Saltus Grammar School - Yearbook (Hamilton, Bermuda)

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The younger generation shared in this interest, and due to the geniality and endeavours of Mr. Brooks, the progress made by the boys of Saltus was exceptionally good. On September 25th the second Annual Inter-House Compe- tition took place, the events v ere altered slightly from those of our first meet in order to conform more closely to the B. S. S. A. events, but in almost all events that were comparable to those of last year, the progress in the standard of performance was most noticeable. Darrell House was the winner of this contest. The second Annual Inter-School Competition was held soon afterwards, and the school did well, capturing two group com- petitions, and also the Banner for the greatest number of points in the boys ' events. An innovation this season in the Saltus swimming pro- gramme was the pentathlon competition, which aims at develop- ing all-round swimmers. This competition consists of five com- pulsory events, a standard performance being set for each event, the standard varying according to the age group of the com- petitor. Marks are aw arded for the competitor ' s performance in each event, the one with the highest total in each age group winning a shield. The trophies for this competition were kindly presented by the Old Boys ' Association; Mr. Jack King and Mr. Brooks were responsible for the arrangement and execution of the contest. It is hoped that Mr. Brooks will return to Bermuda again next summer, for, there is no doubt that, under his guidance further progress will be made. 0 Sport. The past cricket season was one of the most successful that Saltus has had for a good many years. The 1st. XI were specially strong, the bowling and fielding being of the usual standard, while the batting was exceptionally good. The great event of the season was O. B. day, when the 1st. and 2nd. XI ' s played matches against teams of Old Boys. Both games were won by the Old Boys, but th e 1st. XI made them play exceptionally well and the 2nd XI appeared to have a great deal of fun. The Colts did not actually play any matches during this season, but they obtained some very useful practice in the nets. The 2nd Division played two matches, of which they won one and lost the other. The House Competition was again run on the knock-out system and was again won by Butterfield House. No other 7

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had her.self admitted to Mr. Cyril Clemens, he certainly stretched things a little. If we are to trust our authorities, Mark Twain enjoyed a boyhood that many of us might envy to-day; he did so many of the things that he should not have done and got away with them. He played hooky from school and, when his father tried to catch him, he just dodged round the trunk of a large tree, and escaped punishment. Like all the boys of his age, his great ambition was to be a pilot on one of the Mississippi paddle steamers. Incidentally, it was from the cry of the leadsman on these boats calling out the depth of the water that he adopted the nom-de-plume by which he is now universally known. On one occasion he ran away from home and stowed away on one of these boats in what he though was a nice out-of-the-way place, only to find, when it was too late, that he had chosen the Captain ' s cabin. The Captain put him off the ship twenty miles from home down-steam and left him to walk back. Mark Twain ' s humour was as much appreciated in England as in America. He was once asked by a friend why he carried such a disgracefully dilapidated umbrella, and replied, This is the only sort of umbrella that you English will not steal. He went on, It does not matter where you are; if it begins to rain, just run out and take an umbrella from the first person that you see. He will not know that it is not yours. Part of the pleasure derived from reading Mark Twain came from the fact that he was a man of such wide experience. In addition to travelling in Europe, he had in his youth tried his hand at prospecting for gold. His failure to make a fortune at this business in no way discouraged him; it merely elicited the remark that A mine is nothing but a hole in the ground with a fool at the end of it. Mr. Cyril Clemens concluded a very interesting lecture by recommending us, if we had not already done so, to read some of Mark Twain ' s books, especially Huckleberry Finn and Tom Sawyer , and at the same time presented a copy of these books to the school library, a gift for which we are sincerely grateful. 0 Swimming, During the past two years interest in swimming in Bermuda has increased considerably. This has undoubtedly been oc- casioned by the efforts of that excellent coach, Mr. J. W. Brooks, coupled with the sending of the first Bermuda Olympic swim- ming team to Berlin during the past summer. 6

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House has ever won the Ci icket Cup and Butterfield are bej in- nin to think that they own it. With the beginning of this term, the Football season opened and the prospects of a good season appear to be quite promis- ing. Three old colours remain from last year ' s 1st. XI, includ- ing the Captain, N. H. Williams, who, no doubt, has profited greatly from last year ' s experience. Matches have already been arranged for the 1st. and 2nd. XI ' s, 2nd. Division and Colts, and it is expected that we shall have some excellent games. 0 Cadets. There seems to be a certain amount of doubt as to what are the objects of Cadet training. Although the training in the School corps is primarily physical, it can be said to be both mental and moral also. Perhaps its aim can be summed up in the word co-ordination which has a double significance — co-ordination between mind and body, and co-ordination between one individual and another to make a completely unified whole. No one can deny that these principles are good; they help to fit a boy for every day life as well as for a national emergency when the safety of his home and country is at stake. But that ' s all very serious. The fact that we are staid on ceremonial occasions does not prevent us from having some splendid laughs when we are standing easy . We are like so many marble blocks when His Excellency comes to inspect us; we are still as statuesque (but hewn out of a somewhat warmer substance) in front of the Cenotaph on Armistice day. But we are positive tigers as we launch an attack on some corner of the field, inoffensive as it might be. It is very satisfactory to find that they can enter into the spirit of the thing so well once they get started. They do like the sound of their ow n voices though, and therein lies their greatest failing. It may be mere exuberance, but it must find different expression. As they come on to parade, I wish they would remember the words of that rather charming hymn — Peace, be still. 0 The Sea Scouts and Wolf Cubs. Soon after the beginning of t he term a select body of the Scouts, as part of the guard of honour, had the privilege of being inspected by His Excellency the Governor, when he paid 8