Saltus Grammar School - Yearbook (Hamilton, Bermuda)

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13 School Notes Last year an innovation was introduced into the Founder ' s Day ceremony. The morning arrangements remained the same, but, instead of the Old Boys ' Luncheon being held at mid-day, only a sandwich luncheon was provided in the School Hall at that time and a Dinner was held in the New Windsor Hotel at eight o ' clock. This arrangement proved to be a great success. The cricket matches could start a good deal earlier, and there was time after the dinner for certain members of the Old Boys ' Committee to go round the tables with pens ready primed and cheque books open, encouraging the diners to contribute to the Gymnasium Fund. They collected £293 in this way. We understand that the same procedure is to be followed this year (including the collection afterwards?). During the year we have been treated to more lectures than usual, we believe. A list of speakers and topics follows: Major Whitelock, G.S.O. H, on Paratroops. Mr. John Critchley, on The Battle of Jutland. Colonel J. L. Sleeman, on The St. John Ambulance Brigade, of which he is Chief Commissioner (Overseas). Mr. Ford Baxter, Assistant Editor of The Royal Gazette and Colonist Daily, on Journalism as a Career. Miss Edith Heyl, on Old Bermuda. Mr. W. W. Davidson, Assistant Colonial Secretary, on The Government of Bermuda. Lieut. Russell Flint, Flag-Lieutenant to Sir Irvine Glennie, on A Naval Action off Malaya. Dr. C. E. K. Mees, Director of Research and Vice-President of the Eastman Kodak Company, on Prospects for Scientists in Industry. Rev. Eustace Strong, Rector of Pembroke, on St. George ' s Day. An account of Major Whitelock ' s lecture is printed elsewhere in this Year Book. Two very successful dances have been held in the School Hall, the first on Thursday, Dec. 21st, and the second, a Cadet Dance, on Friday, March 23rci. Through the generosity of Admiral Braisted, U.S.N. , we are now the possessors of a frame building which will, after it has re- ceived the necessary coats of paint and a few minor alterations, we believe, become a quite attractive Cricket Pavilion. It was trans- ferred here from the Base by the united efforts of the U.S. Navy and Mr. Sidney Spurling, a formidable combination, while Mr. Seymour persuaded the Electric Light Company to lend us the necessary trolley, or however else it should be described, to render the building locomotive.

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12 hope that someone would fail to get across and slither down the pole into the water and mud; and our hopes were not infrequently realised. It was believed that occasionally some wilfully took a ducking in order to be sent home for the day and to miss some dreaded class. Robinson ' s Tuck Shop was close by the school, and since in those days bicycles were not in existence and we all had to walk to school, almost everyone stayed around for the lunch period. Some of us had to cover two or three miles to get to school. An unwritten law was that each boy had threepence and no more provided for his lunch, and for that modest sum we could get a roll and butter, or two slices of rye bread and butter; and also a cocoanut cake or two bananas. The younger boys had to manage, I believe, on twopence. But were they not good lunches ! Some of us have never forgotten them in all the years since. The great event of the year was the Annual Sports, and I still have in England the programmes of events of those occasions which occurred during my time at Saltus. We had some very good ath- letes among us, and the School Sports Day was a date of some im- portance for the whole Colony. In scholarship we worked for the Cambridge Local Examina- tions, and Oliver Cromwell and I had the privilege of being the first to sit for the Senior Cambridge in Bermuda. We both suc- ceeded in passing, and not badly, I am glad to say. We, Old Salts as we might be called, look back with affection and some pride to our Old School. It was Education under Diffi- culties, assuredly. Life around us was quieter and less exciting than it is now. Living was cheap and the population was smaller. Agricultural tasks were the chief activities of the Islands, though Bermuda was renowned for the building of cedarwood ships. The Sir George Seymour was the best known of these. But things were moving on even then. The arrival at Ireland Island of the first floating dock was a great occasion; and the in- stallation of the Trans-Atlantic cable a momentous step forward. The Colony may have been not so prosperous, but it was at least as happy as it is now, a friendly place where everyone knew and greeted everyone else. It was in such circumstances that the Saltus Grammar School began its life. Its wider history started in 1893, when it moved to new quarters built on the Woodlands estate; but that is beyond the period to which these notes belong. (Signed) EDWARD A. ANNETT. Robinson ' s Tuck Shop. Known to Bermuda boys as Lumley Robinson ' s Grocery Store. A half loaf of rye bread and butter was referred to as a half loaf of dun- garee and a ha ' penny ' s worth of lining.

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14 On May 28th, C.S.M. Outerbridge, Sgts. Terceira and Wool- lard and Cpls. Harrison and Vivian were conducted on a tour of Fort Bell. We understand that they spent an interesting and instructive day and were very hospitably entertained. Once again the Cambridge Exam, results are late in arriving and we do not know what happened in the 1944 exam. In the 1943 exam, the following passed: — P. Goldsmith, H. C. Beardsley, D. L. Spurling, F. G. Williams, M. D. Taylor. Rumours of the collapse of Germany had been rife in the School all through Monday, May 7th. But almost a full attend- ance took place on the morning of Tuesday to hear the formal pronouncement of V-E Day. A short service of Thanksgiving was conducted by the Headmaster, and then at ten o ' clock Mr. Church- ill ' s speech was heard in part through a loudspeaker in the Plall. After that the School was dismissed until Thursday morning. With the establishment of a proper Bursary in the school building the Trustees have found it convenient to transfer their office here. The new Secretary -Treasurer is Mrs. J. H. Watlington, whose long connection with the S.G.S. (her three sons have all been pupils here) has made her a familiar figure to all the members of the Staff and to many of the boys. We are very glad to welcome so old a friend. Temporarily, however, we have been deprived of her services owing, first to a trip to Canada, to be present at the wed- ding of her eldest son, John Hartley, and secondly to a bout of ill- health. In her place we were lucky to obtain the assistance of Mrs. Janet Moore, whose daughter, Janet, married Hubert Wat- lington; we are very glad to have Mrs. Moore with us and hope that she does not find our demands too exacting. Football The School had quite a good team in Football last season, the chief weakness being in the defence. Most of these players were new to the 1st XI. and considering that they were usually compet- ing with experienced footballers, they performed quite well. The attack was well balanced and combined well, but, except for one or two occasions, it lacked determination to push home its ad- vantage. Of the ten matches played, the 1st XI won three, drew two and lost five. The Junior League XI again did well, winning five out of six of their matches and drawing the other game, thus retaining the B.S.S.A. trophy for another year. They possessed a well balanced team, the defence being particularly strong. It conceded only one goal in all matches.