United Colleges - Vox Yearbook (Winnipeg, Manitoba Canada)

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26 VOX the fact that it was becoming in¬ creasingly shut off in a down-town area, cut off from the residential districts. In spite of that fact, however, the mortgage has been steadily reduced, and upon the cele¬ bration of their diamond jubilee in March, 1932, the congregation in¬ tends to burn it. At the same time, every year has shown increased missionary contributions over the previous year. Prof. Kerr has always taken his full share of wider activities. He contributes articles more or less regularly to several magazines. In 1924 he spent six weeks in Geneva in the study of international rela¬ tions, and upon his return deliver¬ ed over a hundred addresses on that subject. He has been an active member of the Rotary Club and this year holds the position of President of the Winnipeg Cana¬ dian Club. Perhaps to the rank and file in Western Canada his most important work is his weekly half-hour over the radio as “Uncle Fred.” A FEW ARTESIAN ARTIFICES No, you don’t want slap stick comedy. You don ' t want comedy caused by physical incongruity. And then there is also that sub¬ tle plus. Mr. Clay, you amaze me with your knowledge of femininity. Go south, young man, go south. One other thing I want to toss at you before the bell catches us. It’s a matter of individual con¬ stitution : for I know some of you can pack all this away without taking notes. She’s the sauciety dame. You might earmark the nickels between now and April to get to see this play. Marginal platitudes (superced¬ ing this year, it would seem, “mar¬ ginal gloss”). Angry Parent—Why were you kissing my daughter in that dark corner last night? Doug. R.—Now that I’ve seen her in daylight, I sort of wonder myself. THESE FROM GEOLOGY And they are going to use some of that stone on the new Univer¬ sity buildings, I think. You may be old enough to see it some day. At examination time, especially in the spring, the examiners need an amount of co-operation from the students to shove them through. AND FROM HISTORY Mazzini talked the idea of na¬ tionalism loud and long, and talked it fervently. Old Tom Carlyle had been preaching—. (Referring to one of the Powers’ agreements with Turkey) It was one of the finest pieces of window dressing ever—and when the Con¬ ference shut up shop, the Sultan’s full dress Parliament just naturally dissolved. A FEW YEARS HENCE Little Barney (calling father on telephone)—Hello, who is this? Big Barney (recognizing son’s voice)—The smartest man in the world. B. Junior—Pardon me, I got the wrong number.

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vox 25 TOCTOiRS OF MVMHTY (Honoris Causa) Reverend F. W. Kerr, D.D. In presenting Rev. F. W. Kerr for the D.D. degree at Manitoba College Con vocation on April 9th, Rev. Dr. C. W. Gordon stressed the fact that he was born in Zorra. “Strong men came from Zorra,” Dr. Gordon declared. “That’s where Samson was born.” After public school in the small village of Shakespeare, Ontario, and after High School in Wood- stock and St. Mary’s, Fred Kerr, as a young man of nineteen, came out to Western Canada. For two years he taught school in Edmonton, after which he came to Manitoba College, graduating in 1905. Then followed three years in Knox Col¬ lege, Toronto, from which he graduated with the travelling scholarship in 1908. This scholar¬ ship provided him with the oppor¬ tunity of post-graduate study in the United Free Church College of Glasgow, the University of Mar¬ burg in Germany and the Univers¬ ity of Chicago. After his ordination, Mr. Kerr spent two years among railway construction men in the mountains of British Columbia, and four years in Prince Rupert before the railway had reached that port. After five years in New Westmins¬ ter, he accepted an appointment as Professor of Religious Education in Manitoba College, arriving in Winnipeg on the first day of Feb¬ ruary, 1920. In addition to the work of his chair, Prof. Kerr at once began a wide range of activ¬ ities, including evening classes, summer schools, teacher-training classes, afternoon mission-study groups, and built up a large cor¬ respondence class for post-graduate study. For several years two Bel¬ fast and two Australian ministers were enrolled in this class, as well as ministers from every province of Canada, and from half a dozen states of the Union. For six years Prof. Kerr carried both the preach¬ ing and pastoral work of Knox Church, as well as continuing his lectures (without financial remun¬ eration) in Manitoba College. About a year ago he relinquished his college work in order to devote his entire energies to the work of the ministry. Dr. Gordon stressed Prof. Kerr’s ministry to young folks, stating that probably the largest week-day study-groups of young people in the Dominion are now found in Knox Church. Seven years ago, Knox Church was regarded as being in a precarious position, ow¬ ing to its very large mortgage in¬ debtedness of practically a hundred thousand dollars, and owing to

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vox 27 Reverend Samuel Wilkinson, B.A., D.D. Wesley College honored another of her sons at the recent Theolog¬ ical Convocation when the degree of Doctor of Divinity was con¬ ferred upon Rev. Samuel Wilkin¬ son, B.A. Mr. Wilkinson’s early educa¬ tion was received in Ingersol, Ont. He graduated from Wesley Col¬ lege in Arts and Theology in 1899 and was Senior Stick of that year. His career as a minister in West¬ ern Canada began in 1891, when he became a probationer of the Manitoba and North-west Con¬ ference, which at that time extend¬ ed from Port Arthur, Ont., to the Rocky Mountains. He was or¬ dained in 1899, and has made a unique contribution to the chron¬ icles of Manitoba Church life, hav¬ ing spent his entire ministry with¬ in the bounds of this province with the exception of four years spent in British Columbia and of over¬ seas service during the war. As a Methodist minister, Mr. Wilkin¬ son spent pastoral terms in Killar- ney, Virden, Carberry, Dauphin, Brandon (Victoria Ave.), Souris and Gordon (Winnipeg). He was assist ant pastor of Grace Church, Winnipeg, in the days of Rev. Dr. Cleaver. Since Union, he has been pastor of the Gladstone charge and is now completing the fourth year of his Treherne pastorate. During the Great War, he served as Chaplain of the 79th Battalion, C.E.F. in England, and in France, with the Fourth Division and the Third Canadian Stationary Hos¬ pital. In the Church Courts he has been the recipient of many honors from his brethren, being elected as delegate to the General Conference of the Methodist Church in Tor¬ onto, 1922, President of the Man¬ itoba Conference, 1923-24, and representative of the Manitoba Conference on the first Board of Home Missions of the United Church. Samuel Wilkinson is esteemed by his brother ministers as one who has made an impressive con¬ tribution to the Church and King¬ dom of God by a ministry, not spectacular, but well susta ined and fruitful. His many friends among the laity and ministry alike, know him to be a man of sterling worth, of good judgment, of cultured mind, and of brotherly spirit. The mantle of theological dignity (Doctor of Divinity, honoris cau¬ sa) which has fallen on S. Wilk¬ inson, is resting upon the shoulders of one who has well upheld the ideals of a true Christian ministry. No adequate account of Mr. Wilk¬ inson’s career could be given with¬ out recognition of the unique ser¬ vice and influence of Mrs. Wilkin¬ son (formerly Miss Cleveland) who, in every way possible, has inspired and reinforced his best ef¬ forts. —F.J.P.