Saltus Grammar School - Yearbook (Hamilton, Bermuda)

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10 nations are, in essence, only groups of citizens, it is obvious that everything pertaining to that nation, its international repute, its form of government, its standard of living, will depend upon every citizen. Thus we can see what is required of the people of a nation of world importance. St. Peter in his general Epistle advises Honour all men. Love the Brotherhood. Fear God. Honour the King. In my opinion that is one of the clearest perceptions of any good citizen. The first rule of good citizenship is, to quote again from St. Peter, Submit yourself to every ordinance of man. To assist in the preservation of law and order in his community, by obeying every ordinance, is the first duty of every citizen. Also a good subject must of course be firmly patriotic and must bear in mind always that the future of the country to which he owes allegiance depends upon him and his fellow countrymen. The citizens of every part of the British Empire must work together to ensure the common welfare and maintenance of their countries and their Empire, and the democratic ideals for which they stand. They must realise that Unity is Strength. For ex- ample, the imperial Englishman must learn to recognise the Do- minion colonial or the Malay native as his neighbour. The public can give the lead in ensuring, by a continued interest in imperial affairs that a sense of common and good citizenship inspires the whole Empire. The proudest words that one could say in Roman times were Civis Romanus sum. Let us strive to make the words I am a good citizen of the British Empire of equal prestige in our times. Thus we may continue to live in this great and free association of great and free peoples, united in equal partnership, linked by common loyalty to the throne. Old Boys News It was with the very greatest pleasure that we heard a few days ago the news that F 0 J. H. Watlington is safe and in British hands. He was reported missing nearly a year ago and no word had been heard of him in the meantime. Major W. E. Tucker, R.A.M.C., who had been a prisoner of war since the fall of France in 1940, was released last November and returned to England. He has since been awarded an M.B.E. Lieut. M. C. D. Bowman, of the Royal Canadian Regiment, has been awarded a Military Cross for displaying initiative and courage in leading his platoon in an attack on the enemy. John Harvey has recently been promoted, at the early age of thirty-eight, to the rank of Brigadier in the Royal Marines. He was the first British officer to step ashore, and the first to be wound- ed, in the invasion of Sicily.

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9 In spite of the maxim Trade follows the flag the Empire grew with the development of overseas trade. Gradually Great Britain acquired and developed overseas settlements for trading purposes. The rest of the Empire was built up around the trading stations. Only then was it necessary to employ military operations to keep and strengthen the stations. The countries of the British Empire fall roughly into two groups, the large producing territories, of which the Dominions form the principal part, and the smaller Colonies, which serve as links between the Homeland and her Colonies. If this Empire is to grow or even maintain its present situa- tion, the forces of growth must be stronger than those of disrup- tion. Among the material forces which have kept the Empire united, are advances in science and communications. On the other hand various inevitable developments tend to operate against Empire consolidation. There has been, particularly since the first world war, an awakening of racial consciousness, a craving for political expression in self-government. Each war that has been fought by the Empire in this century has not weakened but strengthened the ties that bind England to her Colonies. This war has shown how solid the relationship is. Most remarkable evidence of this is the fact that, in India and the Colonies, so many of what our enemies would call ' ' Our subject races have voluntarily answered the call to arms in defence of a supposedly alien Empire. For example thcx Cripps Mission to India, at a time of much strife there, found that she has provided for more Indian fighting men than could have been equipped within measurable time. In peace time, however, the situation is entirely different. After the last war, when the Empire had fought to establish demo- cratic ideals, her people began to apply them to their own lives. By the time of the last Empire Conference before the war, it was recognised that the conference was not held to discuss the Empire ' s relationship as between Home Country and Colonies, but rather as between a group Qf autonomous countries. The position will be exactly the sarhe after this war. The Atlantic Charter provides that it is the right of all peoples to choose the form of Government under which they will live. Therefore the problem which confronts all citizens of the British Empire today is this — after the war shall they renounce all ties and have each of the larger colonies existing as separate states or shall they continue to live in a satisfied union, working for the good -of all its members ? The latter part of this question seems to me to be the more satisfactory arrangement. To accomplish this we must be good citizens, not only as individuals, but as members of the Empire. Let us now consider what the term Good citizens implies and how good citizenship must be applied to the Empire. Since

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11 Lieut. Lionel Hunter was awarded his Belt of Honour at the Royal Military College, Sandhurst. He has since married Guinevere, daughter of Margaret, Lady Grant, and the late Sir Hamilton Grant, Bart. The ceremony took place in the Royal Chapel of Hampton Court Palace. Lieut. D. J. Williams has won the reputation of being the most outstanding student to attend the school in Canada where he has been receivmg a course m battle trammg. Sub-Lieut. J. D. Misick, R.N.V.R., has won commendation from the Canadian press for his courage in assisting to capture and make fast a number of depth charges which had come adrift on board his ship during heavy weather. The task was one which involved imminent risk of his life. Peter Darling is now a 2nd Lieutenant in the Royal Marines. F. W. Adderley has recently been promoted L.A.C. in the R.C.A.F. James Cochrane is now in England, where he has joined the Royal Navy. Signalman F. Mansbridge, formerly of the B.V.E., has been with the Commandos in Italy and Sicily. H. F. Stephens is now a Flying Officer and has gone back to England from Canada. Colin Young and M.A. Gibbons, Jr., have received commissions in the B.M.L F. J. Leseur is now a full Lieutenant in the Royal Navy, and at the time of going to press is at home on leave. P. S. Welch has joined the R.C.A.F. Some time ago he came here on leave, but, owing to some misunderstanding in the destina- tion of the plane on which he travelled, he was only able to spend one night at hom.e. E. A. Benevides has joined the Canadian Armoured Division. P. N. Spurling, R. G. Tucker and F. S. Howe have joined the U. S. Army. During the year we have been visited at the School by several Old Bovs who have been home on leave, among them were Flight Lieut. Francis Gosling, D.F.C., P 0. John Pitt, P 0. Lyall Mayor, and W. R. Kempe, who is now training as a pilot in the Fleet Air Arm. We regret to record the death in January of George Hutchings. He had be en President of the Saltus Old Boys ' Association and was the architect of the latest wing to be added to the School. It was due to his efforts that the first list of Old Boys was compiled, and he always took the keenest interest in all that concerned the School. We shall miss his kindly interest in the future. C. H. V. Talbot has been appointed Manager of the King Edward VII Memorial Hospital. He won both the Bermuda and Rhodes Scholarships, and became Assistant Colonial Secretary here, later proceeding to Grenada as Colonial Secretary. He was