Brentwood College School - Brentonian Yearbook (Mill Bay, British Columbia Canada)

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subsequently asked the Old Boys Association whether he could call his new school Brentwood College. By this time the name was no longer registered and so the Old Boys had no authority to grant this request but gave him their blessing. Due to circumstances which shall not be related, there was a further memorable meeting of a group of Old Boys when the whole project hung in the balance, but after a long evening of discussion it was decided that the Board of Governors of the proposed school would be made up solely of Old Boys. Then came the search for a suitable site and in spite of the not inconsiderable financial problems the old Queen Alexandra Solarium for Crippled Children was purchased and the school opened with 92 boys in 1961 under rather rugged and relatively primitive conditions with no heating for the first few weeks so that the boys are reported to have slept in their track suits for warmth. And here you are — but in accommodation and with facilities far removed from the original, thanks to the loyalty, devotion and sheer hard work of the masters, the staff, the original boys of the new school, and many others who have rendered assistance and support. And what, you may ask at this point, has this to do with the present theme? It would appear to me that, but for that group of Old Boys, there might not have been a phoenix, a new Brentwood arising from the ashes, like the sacred bird of Egyptian mythology, young and vigorous and more beautiful. They indeed followed their motto De Manu in Manum and handed on the torch.

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Isf VIII: Canadian Schools Champions, 1973-74 planned a school to be run on English public school lines. The site selected was the Brentwood Hotel at the south end of Saanich Inlet and the first headmaster was H.P. Hope, previously principal of Oak Bay High School. However, it was a somewhat different school then — the maximum capacity was 110 students with 3-4 bed dormitories, and the only two Houses were separate floors of the old hotel. The whole school took part in physical training at 7:15 each morning, grace was recited in English or Latin before and after each meal by the duty prefect, and there were two church services each Sunday, but basically the routine was much the same. There were, of course, no girls. Initially the school prospered and it soon won a name for itself both academically and in athletic activities, particularly rugby and rowing — how history is repeating itself! Then came the lean years of the Depression which were somehow survived and the school continued until 1947 when a distastrous fire gutted the main building. Left standing was the chapel which was to a large extent built by the boys who each worked one afternoon a week on its construction under the direction of one full-time carpenter. The cornerstone for this building was laid on October 25, 1925 and services were held in it by 1929. This is now the Brentwood College Memorial Chapel which some of you may have attended for the Annual Memorial Service each November. The only other building left intact was the old 6th Form classroom across the road which now functions as a church hall. No funds were available to re- build the school, and for a brief period the school occupied premises at Shawnigan, an erstwhile but friendly rival over the years, but this was not successful and the following term it moved to the old R.C.A.F. hangar at Patricia Bay. However, this attempt to maintain its existence was doomed to failure and the remaining 22 boys, together with the school trophies, were taken over by University School. Nevertheless, at a memorable meeting of the Old Boys Association attended by a handful of members and held at University School in 1948, a few die-hards defeated a motion of the executive to join with the Old Boys of University School. This would have been the last nail in the coffin of Brentwood College, but the Old Boys preferred to carry on alone even though there was only a very forlorn hope that the school would start again — but hope springs eternal. Consequently, each year thereafter, a group of Old Boys, led by a more or less constant nucleus, met in Victoria at the Empress Hotel on a Saturday close to November 11th, and on the following day attended a service at the old chapel in memory of their colleagues who were lost in World War II, which none of you can recall. Much to the bewilderment and consternation of the then Headmaster of University School, we mustered a larger number from a defunct school than attended a similar meeting of his own school, and it was with an anxious note and a quavering voice that he enquired whether there was any possibility that Brentwood would start again. And so it was for 13 years until, at one of these Old Boys Meetings Mr. Privett, the last headmaster of Brentwood, enquired whether anyone knew of the whereabouts of the original school register as he knew of an individual who wished to start a school as he, too, was concerned about the standard of education in this province. That individual turned out to be your own present headmaster who

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Philip Arnoldi and Geoff Bowes in Billy Budd BRENTWOOD RECONSTITUTED The idea of Brentwood came into being during a two week period in 1959 when Dr. Maurice Young and I were on a committee of selection for cadets for Royal Rhodes. We were both in the navy at the time and he suggested that I leave the service and restart his old school. It had been burned down in 1947 and now all that remained was the Old Boys ' Association which met o nce a year. I got a list of old boys from him, took two weeks leave from the navy and saw about 100 people in Vancouver and Victoria. From these I got commitments from ten and the Board of Governors was put into operation. We registered the name Brentwood College the day before a competitor did and the search for a school was on. We looked at many places, including the old site, which was not subdivided with houses on it. Ultimately we came up with building which had been the Queen Alexandra Solarium. It was in terrible condition, part of it having been pulled down with the wreckage remaining on the ground. However we saw the prospects in it and purchased it for $100,000. Today the plant is worth $10,000,000. The First Day The first day was the most unusual day of my whole life. I had 90 boys in hand, I had 90 mothers all in floods of tears and I had 90 fathers running around thrusting money in my hand. If I had had the good sense to take off at that moment I would have retired comfortably. The boys were quickly given over to Mr. Bunch, who arranged that they clean windows, both inside and out, and shortly young bodies were draped around the ancient building in the most dangerous of positions. During the first term we managed to operate in the two buildings which we had taken over. Where the Bursary now is was Ellis House and in what is now Alexandra House was Hope House. They served admirably, though with some vital lacks such as doors and bedroom furniture. The academic programme started in grades 8 through 11, and all proceeded reasonably smoothly. For sports we used to run up to the fields of Kilmalu Road and practise our rugby there. Because of the manure left by the cows that inhabited the fields, we became very adept at side- stepping. We played against the third XV ' s of the other schools. The second year we built what is now the classroom block and what until recently was the gymnasium. The classroom block acted as a house, the classrooms being divided into two, four boys occupying each room. Again, we lacked doors. One wonders what the boys thought of their lack of privacy. During this year we expanded the student population from 90 to 140 boys and, at this time we played rugby against second XV ' s of other schools. The next addition to the school buildings came in 1965 when Whittall House was built and then, after this in 1967, the laboratories were erected. In 1967 the school underwent an evaluation by Dr. L. Downey from UBC and, as a result of his recommendations, a considerable building programme was undertaken, being completed in 1969. At this time the auditorium, the dining room, Ellis and Privett Houses were completed. At this time, too, we