students to enter Technical Institute when it opened in 1956, believes that the school provided young males with values which, he claims, are sorely lacking today.

"One thing that is lacking today is that the older boys don't take responsibility for the younger fellas,'' he recalls. "But that's something that we had at Technical Institute. The older fellas commanded respect, and prefects were real prefects back then. "Believe me, when I was coming along there would be no such thing as what is presently happening around at the Bus Terminal in Hamilton. If there had been any Tech boys around there acting up, although in reality there probably wouldn't have been any because we had too much pride and respect for ourselves, a group of older fellas who were prefects would have gone around there and got it all straightened out, I can assure you.'' Basden also speaks fondly of the code of discipline that was practiced at the school. "Tech was very strong on uniforms and each morning the students would have to queue up outside the building and have their uniforms and shoes inspected and then one of the boys would be called upon to read a passage of scripture. That taught us discipline and gave us a healthy respect for authority, something else that is really lacking in schools today.'' Why is there such a big problem with our youth today, particularly young males, when it comes to discipline and respect for authority? "Of course, it goes right back to the home and the parents,'' Basden states.

"But although the parents are ultimately responsible, they can't be with their children 24 hours a day. That's were I believe the school and the teachers can step in and play an important role.

"These young fellas need positive role models, older fellas who they can look up to right in their schools and who will look out for them and give them proper direction. I believe, to a large extent, that the people a lot of younger fellas were looking up to, got lost themselves somewhere along the way.

"You know, at Tech, we had older boys who the younger fellas admired for their scholastic achievements and for their athletic abilities. In fact, if you were a prefect and were good at sports, you commanded respect.'' Basden also believes that Technical Institute served another important purpose: providing hope to boys who were otherwise considered not so academically inclined. "The significant thing about Tech is that it came along at the right time because there were so many other intelligent boys, who didn't go to Berkeley Institute or one of the other academic schools, who were given a chance to excel. It took ordinary people and gave us hope and a sense of purpose.

"Also, we believed in our teachers and our lecturers. They convinced us that we could make something worthwhile out of our lives. I think we all, both teachers and students, had something to prove at Technical and there's no doubt in my mind that, had I not gone to Technical Institute, I wouldn't be the present Director of Transportation,'' he states emphatically.

"That's the type of value contribution that school gave to me, as well as to many other young fellas who went there over the years.'' No caption.

SEPTEMBER 1993 RG MAGAZINE