Saltus Grammar School - Yearbook (Hamilton, Bermuda)

Page 15 text:

11 them on that day, as often before, was Mrs. Leon Powell. Since 1986, when Admiral Sir Matthew Best came to visit them on that occasion, six British Admirals had come to address the Saltus Grammar School on their Empire Day celebrations. Vice-Admiral Sir William Tennant was the sixth and he hoped that he would bear with him whilst he reminded the school of his predecessors. In 1936 Admiral Best had addressed them, and in 1988, Admiral Mer- rick. In 1940, 1941 and 1942, Admiral Kennedy Purves had visited them; he had been a close friend of the school, and he, like Admiral Best, was no longer with them, having died on the Sunday after last Empire Day. In 1948 and 1944 Admiral Curtis had spoken to them, and in 1945 and 1946, Admiral Glennie. Now, in 1947, they were fortunate enough to have Vice-Admiral Sir William Tennant and he hoped that he would stay long in Bermuda and become a fixture there at Saltus Grammar School on Empire Day. Admiral Tennant had served at sea throughout the War, and had experienced the malice of the enemy in its most acute form. It was not necessary for him to remind them in any detail of the essential part played in the life of Bermuda by the Royal Navy: they knew as well as he did that without them as their strong shield and buckler they would not have survived the years of war. They knew, too, that without that defence their way of life, which they so valued, could not have sur- vived. They would listen with respect and interest to what the naval Commander-in-Chief had to tell them . . . Vice-Admiral Sir William Tennant stressed first the importance of discipline and obedience. No doubt they were being chased , a process in which they would learn the value of obedience and dis- cipline, the necessary foundations for the assumption of leadership later on. The schoolboy of today was important, vitally important; all his thoughts and feelings and actions mattered greatly to the community in which he lived. Were they pulling their weight? Could they imagine a boat ' s crew winning a race if one man was not pulling his weight? What they were doing now was going to mean something a few years hence when they would be faced with sterner responsibilities; following the period of discipline came leadership. One of the greatest troubles in the world today was selfishness. It was to be seen at work in the family, in the town, in the national life of countries. In the navy there was an expression to sum it up— I ' m in the boat, shove off. But is was necessary for all of them to remember the other fellow ' s point of view; that was one of the chief requirements of good citizenship, and he felt sure that they all aspired to become good citizens. Another requirement was self-respect. If that went, it was the beginning of the end. At school they could help to retain it by always looking clean and smart.

Page 14 text:

10 On his arrival His Excellency inspected a guard-of-honour form- ed by members of the School Cadet Corps, drawn up on the Parade Ground. He then proceeded on a tour of the Classrooms, and afterwards delivered an address in the Assembly Hall. Finally he witnessed a display of physical training by the whole school on the field. In his address the Governor commented on the friendly manner of the boys of the School and their courteous salutation of him, whenever he passed them in the street. He went on to say that he saw few of them with their hands in their pockets, an attitude for which the only legitimate excuse was to answer a request for a subscription. He urged them to keep a definite purpose before them in their lives and to avoid aimless drifting; while pleasure was not a thing to be entirely neglected, its pursuit should not occupy the forefront of their intentions. It was, no doubt, easy to blame the older generation for the present troubles of the world, but many of their fathers had set them an admirable example of public service, and it was up to them to undertake the responsibility of maintaining that standard. This willingness to accept responsibility was of prime importance in life, and, coupled with it, especially in a coun- try which depended, as Bermuda did, on a tourist trade, was the need for courtesy to the stranger. He finished on a note very wel- come to the boys, by asking the Headmaster to grant a half-holiday that afternoon. The Headmaster then thanked His Excellency and the Assem- bly was dismissed. Empire Day Celebrations The Empire Day ceremonies at Saltus Grammar School took place on Friday morning, when Vice-Admiral Sir William Tennant addressed the boys. Accompanying the Admiral were Lady Tennant and the Flag- Lieutenant, while Mrs. Leon Powell represented the I.O.D.E. Prior to the assembly the Admiral inspected a Cadet Guard of Honour, and later he met the staff at the Headmaster ' s House. In the course of his introductory address the Headmaster, Mr. R. E. E. Booker, reminded the boys that May 24th was the anniver- sary of the birthday of Queen Victoria. It had been officially recog- nised as Empire Day since 1902, when Lord Meath inaugurated it as a day on which the training of young people in Empire citizen- ship should be thought upon. In Bermuda the festival had been kept alive mainly through the energy and initiative of the Imperial Order of the Daughters of the Empire, and the I.O.D.E. visitor with

Page 16 text:

12 Next he would place self-confidence, one of the essential ele- ments of leadership. Then they all realised the importance of loyalty— loyalty to whatever they belonged, to the home, to their family, to their school. Finally, there was efficiency. Now was their opportunity to dig out and to learn to become efficient. But all these qualities must have a background of character be- hind them. Money, position, marks of rank, these didn ' t mean so much nowadays unless they were backed up by character. The Admiral then related some incidents falling within his experience during the War, to illustrate the value of cheerfulness in times of depression, of unselfishness, and of determination in the face of odds. It was acts such as those he had described which had made the Empire and all the Empire stood for. No doubt the Em- pire had lost most of its money through the war; that loss was not ir- retrievable. But there was something it had not lost, and could not afford to lose, and that was its reputation for integrity— Word of an Englishman. The Empire was not worn out. It embodied a living and con- tinuing ideal. He would quote from the speech made by His Maj- esty the King at the Guildhall on his return from South Africa . . . These were the words: If I had to single out one thing as out- standing in my visit, it would be my realisation that the faith of South Africa in Britain is not only unimpaired but has become stronger on account of her unflagging effort in war and peace. His Majesty concluded, Come what may, nothing will shake my belief that this old country, old in history, old in experience, old in achievement, is at heart as young and vigorous as she has ever been. And that is the heart of your Empire. But who was going to keep the heart of the Empire as young and vigorous as ever it had been? It was they and their generation. God had been wondrous kind to the Empire during the past five years. Their enemies had made endless mistakes, while the English people had never known when they were beaten. God would continue to help them, he felt sure, if they of their own efforts deserved it. Let them all see to it that they did. S.G.S. Company Bermuda Cadet Corps 1 his year has been one of several changes in the organisation of the Bermuda Cadet Corps and these changes have of necessity affected the Saltus Company. We now have no Junior Branch in the unit and membership in the Corps is restricted to boys who