Westdale Secondary School - Le Raconteur Yearbook (Hamilton, Ontario Canada)

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The Triune Student Council THE TRIUNE STUDENT COUNCIL The Triune Student Council, or The Triune for short, is a student council which organizes and supervises all student activities which are not a part of the regular School curriculum. The students elected to hold office in this council will, therefore, be responsible for the whole programme of extra-curricular activities of -the School for the year. In the Triune Student Council are five com- mittees: Finance and Property Committee, Sports and Games Committee, Drama and Music Committee, Dance and Entertainment Committee, and Publications Committee. Nominations must be signed by five students CGrades X to XIIIJ and the candidate himself. The nominations are then submitted to Mr. Linton, chief adviser. There will be the fol- lowing offices: 1. President-nominated from Grades 12 or 13. 2. Vice-Pres.-nominated from 11, 12 or 13. 3. Chairmen Cfourl-nominated from 11, 12 or 13, to preside over- 1-Sports and Games Committee. 2-Drama and Music Committee. 3-Dance and Entertainment Committee. 4-Publications Committee. 4. Councillors-nominaited from 10, 11, 12, 13. There is one councillor for each 100 students or number thereof greater than one-half from each section of the School CCollegiate, Commercial, Technicall. The elections then take place. Ballots are distributed for this purpose and the actual voting is done in the home rooms, supervised by the home room teachers. PRESIDENT'S MESSAGE, 1960 The final Grade 13 examinations test the graduates on almost all the academic knowl- edge that they have acquired 'since Grade 9. The results of these examinations are due rewards for the amount of time and effort that the student has put forth in the classroom and in doing his homework. While recognizing the importance of aca- demic work, we should not neglect the value of the clubs, athletic and cadet activities that are available to the Westdale student. These, too, play a vital role in building character Cnot a characterj. I owe much to such extracurricular activities as basketball, football and cadets. During my first years at Westdale, participation in such activities introduced me to new friends and helped to give me the self-confidence Cnot con- ceit, thoughj that every students needs. In the same Way, I came to feel that I belonged to Westdale. This sense of belonging reached its climax Cso I thought thenl this year when you elected me school president. But it did not end there. As this school year swiftly went by, your strong support of Triune activities such as football rallies, dances, and the Campaign for Kim made all the Triune members prouder than ever that we belonged to Westdale . Even yet the true climax has not been reached. It will come, I expect, at the official graduation ceremony. For, strange though it may seem., it is only when we leave Westdale that we will fully appreciate the time and ef- fort required of us in the preceding five years. It is then that we will truly belong to West- dale . To all of my teachers, whether the topic was basketball, Triune administration or French, I am deeply grateful for their guidance and help. Congratulations along with my personal thanks are in order for the members of the Triune Council. They have worked hard and done their jobs well. Westdale is proud of them, and I am honoured to have served as their chairman. May future Triune presidents receive as much support and co-operation from their councils as I have had this year from mine. In closing, I should like to pass on a gentle reminder to the younger students: Beware of the temptation to let extracurricular activities overshadow your academic work. You owe it to yourself, your family and your school to achieve your primary purpose here, and that is to pass, preferably with good marks. Once your school work is under control, you may then enjoy, wi-th a clear conscience, the other side of school life. School work first! Keep this simple rule and your stay at Westdale will be a pleasant and successful one. Thank you. Terry Wilson. PATON' N!EN'S SHOP Arrow Shirts Jantzen Sportswear 64 KING STREET EAST Hamilton, Ont.

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Valedictory Address VIRGINIA STANNERS, Valedictlorian. It is my proud duty tonight to speak to you as representative of the graduating students. It has been said that there is only one thing that a student Wants out of school and that is himself. We have attained that Utopia. For the past five years we have worked with vary- ing degrees of enthusiasm towards this night of happy triumph, the culmination of 'years of effort, much happiness and a few moods of black despair. In this time we have learned much, and yet I feel that our predominant emotion tonight -should be humility rather than pride, for we stand on the threshold of life, raw and inexperienced, the years ahead filled with the excitement and challenge of the un- known. To-night marks an important milestone for us, a point at which we must pause, take stock and evaluate ourselves. What have we learned in our years at Westdale to fit us to be citizens of the world today? We have acquired a basically sound educa- tion, absorbing in the process endless facts and theorems. I hope we have done more than this. I hope we have learned to apply our minds to that one great essential, the ability to think clearly and well, and moreover, to think for ourselves. The great modern art of getting along with our fellows has not been neglected. Our par- ticipation in, the extra-curricular activities offered by Westdale, be it in the field of sports, drama, literature, or student government, has taught us adaptability, tolerance, and the ability to respect another's point of view. I hope it has done more than this. I hope we have acquired the courage to disagree and to challenge when values we hold dear are at stake, for there is no place in the world of to- day for timid acquiescence. It has been said of modern young people that we are a group of contented conformists, concerned only with our creature comforts and the acquisition of an adequate number of dol- lars. I do not believe this. There are still those among us who are prepared to plan and struggle for a better world, a world in which truth, fir.-edom within the bounds of sane discipline, and respect for human dignity will thrive, and where men may live in true har- mony with each other. Many of toni-ght's graduates have already become small cogs in the 'big wheels of Can- adian business and industry. However small a part they may play as yet in the success of these enterprises, they can at least console themselves with the thought that with proper application of the training and education re- ceived here at Westdale, they can work with confidence and enthusiasm towards the time when they will play a very significant role in the shaping of the successful future of this country. For those of us who are continuing our studies at university, this passage from one of Samuel Johnson's essays should prove much food for thought: To talk in public, to think in private, to read and to hear, to inquire and answer inquiries, is the business of a scholar. He wanders about the world without pomp or terror, and is neither known nor valued but by men like himself. No valedictory address would be complete without a voiced appreciation of those dedi- cated people who have helped us so much through the years. They are that specially gifted group of people who are not merely capable of absorbing knowledge, but have the power to impart it to others, to kindle the spark of special ability, and to stimulate the flagging interest of their students. In ancient times teachers were the most honoured and respected of people. Love is a word seldom used today except in the Hollywood sense. To- night I would like to revive it. We will re- member the teachers of Westdale with love and gratitude for the rest of our lives. To our parents I would say - tonight really belongs to you. You have kept the star of the future bright for us, have encouraged, helped and occasionally prodded us along the long road to graduation. More important than this, you have believed in us. Whatever pride and satisfaction you may feel in us tonight, you have well earned, and we offer it to you with humble appreciation. A very important phase of our lives has ended tonight. Wherever the road of life may lead us, I hope we will never reach that point of mental stagnation when We feel we have nothing more to learn. May all our endings mark new beginnings, enriched by the past and illumined with hope for the future. And now, Colonel McQueen, in accordance with Westdale tradition, it gives me much pleasure to present to you this picture on be- half of the graduating class of 1959. We hope that when it hangs with the pictures presented by former graduates, your happy memories of us will be intensified, and any less fortunate ones mellowed by its charm. -