Trafalgar Castle School - Yearbook (Whitby, Ontario Canada)

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vox COLLEGII 17 these activities women should be interest- ed. Then aside from the war Ontario at least was becoming an industrial com- munity. According to the report of the Ontario Commission on unemployment we had 175,000 women workers in On- tario, and it was important to develop a public opinion that would ensure ade- quate wages for women workers and ade- quate training for many of the pursuits in which training now unfortunately was quite inadequate. The speaker sug- gested that the graduates should associ- ate themselves with the Women ' s Insti- tutes and with women ' s organizations in the centres of population, and declar- ed his strong conviction that nothing but good could result from a more ac- tive participation of wamen in all civic, Provincial and national affairs. At the close of the address the toot- toots whistled, our guests departed, and we were left alone to pack, to say good- bye, and to dream of what we would be doing next year at this time. Editorial Fresh as the first beam glittering on a sail That brings our friends up from the under- world; Sad as the last that reddens over one That sinks with all we love below the verge: So sad, — so fresh, — the days that are no more. A stair leading from a tiny room for two ; a pile of trunks standing lonely in an echoing hall ; a group of young faces against the grey building like clinging flowers ; the rattle of bus wheels ; and a last glimpse through tear-dimmed eyes, comes to us as we turn out of the great gates and rattle toward our station. It is over ; our last year at school. We have risen at the summons of John ' s faithful bell for the last time. We have opened lesson-books on the small desks of the school-rooms for the final instruc- tion. Never again shall we cari-y a laundry-bag gaily through the corridors to the basement ; the little room that was ours shall know our tidying fingers no more. Even through the strains of the Emerson exercises filter through our minds, we only stand in our great gym- nasium in fancy, and so perform the us- ual stretch, two, three, four exercises. When again shall we experience the thrill of eestaey that we once knew, when, on entering the tuck-shop, we discovered that buns ' ' had currants in them. ' ' The little familiar events in school life that have made dear old 0. L. C. a home for many of us, will soon be forgotten: the sound of chairs being pulled into place at dinner ; the rustling impatience of the Sunday division during roll-call; the mingling of musical sounds from the practice rooms ; the shuffle of small bed- room slippers on a sleepy corridor; the glorious light of the great main window, and lovely shadows of sunset upon the grounds. Yet these are memories, and memories fade little by little as the years pass. We will forget our close trials and joys in the present; but the inspiration of cul- ture and school will have entered into our souls, so that, whether that present be happy or otherwise, we will have the strength of character to meet it. We have made friends that we may meet many years hence in our own home, on a city street, in a strange land, and look- ing into their eyes, become girls again, though grey-haired and grandmothers. In the meantime let us make the most of life so that our memories of school are not regretful or shaming, but happy and inspiring ; and so, as ' ' Tiny Tim ' ' observ- ed. ' ' God bless us, every one. ' '

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16 VOX COLLEGII First prize in Smmming Race. — Evelyn Cook. The honor of having name on the Strathcona Shield for one year for ath- letics, womanly qualities and scholarship, awarded by vote of the stndents to Maiy McLelland. There then followed an address by Sir John Willison on women and the effect the M-ar will haA e on their pursuits and influence. Sir John Yillison recalled inci- dents of forty years ago, when the col- lege was first established at AYhitby. and congratulated the directors and officers on the growth of the institution, which, judging by the list of diplomas and prizes, had become national in its char- acter. He spoke of the changes in the position of Avomen during the last quar- ter of a century and their gradual as- sumption of direct responsibilities in ed- ucational and public affairs. He said the old notion of the inferior- ity of A ' omen had gone forever. In all the fields of moral, social and industrial reform men and women Avere comrades. There Avas no reason why more Avomen should not be represented on School Boards and in municipal councils. He would not discuss woman suffrage, and if it Avere practicable, he Avould not go the length of universal suffrage. There were some Avomen to whom he would not give A ' otes, just as there were some men from whom he would withdraw the vote if he could. Manifestly, hoAvever, we could not now have a limited suffrage for men and therefore a limited suffrage for wo- men would be difficult. We had thus to go the length of equal universal suffr age or deny the franchise to women altogeth- er. WhatcA-er the future might dc velop, AA ' e had to recognize the fact that Ave AA ' ould soon have Avomaii suf- frage in the four Western Canadian ProA ' inces, and he believed the movement Avas stimulated and strengthened by the eflficieney displayed by women in acti- Adties and services connected with the war. He spoke of the sublime endurance of women in Belgium and France, and the heroic spirit of Avomen in Great Britain. It AA as estimated that in the Mother Country 2,500,000 Avomen Avere now en- gaged in the manufacture of munitions and in other pursuits from which men Avere withdrawn in order to fight on the sea and in the field. He emphasized the extraordinary efficiency of Avomen as il- lustrated in munition factories and in other serA ' ices into Avhich they have been drafted since the Avar began. Probably the Avar Avould mean a permanent social and industrial rcA olution in Great Brit- ain, and it AA as doubtful if the conditions which prevailed before the wai- Avould eA ' cr be restored. For this and other rea- sons it Avas believed that there would be an immigration of one or two million men noAv in the British Army to oversea coun- tries after the Avar. Many of these would come to Canada, and the problem of handling this great vohune of immigra- tion would be tremendous. It must be remembered that these Brit- ish people Avho Avould go out to Canada and other countries Avould not be regular soldiers, but like the soldiers of Canada would be men Avho volunteered from the ranks of agriculture and industiy to fight for freedom and civilization and Empire. It Avas A ain to think that we could summarily put such people on the land and leave it at that. A vast work of training and preparation must be un- dertaken, and in this Avoman would have her daties and responsibilities. SYSTT ' M OF NURSINtJ. He believed it was imperative to or- ganize a more complete and efficient sys- tem of nursing in the rural communities, and he did not see why the Women ' s In- stitutes now doing Avork of such great value in the country could not organize committees Avhich would endeavor to make newcomers at home in Canada and furni.sh advice absolutely essential to new settlers if they were to get the best re- sults from their labors. We would have problems succeeding the Avar almost as sreal as any that the war has created. We would need sold- iers ' homes and convalescent hospitals. We would have to care for many widows and orphans. It was vital that in all

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18 VOX COLLEGII The May Court Festivities. The 24th of May, 1916, was the first real spring day of the season, bright and warm and beautiful, just the kind of weather to help make it the maddest, merriest ' ' day of the year. And then the apple blossoms were out, and indeed everything contributed to make it one live-long happy day, ever to be remem- bered. We were honored by having several of the old girls hci ' e, including three former May Queens. After listening to a magnificent lecture by Rev. W. T. G. BroAvn, of Sherbourne Street Methodist Church, Toronto, we chose Mary Valentine to be our May Queen, as we .judged her to be the Ideal Woman among us. Elizabeth Vincent, of New York. Avas chosen as first councillor, and Kathleen Smith as second councillor. The grand march was very attractive, the girls being dressed in white middy 1 «uits and black ties. The aisle was form- ed, through which the Queen and her Royal Train marched slowly. The May Pole was woven by prettily costumed gii-ls, and one other dance called the Garland Dance was performed by twelve girls in pink and white costumes, cariwing garlands of yellow and white. We were glad to be among the old girls again, and after the dancing was over we had the opportunity of speaking to them. A delicious dinner followed the exercises, and we all hurried into four hayracks which carried us all to the lake. The woods and the water were lovely. We took snaps and ate the picnic lunch, which John brought down in the wagon. As the sun was just considering going down we left tlie water and enjoyed the beautiful ride home. But this twenty- fourth was different from last, in one re- spect. The evening Avas spent in watch- ing fireworks. In the meantime some of us managed to squeeze in a few moments in the drawing room to hear Marguerite Homuth sing once again, and Canada Whiteside read for us. THE IDEAL WOMAN. A synopsis of the address delivered by Rev. W. T. G. Brown, B.A., B.D., pastor of Sher- bourne St. Methodist Church, Toronto, at the May Court Festival, May 24th. This age claims the discovery of woman and her emancipation, but this is a A ain boast. Woman never need- ed to be discovered. ' ' She was in Eden and played a real part thus early in hu- man history. In Ancient Egypt one of the greatest sovereigns was a woman. In the tents of Abraham and Isaac the wo- man was the real ruler, however humil- iating her legal position. Among bar- barians and in decadent civilizations she may be a slave, a beast of burden or a toy, held in ignorance and hidden be-