Vermilion School of Agriculture - Yearbook (Vermilion, Alberta Canada)

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■Mut ' €bttorial A S WE come to the end of the college term it is interesting to look back over the more outstanding events and activities of a winter which, I am sure, has been both profitable and enjoyable to every one of us in new acquaintances and friendships made, in new experiences and new learning. It is with the purpose of keeping these memories fresh in our minds that the yearbook Staff presents the ninth issue of the V.S.A. Yearbook. We have endeavoured to make this book bigger and better than ever, and to keep in mind, as much as possible, the many-sidedness of the year’s activities. In spite of the depression and the fact that the school was closed last year we have a larger enrollment than in 1932-33. Let us, to use the words of our principal, Get behind the institution and push,” so that the school may be opened next fall with an attendance still greater than that of this term. The V.S.A. Alumni has suffered greatly with having the school closed. This Association is the best way of keeping in contact with the V.S.A. and it is hoped that all of this year’s students will take advantage of the opportunity and join up, and, in addition, try to get more of the ex-students interested. Remember the V.S.A. Reunion next fall! In reviewing the winter’s sports activities we find that the Civic League Hockey was possibly the most outstanding event though our team did not capture the trophy. Much interest was also shown in the House League Hockey and House League Basketball games. The Literary and Social Committees and the Versatile Club have done their parts admirably in supplying the student body with well received entertainments. Special mention should be made of the work of Miss Beth Henderson who gave so freely of her time to preside at the piano, both with the orchestra and at our weekly sing-song. It is to be regretted that the play, which was begun by the Dramatic Club, had to be given up on account of sickness and lack of time and support. We must not forget to mention our studies, for, after all, they were our primary reasons for attending this institution. These varied, with the girls, from public speaking to sewing and even carpentering,- and with the boys, from the study of insects to blacksmithing. We have included as many of the pictures of these classes as space would permit, as well as the pictures concerning the other activities. We all owe a debt of gratitude to our staff for their patience and hard work in making this term such a successful one in spite of the handicap of having so many students absent on account of sickness. In closing, on behalf of the Yearbook Staff, I wish to thank all those who have contributed epitaphs, poems, reports, jokes and other features. I wish particularly to thank Mr. Patrick, our genial stockman, for his splendid pen drawing of the school grounds. In this work he was ably assisted by his wife (nee Eva Wilson, Class ’29). Several of the headings and other drawings in the book are the work of P. Harrison, and to him, too, we wish to proffer our thanks. The many business firms, whose names appear in the advertising section, have also done much to make this book possible. Kindly extend to them your patronage. J.S.B. [ Page five ]

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I AM happy to avail myself of this opportunity to extend a message of greeting to the students of the Vermilion School of Agriculture. The Year Book in which this message is conveyed will be treasured by many of You as reminder of the happy and profitable times you have spent at the Vermilion School. In the days to come it will serve to refresh fond memories of associations you were privileged to make during your school terms. P will be a pleasure to be even remotely associated with those memories. Many of you will now be entering upon the more serious occupational pursuits of life for which I hope you have received helpful training and direction in the courses, facilities, and studies that have been made available in the institution you are about to leave. Some of you will be advancing to other schools for higher courses and more specialized work. Wherever you go and whatever field of endeavor you take up, I trust you may always be able to look back upon your experiences in this School as having taken a very worth while and influential place in the pattern of your life. During recent years the immediate outlook for young people has been uncertain, and in many cases disappointing. The future is still uncertain; but it is by no means without promise. The problems of today can be solved by the appropriate kind of social organization and a clearer understanding of what is involved. As young people now undertaking the responsibilities and accepting the privileges of citizenship it will be your duty to supplement your present training by giving careful thought and study to these social problems. It is you who will reap the rich rewards that must certainly accrue to society when we have learned how to make the fullest use of the technical equip¬ ment presently at our disposal. The future holds out to you a challenge that I believe you will accept with courage and resolu¬ tion. Changes are bound to come. In them wise leadership will be required. Our social heritage is great. If we build constructively using such ideas and materials inherited from the past as are sound, and sup¬ plement them with new ideas required to meet new con¬ ditions—the future is assured. I wish you all success, individ¬ ually and collectively. —R. G. REID, Premier A GAIN it is my privilege to to say a few words to the student body as the 1934-35 Session draws to its close. In spite of the fact that the school was not in operation a year ago, for economic reasons, the fall of 1934 saw the second largest enrolment in the history cf the school, with a total of 165 students drawn from all parts of Northern Alberta. An outstanding feature of the registration is the very large class of First Year boys. This class totals 91, and is by far the largest Freshman class in the history of the institution. Another striking fact is the registration of the Two- in-one boys and girls. There are 16 of the former and 17 of the latter, making a total of 33 which is also a record for the school. It would seem, from opinions expressed by the students of the First Year, that many are anticipating returning for the diploma year, and we hope this may be possible, so that with the incoming first year, we may equal or even exceed the splendid registration for 1934-35. As the tide seems to have turned toward improved economic conditions, given a reasonable crop return, we believe that students will more and more take advantage of such courses as are offered in Agriculture and FHouse- hold Science. To that end we would suggest a word of courage. Possibly all of us have talked too much about the depression. Possibly we have all dwelt too much upon that economic aspect of our life, and have not looked ahead to see what it might have to offer. We have hesitated and cringed before this Ogre “Depression, when we should have looked him level-eyed, in the face. The world needs men now just as the world has always needed men, but there never was a time where real preparation for work on the farm, work in the home, work in business or in the professions, would count for more than it does at the present time. And so let me suggest to each and all of you the taking on of a courage that will carry you through. Let not petty things distract or disturb you. It is said that a man is just as big as the things that annoy him, so to the V.S.A. Students I would say: Go forward with couarge in your heart, attack courageously the problems ahead of you, and to you will come a measure of success that may surprise even yourself. W. J. ELLIOTT, Principal. [ Page four ]

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By E. A. Howes, Dean of Agriculture, University of Alberta Early Days T HE Vermilion School opened its doors for work in the fall of 1913, and we who had the privilege of being the first actors on the scene, both teachers and students, must be pardoned if we look back with deep interest, some quiet amusement, and a great deal of pride, to the foundational period during which we were permitted to play a part. As a matter of interest I might name the first staff: E. A. Howes, Principal,- now Dean of the Faculty of Agriculture at the University of Alberta. J. G. Taggart, Instructor in Animal Husbandry; now Minister of Agri¬ culture for the Province of Saskatchewan. E. S. Hopkins, Instructor in Science,- now Dominion Agrostologist at Ottawa. Lawson Shanks, Instructor in Mechanics,- now Professor of Agricultural Engineering at the Unversity of Manitoba. Dr. P. R. Talbot, then as now, Provincial Veterinarian. George Scott, Instructor in Dairying and Poultry,- still with the Provincial Dairy Branch. Miss Marjorie Goldie and Miss Nan Lawson, Domestic Science teachers. There was no Agronomy and Live Stock building in those days. The Animal Husbandry lectures were given in the regular class room and the demonstrations held in the room now flourishing as a laundry room. The animals used in demonstration would slide into this room, and scramble out of it, in a way that was diverting, to say the least. There was no Mechanics building at the start, but importunity succeeded in securing a limited sum, beyond which we were told construction would cease. We secured the superintendence of a genuine carpenter, and the principal, three of the staff and some of the students succeeded in erecting the present building; of course the carpenter helped too. If any of the present day frequenters find evidences of jagged saw-cuts, poorly matched v-joint or ill driven nails, the blame rests upon two members of the staff, names withheld for politic reasons. The water supply was supposed to be maintained by means of some newly devised pump, fearfully and wonderfully made, the hoped for pressure being automatically maintained somewhere down in the well. This pump did not break; it did not just quit at once, but like David Harum’s calf, it sort of gin out. Local experts were called in, but by the time the pump was hoisted into a forty below atmosphere, the all-important bonspiel was on and the inevitable happened. Next spring we scrapped the pump and installed the present system. To speak of the early student body in an adequate manner would require much space, so only a few sketches must be here attempted. The first year we opened up with thirty-four boys, and about fifteen girls joined the two- months’ course in the spring. [ Page six } The boys of the first years were somewhat older on the average than the students of today. Coming to the Province under extreme pioneer con¬ ditions, these boys had often been unable to attend school, even when such came within reach. Grown older they could not, or would not, enter classes of Junior pupils, so that they had not on the whole much in the way of school education. They welcomed the advent of the School of Agri¬ culture as a fine last chance to secure education which had hitherto been denied them. In one way these early students were a serious minded group, because they had been well schooled in experience. On the other hand they had only elementary ideas of discipline, and one smiles as he recalls how they expected to be somehow punished for minor misdemeanors—what were teachers for? It took a few weeks or more for the idea to sink in, that they had arrived at an age where they had to assume responsibility, individually as well as collectively. One thing may be said without fear of contradiction—our first lads were earnest dancers,- not that they favored noticeably the waltz, two-step or fox trot, but that when they organized a good old quadrille performance, it reminded one of the old darky’s description: They knocked the dust plum out de floor, And jarred de shingles on de roof. Did they indulge in mischief occasionally? Well, what do you think? It would take a book to record this part of the history, and it would all be just as amusing, just as harmless eventually, as the record of any school of lively young people. We early established a form of student government. Gordon Fletcher was president, and he had a committee of four or five to back him up. The scheme was eminently successful, but we always had a reserve idea that the success was somehow due to Gordon himself. Our boys played hockey on a somewhat rude outdoor rink at which, as usual, a willing group labored in the co nstruction and maintenance—some were willing to work and others were willing to allow the privilege. Our hockey was only fair, it may be supposed; it improved during the second year when the Barr boys, Leslie and Fife and some others swung into action. The graduating year challenged the staff in the Spring and an historical game was staged to a draw. The class seemed somewhat disappointed—they still blame the referee and the time-keeper. Our chief indoor exercises were wrestling and boxing, carried on in what was then our stock judging pavilion(?). The boxing was not organized or systematic but was quite exciting at times—like the dancing, it was earnest. I have a photo of the first group which I consider very valuable. I have also a good photo of the second group. After that I passed on to another field and lost my direct contact with the girls and boys of the Vermilion School of Agriculture.