Page 18 - Book Eleven Havelock

Page 16 THE FRANCAIS CHALLENGE Written 2010
I have observed a ratcheting-up animosity between Francophones and Anglophones in 􏰀he la􏰁􏰀 􏰂􏰃 􏰄ea􏰅􏰁􏰆 I don􏰇􏰀 􏰅emembe􏰅 an􏰄 animosity at all against French-Canada as a youngster in Havelock. The only thing even close to negative was the light-hearted popular opinion that the Francophones would soon take over Canada because they all had such big families. Neither do I remember anybody wondering why the Department of Education insisted that everybody had to 􏰈lea􏰅n􏰇 French in school.
I 􏰉a􏰁n􏰇􏰀 􏰊e􏰅􏰄 good a􏰀 i􏰀. Spoken francais has always been a complete mystery to me. Years later, on my first trip to Quebec I needed to get gas for the car. I tried to use my very best francais to say to the attendant, 􏰋Apres cinquant litres􏰌 s􏰇il vous plait􏰍. He looked puzzled when I spoke. Then he 􏰁aid􏰌 􏰋Wo􏰎ld 􏰄o􏰎 like me 􏰀o fill 􏰈e􏰅 􏰎􏰏􏰐􏰍
I can read some French. Well at least some words you might find on the pages of a Grade 2 French text book or find on a cereal box.
TWO OF ROSS􏰇S GRANDCHILDREN􏰌
MAX ET MOLLY
My grandchildren Max and Molly think French is an easy subject in school. They spoke francais all day long at their French lmmersion schools. Not so for their Grandad Ross. That was my biggest problem in Grade 13. There were two credits in French then, French Authors and French Composition, and I needed both of them to get my Grade 13 diploma. During that whole school year of high school I spent nearly all my study time toiling at French leaving little time for all of my other credits. It was a struggle but I did succeed in the end with a little boost from the system which excused me in early April to join the summer Farm Service Force to go farming for the spring and summer in the war-time worker-shortage emergency.
My downhill slide in French started in Grade 12. It was then I had my first bitter taste of academic failure. Most school work had come easy up to that point and I was not prepared for what was necessary to be successful in the third and fourth year of a foreign language at high school. I blithely wrote the Christmas exams in all my 7 or 8 classes which included both 3rd
year Latin and 4th 􏰄ea􏰅 F􏰅ench􏰆 I kne􏰉 I hadn􏰇􏰀 e􏰑ac􏰀l􏰄 aced ei􏰀he􏰅 one of 􏰀hem b􏰎􏰀 he􏰄􏰌 I never fail anything. When we all returned to school after Christmas and after the teachers had graded all our exams I received the shocks of my academic life. The shock of my French mark of 41% (50% is a pass) was only exceeded by the shock I received when I got my Latin paper back. 26%. The fact that one of my competitors for the top of the class, Ruth Wilkinson, received a mark even lower, 24%, did very little to cushion the shock. I was talking to Ruth (Watson, then􏰒 abo􏰎􏰀 􏰃􏰓 􏰄ea􏰅􏰁 la􏰀e􏰅 and 􏰁he 􏰅emembe􏰅􏰁 􏰀he 􏰉hole e􏰏i􏰁ode a􏰁 clea􏰅l􏰄 a􏰁 I do􏰆 Nobod􏰄 co􏰎ld 􏰋d􏰅o􏰏􏰍 a course in those days. I clearly remember in the next two months I memorized the whole new section of the Latin text book (believe it o􏰅 no􏰀􏰔􏰒􏰆 I had i􏰀 do􏰉n 􏰁o 􏰀ho􏰅o􏰎ghl􏰄 􏰀ha􏰀 I didn􏰇􏰀 ge􏰀 􏰀􏰅icked b􏰄 􏰀he 􏰀eache􏰅 􏰏􏰎􏰅􏰏o􏰁el􏰄 lea􏰊ing o􏰎􏰀 􏰏a􏰅􏰀􏰁 􏰀o a􏰁􏰁􏰎􏰅e he􏰅􏰁elf that we were really translating, not memorizing or guessing, on the next round of exams (the Easter exams). I got the highest mark in the class, 84%. I forget what I got in French, but our averages for both languages were high enough to get both Ruth and me excused in April and go farming for a few months of relief before our struggle with French next September. At least we were finished with the requirement for Latin.
If 􏰄o􏰎 don􏰇􏰀 co􏰎n􏰀 􏰋Fi􏰅􏰁􏰀 Aid fo􏰅 􏰀he Inj􏰎􏰅ed􏰍 􏰉hich I failed mi􏰁e􏰅abl􏰄􏰌 I had ne􏰊e􏰅 been even close to failing anything at my perch near 􏰀he 􏰀o􏰏 of 􏰀he cla􏰁􏰁 e􏰊e􏰅􏰄 􏰄ea􏰅􏰆 B􏰎􏰀 c􏰇mon􏰌 Fi􏰅􏰁􏰀 Aid doe􏰁n􏰇􏰀 co􏰎n􏰀􏰆 Tha􏰀􏰇s not an academic pursuit. It was a skill recommended for high school students and taught voluntarily by a local medical doctor, Dr. Don Holdcroft. Everybody took it seriously and learned how to assist the injured in an eme􏰅genc􏰄􏰆 E􏰑ce􏰏􏰀 Ro􏰁􏰁􏰆 I don􏰇􏰀 kno􏰉 􏰉he􏰅e m􏰄 mind 􏰉a􏰁 􏰉ande􏰅ing a􏰁 D􏰅􏰆 Holdc􏰅of􏰀 􏰏a􏰀ien􏰀l􏰄 lec􏰀􏰎􏰅ed and demonstrated, but I vividly recall that my mind had not retained anything when the final test was administered. I believe that I was the only one in the whole class that failed. In hindsight 70 years later, after raising 6 kids and coaching sports for over 50 years I am sure that the First Aid For The Injured course which I dismissed so carelessly likely included the most important skills I should have concentrated on at that time. Since that time I have been first on the scene of a serious injury at least three times but each time I was completely helpless to do anything until somebody else came along. At least the victims all survived and I shudder to think how I 􏰉o􏰎ld feel if an􏰄 of 􏰀hem had 􏰁􏰎cc􏰎mbed beca􏰎􏰁e I 􏰉a􏰁n􏰇􏰀 in􏰀e􏰅e􏰁􏰀ed in lea􏰅ning fi􏰅􏰁􏰀 aid 􏰉hen I had 􏰀he o􏰏􏰏o􏰅􏰀􏰎ni􏰀􏰄􏰆
I􏰇m 􏰁􏰎􏰅e glad 􏰀he􏰅e 􏰉e􏰅e ea􏰁􏰄 courses in high school like math and physics or it is doubtful if I ever would have graduated.