Tímarit Þjóðræknisfélags Íslendinga - 01.01.1966, Page 67

the icelandic student society in winnipeg
49
back with pleasure to my associa-
tion with the Icelandic Society.
The above account by Jonas Jonas-
son gives substantially the picture
°f the Icelandic Students Society for
the next fifteen years or more. Be it
noted, however, that in the year
following the close of his narrative,
the Jon Bjarnason Academy was
founded and many J. B. A. students
became members and shared in the
enjoyment of the programs and the
social contacts of the meetings. Then
came the war of 1914—1918 and
many of the male students enlisted
for service overseas.
Inevitably, some of those who en-
bsted did not return, but in the
nnmediate post-war years there were
several young but seasoned war ve-
terans among the membership of
the Society. They played an active
Part.
The buoyancy and zest of the pre-
War period was fully sustained.
here were debates for the Brand-
son Cup, now carried on in English,
and oratorical contests, and the
hand-written “Aurora” continued to
make its contribution to the pro-
gram at meetings. Some plays were
presented, including the musical
comedy Apinn (The Monkey), in
1928. Graduates were presented with
inscribed gold cuff-links and one
time they were honored at a fare-
well banquet. Student loans were
continued.
By about 1930 the tide of change
in the Icelandic community had its
inevitable effect on the Students
Society, bringing its story to a close.
The Society was active in 1928, but
the end came shortly after, appa-
rently in 1931. Probably the most
important factor was that students
of Icelandic origin had become more
and more absorbed in life on the
university campus.
But for three decades, since its
founding 1901, the Icelandic Stu-
dents Society had played a signi-
ficant role, with its good companion-
ship, active social life, and oppor-
tunity for self-expression and deve-
lopment.
A Sheaf of Verses
A new edition of Dr. Richard Beck’s book of English poems, A
Sheaf of Verses has just been published in Winnipeg. This is an
enlarged edition containing 21 poems. This new collection will no
doubt be well received. Copies of it can be obtained from the author.