Saltus Grammar School - Yearbook (Hamilton, Bermuda)

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15 After supper, they were shown the guns, searchlights, wireless station and all the contrivances the camp had to offer. They were well entertained at no. 2 gun by an extremely smart and knowledgeable sergeant of the B. M A. who referred to different parts of the gun as this gentleman here and that gentleman there but who, unfor- tunately was cut short in the middle of a highly spirited demonstra- tion of gun drill in the event of a misfire, in which he took the part of every man in the gun crew at the same time. The next morning, Reveille was at 5.30 for a fall-in at 6.00 and route march at 6.15. Bearing in mind that an average of certainly no m.ore than three hours sleep was« had by all, they gave a fairly good account of themselves . We take this opportunity of thanking Major Moore and the B. V. E. once again for their kindness and hospitality. FIELD DAY. The Field Day is always the hardest thing to write about Cadets. This would not be difficult to understand if you could watch the devel- opment from comparative order to more or less complete confusion v hich inevitably res ' ults. On Wednesday, April 5th, at 9.50 a.m., the Cadets, Band to the fore, marched out of the School gates heading for that scene of many a reeking, smoking battle, Devonshire Marsh. The idea was to arrive at a place some distance beyond the Devonshire golf course shortly before ten o ' clock having relinquished the band instruments on the way. The Saltus force was then to divide against itself — a morale shattering performance — and the detached unit was to join forces v ith the enemy. That the enemy were milk sops to have to have reinforcement from us is brought home all the more by the fact that their rendezvous was the Devonshire Dairy. Our objective that day was ' to endeavour to prevent the enemy from setting fire to two oil wells which were our cherished property, the one actually at Devonshire Marsh and the other at Prospect. Our hasty advance to well no. 1 was first checked at 10.30 when our lead- ing scout was fired on. (This was a good thing, for otherwise we should have got there first and spoilt the Field Day.) As it was, we were just too late to see the balloon go up, and by the time we arrived the dastardly sabotage was already wro ' ught. There was only one thing for it now and that was to send half the force with the greatest dis- patch round another way to cut them off while the other half engaged them in the rear. This plan was duly carried out.

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16 The main force advanced steadily keeping rigidly to time as according to schedule but the enemy was ' making itself scarcer and scarcer. Either their dislike for being engaged in the rear increased proportionally to the advance, or their watches were wrong; for when we came to the most insurmountable obstacle in our path (the hill by the green of the third hole) — a position where they could have kept us at bay indefinitely with a couple of water pistols and a pea-shooter — we found that they had already departed. Our occupation here, so far from being one of triumph wag one of dumb amazement. Henceforward then, the going was comparatively easy. We had plenty of time to relax and when the time came for the final offensive to begin all were as fresh as daisies. This operation started with some stealth but finished up by being a pretty rowdy affair because lunch was in the offing and the enemy stood somewhat in our path. However, the other part of our force was lined up by now to the accompaniment of shrill huzzas it was learnt that the well had been saved. At this point the centre of interest underwent a complete change transforming itself from oil to mineral. THE BOARDING SCHOOL. This is the end of the third year since we opened and it may now be said that we are very much a part of the place. More and more people realise that we fill a gap in the educational effort of Saltus and they take advantage of it. So much so has this been the case that, unless two of our numbers had left in mid-term to go abroad, we should have been in the unenviable position of having to refuse an eiitry. We did not need to change our methods but experience has helped us in detail. The boys- have established their own traditions in small matters and their force of example soon puts the new boy into the straight and narrow path. We have had a particularly good term this term and, although emphasis as always has been laid on the dis- tinction between work and play, the happiness of the boys ' has been the vital consideration. We mention this in order to counteract any idea that such an existence is impossible in a boarding school, which l)elief has been encouraged both by old fashioned school stories and very modern psychological tracts. W ' e do not believe that a boy can