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| 1959 |
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| 2009 |
During the last four years, we the members of the graduating class of 1959 of Mount Royal High School have lived as a family. We have learned to bear with one another and to respect the rights of the individual within the family unit. We have learned to respect authority and to accept with grace the discipline which must exist within any society. But more than this we have learned to accept and bear the responsibilities entrusted to us, for surely, this is the yardstick of maturlty and citizenship.
The head of our family was Mr. Drysdale who encouraged us to live up to the motto of our school and to extract the ultimate benefit from it. When we went astray , we found Miss Dombroski and Mr. Anderson always anxious to add a little more encouragement. As well on our family tree were the fine teachers who were responsible for guiding us in so many ways and instilling in us a greater love for learning. We must also thank those who so efficiently ran our home during our stay here and kept us in healthy and fresh surroundings.
Four years ago, we arrived young and timid children, lost in the empty corridors, looking for some form of security to which we could cling. School tradition supplied that security. I think our sclfool crest best exemplifies the object of our search, for Mount Royal High's shield is one of hope for physical and moral courage. Within our shield is a crown, a crown of loyalty to our school. A broad band supports three glowing torches. One represents knowledge, the purpose of formal education. The second represents wisdom, the goal of all sincere men. The third represents kindness, certainly the atmosphere at Mount Royal during our stay here. Under the crest is the motto of our school: Tuum sit tolere in altum—be yours to hold it high. For four years we have carrled this torch and to us it has been inspiration, for it was lit by those who have gone before, many of whom have given their lives that it might be kept burning. I like to think that the accent is on the word "yours", accentuating the responsibility of the individual. This however is not a torch we may lay aside now that we are about to leave the school, rather it is one that we will carry with us as a light to our paths and a beacon to those who follow.
As we became acquainted with our school, its staff and our fellow students four long years ago, we participated in many activities that Mount Royal High School offered. We traveled in groups of 50 and 100 to Potsdam, Ottawa, Burlington and points as far distant as Rhode Island. On these excursions our neighbours south of the border welcomed our arrlval and many bonds of friendship were made. The music department recently spent a weekend in Burlington. I personally don't recall hearing too much band music, however the trip was one of utmost enjoyment. Undoubtedly we shall miss taking part in the plays and operettas that we carrled on so enthusiastically—not to mention the parties afterwards. We shall miss seeing the beautiful costumes and scenery that graced our stage frequently during the past—and the bright shining faces that arrlve on Friday morning after Thursday night's performance.
In future we shall look back on our high school pranks as those things which made life so enjoyable—for the students of course, for we never did anything original like our parents. Some slightly older friends of mine told me that they used to set the clocks forward in class to be dismissed five minutes early. We were let out five minutes early of course, but the next day we received forty minutes detention for arriving five minutes late. Either teachers are smarter than they used to be or the students are, no that couldn't be right, the child is father of the man.
These are the things that we shall tell our children as we have been told by our parents. When we tell of our school we can definitely be proud of it. Sincerely we have been fortunate to come in contact with such a pleasant and understanding staff.
Our past at Mount Royal High has been a furitful one and our future has been weIl prepared for us. We shall miss the kind staff of our school who have acted as secondary parents to us. We shall also miss each other. Our departure is indeed a sad one, but Mount Royal High School will never be forgotten. Throughout our lives we shall remember the friendly school at the foot of Mount Royal and daily we shall use the benefits derived from it.
With our strong foundations, we shall be watched by parent and teacher alike, who hope today that we shall prove worthy of their efforts. Throughout adulthood we shall be alone, unguided by our teachers and left to make decisions on our own. Fortunately we have the light of our torch to follow giving us hope amid the difficulties we may have to encounter. There will be a day when our paths shall cross again and together we will talk of our youthful days at Mount Royal. Thus to Mount Royal we shall never bid farewell. Forever we shall use the product of our four years and forever we shall carry Mount Royal's brilliant torch. Tuum sit tollere in altum. Be yours to hold it high.