Our first and most pleasant task is to record in these pages the award of the honour of Commander in the Order of the British Empire, Civil Division, conferred upon the Headmaster in the New Year's Honours of 1951, in recognition of his many services to education. We congratulate him very sincerely on this well-deserved distinction, of which we are all very proud.
On May 28th, 1951, the new Articles and Instrument of Government of the School as a Voluntary Aided School were sealed and became effective. The instrument set up a new Governing Body of 15 Governors, 10 Foundation and 5 Representative Governors. Happily, the transition has been effected without the loss of any previous Governor except the Mayor of Dorchester, who had aways been an ex-officio member.
The nomination to the Governing body by the Stinsford Parish Council of the Reverend L.J. Medway is especially interesting and gratifying, for he is an old boy of the School who, after many years as Headmaster of Whitchurch Grammar School, Salop, took orders and became Vicar of Chardstock, coming nearer home to be the Vicar of Stinsford at the beginning of the year.
We much regret to record the loss to the School of three members of the Governing Body - Captain B.P. Leschallas, who became Vice-Chairman on the resignation of Mr. Wyndham Hull, Mr. A.H. Edwards, himself an Old Boy, and more recently Major A. Rolph Pope. Each of them made his own special contribution to the work of the Governing Body, and they will be greatly missed.
We also regret to record the death of Admiral Sir Michael Hodges, brother of the Chairman of the Governors, and an old boy of the School. Some of us recall his coming to the old School in South Street to unveil the School War Memorial after the first World War.
We offer a hearty welcome to Mr. and Mrs. Roberts, who have taken charge of the newly formed Boarding house at Heathcote. Mr. Roberts, who read Hons. Classics at Jesus College, Oxford came to us from the Royal Grammar School, High Wycombe, where he was Classics master from 1935-1940 and 1946-1951. During the war years he held a Commission in the R.A.F. and on his return commanded the school A.T.C. Squadron. He was selected in 1949 to conduct a party of cadets to Malta, and in 1950 toured the U.K. with a party of Canadian air cadets.
Also to Mr. A. M. Hill who has taken over most of the Middle School Chemistry and Physics and some Mathematics. Mr. Hill.is a B.Sc. of London University and an Associate of the Royal Institute of Chemistry. This is his first appointment, and we wish him every happiness in his teaching career.
On June 16th last British Railways at Dorchester witnessed a strange phenomenon - a "crocodile" of some 450 boys and many parents waiting for a special train to take them to the Festival of Britain. They arrived at 11.15 and once inside the Exhibition grounds were allowed to go their own way. Most of the party found there was not time to view everything. Some sacrificed much time in queuing for the telecinema, others explored twice or more those pavilions which appealed to them, but all spent a very interesting time.
For the return journey there were very welcome but rather expensive packed teas, and it is widely thought that British Railways (Southern Area) will show a profit this year! We should like to thank Mr. Thomas for all the time and trouble he spent in organising the arrangements; everything went through without a hitch.
As the result of close co-operation between the D.C.C., the Agricultural Association, and the Committee of the Bath and West, which enabled all the Schools in the County to visit the Show, the whole of the Senior School was able to attend in organised parties of about 20. Time was too limited to allow them to see all the exhibits, but the boys enjoyed inspecting the farm machines and animals, and the Ministry of Agriculture exhibit was particularly well laid out. So were Mr. Giuseppi and Mr. Mann after two days as conductors of the various parties!
Our sincere congratulations to School House on winning the House Cup for the third year running, a success achieved mainly by their united efforts in the Athletics, Cross-Country and Senior Rugby competitions. School House now holds all four Relay Records - a very fine achievement.
Pope House was a very good second, winning the Senior Cricket and Junior Rugby competitions, and running second in the Cross-Country. Had the House done a little better in the Athletics, both in the Limits and on Sports day itself, the result would have been closer still, indeed it might have been reversed.
Treves shared the honours with School on Sports Day, the junior team doing very well indeed to retain the Junior Cup; but they came down badly in the Limits Competition. They again did well in the Cricket, winning the Junior League and reaching the final for the Hardwicke Cup, and it was mainly by virtue of this that they occupied third place. The success of their Juniors gives promise of even better things to come.
Lock and Hardy seem to have had a little competition of their own for fourth and fifth positions; and Hardy, who greatly missed the help of Fooks, found themselves in an unaccustomed position at the foot of the table. The full results were as follows:-
Rugby Cross-
Athletics Cricket Total Pts
Sen. Jun. Country Limits. Events Sen. Jun.
Hardy 0 1 0.5
4 4 0.5 0 10
Hodges 1 2 7.0
1
1 3.0 4 19
Lock 2 4 6.0
0 0 3.0 7 22
Pope 7 11
11.0 7 2
11.0 2 51
School 11 7 17.5
11 9 0.5 1 57
Treves 4 0 8.0
2
9 7.0 11 41
And now a word as to the future. With the opening of "Heathcote" boarding-house the number of boarders has increased to nearly 100, and the ascendancy of School House in the House-Cup competition is likely to become more marked than ever, if the organisation of the School into Houses remains as at present.
It would be a great pity if the enthusiasm which has been up to the present so marked a feature of the House competitions, were to be lost; and clearly a solution to uneven competition must be found, although it will not be easy.
One suggestion that has been put forward is that there should be only four main Houses (each of 110-120 boys), divided into Seniors and Juniors, with separate competitions for each. This might be done by increasing the number of Houses, and organising them for example, as follows:-
1. School (Senior and Junior).
2. Treves and Hardy (Senior and Junior).
3. Pope and Hodges (Senior and Junior).
4. Lock + ? (Senior and Junior).
It is further suggested that where two separate Houses are linked in this way, one should be the Senior House, the other the Junior, but except in the case of School House this would involve a change of Houses in the middle of a boy's School career, and whilst it would perhaps make the actual grouping more even, it would have the great disadvantage of destroying the House tradition.
Another method, less cumbersome, would be to reduce the number of Houses to four but then again, which two of the present six Houses are to drop out, and what about the boys - and their fathers, perhaps - who have been in those two Houses for the greater part of their School life?
Perhaps the simplest way would be to split the boarders into two Houses, School A and School B, leaving the other Houses as they are. Assuming that the numbers in the School were more or less stabilised at about 470, this would mean two School Houses, with ultimately about 55 boys in each, and five other Houses with about 70 members in each. The only question is whether these numbers are sufficient to allow of separate Seniors and Juniors competitions. Think it over!
As I sit in my study at Wollaston House, I see from my window the whole "world" of the Lower School unfolding itself. This year I look out on the gleaming new tar-macadam strip which has replaced the original gravel; the near distance shows two pillars at the entrance, the one knocked down by the bulldozer having been rebuilt. During this year, the builders have been much in evidence; as a result of their efforts we now have lockers installed in the changing rooms, and seats in the cloa.krooms. I notice that the game of "heading" the ball continues to be popular, but since September, 1951, new prefects, among whom Collins M. as Head boy, Brown, Cleall, Adams, Smith S., Kemp, Parry, Downton, are on the alert to keep it within the prescribed bounds.
There is much coming and going. Along come the "crocodiles" bound for Icen Way, some to do P.T. with Mr. Hopewell (well-known to generations of Grammar School boys) others to do woodwork with Mr. Westlake, whom we have recently been pleased to welcome to our happy family. How the boys enjoy the welcome relief his activities afford from the otherwise more academic (did someone mention tedious?) studies. From the Form room comes a cheery "Bon jour, Monsieur" as the boys welcome Mr. Roussell, who still keeps his old contact with us. From the playing fields the rhythmic click of the autoscythe or mower as Jack Wilding (known no doubt to many old boys, and now our gymnasium caretaker and groundsman) keeps a wise eye on the maintenance of the field which, thanks to the kind co-operation of the County Playing Fields Officer, we now have in fairly constant use. Meanwhile appetising aromas issue from the kitchen quarters where the Canteen staff have, for well over a year, been luxuriously installed in accommodation skilfully planned from the old kitchen and butler's pantry.
We seem to be very popular with visitors. From my window, I often see the Chairman of the Governors park his car, and we are particularly pleased when he chooses to park it at Christmas time to come and share with us our Christmas dinner. Last year Mr. Sewell and his "Art" side produced suitable table decorations, Miss Hill and her kitchen staff provided our usual bumper meal, and the occasion had the atmosphere of true conviviality. Miss Sheppard from the League of Pity and Lt.-Col. Rose from Dr. Barnardo's homes have visited. us to talk on these charities which we support.
Finally, Wollaston House still casts its dignified spell over us and does its part, with the staff, in their efforts to "groom" the new boys to follow in the footsteps of their forerunners as "Grammarians".
A very enjoyable evening was held at the Quality Inns Restaurant, Argyll St., London, W.1., on Saturday, October 28th, on the occasion of the second post-war Annual Dinner of the London Association of the Dorchester Old Grammarians' Club. A record number of 61 attended, including 26 who travelled up from Dorchester for the occasion.
Before the meal commenced, Grace was said by the Rev. E.A. Sampson, an Old Grammarian now living near Exeter. During the proceedings each member was called upon to rise and announce his name and period at the Grammar School. The "Oldest" Old Boy present was Gordon Gifford, a nephew of the late Thomas Hardy, O.M.
Mr. Gifford lived with his uncle at Max Gate, and was at the School over 60 years ago. Another "Old" Old Boy was Mr. C.G. Weld who was at the School from 1884 to 1892. Mr. S.J. Heddon (1900- 1906) produced not only a photograph of the School Six-a-side Football Team of 1901, but also his School Football Cap, an elegant affair of green velvet complete with a tassel. Several of the Tutorial Staff of the school were present, including Maj. D.C. Whittaker who joined the Staff in 1923. A welcome visitor was Mr. R.J. King, History Master from 1927 to 1931. He is still full of praise for Dorset.
Proposing the toast of "The School", the Chairman, S/Ldr. R. Duckett, welcomed the Headmaster, Mr. R.W. Hill, M.A. and recalled amid laughter tht it was his generation (1925-1932) which set Mr. Hill's feet on the right road when he was appointed as Headmaster in 1927. He also recalled that Mr. Hill stopped the mad rush from the playground along the alley into South Street for doughnuts during the morning break period. "How pleasant it is" he said, "to meet him now on almost equal terms instead of with trepidation as we did when at school". Turning to more serious thoughts, Duckett said that the School was a living entity, and had been ever since it was founded in 1569. The influence of Dorchester Grammar School was felt outside as well as inside the County, and all Old Grammarians were proud to have been pupils there.
In his reply, Mr. Hill said that the prestige of the School was as high as ever, and that a satisfactory number of ex-pupils were procedings to the Universities and Hospitals. Those who remained in Dorchester stood in high esteem in the business and social life of the town.
A toast to "The Visitors" was proposed by Mr. F.C.H. Dennett, the Secretary of the Society of Dorset Men. An Old Grammarian himself, he said he was particularly pleased to see those who had come up from Dorchester for the Dinner, some of whom were his contemporaries.
Replying on behalf of the Visitors, Mr. T.J. Score of Weymouth pointed out that the word Visitor was derived from a Latin source meaning "Come and see", and that was what they had done. They had come to see their old school friends in London.
Mr. Heddon proposed the health of Mr. Hill, and the whole company joined in singing "For he's a jolly good fellow".
David Leggatt, who organised the dinners in London for many years before the 1939-45 war, proposed a vote of thanks to Bob Mills who has now taken over this responsibility. In his reply Mills said that the occasion was nearly a failure this year. He had left things rather late and had great difficulty in making satisfactory arrangements but eventually he had succeeded in booking accommodation, and obtaining an occasional licence, so all was well.