First Year / Winter Term @ RMC March 1950 – 3069 W.A. McColl
12 Mar 50
This has certainly been a swell weekend. The Army team has just left. Yesterday afternoon we had a ceremonial parade and march past. The drill wasn’t so hot we felt because of all the snow on the square. The RCR band played for us. After that there was a ceremony for laying the cornerstone of the new dormitory. I’ve never seen so much brass in all my life. The opening day was pretty bad but this time we had both American and Canadian and British brass.
RMC was able to take West Point 6-4. The game was pretty exciting although it wasn’t especially good hockey. Our team was much smaller and lighter but they were much better puck handlers. The dance after was a very good one and my “drag” (as the Pointers call them) was not too bad. Some of the guys, Bourne, J. Crowe and Fergusson, etc., didn’t bother going to sleep at all. They woke me up around 0700 and at 0745, Moon Hall blew reveille and we paraded around raising hell. Joe Crowe had a loud speaker system rigged up and was playing “British Grenadiers” at some unearthly hour. The West Point guys took command for church parade today and there was a lot of brass around again. They left right after. Some of the guys swapped hats. Their visored hats are very snappy. The West Point fellows certainly were a swell gang of guys. The purpose of the game is to create international goodwill and it certainly achieves that purpose in my opinion.
13 Mar 50
There were a lot of sleepy-heads in lectures today. I finally got some mail, 3 letters. We saw the Telegram’s pre-game write-up, and it was terrible. I’m sure the reporter was drunk when he wrote it. After classes, Goldie & I went over for a short bit of skiing. Al Drummond got a big parcel today; it was his birthday and he had a big party in his room tonight. Just about all the squadron wound up in his room at one time or another. So many guys were sitting on his bed that it broke.
14 Mar 50
After classes today we had a bit of a practice for the “Cake-Walk” this Friday. I’ve been so tired today I think I’ll go to bed early.
15 Mar 50
This afternoon Major Hetherington took a group of about 24 of us up to Vimy to see through the Signal school. It was very interesting. We finished at the officer’s mess which is reputed to be the finest mess in Canada and I think that’s not far from the truth. Vimy seems to be a very fine camp. Some of the privates have the new 2 man cubicles which are very fine accommodation. We saw one of the new CF100s flying over the other day. RMC & Royal Roads were featured on a CBC program tonight.
16 Mar 50
Had our first lunch parade in ages out on the square. The weather is very mild & most of the snow has melted off the square. I’ve had a hard time keeping awake in the lectures the past few days. In fact most of the guys are feeling rotten. Perhaps it’s the water or lack of exercise or ? Had our dress rehearsal for the Cake-Walk. I think it will go over big.
17 Mar 50
This evening the Cake-Walk or “Lids-Off” went over with a big bang and we all thought it was a success. Kaduk was superb as “Hamlet.” We all had senior privileges from supper ‘til 2300 with the exception of doubling the square. The Brig. presented the cast with a helluva big cake which was eaten in the canteen. We had the best singsong of the year down in the canteen tonight.