The Commercial Society
Back Row: G. Craig, A. Neale; Front Row: G. Herring, G. Gardiner, T. Hart
President: Gerald Gardiner
Vice-President: George Herring
Secretary: Thornley Hart
Treasurer: Art Neale
Athletic Manager: Ian Craig
The session 1936-37 proved to be a very active and successful one for the Commercial Society. As in the past, luncheon meetings were held in the Union, and were well attended. The first meeting was held in December, with Mr. Gray Miller, president of the Imperial Tobacco Co., as guest speaker. His remarks on co-operation between the grower and the company were very interesting. Mr. Tommy Gorman, of the Montreal Maroons, interested the students with a discussion on the early days of hockey in Canada and the United States.
A Christmas banquet was held in the Union and its success was greatly due to the guest speaker, Professor Culliton, and Ainslee Dennison, our own Santa Claus.
A new interclass bowling league was organized this year, and the cup was won by Fourth Year. The Commerce hockey team was beaten in the interfaculty finals by Medicine and a win over Macdonald College completed a successful hockey season.
Class History of Commerce ‘37
By Frank C. Lowe
Active from the first class elections four years ago, Commerce ’37 has had an eventful history. Returning from our first Christmas vacation, we found our ranks considerably thinned; but although our numbers have grown fewer and fewer as the years have passed, those remaining have become the more united in consequence.
The last “final” in May was fittingly celebrated in word and song at the class banquet in Krausmann’s. The attendance was large, the enjoyment great, despite the disappointment of some of the class at not meeting the fairer (?) section of the class. The master minds had finished early in the afternoon and were at peace with the world by the time the rest arrived. The unusually carefree atmosphere was further heightened by various renderings of college and contributed songs particularly when Hyland, Yancey and Wilson simultaneously attempted solos.
A combined dance with Arts and Science ’37 proved an immense success, especially as everyone turned out … and in top form.
Outstanding in our Sophomore year was the banquet in the Union. Some were enjoying themselves so much that after the official closing they picked up the band instruments and gave an impromptu concert, led by Vic Loftus on the bugle. The results were remarkable, particularly as he had never handled a bugle before.
In our Junior year a class in International Relations was started at the Scandinavian club. Despite several of the class mistaking Wray’s for the Club and so being detained, all attendance records were broken. Lloyd Canning’s nimble fingers rippled over the keys as the class sang its heart out. The floor show … well, perhaps we’d better skip that. Outstanding were the song and dance numbers … one of the girls seemed to take a great liking to D---, until her husband showed up. We hated to leave but only just made our nine o’clocks as it was.
Who doesn’t remember the dinner in honour of Professor Villard; the room packed almost beyond capacity. And not one cigarette in evidence, as a silent but eloquent tribute of our esteem.
(Continued on page 327)
Class History of Commerce ‘37
(Continued from page 52)
Throughout the year several of the class staged a series of informal dinners and midnight suppers in the congenial hang-out on Peel Street.
The responsibilities of our Senior year delayed class celebrations until well after the New Year.
Greatly interested in bowling, over twenty competed for positions on the class teams. Craig, Lareau, Wahl, Johnson, Hopper and Thomson, under the able managership of Roger DeSerres, have represented the class in the weekly competitions.
Nothing outstanding was accomplished in basketball, but the keen competition and work-out it provided made it well worth while. Bill Hanson’s efforts were rewarded by the teams reaching the semi-finals in our sophomore year, and many of the class played on the 1936 faculty team that so narrowly missed the championship. Jack Wigdor played with the seniors in 1937. The more ardent basketeers were Summers, DeSerres, Cressey, Gilmour, McDowell, Walbridge, Thomson and Craig.
Helping to win the interfaculty championship in hockey way back in ’34, gaining the interclass honours in ’36, our hockey games have been eagerly contested, our teams unusually successful. Jean-Paul Elie has starred with the Seniors for the whole fours years, and after being the mainstay of class and faculty teams for three seasons, Ian Craig has been going great guns with the juniors and then the Intermediates, and occasionally Seniors. Kerrigan and Loftus have long played with the Juniors and Intermediates, while the more prominent on the class team were Craig, Johnson, Gardiner, Stovel, Lillie, DeSerres, Thomson, Cressey and Hopper.
And now it is our turn to bid McGill “au revoir”. In a time when business conditions seem brighter than for many a year previous, we optimistically set our faces outwards, with the eager hope of carrying even further the proud name of McGill, than the illustrious Commerce Graduates who have preceded us.
McGill Yearbook: 1937
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