practice Schools. To them we are indebted for much encouragement, and for many a word of helpful criticism. Their high calibre has had much to do in elevating the Stratford Normal School to its present enviable status. We regretfully sever our relations with them, not as from critics but as from friends. The churches of the city, too, have played a much appreciated part in our lives during the past terms. Their

Page 73 text:

June 1922 THE CLASSIC Autngraphz Page Thirty-Five