United Colleges - Vox Yearbook (Winnipeg, Manitoba Canada)

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22 VOX saying farewell to one of the strongest classes which has ever en¬ tered the halls of our colleges, and we hope that in the years you are together that you will be united as we felt our class to have been. I be¬ lieve that we may boast that our class has been welded into a fel¬ lowship which time will never de¬ stroy. We have a confidence in each other which gives us a guarantee that no matter where we may go, or whatever our problems may be, we will have the support of our class-mates. This gives us courage and strength to go on. We call tonight Graduation Night”—but it might be better if we, like the Universities to the south of us, called it “Commence¬ ment Day.” We have completed our academic work for the present, but the great battle for which we have prepared is still ahead of us. Tonight, as never before, we feel our own inability, and our weak¬ ness as we go out into a world permeated with social, economic and religious unrest. Although the task is going to be difficult, we feel there is a challenge, and that the opportunities for Christian ser¬ vice are greater than ever before. We feel that we are about to pour our small Christian contribution into the great stream of Christian¬ ity which has been purifying the world for 1900 years. We feel that we are adding our little bit to the contribution made by the graduates of these colleges in the past. May we, like them, so invest our lives so as to make this land more Christ-like, and may we, like them, have an unflinching faith in the Great Unseen yet Guiding Hand which is leading the world to bet¬ ter days. . . And so tonight, may I, on be¬ half of the Graduating Class, to our colleges, to our professors and to our fellow-students say fare¬ well. “Did you hear about Bert swal¬ lowing his teaspoon yesterday, Al¬ lan?” No, Wes. How is he now?” Poor fellow. He can’t stir.” Policeman: No fishing allowed here! Charley C.: I’m not fishing. I’m allowing this worm to bathe. Policeman: Let me see the worm. C. C.: Here it is. Policeman: I arrest you for al¬ lowing it to bathe without wear¬ ing a regulation swimming suit. And then there was the guy who was so dumb that he left “pig troughs” while plowing for the convenience of the sowthistles. Clarence S.—Do you believe everything every fool tells you? Mert T.—Oh, no—but some¬ times you do sound so plausible. Motorist—“Is it very far to the next town?” Native— Well, it seems furth- ern’s it is, but it ain’t.”—Free Press. Bob Neil—Do you have any trouble with shall and will? Chas. Avery—No, the wife says you shall, and I say I will. Editor—Do you know how to edit a magazine? Prospect—No! Editor—Well, we ll give you a place on the staff—I guess you’ve had experience.

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vox 21 Valedictory Address—United Colleges , 1931 Theological Department By John D. Mackenzie, B.A. Mr. Chairman, Ladies and Gentlemen— There are always certain occa¬ sions in the life-history of every individual which stand out con¬ spicuously; and which never really fade from mind. The married man, I presume, looks upon his wedding day as one of these memorable oc¬ casions—the confirmed bachelor upon the day when he abjured all such things, and we as students, will always think of the day when as very green freshmen, we first entered the University and swore allegiance to our Alma Mater—but tonight, it is with still more in¬ tense feelings that we, as the Grad¬ uating Class of ’31, bid farewell to our Alma Mater. We feel a deep regret that the time has come when we must say good-bye to our beloved colleges, Wesley and ’Toba, whose beaten walls and stuffy class-rooms have come to mean a great deal to us during the last seven years, per¬ haps seven of the happiest years of our lives. We think of the great service which these colleges has per¬ formed for this province, and in¬ deed for Canada—and we think of these pioneers who out of their very limited means, founded these institutions. They were men with a vision, they could look beyond the present, with its many unsolved problems and see a greater day for education ahead. They built that men and women might be educated not along material lines only, but that even the secular training might be permeated with the spirit and the purpose of the Master. We wish to pay our tribute to men like these, and we are glad to know that the ideals which were cherished by the founders are being fulfilled by their successors in office, our Prin¬ cipals and Professors. Nobler build¬ ings, we expect, will soon replace the weather-cracked walls of ’Toba and Wesley, but as long as we live, we will cberish fond memories of our old colleges. In saying farewell to our Pro¬ fessors tonight, we would like to thank them for the advice and guidance which they have given us in the last seven years. It is only after completing our course—and when we have a short time in which to look back and review their efforts on our behalf, that we begin to appreciate them as we should. Too often, we must admit, our attitude has been critical and narrow—and we have not under¬ stood the way that we have travel¬ led, but now, as we look back, we see that our Professors have not been a hoary-headed group of slave- drivers, who would sink us in a sea of Greek, Systematic Theology, etc.—but that they are a group who have always treated us kindly, fairly, and encouragingly. We go out feeling that we have in them friends whom we may continue to appeal for advice as we meet the problems that are yet to be faced. I am but voicing the thoughts of our class as I attempt to show our appreciation to our Faculty. . . To our fellow-students we would say only this: If you were to review the work of our class, you would find many mistakes, and at times, a strong spirit of criti¬ cism—do not repeat these mistakes -—learn by them. In saying good¬ bye to our fellow-students we are

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vox 23 Valedictory Address at Grads’ Farewell Arts Department By Allan J. Ryckman Mr. Chairman, Ladies and Gentlemen—- At the outset I would like to ex¬ tend to the members of the grad¬ uating class, my sincere thanks and deep appreciation for the honor of bidding farewell to the faculty and students of the United Colleges. The many pleasant memories and the varied interests of the members of Class ’31, render it difficult for me to make my few remarks truly representative of their sentiments. Janus-like, we face in two direc¬ tions. Behind lie four years of the college existence of Class ’31, and before us a door opening unto the future. I believe every student, whether he is of the graduating class or not, cherishes fond mem¬ ories of college days, yet is seems that graduation time adds vividness to our many recollections. Some remembrances will linger with us for many years, may even remain with us always, yet some we shall prize above others. Long after de¬ bates and dramatic nights are for¬ gotten, long after track meets and hockey fames have been won and lost, and long after time has dim¬ med our memory of the college din¬ ner, we shall remember the many friends of our college days, the happy associations which our at¬ tendance here has given us. The main purpose of our attend¬ ance here is to obtain knowledge and acquire the power to think, as equipment for a definite purpose in life. To this end, several of our classmates have been worthy schol¬ arship winners. Also the largest Honors Class in the histor y of the institution will graduate with Class ’31. Nor have their efforts been confined to high attainments in literature and science. Students of a college bear cer¬ tain relations to their Alma Mater and fellow students which they cannot afford to put off or neglect. I believe it was Emerson who said, “the studious class are their own victims. They are thin and pale, their feet are cold, their heads are hot, the night is without sleep, the day is a fear of interruption— palor, squalor, hunger and egotism. If you come near them and see what conceits they entertain, they are abstractionists and spend their days and nights in dreaming some dream.” This piece of harsh and denunciatory criticism can in no way be linked with Class ’31 or with any class of the United Col¬ leges, and we are doubly thankful that our student organization is such that no place is provided for the studious class of Mr. Emerson’s description. Each class is expected to contribute to a common college life in which each and .every indi¬ vidual is an interested participant. No great or vivid imagination is necessary to imagine what our col¬ lege would be if it were devoid of all student organizations, the or¬ ganizations which are directly de¬ pendent upon the support accorded them by the students. It is as if each student had a double duty to perform, a duty to himself, and a duty to his fellow students. In every phase of college activ¬ ity, Class ’31 has been represented. To interfaculty teams (track, curl¬ ing, hockey, basketball, football, debating, and dramatics) we hope we have made the contribution righty expected of us. Also we