Saltus Grammar School - Yearbook (Hamilton, Bermuda)

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27 The Debating Society The Society can look back on a successful and interesting year, marked by several enjoyable debates and one experiment in the form of a Mock Trial. Rex vs. Horatio Doggono , or the Case of the Minced Cat , provided several flowers of legal oratory, a judg- ment worthy of Solomon, and considerable amusement, with D. M. G. Lawrey as Chief Justice Sir Henry Wiseacre, N. H. Rich- ardson as Sir Archibald Claptrap, A. A. Michielson as Sir John Play- fair, Counsel for the Crown and the Defence, respectively, and W. S. Lombardo as the accused, H. C. Doggono. We were also privileged to hear several guest speakers, including Mrs. Terry Tucker, Mr. John R. Plowman, Mr. Frederic Wakeman, Mr. Ford Baxter, and Mr. H. A. Leseur, an Old Boy of the School and a former member of the Society. The orators of Tomorrow took the opportunity to learn from the experts of Today, and the Society was benefited as well as entertained. Much to our disappointment it proved impossible to arrange a debate with any other school, but we still hope that this may be done again in the future as it was in past years. Our programme for 1946 47 commenced with a Debate on the Motion that The Modern Schoolboy is an Inferior Product , pro- posed by D. M. G. Lawrey and opposed by A. A. Michielson, with D. H. Harrison and W. S. Lombardo as third and fourth speakers, respectively. The proposers mourned the lax discipline and irres- ponsibility of the schoolboy of today, and compared him to his dis- credit with his father, while the opposition, drawing a lurid and undeniably forbidding picture of school life in stricter times, staunchly supported the methods and results of modern education. Most members refused to acknowledge themselves inferior to their forebears and the motion was defeated. The Mock Trial was held at the second meeting, and for the last meeting of the Christmas Term, Mr. Baxter and Mr. Leseur, both of the Bermuda Press visited the school to oppose the Motion that In the Interests of Public Morals and Freedom of Thought the Press should be Muzzled by an Enlightened Censorship , pro- posed by N. H. Richardson and A. A. Michielson, who feared the influence of the popular press of Today; It had a great responsibil- ity, they said, but was unconscious or careless of it, and too often used its great powers to lead the public— in the wrong direction. This was denied by the visitors, who claimed that the Freedom of the Press and Democracy were so closely bound up with each other that they could not exist apart. The Press triumphed as usual, and the motion was defeated.

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26 Griffith ' s plane which flew quite well several times and attained a speed of about 60 mph on one occasion. He had some difficulty landing the plane, however, and was forced into some lengthy repairs. The design had considerable influence on the flight quali- ties. Most of the accidents seemed to have been caused by too heavy wing loading and high speed. If the boys in the club learned nothing else, they had some practice in doing things with their hands and considerable patience was required just to get the engine started. E. W. ALLEN. Mr C L Newcomb Talks to Saltus Boys On Thursday afternoon the boys of Saltus Grammar School listened to an interesting and informative talk about the crusade against tuberculosis given by Mr. C. L. Newcomb, Director of the Christmas Seals Association of the United States of America. Mr. Newcomb traced the history of the national movement from its inception in the United States in 1904, and of its later ex- pansion into an international crusade under the Cross of Lorraine. The idea of the selling of Christmas seals to raise funds for the campaign was originated by an American postmaster in 1907, he said, and had become international in its scope. Boys could help the movement while following the fascinating hobby of col- lecting the seals issued by the forty-two countries composing the In- ternational Union Against Tuberculosis. Mr. Newcomb went on to give a general idea of the incidence of the tuberculosis scourge, and of modern methods of diagnosis by means of X-ray films and photographs. The lecturer was introduced by Mr. Ernest Astwood, President of the Bermuda Tuberculosis Association. The Library There is little change to report regarding the Library this year. We have had several gifts of books, in particular from Major Welch, when he left us to return to his home in Scotland. David Lawrey, an old boy and former Librarian, upon leaving us to make his home in the U.S.A., presented the Library with a number of school books for the School Reference section, also some fiction suitable for most of the classes. The remainder was iven by the boys of the school and the Old Boys ' Association, to whom we extend our thanks for these much appreciated donations. For we are always glad to obtain more books in order to please the varied tastes of the members of the school.

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28 The programme for the Easter Term opened with a Hat Debate. Such subjects as A dog is a man ' s best friend , Are you in favour of a World State? Most boys say too much and think too little , and What do you understand by Infinity? evoked several gems of wisdom and a certain amount of unconscious humour. A month later the Society was delighted to welcome Mrs. Tucker and Mr. Plowman, who proposed the Motion that 1 he In- fluence of Modern Radio is Pernicious . They claimed that com- mercial radio destroyed peace and quiet, good taste, freedom of thought, and individuality. The Opposers, A. A. Michielson and N. H. Richardson, maintained that radio brought the best enter- tainment of every sort within the reach of all instead of confining it to the wealthy few, and was of great educational value as well The younger generation rallied to the support of radio and the mo- tion was defeated. OFFICERS FOR THE YEAR 1946 47 President Mr. J. H. Kerry Secretary N. H. Richardson Committee: A. A. Michielson, D. M. G. Lawrey, D. S. R. Smith, D. P. Lines, C. T. M. Collis. Art The Annual Art Exhibition was held in the library on March 27th, and was small, in comparison with previous displays, though none the less impressive in spite of this. By way of explanation I must point out the difficulties which are strewn along the path of progress in this much-criticised subject. There are many who labour under the impression that talent is a fundamental and necessary structure, without which, one is bound to fail. Such was the first attitude I encountered, on entering the school, and I am pleased to say is fast being overcome. There are others who are inclined to think that drawing and painting is a pursuit to be left to those who show initial ability, that there is no constructive result or satis- faction to be gained, in other words a girlish pastime . The answer to these diehards is found, in later life, when one meets people who often remark: I wish I had learned to draw and paint . Another well-worn saying is: A scene too beautiful for words ; yet which might have been expressed by pencil or brush. All this serves to illustrate my point, which is . . . TRY, TRY, TRY. ... Now to the results of the year ' s work: In the Christmas Term an exhibition was held in the Hamilton Hotel with the object of