Saltus Grammar School - Yearbook (Hamilton, Bermuda)

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12 Empire Day Celebration Empire Day was celebrated at Saltus Grammar School on Thursday morning by a service conducted by the Headmaster in the School Hall, at which Vice-Admiral Sir Irvine Glennie, K.C.B., Senior British Naval Officer, Western Atlantic, spoke to the boys urging them to set themselves a high standard and to have faith. Accompanying the Admiral were Lady Glennie, Commander Oswin and the Flag-Lieutenant, while the LO.D.E. were represented by Mrs. Leon Powell. Prior to the Assembly the Admiral inspected a Cadet Guard of Honour, and later he met the staff at the Headmaster ' s House. Mr. Booker spoke briefly of the origin and significance of Empire Day, and appreciated the enthusiasm of the LO.D.E. in helping to keep the festival alive in Bermuda. For a number of years it had been the custom at Saltus to celebrate Empire Day by welcoming there the Senior British Naval Officer. Last year Admiral Glennie had kindly consented to keep up that good tradi- tion, and this year it was a great pleasure and a privilege to have him with them again; the} had been extremely fortunate to have so competent and so genial a man for their speaker on those two occasions. Admiral Glennie said: I am grateful indeed for the very kind invitation of your Headmaster to be with you today, and I am sad to think that it is the last occasion upon which I shall be able to share with you this great day when we try to pause for a moment to think of the Empire and of the duties which lie ahead of us. There may be some among you who will remember something of what I said last year when we celebrated Empire Day in the midst of terrific events. You may remember that I spoke of responsibility, the great need for thought and for keeping a clear eye and straight bat. Since that day twelve months ago the speed of World events has, in my opinion, exceeded anything that one could reasonably ex- pect and. Heaven knows, we were keyed up to big events then. Today, the world over, things are in the melting pot: starva- tion faces millions of people; international agreements are honey- combed with misunderstandings, doubts and suspicions; political thoughts run high, and self-determination and nationalism are on the march. Such then in brief is the picture today within the framework of which the Empire must forge ahead, bending to the task of re- construction of a battered world the full weight of centuries of experience and wisdom. In the Library the other day I happened upon a book whose title made a great impression. It was called ' A Time for Great-

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11 mentioned the requirement as to an Honours Degree, but that was not all. It was also necessary to pass a stiff medical examination, for life in the colonial service could be pretty tough. In addition, it was necessary to satisf} a Selection Board that one possessed the necessary personality; the ideal Administration Officer has to understand human beings, to be able to humour them, to know when to be strict and when to be lenient, when to be serious and when to joke. Many a tribal uprising has been nipped in the bud by making the crowd laugh. The next step was a year ' s course at either Oxford or Cambridge at which one studied subjects such as book-keeping, surveying, criminal and civil law, tropical agricul- ture, and African languages. So he arrived in Zanzibar, a British Protectorate ruled by a Sultan. Compared with Bermuda it was huge in size, and in popu- lation it was one of the most cosmopolitan parts of the world. The landed gentry were Arabs, the shopkeepers Indians, and there were representatives of most other races living there. His work as a Cadet, and later as District Commissioner, was mainly magisterial, but one had to be prepared for all sorts of jobs, including engineer- ing, doctoring, and even schoolmastering ! Life was never monoton- ous. Later he had been posted as District Commissioner over an area of 10,000 square miles in Northern Rhodesia. The journey from the coast was difficult and adventurous, and it had taken him forty-seven days to reach his destination. He and his wife and family had been paddled up the Zambesi on a barge with a crew of sixteen native paddlers. It was impossible to carry sufficient stores, and so they had been largely dependent for food on his rod and gun; he must go ashore to shoot birds, or to shoot buck, a difficult task. They passed through dangerous country; frequently there was a hyena in the tent at night, and one slept with revolver or gun by the bedside; some of the snakes were extremely dangerous, and a government regulation required its officers to carry with them a supply of anti-snakebite serum. His Excellency told several amusing anecdotes of life in Zan- zibar and Northern Rhodesia, and then in conclusion stressed two points. One he had already elaborated, and that was that it was essential for them to work when young, however much they hated it. The other he had already told them indirectly by talking to them about life elsewhere in the huge continent of Africa: it was that Bermuda was a very small place, and if they lived there all their lives, there was always the danger that they might become too insular. If they couldn ' t travel themselves, let them learn as much as possible about other countries and other peoples: there was always something else beyond the horizon.

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13 ness. ' I am afraid that I have not read it, but none the less it con- veyed to me a message. If ever there was a time when it was open to the Empire to achieve greatness it is now when men ' s minds the world over are so disturbed and nobody can see a path clearly marked. We have seen the greatness of war, by which I mean the greatness of military leadership, the greatness of the fighting man and of the civilian with all their amazing unselfishness, dauntless courage and invincible optimism. We now turn over the page and come face to face with the need for moral greatness which alone, in my opinion, can rebuild the wreckage of six years of war. I am perforce talking now more to those of you who will shortly go out from Saltus to take your place in the world. You are, I am certain, thinking ' Well, what has all this rather compli- cated business got to do with me? ' — and it is quite natural that you should be thinking upon those lines. I will try to tell you. As I said last year, the British Empire stands for Faith and Freedom founded upon the moral qualities of heart and mind, which in their turn depend upon the moral strength of each member of that Empire. ' We, particularly in England, have suffered awful losses of material things in these wars, — Manpower, Money, Factories, Homes. These can be rebuilt. But to give a lead to all those countries and peoples shattered by foreign invasion and domination we must show our capacity for wise leadership, a clear understand- ing and great Faith in our mission. So I say to each of you, set younselves a high standard of work and never be satisfied that you cannot do better. Shun slackness and the inclination to take things easily; do whatever you have to do with all your strength and ability. Think always of your friends and neighbours and help them all you can. These things are mighty hard to do; but try, and for every one of you who succeeds there is an added strength to the whole vast organisation striving against heavy odds for the betterment of mankind. School Notes Founder ' s Day, 1945, was celebrated on June 21st with the usual ceremonies. In the morning there was the Service in the School Hall, at which the Founder ' s Day Oration was delivered by Mr. H. D. Butterfield. After the Service representatives of the Trustees, the Headmaster, the Staff, the Prefects and the boys in the Senior School proceeded to the tomb of Samuel Saltus in the Pembroke Churchyard and laid a wreath there. After lunch the First and Second Elevens played cricket against teams of Old