Andrean Traditions

By Julie Caspersen

As you flip through this edition of The Andrean, you would have seen the beautiful calligraphy on page 1. The inspiration for this student-created piece came out of research for the obituary of John Pennal ’64, who passed away last October. (Please see his obituary on page 64.) Mr. Pennal was Head Prefect in his graduating year, and his valedictory address was published in The Review. Here is an excerpt:

When you return to school next year, some of you will be appointed to positions of authority and leadership, and some of you will not. However, regardless of whether you are a prefect or a second former, it will be your duty to continue to improve the spirit of the school. Generations of Old Boys look to you to uphold fine traditions set down by them in the past half-century. In upholding these traditions and in maintaining a high spirit in the school, the reward will be a new unity for St. Andrew’s College – a unity which has never been imagined.

He signed off with the words, “Be virtuous, be spirited, and be Andreans,” which we asked Teagh Tremain, a Grade 10 student, to commemorate for us.

Mr. Pennal’s speech got us thinking about traditions and how St. Andrew’s has quite a few customs and practices that have been passed from generation to generation. We are nearing the end of our 122nd year. It’s a testament to our founders that some of the customs initiated more than a century ago are proudly maintained and celebrated today.

Many SAC traditions have stood the test of time. We selected just a few to feature on the following pages, some from the first years and some newer customs adopted in the last 50 to 60 years. Whether they graduated near the turn of the 20th century or the 21st century, Old Boys share a sense of belonging connected by time and tradition. Role models of the past serve to unite recent alumni and current students.

Old Boys likely have their favourite tradition, and we invite you to share your memories with us for the fall Andrean by emailing theandrean@sac.on.ca. Which traditions hold special significance from your years at SAC? We would love to learn how traditions have kept you engaged and how you feel about the new ways we celebrate older customs.

Whether old or new, SAC traditions strengthen the foundation laid in 1899 and, as Mr. Pennal references, raise school spirit and promote unity.

Oliver! then and now: Promotional material from the 1967 and 2015 productions.

EST. 1903

The Cross-Country Run has always been considered a “rite of passage” and is SAC’s longest-standing tradition. The winner had his name inscribed on a shield put on the base of the Wallace Cup, which is the School’s oldest trophy. The inaugural race was held on Nov. 13, 1903. Fred Chesnut ’04 was the first winner of the Cross-Country Run, and approximately 80 boys have raised the Wallace Cup in victory over the years, with several repeat winners. The length of the race was increased from 3.5 to 5.5 miles in 1905. By 1910, the route was six miles long. In 1945, the run was moved to just before the October Thanksgiving weekend. The present-day course takes runners through campus, but in the past included a stretch of Bathurst Street (where years ago, some boys attempted to hitchhike part of the way!). COVID-19 didn’t stop students from participating in the School’s longeststanding tradition this school year. The 3.5-km race was significantly modified and took two days to complete, but the annual tradition still occurred.

On track: Runners and winners throughout the decades. These days, winners have their picture taken with the Cup and their names are added to a plate placed on a large wooden plaque that is displayed in a trophy case.

The #142 St. Andrew’s College Highland Cadet Corps was established in 1905. It’s not the oldest SAC tradition, but it can be considered the proudest one and is the largest of its kind in Canada. This year, 485 students participated in the leadership and music training programs offered in live and virtual formats.

The Pipes & Drums joined the program in 1915 when a parent donated six sets of pipes. Today, the Pipes & Drums membership numbers around 35, with up to 25 more in Middle School learning how to play. The band continues to support Cadet events such as the Church Parade and Cadet Inspection but also participates in the Aurora Santa Claus Parade in addition to mounting a Celtic Concert each spring. This year’s concert was offered on SAC’s YouTube channel.

For many years the Pipes & Drums has served a standing ceremonial role parading the Old Comrades and 48th Highlander veterans at Queen’s Park, which surrounds the Ontario Legislative Building in Toronto, on Remembrance Day. It has also performed at the Scotiabank Arena for the Toronto Rock’s intermission show, at halftime at a TFC game, at the Rogers Centre during the Metro Bowl, at the 2012 Summer Olympics in London, England, and all over the Netherlands.

Boys can earn high school credit for their piping and drumming music courses. Several graduates have found their way into some of the best pipe bands in the world.

The purpose of the Corps has changed over the decades, dependent on the needs of the country and our community. These days, the premise is much more ceremonial than military, and the focus is on establishing leadership skills, emphasizing fitness, and promoting citizenship. The Cadet leadership journey, which starts in Grade 8 and continues until Grade 12, allows SAC students the opportunity to rise through the ranks and lead their peers in the establishment of future leaders in our community as well as in society. Why has this tradition endured? A great answer was provided in 1998 by Brian Armstrong ’61 when he spoke at that year’s Wellington Dinner: “Every Andrean who wears the kilt, who marches to the sound of the pipes and drums, who joins in the Royal Salute, participates in an experience that is uniquely ours, an experience that he shares not only with his contemporaries but with thousands of others who have been here before him stretching all the way back virtually to the founding of this school. “I believe that in maintaining this tradition and in sharing this experience, perhaps more than in anything else we do, we are called to remember our history, to acknowledge our debt to those who have preceded us and to commit ourselves to the values by which they tried to live and for which many of them died.” This year, the Leadership courses were divided into small cohort teams by grade level. Given that most activities take place outdoors, the Corps delivered outdoor field training, expedition skills, marksmanship, archery, and mountain biking programs. For virtual learning periods, the instructors met

weekly with their teams to focus on soft-skill leadership topics suitable for online learning. The instructional team continues to grow, with 18 faculty, staff, and guest instructors involved in delivering the various programs. Outside of the regular training, the Corps marksmanship and biathlon teams continue to represent SAC at competitions around the province. The Pipes & Drums have fortunately been able to utilize modern technology during the pandemic by acquiring electronic bagpipe chanters that mimic the fingering and sound of real bagpipes. This has allowed the musicians to continue practicing despite provincial regulations against playing wind instruments in school. The drum corps has continued as before.

EST. 1934

Saint Andrew’s Day, which falls on Nov. 30, is a time for the students and staff to celebrate the rich history of St. Andrew’s College and its Scottish heritage. The School has been paying tribute to its namesake since 1899 and celebrating Saint Andrew’s Day since “piping in the haggis” was introduced in 1934. That year, four cadets in fullkilted uniform, preceded by a piper, bore in the famous Scottish dish and paraded it around the dining room. Rev. D. Bruce Macdonald, Headmaster from 1900 to 1935, proposed a toast to the haggis in what would become a yearly tradition, complete with a large feast featuring haggis, traditional Scottish foods, and music provided by the Pipes & Drums. Every Saint Andrew’s Day, students are reminded of the School’s notable history. Saint Andrew is the patron saint of Scotland and was chosen as a powerful symbol of SAC’s Presbyterian and Scottish roots. The saltire, also called Saint Andrew’s Cross, is an element of the School crest; it has also been part of the Scottish royal coat of arms since 1290.

Students lucky enough to be named Andrew were awarded a silver coin. For many years this traditional award was replaced with another token due to the cost of silver dollars. Thanks to the generous donation of Andrew Cronin ’02, the long-standing tradition of awarding silver coins was reinstated in 2018.

Scottish fare: Addressing the haggis in years past.

The day was celebrated in 2020, but differently, as have so many other annual events since the pandemic started more than a year ago. Not to worry, haggis fans, the oval sausage still made it on the lunch and dinner menus for students, staff, and faculty who were not working from home.

EST. 1934

A variety of venues: The popular service moved around to accommodate a growing audience. In 1934, the boys performed at the inaugural Carol Service held in Memorial Chapel. Since then, the School has celebrated this event annually with pride, albeit at larger and larger venues to accommodate the growing audiences. The event grew in popularity and three services were offered annually to accommodate the number of attendees, but even this was not enough. The service was relocated in 1976 to St. James Cathedral in Toronto. However, the Andrean community turned out in droves, and people had to be turned away. The following year, the Christmas concert was hosted at Timothy Eaton Memorial United Church, also in Toronto, then at Toronto’s 2,000-seat Yorkminster Park Baptist Church in 1978.

Our records show the Carol Service was moved to Toronto’s St. Paul’s Anglican Church in 1980, where it remained for more than two decades until 2002 when it moved back to Yorkminster Park.

EST. 2015

A new venue was sought, and ultimately the service was rebranded An Andrean Christmas, and the boys took the stage at the world-class Roy Thomson Hall in Toronto starting in 2015. The pandemic forced the cancellation of the spectacular in-person production of music, dance, drama, and art in 2020. However, an online version of this theatrical tradition was broadcast to Old Boys and friends of the School worldwide.

EST. 1984

The annual MacPherson tourney is a cherished tradition and a highly anticipated event in the St. Andrew’s school year. The tournament launched in 1984, the creation of retired teacher and First Hockey coach, Al Dunford. The Saints have won gold ten times, the last being in 2019. It is currently one of the most respected and well-organized high school hockey tournaments in North America, attracting some of the continent’s top high school teams. It is named after the late Lloyd MacPherson, Assistant to the Headmaster from 1957 to 1982 and standard-bearer for the School’s Scottish traditions.

The tournament did not run this year due to the pandemic.

EST. 1990

Drama was not featured in the School curriculum in the first couple of decades until a Dramatic Society was formed in 1921. Even then, the focus was more on the development of public-speaking skills than theatrical arts. Still, dramatic arts played a role in the history of SAC that grew as the years passed. Not An Ordinary Place, a book penned by Head of Drama & Film, William Scoular, details the progression of drama from an activity that taught elocution to become a central part of school life through house plays, school plays, and musicals. In the 1950s, plays were staged in the Assembly Hall until a cramped room under the library was converted into a space called the Little Theatre. The opening of Ketchum Auditorium in 1962 helped, and the first play to be staged there was Richard of Bordeaux. The first musical performed was HMS Pinafore. The Focus Festival of the Arts was first produced in 1990, built upon decades of dramatic and theatrical performances. On the occasion of the festival’s 25th anniversary, William reminisced, “If the festival’s name has long since entered into the School’s vocabulary (people have for years now talked affectionately of Focus), it’s because its vision has prevailed.” The ground-breaking festival broke newer ground in 2020 as the production was pivoted online. The success of last year’s virtual show set the stage for this year’s online production. The upside is that it’s available to Andreans worldwide. The show must, indeed, go on!

EST. 1992

SASSIN (St. Andrew’s Society for Service in Nepal) took students to the same location year over year, starting in 1992. It was given a global directive and became SASSAW: St. Andrew’s Society for Service Around the World, offering international travel in countries across Africa, Asia, and South America with a focus on community service projects and Duke of Edinburgh’s Award expeditions. Since SASSAW’s inaugural expedition to South Africa in 2003, hundreds of SAC students and faculty members have participated. They have built and renovated schoolhouses, constructed a kitchen for a mission hospital, built an addition to an orphanage, and taught English. The last SASSAW trip was in 2019 and took 17 boys and two teachers to South Asia to gain an appreciation for the rich Indian culture and help build a classroom for local children.

While the 2020 expedition to Ecuador was grounded due to COVID-19 restrictions, there’s a trip planned for this summer to the Arctic Coast of Ontario. The 10 students are training and preparing for the 300-kilometre paddle up the Missinaibi River from the Trans-Canada Highway to James Bay. The canoe trip will allow them to do service and cultural activities along the way as they travel through the traditional lands of the James Bay Cree. The journey will end at Moose Factory, the oldest town in Ontario, established in 1673. X

EST. 1993

This annual dinner is a highlight of the Cadet year for the SAC Corps’ senior leadership. It was established in 1993 and is a study in proper mess etiquette. The event was first hosted in the Royal Canadian Military Institute library in downtown Toronto. For a few years, the event was moved to the 48th Highlanders mess, the hub of social activity for military personnel while in garrison. The tradition was brought to campus in recent years. The menu includes Scottish fare such as haggis and entertainment by the Pipe Major. A highlight of the evening is the guest speaker, who is a member of the military or business community. Every military mess dinner has its own set of unique traditions and eccentricities. Specific to St. Andrew’s is the Chain of Shame, awarded to a student for the most egregious infraction of mess dinner etiquette, which could be anything from lateness to boisterous behaviour to table manners. At the end of the dinner, attendees nominate a peer for etiquette oversights, and the “winning” nominee must either defend himself or deflect the accusations toward another attendee. The guest speaker and Corps CO then deliberate and determine who earns the Chain of Shame, which must be worn for the remainder of the evening and throughout the following school day (the duration of the wearing of the chain has varied widely, but this

Jonathan Parker ’95, guest speaker at the 2019 Wellington Dinner.

is the accepted norm for the past couple of years). The Wellington Dinner was cancelled in 2020 and 2021 due to the pandemic. X