Tillsonburg District High School - Tatler Yearbook (Tillsonburg, Ontario Canada)

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ALUMNI Edited by Mary Lou Grass, XIII A number of last year's students. are continuing their studies at universities, Normal School, or are in training as nurses. Julia Gurklys, after working in Hamil- ton, is now taking a Laboratory Tech- nician's course at a Toronto hospital. Audrey Garnham is in Whitby. Don Dean and Joe Strobel are attending University of Western Ontario. Don is taking Journalism, while Joe is studying Business Administration. In London also, attending Normal School, are Jim House, Marion Howey, Mary Naylor and Berniece Sinden. Don Eckel and Andy More are studying at McMaster University in Hamilton. Don is studying Political Economy and Andy is taking a preparatory course. The girls in training are: Pat Gracey and Gwen Hollier at Victoria Hospital, Londong Gwen Holmes and Joyce Scrim- geour at Toronto General Hospital, and Norma Jones at Hamilton General Hos- pital. Keith Teall is learning typesetting at the Times Journal , St. Thomas. June Smyth and Catherine Travis are now Mrs. Joe Kennedy and Mrs. Ross Wallace respectively. Jack Weeks is staying at home this year. Some of last year's students who are continuing Grade XIII here at T.D.H.S. are Bill Fletcher, Faye Hall, Don Neale, John Nichols, Ron McCurdy, Ted Tillson, Bea Thompson and Donna Wickham. Henrietta Wilkinson is studying music at the Ontario Ladies' College in Whitby. She says of her life at the school: We all co-operate to create our own fun and, strange as it may seem, we do have some very good times. Occasionally there is an outsider who brings some entertainment but these oc- casions are rare so what we do ourselves is what really counts. In a boarding school it is very neces- sary to learn to respect the feelings and 26' wishes of one, two or three roommates as well as a whole school. To live with three other girls all from different parts of the continent, taking diferent courses, of different religions, is an education in itself. It is very interest- ing to listen to Lilia talk about the fas- cinating customs of Colombia, South America, or Marie telling us about the beauty of her island home of Bermuda. The following is taken from a letter written by Marion Howey, about her course at the Normal School: I can say that my life here at London Normal School is a very enjoyable one. Although there is plenty of work to do there are school parties and basketball games to attend. There are four weeks when we are away from the Normal School. Two of these weeks are spent in urban schools, and the other two are spent in rural schools. At these schools we observe other teachers at work, and also practise teach- ing ourselves. Each week on Wednesday and Thurs- day afternoon students go out teaching in London schools or in schools on the outskirts of London. I hope that this will give you some idea of my life here in London. THE TATLER

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No, they cried, no, we didn't know what it would be like. We didn't know how wet and cold it would be, how terrible it would be. We didn't know. Well, said Grannie, you know now. Opportunity is knocking at your door. The magnificent education systems and universities across the Atlantic are no longer as nearly perfect as they were be- fore the first world war. Today they are available only to those of great financial backing. But here in Canada today, a fine educa- tion is within the grasp of everyone. And no one can get a better education than the students of T.H.S. Tillsonburg District High School has an excellent staff. Already in my short stay at the university I have noticed the differ- ence in attitude between my former teachers and my present professors. The professor teaches a lesson. That is all. But your teachers are interested in YOU. You may get tired of their telling you how hard the outside world is, sometimes. I used to get tired of it until one day it was explained to me in this way: We who are young have never been old, but they who are older have been young. They have doubtless made mistakes. That is why they are so anxious for us to succeed. And you have an excellent high school board, the Tillsonburg- District High School Board. I had the privilege last year of attending a number of meetings of this board, and believe me, the prob- lems that you have in algebra and analytic geometry are nothing compared to some of the problems that came up before that board. It seemed to me as I sat there and watched them that every letter they received was sealed with red tape. But they took an admirable attitude to the whole thing. It was sort of like this: Well, this is obviously an impossible situation. It's just one of those things that can't be done. So let's get to work, it will probably take us a bit longer than if it were possible. And you would be surprised at the amount of red tape that ended up in the wastepaper basket by the time that the meeting was over. Now there has been quite a bit of im- patience about getting the new school that is now in sight. The members of the High School Board are just as impatient to get that school as anyone-but at least, they are doing something about it! THE TATLER And why are they doing all this? It's not likely that they will be using the school as much as some of you, and it certainly isn't the wages that they get for their troubles. The spirit of these men I thought was expressed at one of the meetings last winter. One of the members had been asked to clear up some matters on the school bus transportation problem, by interviewing a member of the Depart- ment of Education in Toronto. A second member, realizing how much time and work was involved, said to him, It's too bad that we have to ask you to do this. You won't be getting as much out of this Job as you get from some of your big 31,000 deals. Ah, but there you are mistaken, said the first. My pocketbook won't grow any fatter, it's true, but when I know that some of the students in this district that were unable to attend a high school before, will now be able to come here, and without expense, then I shall get more out of this than I ever get from any business deal. It is men like that, fellow students, whom you have working for you. You can get along without going all the way through high school, but when you have a staff of teachers and a high school board that takes a genuine interest in YOU, when you have such people as these working for you, it would be a shame not to take advantage of their labour. Since you are in Canada, and since you are in fContinucd on Page 70j 25

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A C T I V I T I E S Edited by Jean Scrimgeour, XII CADET INSPECTION On Wednesday evening, May 10, 1948, the Tillsonburg High School held its an- nual Cadet Inspection, with the Battalion commanded by Cadet Lieutenant Colonel Donald M. Dean. Lieutenant D. C. Irvin inspected the T. H. S. Cadet Corps, assisted by Cadet Lieutenant Colonel Donald M. Dean, Capt. G. Hay, Lieut. Colonel Wilkins, O.C. of the Oxford Riiies, and Cadet Major Strobel, C.O. of Company B. The party then inspected the T. H. S. Cadet Band under Staff Sergeant Pat Turner. Company drill was followed by platoon drill by the whole boys' company under Cadet Major Strobel and drill by Platoon No. 1 of the girls' company under Cadet Lieut. M. L. Grass. Thirty-seven boys from Grades 9 and 10 then put on a Field Craft Demonstra- tion, with Capt. G. Hay explaining the procedure. A Physical Training Demon- stration followed, by A Company and a part of B Company. Next on the programme were signalling and iirst aid under Cadet Corporal R. Prickett and Cadet Staff Sergeant R. McCurdy. The final event of the evening was a display of Gymnastics under Cadet Cor- poral R. Fairs which received a great deal of applause and commendation from spec- tators and cadets alike. Following the Inspection Parade, ice cream was served to members of the Cadet Corps in the school's gymnasium and the evening was climaxed by a Cadet Ball which swept away all thoughts of stiff joints and aching feet. TEA DANCE On Tuesday, November the second, for the first time in many years we had a T-dance, or rather a Tea dance. I'm not sure which it was. If it was a T-dance, what did the T stand for? On the other hand I didn't notice and tea-toters hang- ing around. Mr. Taylor, who acted as Master of Ceremonies under the auspices of the THE TATLER Literary Society, kept things lively calling out bingo and tag dances. We surely got our ten cents worth plus. The boys, as usual, were in the minority. consequently much in demand. They stood huddled in a group at the back of the room for whatever protection that might offer. But even this failed when some bold lasses followed in pursuit of a partner for the Sadie Hawkins dance. Several couples came onto the floor when Mr. Taylor offered to teach us the Y dance. After instructing them to wind their arms around each other in a truly chummy way, he asked, Y dance? The participating students turned four shades of neon and looked for the nearest crack in the floor to crawl through. The elimination dance was won by Pat Grey and Peter Gibson, Peter being the only boy who hadn't yet shaved. However, Pat doesn't seem to mind his five o'clock shadow. Winners of the spot dance were Vivian Young and J. B. Kennedy. I looked and looked but I didn't see any spot. Some people have all the luck! Led by Marilyn Stilwell a conga line wound gaily around the gym with George Leatherdale bringing up the rear. Man, George, do you swing a wicked hip! Most of us stood cautiously along the side hop- ing it wou1dn't bite. As the dance came to a close Mr. Taylor expressed his thanks to the crowd that turned out and told us that the money received would be spent on books for the school library and records for the school. Ann Dean, XIA. l COMMENCEMENT The auditorium of the Town Hall was the scene of our annual Commencement Exercises for Tillsonburg District High School, on Thursday and Friday evenings, December 9 and 10. On Thursday evening Proficiency and Sports Awards were given out, and diplomas and certificatas were presented on Friday evening. The valedictorian of the graduating class was Donald M. Dean, now a student at the University of Western Ontario, 27