Saltus Grammar School - Yearbook (Hamilton, Bermuda)

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29 This term the Society met to attend a showing of the film A Song to Remember. We should Hke to thank the Headmaster for arranging this and also for lending us his recordings of Beet- hoven ' s Eroica Symphony, Rachmaninoff ' s Piano Concerto in C Minor and Cesar Franck ' s Sonata for Violin and Piano in A Major. The following are now members of the Society: Vivian, Law- rey, Diel, Richardson, Anfossi and Seymour. B. P. S. Cuit a: This society was founded with a view to encouraging cultural interests in the School. We once contemplated play-acting and reading, but found this impossible in the time at our disposal. It remained, therefore, for us to rely on the local theatres and indus- tries as a source of cultural entertainment. On November 3rd we heard a lecture on Japanese Ideographs by Mr. Porter. This lecture on such an unusual topic was greatly appreciated. In February the Society paid a visit to the Bermuda Shoe Factory, where we spent a most instructive afternoon under the guidance of Mr. Barber. During his recent visit to Bermuda Dr. C. E. K. Mees, Director of Research and Vice-President of the Eastman Kodak Company, gave a talk on Scientific Research to the more scientifically minded members of the Society. The Year ' s Art The Annual Art Exhibition was held on Nov. 16th and 18th and consisted of work done under the supervision of Miss K. M. Cook of the school staff and Messrs. Snape and Jones of the Nicholl Institute. The judges were Mr. Will Onions and Lieut. Merle Wimmer, U.S.N. The latter had taught art before entering the Navy. The prizes, given by Mr. Hereward Watlington, were awarded as follows: Pencil work (Seniors) Reed Cooper ' s Seated Figure, (Juniors) Keith Davis ' s Brush; Painting (Seniors) First Prize, Johrf McDaniel ' s Snapdragons, Second Prize, Reed Cooper ' s Hibiscus, (Juniors) First Prize, Maurice Terceira ' s Hat, Second Prize, Thomas Vesey ' s Shell; Prize for perse- verance throughout the year, Harry McHarg. The results of the Royal Drawing Society ' s Examinations, taken in May, 1944, came through this Spring. Out of sixty- three entries twenty-eight obtained Honours, eighteen Passes and seven- teen Failures, these latter not of the deepest dye. Working for the Royal Drawing Society, founded as far back as 1888, has provided

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28 and for his keenness in School athletics generally. In particular, we should like to take this opportunity to thank him for his kindness in instructing a class in Gym and Boxing on Saturday afternoons. This term an ' Assaut d ' Armes ' was staged, the proceeds of which were donated to the Red Cross. Diel won the Tate Cup for Sabre and retained the title of Captain of Fencing, while Monks won the Ambard Cup for Foil. We are sorry that P.T.I. Tate is leaving us, but we are looking forward with confidence to a successful year under our new in- structor, P.T.I. Kemp. B. P. S. Choir Under the guidance of Mr. Bridge, our pianist and choir leader, ihe Choir has just ended another successful year. But, owing to a deficiency of tenors and painstaking altos, our programme of choral music has not been of such good quality as in former years. Never- theless we were able to give a very satisfactory rendering of the traditional carols at the annual Carol Concert. This year our notable soloists were Oatham and Fountain, trebles. Gamble, tenor, and Vivian, bass. Many others did well in quartet arrangements. Mr. Laurence Dill, an Old Boy of the School, has composed an arrangement of the Gloria for us, and is also the composer of ' School Hymn, No. 2 ' , designed to be sung on Founder ' s Day and other School functions. The words of this Hymn were specially written for us by His Lordship the Bishop. After an interval of two years the Choir is again practising for a performance of the Cantata, Thaudrig Crohoore ' . J- V. D. L. Musical Society The Society has had another successful year under the leader- ship of Mr. Thompson. Unfortunately we have been unable to keep Wednesday as our regular meeting day, as some of our mem- bers have to attend Band practice after Cadet Parade. In any case we cannot compete with the Band, even if every window in the room is closed and the volume of the radio-gramophone turned up to its fullest extent. During the Easter term the Society attended a recital given by Miss Devlin playing the violin and Mr. Bridge at the organ. In the same term we held a Musical Evening, in which each member of the Society performed.

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30 a fresh interest, enabling us to keep in touch with the outside world. It has also pressed home the fact that only by constant observation of form, texture, light, shade, and colour combined with hard work can we hope to improve. The Headmaster set aside a room for Art at the beginning of the Autumn Term. Now we feel that we have a home and ample space in which to store our numerous belongings. In the Spring Term a class was formed to work under Mr. D, Kirkpatrick on Saturday mornings. The pictures bought in the U.S.A. are much appreciated; John Wyatt helped to paint the frames, over which Mr. Arthur Cooper so kindly gave advice. We have also had gifts of pictures from Miss Alexander and Miss Rose Gosling. Mr. Talbot has advised over lighting problems, and many kind friends have from time to time lent us objets d ' art. In the Royal Drawing Society ' s War-time Competition Thomas Vesey was awarded a Book Prize, and Maurice Terceira, Eldbn Trimingham and David Wingate received First Class Commendation. K. M. C. C. Major Whitelock ' s Lecture On Wednesday morning the boys of Saltus Grammar School were privileged to hear a talk by Major M. E. Whitelock, British Army Air Corps, now G.S.O. 2, Bermuda Command. Major Whitelock said that he would try to ' ' put over to his audience something of the spirit animating the British Paratroops in the hope that they could get some of it and apply it to their own work and to their future careers. The Paratroops (called the Red Devils from the maroon berets which they wore) formed part of an Airborne Division, or- ganised in three sections, — Parachutists, Air Glider Troops and the Glider Pilot Regiment. Having outlined the history of the use of British parachutists in the present war. Major Whitelock used this as a background in describing fheir training. The Para recruit must be a first-class shot; necessarily limited in the amount of ammunition he could carry, he must be able to fire accurately so that every shot would tell. He must be reasonably athletic, and especially he must know how to fall, an art learned in games such as rugby football. On reaching the training depot he would be delivered into the not- tender charge of a burly P.T. instructor for a period of ten days, during which he would make progressive jumps of four, eight, twelve and sixteen feet from a platform before doing trapeze work, by which he would learn para control, — how to turn in the right direc- tion and how to stop from swinging,, a dangerous tendency if not