Kent School - Kent Yearbook (Kent, CT)

Page 17 text:

Tlli1iirtyflFliVe Years At Kent A Challenge HIRTY-FIVE years have elapsed since the Fall of 1906 when Father Fred- erick Herbert Sill, 0. H. U., founded Kent School. ln the life of the average preparatory school seldom do thirty-five years figure as an age, or even as a majority of an age. And rarely has a school achieved the ultimate goal in its physical aspect within such a period. Yet thirty-five years constitute the age of Kent School to date and the efforts of these thirty-live years on the part of its founder now display the finished Kent. We in a student body nmnbering over three hundred, we in a school whose standards of life and education have received national recognition may well rejoice at what has been accomplished, taking pride in the knowledge that some small share has been contributed by us. But thirty- five years marks more than an anniversary in the life of Kent School: it marks the end of a vital era and the commencement of another. Father Sill announced his retirement in ltlarch of this year as Headmaster of the institution he planned and built. The Alumni and Board of Trustees of .Kent later met and approved the selection of Father Yvilliam Scott Chalmers, U. H. C., as new Headmaster. For tl1e first time in its history will Father Sill's School be in the hands of so111e one else. VVe may view the past with satisfaction. but we must face the future of Kent with determination. The original eighteen students who started out on their life here had none of the advantages and fine facilities which we now enjoy and the task cut out for them was the task of keeping the School on its feet throughout the struggling stages. But in a sense our task will be as great as that of our predecessors, for we must preserve the foundations laid by Father Sill. The stand- ards of Kent School have arisen out of con- stant sacrifice and effort on the part of many people. Zllld it is our duty to maintain and ele- vate these standards by the same degree of sacrifice and effort. Kent will undoubtedly face as many and as deep pitfalls in the days to come as have formerly confronted her. This fact must we realize to enable us to support Kent ade- quately and as others have done. Only until

Page 16 text:

2 Fsfiki , 2 Q DW was K ' 35, .iw ,v ri g ,, H 1, 9' ,2,,,5 if 'aiiiefixgfiitib .. 5 i? gf fg1?sgs25g5Ql452 is amp pmwmg- - 5, M Q . 4359 N., QM: W WQA W-fi

Page 18 text:

In the fltogllllllillg . the exigencies which lie ahead, he they merely financial or proceeding from the roots of her system, hc met. shall the security of Kent's future he guaranteed. Few months remain for many of us in which to do our share. while there are yet years ahead for others. lt is to this latter group in particular that the duty falls heaviest, for they are the ones acquainted with Father Sill's Kent who only can pass her standards on to the classes that are to arrive. VVe in the Anniversary Class of 1941 personally know and love Father Sill. What he and Kent stand for means much to us. VVe are confident that Father f'halmers will he a competent Headmaster. But his joh can not he executed without the same support which Father Sill received. We therefore, in Wishing Father Vhalmers all success, also remind the rest of the School that the jolm of main- taining the spirit of Kent can not he relinquished and that the spirit of Kent must he guarded carefully in the ensuing years. 1Ye are not saying farewell to Pater, for as Headmaster Emeritus he is re- maining at Kent where l1is personalityfhearty, understanding, yet self-effacingee will continue to dominate the environment with its same magnificent scope of influence. 1Ve are merely acknowledging all that Pater has done for us and what it means to us to have lived at his School. Therefore at the thirty-fifth milestone of Kent's histo1'y the Graduating Vlass of 1941 pauses to present the challenge of all former classes to their successors to make the new era as increasingly suc- cessful as has been the last.