THE DURNOVARIAN 1932

To our Annual Speech Day we welcomed this year another distinguished educationalist in Mr. John Murray, M.A., Principal of the University College of the South-west, Exeter, who had consented to present the prizes.

In the regrettable absence of Col. K.R. Balfour, Chairman of the Governing Body, who is still suffering from the effects of a serious accident, the chair was taken by Mr. Wilfrid F. Hodges, Vice-Chairman. Referring to the illness of Colonel Balfour, Mr. Hodges said all would be glad to know that he was progressing very favourably and they hoped that in a short time he would once more be able to guide the destinies of the Old School. In welcoming Mr. John Murray, he said that Dorchester Grammar School was closely connected with the University College at Exeter, two members of the Staff having received their training there, while several boys had gone on to Exeter from the School to continue their studies.

Among those unable to be present he would like to mention in particular Dr. Walter Lock, who had sent his good wishes, adding "The longer I live, the more grateful I feel for what Dorchester Grammar School did for me."

The Headmaster then read his annual report as follows:
"In point of numbers the school is larger than it ever was. The number now is 215, and the average number of last year was 207. The buildings have been uncomfortably full, but, had it not been for the exceptionally difficult times in which we are unfortunate enough to live, we should by now have almost seen the completion of an excellent gymnasium, and the present hall would have been transformed into two classrooms and a VIth form room. It is a pity, as far as the development of the school is concerned, that we must remain as we are, but "We do not retire in honourable despair, but merely refrain temporarily in hope".

The work of the school during the year has proceeded satisfactorily, and some of the results have been very sound indeed. Three Oxford Higher School certificates were obtained - two in modern studies, and one in science and mathematics, and for a second year the school has obtained one of the County Council senior awards. R. Duckett, who obtained a distinction in physics, was awarded a senior exhibition and has gone on to University College, Exeter. K.J. Knell, also, has been given an open exhibition in engineering, and has gone on to University College, Southampton.

It is a matter of great regret that we have at present no closed scholarships or exhibitions limited to boys of the school, which might enable two or three of them each year to continue his work at the university. We are now producing boys who have the capacity to go on, and the school very badly needs the munificence of the private donor as a stimulus to its work and as an aid to its usefulness. One governor has since written to me suggesting, that, if the governors as a body did something, private subscription might do the rest. I welcome his interest in this matter and throw out the germ of the idea in the hope that it may take root and flourish.

We had a large number of school certificate candidates this year, namely 36, and of these 23 obtained certificates, a proportion which represents the average for the country as a whole in this examination. Five boys passed with honours, and seven distinctions were gained - one in chemistry (and in chemistry only eight were given), one in mathematics, and five in history. In nearly all the subjects the results were solidly good and most encouraging; there is clear evidence of the hardest work on the part of the staff; and, in addition, I think that my remarks of a year ago when I said that the boy's primary need was to develop the power of concentration and to spend not merely his time on his work, but all his mental energy have not been without effect. I hope I am right in thinking that during the past year the average boy has begun to attain to a higher standard of personal application. I still ask for your co-operation in this vital matter.

But I am troubled, and to a certain extent dissatisfied, with one aspect of the work. As you know, a pass in English and a pass in French - if a boy does not take Latin - is indispensable for a school certificate. Now besides the failures which we rather expected from about half-a-dozen boys, it is perfectly obvious that a little sounder performance in English and French would have produced six or seven other certificates. It is unreasonable to insist, as has been done hitherto, that every boy should pass in French free prose composition, and that obligation will sooner or later, I think, be waived. But it is reasonable and desirable that a boy should be compelled to satisfy the examiners in the proper use of his own language, and also that he should be able adequately to render a piece of French back into his own language. This is where the weakness lies, and I wish to repeat what I said three years ago - that people, both young and old, do not read as much as they ought, and also, read much of what they ought not. It is still true to say that there is a general neglect of the cultivation of the habit of quiet reflection which excites to greater intellectual effort, and quite definitely I say that it is a boy's duty to himself so to read widely, think deeply, and speak properly that his knowledge and the manner of the expression of his opinion shall make his opinions worth listening to when he is a man. I cannot impress too strongly on all the boys the great importance of deliberately cultivating (1) the power of placing sensible thoughts clearly on paper, and (2) the art of sound, grammatical, and well-articulated speaking.

The difficulty of finding employment for those who leave is, as you know, greater than it was this time last year, but of the number of an age for work who have left this past year - namely 24 - 20 have obtained employment, although some of the situations are not what the particular boys would have chosen or would have entered in normal times. Although we have to look the severe economic facts in the face, we are trying to secure for each boy an opening which will be a career for him and not a mere job. I am in close touch with the Ministry's divisional office at Bristol and with local agencies, and though I feel powerless at times, I can say no more than that I am doing all I can to help. Of one thing I am certain - it will do no boy harm to remain in the school under our influence until he is fixed up.

The other departments of our school activities continue to prosper. The effect of the remodelling of the manual instruction syllabus during the past two years has been that some of the articles turned out have been of a high standard. For the first time the manual work has been thought worthy of a prize . A number of articles were thought to be good enough for exhibition at the Bath and West Show at Yeovil last term, and they compared very favourably with other good work from elsewhere in the county. It is only through financial stringency that this year we are prevented from adding a preliminary year's course in the 2nd Form to follow the handwork of the 1st Form, so that in the third year boys can have a course of elementary metal-work. This will be instituted as soon as circumstances permit.

In regard to the physical side of the school work it is, I think, true to say that the standard of physical condition among the boys here has rapidly risen in the past year or so. The periodic medical inspection of boys has done much to bring about this increase of efficiency. There are now fewer cases of boys who have anything much the matter with them, and as one looks at this phase of our work one cannot help feeling greatly encouraged by what has been done. This also is evident from the great interest that is taken in the swimming, which we regard as an essential part of our physical instruction. About 40 novices learnt to swim during the course of the summer, and at the swimming sports it was possible to see demonstrations of what has been done in regard to the life saving. Seven boys obtained certificates or medallions or both, and our only regret is that there are no warmed baths anywhere in the nieghbourhood where this good work could be continued during the winter.

At the War Office inspection of the Officers Training Corps, the inspecting officer was much impressed by the physical standard that the cadets showed, and was enthusiastic enough about it to make a special comment on it in his report. I have heard, too, from many people in the town who have seen the Scout Troop on parade that these physical qualities are very much in evidence. The Officers' Training Corps has continued in the state of efficiency that it reached some years ago, and except for some minor academic criticisms from the inspecting officer, the corps had an extremely good report. Eight Certificates "A" were obtained, and this year 22 boys attended the public schools' camp at Tidworth, and came back with a very good report of their work there. One especial feature of the work has been the competence and initiative which has been shown by the senior boys.

The Scout troop, which is now two years old, has had a flourishing year. It won the county banner, which is open to all troops in the county, and is the first troop to bring the banner to this area. The troop has in its second year set itself a very high standard of work and achievement. Three of the senior boys have obtained the King's Scout badge, and they were also in the Officers' Training Corps. Another pupil of the school who is a member of a local troop has also obtained a King's Scout badge.

The interest taken in all the other school activities continues to be keen. In particular this year the school had a first-rate athletic team, and for the first time in 26 years the school obtained the Inter-school athletic shield in competition with other Grammar Schools of the county. It was, in a way, an unexpected success, and was almost entirely due to the magnificent performance which Manning put up when he won the mile after having been nearly incapacitated by his previous races.

We have been quite successful this year in our campaign to enrol into the National Savings Association those boys who had no organised means of saving money. We have now 100 members; and during the year the sum of over £90 has been saved by boys in the school, and this makes a total to date since the association was started of £228. The Commissioner of tbe South-Western area said that it was regarded officially as a very flourishing and useful association.

School life nowadays is a sphere of many sided interest, and over and above the work done by the masters in the class-rooms there is the extra work willingly undertaken and, I think, successfully accomplished, by masters who have the general welfare of the boys at heart. Every man on the staff is, am pleased to say, engaged in one or another and sometimes in more than one of these activities. I feel I must thank them for their loyal support and efficient service in the work of the school, and would suggest that you support these words from me to them in thanking them for the immense amount of voluntary help that they put in in regard to these extra activities. I wish also to thank the governors for their support to me and the interest that they show in what we do, and besides them, to those who have, as usual, given the prizes. I would like, without being invidious, to mention one or two who have helped us in various ways - Major Hawkins, the officer commanding the Depot; Captain Goff; R.S.M. Hodge; Superintendent Sutton, of the St. John Ambulance Brigade; Mr. Jeffery and Mr. Woodward, as members of the Group Committee responsible for the Scout Troop; and also Mr. Abbott, who has taken the greatest possible interest in the progress of swimming in the school.

Lastly, I am grateful for their goodwill and encouragement to the large number of ladies and gentlemen in the town and district who are not officially connected with the school as governors, but who have dealings with our boys in various phases of local life, and who are always ready to help our work along and desire to see the school prosper. I am repeatedly encouraged by their interest, and I hope that we may always live up to the opinion that they have formed - that " This school is an excellent thing for the town."

After the distribution of the prizes by Mr. Murray, the Headmaster said it was thought that it would be a great pity to let Manning go away from the school without a visible reminder of his accomplishment in the athletic sports, and therefore he asked his acceptance of a framed photograph of the athletic team as a memorial of old times.

Mr. Murray then gave a delightful address to the boys, of mingled wisdom and humour. He prefaced his remarks by saying:- He was pleased to be in Dorchester, and it was his first official visit with one exception, and that was when he came to address the Dorset County Council and asked for money for the university at Exeter. His first visit was very profitable , and therefore, being a Scotsman, when he was asked to come again he did not hesitate for a moment. Now that he had been and seen the school and heard about the proposed extension, which he hoped would not be long delayed, and had seen the gathering assembled that afternoon and heard the headmaster's report, he was doubly glad that he came. As one who had attended a number of such gatherings he could say that seldom had he heard a better report or one that created a better impression on him than that to which they had listened that afternoon. It was illuminating and solid, and finished in style, and what the headmaster had done was good both for the school and the town. Knowing as he did that the university at Exeter was growing rapidly, and that growth was a thing that had to be provided for, he was interested to hear the headmaster asking for things that afternoon for scholarships and prizes, and he nearly asked for a bathing pool. Personally he agreed that there ought to be a bathing pool at the school, and he was sure that among its many friends there must be those who had long enough purses to provide it.

He liked especially what the headmaster said about the need of leaving scholarships, and every head of a university realised how important it was that secondary schools should be keyed up and kept in close relation with the universities. It added greatly to the spirit and momentum of a school if each year there was a leaving scholarship for someone to go to a university - he would not say whether to Southampton or Exeter, perhaps both - but at all events for a scholar to get off . What primary school would be worth while if there was no outlet from it into the secondary school? It would be a dead end. And the same thing applied to a secondary school, if there was not outlet into a university . He hoped that friends of the school would realise that what was wanted was not a leaving scholarship, but a trio of scholarships each tenable for three years at a university. What a help this would be in the class-rooms and in the work of the masters and headmaster! "I would ask your friends to put down s much as £5,000 capital to produce £70 a year for three boys, the scholarships to be tenable at a university, and it would make the greatest possible difference to the school. That is all I would ask for."

He was always pleased to distribute prizes, because he believed in them. "A boy is a lazy animal (said Mr. Murray humourously); if not there is something wrong with him; but it does not mean that you believe in his laziness if you offer inducements and build up a system which does not allow him to indulge fully in his laziness. The proof of that system is prizes." To those who had obtained prizes he offered his congratulations. They were pleased and happy, their masters were pleased about them, and their parents also were pleased and proud. But they had been trapped the prize was a trap. To those who had got prizes and those who had not, he would say " What is going to happen exactly one year hence?" The question would then be asked of those who won prizes this year whether they had kept it up. Once a prize-winner, always a prize-winner - that was what was expected of them. He condoled with those who had not got prizes. At the very least they were out of the trap, but the trap was there and it might get them next year. He hoped it would. He was not sure it mattered who got the prizes and who had not; the great thing was that there should be prizes, that all the boys should feel the stimulus of the prizes and do a bit better in their work than they had really meant to do, or, perhaps, they thought they could do. If he might give them a word of advice - take advantage of the prize system because they would soon grow up and there would be no prizes. As a believer in prizes he was going to offer the school one. He observed with great pleasure that prizes were given by Mr. Alfred Pope for English essay, and he also noticed that there was a Thomas Hardy memorial prize - a name that made Dorchester, its Grammar School, and the county, holy ground. He observed also that the headmaster pleaded for good English, spoken and written carefully and thoughtfully, and the reading of good books.

He (Mr. Murray) was going to offer a prize of books for poems. He did not know what was the output of poetry among the boys, but he was quite certain that in the poeple of the South-West there was a great deal of poetry if it could only be brought out, and he wanted to offer a prize or prizes of books for the best poems, if the headmster would accept. He would send the headmaster four, five or six suitable subjects, and he should examine the poems himself and send Mr. Hill a list to post up.

Mr. Murray said he wanted to leave the boys with one word, and it was a good word - faith. The great thing in school life was faith about understanding. What they were mostly troubled with was how to remember, but if the headmaster would allow him to say so, never try to remember anything at all. If it did not remember itself automatically, let it slip; it was not worth while. If it could not make an impression on their mind and heart so as to be remembered, let it slip. What were the things that remembered themselves? The picnic last year, they could remember every moment of it now and would for years, but they never crammed it up; they loved it with all the fulness of their mind, with its courage and enterprise, mirth and love of companions. There was something about it; there was electricity in it which communicated itself to their mind, with the result that they remembered all about the picnic. They might say there was very little electricity in latin and mathematics, but he was not so sure. There was no electricity in those subjects unless they brought it to them, nor anywhere in life unless they brought it to the thing itself. Let them bring to bear in their work the electricity in their minds and opinions, in the power of their intelligence and imagination. Never worry about their memory; never try to remember anything. Try to understand a thing, and they would find that some time afterwards it would remember itself. He hoped that the headmaster and the other authorities massed on the platform would be kind to the pupils when they said "We had a visitor to the school who said that he did not believe in memory, but he believed in intelligence and imagination." The world was crying out in every kind of work for men of imagination. There were plenty of them in the nation, but they were badly trained and were mostly worrying about memory or something else. What he was saying was not merely a point for school life, and if they did not learn to use their imagination at school they would never get along anywhere.

Reminding the boys of the steady sacrifice of their parents year after year to give them this school, Mr. Murray asked them whether they were quite as grateful as they should be for it, and he exhorted them, by their work and effort, to show that they realised that this sacrifice had been undertaken for their benefit.

The Mayor of Dorchester, Mr. W.J. Fare, then tendered the School's most hearty thanks to Mr. Murray for his kindness in coming to distribute the prizes. The motion was seconded by the Head Boy, C. Reed, who said that the encouraging address they had heard from Mr. Murray would do much to strengthen the bond between the School and the College.

The boys then sang to the accompaniment of the School Orchestra Masefield's "Man was dark" and the hymn "Great Lord of Wisdom, life and light," followed by the National Anthem.