50p
We Will Remember Them
There are very few times where one reflects on the past and how it has affected the present. Instead, we are usually thinking ahead to what we have to accomplish within the day, what tomorrow brings, and how different life might be a year from now. There is, however, one day for which we should all be grateful, a day when we look back on the past and remember those who sacrificed their opportunity for life so that we can live in freedom. This day is November 11th, the day on which the Armistice was signed in 1918; the day World War I came to an end.
Ninety-three years later, the countries who participated in WW I still take time to remember those who lost their lives in the conflicts that have rocked entire nations and affected millions of civilians. Remembrance Day brings us back to a time when the future of Canada and its allies was determined by the outcome of trench warfare and artillery, and when mothers were unsure if their children in the infantry, navy, or air force, would come home. Great sacrifice was made by those who fought, and so we remember their heroic efforts and all they have done to make Canada the great nation it is today.
The annual Brentwood Remembrance Day ceremony took place last Friday in the Killy Theatre where community members, guests of the school, and the entire school gathered to remember. On this solemn occasion, the theatre was entered in silence, each student with a poppy pinned to their blazer, and it remained silent throughout the ceremony, with the exception of the speakers, musicians, and singers who brought the audience to a time very few of us know from personal experience.
Mrs. Pennells spoke of the tradition of Remembrance Day, and how we should remember all those who have fought for the greater good. Mr. Richard Holmes, our guest speaker and grandson of Cuthbert Holmes co-founder of Brenwood, spoke of his relatives’ experience with war and how, even today, it affects his family. Joel W, Class of 2012, read Anthem for Doomed Youth, a poem describing the horrors and fears of war. Four members of the Vocal Jazz Ensemble, accompanied by a piano, sang Amazing Grace with the talent and vocal ability of a thousand singers. Head Prefect Ian M and Assistant Head Prefects Charlotte W and David LR read the Honor Roll, a list of Brentonians who lost their lives in war. The reading of the Honor Roll was followed by the laying of the wreath. Then Scott R, Class of 2013, played Last Post, which was followed by a moment of silence, which was ended by the playing of the awakening Reveille.
The choir then sang Fare Thee Well, their voices lifting us up to hope, and on that peaceful note the ceremony ended, but was not forgotten, as the poppies of Flanders Field still proudly called from the lapels to each member of the Brentwood community.
This tradition will continue. We must remember, for it is through remembering the mistakes of our past that we avoid them in the future. There were many lives lost in the fields of Europe, and many of those men were not much older than the students who will graduate this June. While we sacrifice time to do homework, they sacrificed their lives to give their country freedom. They cannot be forgotten: this knowledge must be passed on.
By Sarah M
Ninety-three years later, the countries who participated in WW I still take time to remember those who lost their lives in the conflicts that have rocked entire nations and affected millions of civilians. Remembrance Day brings us back to a time when the future of Canada and its allies was determined by the outcome of trench warfare and artillery, and when mothers were unsure if their children in the infantry, navy, or air force, would come home. Great sacrifice was made by those who fought, and so we remember their heroic efforts and all they have done to make Canada the great nation it is today.
The annual Brentwood Remembrance Day ceremony took place last Friday in the Killy Theatre where community members, guests of the school, and the entire school gathered to remember. On this solemn occasion, the theatre was entered in silence, each student with a poppy pinned to their blazer, and it remained silent throughout the ceremony, with the exception of the speakers, musicians, and singers who brought the audience to a time very few of us know from personal experience.
Mrs. Pennells spoke of the tradition of Remembrance Day, and how we should remember all those who have fought for the greater good. Mr. Richard Holmes, our guest speaker and grandson of Cuthbert Holmes co-founder of Brenwood, spoke of his relatives’ experience with war and how, even today, it affects his family. Joel W, Class of 2012, read Anthem for Doomed Youth, a poem describing the horrors and fears of war. Four members of the Vocal Jazz Ensemble, accompanied by a piano, sang Amazing Grace with the talent and vocal ability of a thousand singers. Head Prefect Ian M and Assistant Head Prefects Charlotte W and David LR read the Honor Roll, a list of Brentonians who lost their lives in war. The reading of the Honor Roll was followed by the laying of the wreath. Then Scott R, Class of 2013, played Last Post, which was followed by a moment of silence, which was ended by the playing of the awakening Reveille.
The choir then sang Fare Thee Well, their voices lifting us up to hope, and on that peaceful note the ceremony ended, but was not forgotten, as the poppies of Flanders Field still proudly called from the lapels to each member of the Brentwood community.
This tradition will continue. We must remember, for it is through remembering the mistakes of our past that we avoid them in the future. There were many lives lost in the fields of Europe, and many of those men were not much older than the students who will graduate this June. While we sacrifice time to do homework, they sacrificed their lives to give their country freedom. They cannot be forgotten: this knowledge must be passed on.
By Sarah M
75p
