Saltus Grammar School - Yearbook (Hamilton, Bermuda)

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us, and can you for a moment doubt that edu- cation has been worth while? (This unanswerable argument was probably decisive). OFFICERS ELECTED FOR THE EASTER TERM President: Mr. J. H. Kerry. Secretary: T. M. Adams. Committee: P. G. Lines, W. R. Kempe, E. L. Gibbons, H. C. E. Masters and T. M. Adams (ex-officio. ) o Coronation Service The Coronation of H.M. King George VI was celebrated by a Service conducted by the Headmaster in the School Hall on Tuesday, May 11th. The Service opened with the singing of the Te Deum, which was followed hy the Special Prayer and Collects to be used at Westminster Abbey. The School joined in the Lord ' s Prayer, and the Lesson, taken from I Peter 2. i., was read by the Head of the School, N. H. Williams. The school sang the Hymn, 0 Worship the King , and the Service closed with the Grace. The Headmaster impressed upon us that His Majenty was the king of all his subjects irrespective of colour, race, creed— or politics. He was the live bond of Empire, and the focus of loyalty for the whole Empire. In conclusion, we sang the first and last verses of the National Anthem, and three cheers were accorded to His Majesty the King. As the boys dispersed each was given a copy of the Souvenir Book presented through the Board of Education, and a photographic button presented by the Headmaster. 11

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There also spoke: Miss Motyer, Mr. P. B. Rogers, Mr. R. E. E. Booker, and J. Anderson. The Motion was defeated by an overwhelming ma- jority. In view of the lively interest which the educational question has aroused during the past few years, and con- tinues to arouse, in these islands, a debate among some of the victims themselves is of special interest. Among the chief points brought out in debate were: — For the Motion: (1) The system of working for some examinations on a narrow syllabus tends to confine and cramp the intellect, and the methods of preparation en- courage spoon-feeding. (2) Too much stress is laid on merely mental training, while the faculty for understanding one ' s fellows, so necessary in the modern world, is neglected. (3) The purely intellectual side is over-emphasized to the exclusion of manual interests, and the value of manual work tends to become depreciated in the estimation of the young. (4) The present system segregates the social classes, so that there is little opportunity for fostering sympa- thy and understanding among them. This segre- gation leads to class prejudice and class war, while the stress laid in each national system of education on exclusive national interests leads to war among the nations. Against the Motion: (1) The curriculum tries to provide for individual requirements, granting opportunities for specialisation in the later stages. (2) In so far as is possible within the limitations im- posed by numbers the present system is experimen- tal and tries to bring out individuality. (3) Cultural accomplishments are not neglected: music, art, literature, and in most schools manual train- ing find a place. (4) Games and other group activities foster the team spirit, invaluable later on in implementing inter- national obligations. (5) The proof of the pudding is in the eating. Look at 10

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Empire Day Address By Archdeacon Marriott Empire Day was celebrated at Saltus Grammar School by a service conducted by the Headmaster, Rev. R. E. E. Eooker, in the School Hall on Friday. Addresses were given by the visitors, Mrs. C. G. G. Gilbert, representing the I. O. D. E., and the Ven. Archdeacon Marriott. The service opened with the singing of the School hymn, and the Lesson, Let us now praise famous men . . was read by N. H. Williams. The School then joined in singing two verses of the song, ' Land of Hope and Glory. Introducing the speakers, the Headmaster said that it was especially gratifying to know that each had had a son at Saltus. Mrs. C. G. G. Gilbert said that she came as the bearer of Empire Day greetings from the I. O. D. E. She explained the aims and objects of the Order, and gave some account of the work which they had done, and were still doing in the educational sphere in Bermuda. Mrs. Gilbert then presented a small flag which was sent by the I. O. D. E., and with it a handsome cedarwood stand to receive it, given by her son Glyn, at one time a pupil of Saltus. Archdeacon Marriott said that in his boyhood Empire Day was not known, though the Queen ' s Birthday was kept on May 24. Empire Day was instituted in 19 02 as a day on which British boys and girls might be instructed in the meaning of Empire; and it was an impressive thoiiglit that at that moment thousands of schools all over the Empire were gathered together in the same celebration. Why? — Because it was so important that when young they should think of what the Empire was, and of what it stood for. The Empire consisted of hundreds of territories, small and large, supporting peoples of diverse races and creeds, scattered all over the globe, and held together by the Crown. The great Dominions were all equal partners in that great Commonwealth of Nations, and they were partners of their own free-will. They looked to the Old Country as a mother, and to the King as their King. It was said that the sun never 12