Woodstock Collegiate Institute - Oracle Yearbook (Woodstock, Ontario Canada)

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carry us through any new age. We want freedom to think, to build, to advance. These are our dreams: let us make them realities. With our goodbyes to our teachers, our fellows and our school, we realize that our days of security are over. There will be times when we look back with longing on our school years. But life with security is un- profitable. We must be eager to step forth and take our places. We have been given the tools: let us proceed with the task! The Community Concerts At the first concert on October l2, Marina Svetlova fprima ballerina, Metropolitan Op- era Associationl delighted her audience with the delicate precision of her dances and her colourful costumes. She was accompanied on the stage by Alexis Datinoff, leading male dancer of the Metropolitan Opera. Adrina Otero pleased the audience with several Spanish dances. The pianist was the emin- ent Russian-born Sergei Malavsky. Leonard Warren, Leading Baritone of the Metropolitan Opera Association rendered a very fine concert on November 2. The audi- ence was captivated by his powerful, rich voice and dramatic magnetism. He has had a splendid career and we were indeed fortun- ate in hearing him. The Bary Ensemble which consisted of Gertrude Bary, Pianist, Mary Becker, violinist, Virginia Peterson, cellist, and Lorna Wren, flutist, entertained concert goers on lanuary 21. Each delighted the audience with sever- al solos, and all joined in to bring many well known and loved encores, being called back many times by the audience. Winston Churchill Winston Churchill was born in London in 1874. His early years were spent at the Viceregal Lodge and Phoenix Park, Dublin. As far as the boy was concerned he saw little of his father and mother. His was a lonely life. His father was deep in politics and his lovely mother was one of the great- est favourites in the social circles of England. For one of his standing it was customary to attend Sandhurst or Eton College and later Oxford or Cambridge. Because of his none too robust health, his parents chose Harrow. Both here and later at Sandhurst. he was a failure in Latin, Greek, and Mathe- THE ORACLE matics. Because of this has father thought he would be no good at the bar . The only thing to do was to put him into the army. He did not do very well on the Army entrance examinations, but after several at- tempts he succeeded in being accepted. Later, he studied, and ranked well in his classes. He became an expert horseman. He played an active part in many wars some of which were, Indian, South African, and World War l. He won several medals. Although he liked army life, he wanted something else to do, so as his father had done, he turned to politics. He left the Army in 1900 and decided to contest a seat in the House of Commons. He ran several times before he was elected. Men often listened to him intently, as though he were a prophet, but they did not heed his prophecies. He saw the Germans breaking the Treaty of Versailles. He tried to warn the British Government of the danger of wars and bombing raids , and to build up the Army and Airforce in particular. He succeeded in getting forty planes and later extended it to forty squadrons. Early in the war, Prime Minister Cham- berlain made him First Lord of the Admiralty. Later when Chamberlain was forced to re- sign, Churchill became Prime Minister. ln his first speech he said, I have nothing to offer but blood, toil, sweat and tears. Churchill is a renowned orator and par- liamentarian and has an ability for quick thinking on his feet. lt often seems to religious men and wo- men as if Divine Providence in its Infinite wisdom and mercy had raised up this leader to face a crisis and to bring courage to fail- ing hearts. It was in 1940 when the Nazi hordes were poised at the channel ports ready to strike, that Prime Minister Winston Churchill said these words, Let us therefore, brace our- selves to our duty, so that if the British Em- pire and its Commonwealth lasts for one thousand years, men will say, this was their finest hour! Mr. Churchill's party was defeated in August of last year and he is now trying to lead a quiet life, although he takes part in many activities. Melba Brownscombe, l lC Twenty-One

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Al Ca rl Parker Valedictory Mr. Chairman, Honoured Guests, Grad- uates and Students! To-night it is an honour and a privilege for me to act as valedictorian for the grad- uating class of 1945. At this moment, l am reminded of a certain graduation at an American Theological College. The dean was giving a farewell address to his grad- uating students. He said, Gentlemen, l would ask you to deliver your sermons in this way. When you speak of heaven, look up towards the sky and smile, so that your faces may radiate the light of heaven. But, gentlemen, when you speak of hell, your normal faces will do. To-night, my friends, I would ask your permission to use my nor- mal face. Many classes have graduated from the Woodstock Collegiate lnstitute and many ad- dresses have been given. They have con- 'tained much the same subject matter-a ref- erence to our school years, our teachers, and our fellow students. This address will not Twenty 1 differ, for these are the thoughts that crowd our minds on graduation. During the past few years, we have, through careful guidance, been brought to the threshold of our knowledge. Our minds have been prepared to grasp life and to hold on to it-to solve the difficult problem of living in a not-too-secure world. We have studied many subjects: some of them we may have felt were not necessary for the business of making a living. But all were given with the intention of training our minds to think-to think easily, and clearly, to de- velop a mind that can take on the business of living without guidance and without hind- rance. Our teachers have watched our progress with interested and critical care, not for any personal glory it could bring themgbut pure- ly because they have given of their ability, their energy, their lives to shape the irrespon- sible and ignorant child into the dependable and intelligent man. We owe them much, we can repay them only through our earnest use of what they have given us. As fellow students we must part, We have worked together, learned together, played together, lived together, and through that association we have given each other somewhat of ourselves. For our development we owe each other much than cannot be calculated in the cold and insufficient terms of language. lt must be felt and left unde- fined. Some of us will choose to seek further academic guidance to fit us for a different and perhaps more complicated vocation. Others will step directly into life to gain fur- ther knowledge through practical experience. Whatever our pathway and wherever it leads, we shall always have interest in each other's work and genuine pleasure in each other's success. Today we enter a world with opportuni- ties that have never before been offered to a generation. A new world is in the making. We stand on the threshold of the Atomic Age, in a world of which we know nothing. It will be our work to shape that world into what we desire. We want freedom so that science can give us atomic energy without fear of chaos. We want freedom for religion so that we may pursue our chosen faith, secure in the knowledge that that faith will THE ORACLE

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Scholarships Carter Scholarship We are proud to announce that Miss Margaret Dewan, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. P. M. Dewan, lngersoll, has won the 3rd Carter Scholarship for Oxford County Cl945l valued at SS40., and also a Provincial Univer- sity Scholarship of 55400. Margaret Won numerous proficiency prizes, and public speaking prizes While attending W.C.l. Last year she was an officer in the girls' cadet corps, president of the Ath- letic Society, Vice-president of the Student Executive and voted the most popular girl in the school. Margaret is now taking the Pre-medical course at University ot Toronto. Good luck, ,,Peq.,L Margaret Dewan I.O.D.E. Scholarships Miss Marion Ellis, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. F. E. Ellis, R.R. 3, Woodstock, and lack Pullen, son of Mrs. E. Pullen, R.R. 6 Woodstock, Won I.O.D.E. scholarships valued at 3550, presented by Mrs. L. C. Wood, Regent of the Admiral Vansittart Chapter. Marion is attending the University of Toronto this year, and lack is employed on the farm of D. H. Hart, R. R. 6 Woodstock. P Provincial Normal School Scholarship Ronald Weber, son of Mrs. E. I. Weber, Beachville won a Provincial Normal School Scholarship of 33200. Ronald is attending Stratford Normal School this year. Provincial Scholarships Kenneth Scott, son of Mr. and Mrs. W. E. Scott, 551 George St., Woodstock, Won a University Provincial Scholarship valued at 95400. Kenneth is now attending University of Toronto. Cfrade Xlll Provincial Scholarships of Sl00. were awarded to S. Iohn Sorenson, son of Mr. and Mrs. S. M. Sorenson, Shakespeare and Donald Yeoman, son of Mr. and Mrs. A. Yeoman, 479 Queen St. Woodstock. Iohn is attending Stratford Collegiate this year and Donald is continuing his studies at Woodstock Collegiate. Woodstock Collegiate Institute is very proud of these scholarship winners and Wishes them every success in their further studies. Twenty-Two 7 THE ORACLE