Saltus Grammar School - Yearbook (Hamilton, Bermuda)

Page 7 text:

Building The year 1944 will, I think, long be remembered at Saltus as that in which Old Boys and Parents began very actively to set about the provision of long overdue additions and extensions to our School Buildings. Urged on by St. George Butterfield, ably as- sisted by Morris Cooper, Duncan Gosling and others, the Saltus Old Boys ' Association set the ball rolling by electing a subcommit- tee and openmg a subscription list for a School Gymnasium. In a very short time substantial contributions from Old Boys and Parents and, equally valuable, ' ' widow ' s mites from younger contributors have swelled this fund to a point where definite plans can be laid and drawings made. F ollowing a meeting, at the School, of Trustees, Old Boys on the Staff of the School, Ernest Watlington and Will Onions (who very politely refrained from laughing too obviously at a drawing which I have been making for years in the hope of arousing interest and discussion!) plans have actually been put onto paper, and meetings formal and informal with Hereward Watlington in the chair have been taking place. Soon, I believe, a picture and a plan of what is proposed, this time seriously and after expert considera- tion, will appear in one of the store windows of Hamilton. This will, I hope, give rise to still more good-natured argument and bring in many helpful suggestions and criticisms. Then for a time not much more will be heard of the Saltus Gymnasium, until one day Old Boys, Parents and boys will assemble for its opening in the days of Peace. The building of a Physics Laboratory, an Art Room, and a really adequate Library, and other necessary extensions, are also under consideration and will in due course, as indeed must be so, if we are to keep abreast of the requirements of the times, appear on Saltus property. One of my closest friends in Bermuda once said to me, You can run a first-class school in a cellar, if necessary — not that I think it desirable! I fully agree in principle and have always felt, and publicly said, that buildings are not our first consideration, but rather the work and character-building that go on in what we have. But he and I and everyone else who really considers the welfare of the School feel strongly that the time has come to try to house what we believe to be a good and sound idea in a thorough- ly efficient and worthy school building. I think I can safely say that every boy in the school is person- ally interested in the atmosphere of ' ' building that is about the place and that all look forward keenly to the beginning and eventual completion of the work, whether it be in their own time at school or in that of their younger brothers who will follow them here. For myself I am profoundly grateful that it has been and is my lot to work with so many genial, generous and sensible Saltus men. R. E. E. B.

Page 6 text:

Editorial In offering this Year Book to the public, we are under the im- pression that it is a more complete record of the activities of the School during the year than previous issues have been; perhaps the number of activities has increased, or it may be that there are more willing contributors than in the past. While it is always something of a rush to collect the necessary material in time (for boys par- ticularly cannot be persuaded to produce their contributions until they are told that the next daiy will be too late), this year, at least, we cannot grumble at the amount of assistance that has been forthcoming and the readiness, even if at the eleventh hour, to undertake the production of material for another article. The Editor i? genuinely grateful to those who have helped him. There are, in particular, two articles to which we would call the special attention of our readers: the prize-wmnmg essay, written by our Head Prefect, R. L. BarnaVd, for the competition sponsored by the I.O.D.E., on the subiect ' Good Citizenship within the Brit- ish Empire, ' and a reprint of a circular letter sent to the Old Boys, asking for subscriptions towards the building of a gymnasium at the School as a lasting memorial to the Saltus Old Boys who ' fell m the two World Wars. As sent out, the letter is accompanied by a form suggesting that intending contributors should agree to donate a definite sum, spreading the payments, if they are desirous of so doing, over a period of three years. The goal has been set at £5,000, and, up to the moment of going to press, we understand that the total has reached just over £2,000. We hope that on Founder ' s Day we shall hear of a substantial increase over this figure.

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6 Saltus Old Boys ' Association Committee H. Morris Cooper St. George Butterfield George E. Gorham William Freisenbruch H. C. Adams T. W. P. Vesey Archie Brown Saltus Gymnasium Building Fund Committee St. George Butterfield William Freisenbruch George E. Gorham A Letter to Old Boys To Old Boys and Friends of the Saltus Grammar School : The Saltus Old Boys ' Association feel that a tangible mark of affection for the school should be the aim of our association, to foster good fellowship and link us with the school of the present. These Islands, together with all members of the United Nations are being tried in the fire of war. As in the first World War many Saltus Boys have again unflinchingly taken up the call and some have made the supreme sacrifice. We feel that it should be our object to erect a lasting memorial of their example which will be an inspiration to future generations. It is of interest to know that : I. The Saltus Grammar School is 50 years old. 2. It has increased in size until now there are 192 boys m the School and approximately 1,000 Old Boys spread over the surface of the globe. 3. The greatest and we might say crying need of the school today is for a gymnasium. 4. It has been decided to erect a first-class gymnasium to be called The Saltus Grammar School Memorial Gymnasium. 5. This gymnasium will be a Memorial to all the Saltus Boys who served in the first World War and who are serving in the Armed Forces of the United Nations in the present war. 6. We need £5,000 to build and equip the kind of gymnasium that will be a fitting memorial, large enough to be efficient, and of a size not to be outgrown in a few years. After reading the above this Committee appeals to you — Old Boy — to roll back the years and ask yourself if the Old School did anything for you, and if the answer is yes, we trust that you will respond to this appeal, regarding it not only as a Memorial and contribution, but as an investment of which the dividend is an assurance of Good Citizenship. H. ST. GEO. BUTTERFIELD, Chairman, S.G.S. Memorial Committee. P.S. — Please send cheques to Saltus Grammar School Me- morial Gymnasium Fund, Bank of N. T. Butterfield Son, Ltd.