School Magazine Spring Term 1937 No. 39

School Notes and News
School reassembled after the Christmas Holidays on Wednesday, January 13th. Last term had ended with the excitement and enjoyment of the School Play, which this year was Walter de la Mare's "Crossings", produced by Miss Nicholson. It was an exceedingly good performance, and one which reflected great credit on Miss Nicholson and the actors. The influenza epidemic reached us in the second week of term and our classes were much depleted, our highest number of absentees being one hundred and seventy. Half-term took place on February 22nd., and the Fifth and Sixth Forms returned to their Test Examinations. As we write, School activities are in full swing. Rehearsals are taking place for the Junior House Dramatic Competition which is to be judged on March 22nd. The play chosen for this year is "The Musical Box" by Beatrice Mayor. The Pontefract Musical Festival took place on March 11th. We must congratulate Miss Townsend on the performance of our Choirs. The Boys' Choir retained the Banner, and our Girls' Choir was second to Wakefield. Hockey, Netball and Football House Matches are taking place when the weather permits. The Staff are giving their annual Play on March 17th and 18th, and this year it is "The Romantic Young Lady" by Sierra.

 

We would congratulate Mr Crossland on the birth of his second son on January 17th., and Mr. Scourfield on the birth of a son on January 25th. It is with the greatest regret that we have heard that our Headmaster has intimated to the Governors his intention of retiring in July. We shall write of what the School owes to him in our next issue.

 

The School Play
One of the events of the School Year which is eagerly anticipated by everyone is the School Play. This year "Crossings" by Walter de la Mare was presented on the 17th and 18th of December. The Play covered the adventures of four children at a country house, Crossings, left to them by their kindly Aunt Susan on condition that they lived there for some time unsupervised. As the children had spent the previous years of their life in the town under the rule of their domineering Aunt Agatha and the complete indifference of their father, it seemed impossible that such a delightful dream should come true. But their dream was realised when their father asserted his authority at last, and decreed that they should go to Crossings in spite of the forboding and pessimism of Aunt Agatha.

 

 

All the characters were admirably suited for the parts they chosen to play, and we must congratulate Miss Nicholson on her able production and untiring efforts connected with it. Johnson and Rutter were responsible for the scenic effects, and in this they were highly successful. The 'noises off' were realistically produced by Mr. Hamilton, and Miss Townsend was responsible for the effective musical arrangements. Last, but by no means least, we must thank Mr. Shiells, who once more made a success of the financial side of the Play.

 

Hockey Notes
Both Hockey teams have suffered great disappointment this term. Out of the eight matches arranged, only two were played. The 'flu greatly depleted the numbers of both home and away teams, and bad weather prevented play and spoilt the ground. We hope for improved, conditions in the future.

The following results are of Hockey matches played so far:-

Team    Played    Won    Lost    Drawn    For    Against
1st XI    12                5         6             1         28         32
2nd XI     6                3         2             1         14           9

 

All members of the teams tender their heartiest thanks to Miss Harrison and Miss Shortridge for their unfailing encouragement and help throughout the season.

 

1st XI Matches
January 30th., Ossett, Home.
Both teams were fairly even but as the home team tired, the visitors pressed on harder.
Result: Win to Ossett 2-1
 
February 6th., Barnsley, Home
Barnsley forwards attacked strongly but only succeeded in scoring one goal. When the whistle blew, it was discovered that there was another five minutes to play. Hemsworth then scored.
Result: Draw 1-1

 

Hockey Criticisms
M. Sykes Goalkeeper
Reliable. Should learn to keep her feet together and use them for clearing.

 

T. Cunningham Right Back
Enthusiastic. Works hard. Tackling has improved.Clearing might be stronger.

 

E. Stamp Left Back
All-round improvement. Try to stop the ball first and not to take flying hits. Capable secretary.

 

K. Himsworth Right Half Back
Tackling very good. Splendid roll-in. Very reliable.

 

A. Rogerson Centre Half Back.
Consistent but should learn to pass to both sides of the field.

 

V. Carter Left Half Back
Quite a good roll-in. Rather erratic, nevertheless improved

 

K. Lawton Right Wing
Reliable vice-captain. Centres, picks up passes and keeps her position well.

 

C. White Right Inner
Tackling back and shooting could be improved. Dodging good and passes well to the wing.

 

D. Green Centre Forward
Good and accurate shooting. Selfish. Opportunist. Speedy.

 

B. Goddard Left Inner
Enthusiastic and reliable Captain. Hits hard. Tackling improved. Good shooter.

 

M. Austin Left Wing
Dodges exceptionally well. One of the most improved players in the team. Tackles back well. Passes in well but not quick enough in

picking up passes.

 

The Second XI
The players have worked very well as a team and although rather young and inexperienced have improved considerably since the beginning of the season and won several of their matches. The defence has been exceptionally good but the shooting rather weak. Next season some of the members of the 2nd. XI will be very useful members of the 1st Hockey XI.
 
Criticisms
Goal: Promising.
Backs: Reliable - clear well.
Half Backs: Wing-halves useful members of the team. Centre-half energetic and consistent.
Forwards: Centre forward - shooting good.  Inners - quick but must try to keep their places. Wings - alert and quick - passing good.

 

Rugby Criticisms

Pawson: Steady and sure. A young player who tackles well, and should develop into a good full back.

 

Chapman: Wing three - fast and takes his passes well - tackling might be improved.

 

Clifton: Fast centre-three, has a good swerve and attacks well. He is not very sure in defence. He must  learn to tackle low.

 

Mellars: He has filled two positions, and played well in each. Tackles well and runs hard with the ball.

 

Gleave: Vice-Captain. Excellent goal kicker; he tackles well and runs hard with the ball, but sometimes uses the 'cut-through' too much.

 

Park: Good in defence; tackles and kicks well but he must feed his threequarters quicker.

 

Clayton: Tall forward who uses his height to the best advantage. He follows up hard; inclined to fly kick in the loose.

 

Pointon: Follows up hard; a keen and enthusiastic forward who is always in the thick of the fray.

 

Firman: Enthusiastic player - a little slow but always follows up hard. He must learn not to fly kick in the loose.

 

Skinner: A  young player, who has come on well and should develop into a very good forward.

 

Perry: A fine forward who uses his feet in the loose to the best advantage. He tackles well.

 

Thorpe D.: Good player who often scores tries by following up hard but has a tendency to get off-side.

 

Gladwyn: A good experienced player who always follows up hard. Tackles well and is very useful in the  line-outs.

 

Challender: 2nd XV Captain - excellent.

 

Walker: Tackler - fast and plucky. A very enthusiastic and capable Captain - makes the most of his speed and swerve - at times his elusiveness has made it difficult for his wing to keep in touch with him.

 

General Remarks
1st XV.
Some matches have been lost chiefly owing to high tackling, but recent matches have shown a great improvement. Especially to be noted, is the close packing in the loose 'mauls', and better dropping on the ball in stopping a forward rush.

 

2nd. XV.
Once again we have had a good team spirit.

 

The Lighter Side of Marking Examination Papers

Q. Explain the meaning of 'A regular Job's comforter' and show how it might be used.
A. This is an easy job, nothing to do.
 e.g. "You have got a job", said he.
  "Yes, a regular job's comforter", said the other.

 

Q. What is the meaning of G.R. on a post-box?

A. "George reigneth" - (according to a certain member of the VIth. - poetic Iicexise we presume!)

 

Q. ' What does N.S.P.C.C. stand for?

A. The National Society for the prevention of cruelty to cats.

We hear the first question on the recent County Minor Scholarship Arithmetic Paper caused some trouble:-

Q.. How would you divide £1,000 as equally as possible amongst 49 boys?
A. Add myself and dividedby 50. (Bright Boy!)

Posies culled from the Hemsworth Garden of Knowledge
Sine die = Without sin.
Pro Rata = On account of rates.
M.C.C. = Marymalone Cricket Club.
Cosmo Lang = President of China
                             King's Physician.
Beecham = Minister for Health.
Les Invalides =  A French film which came to School.
Stalemate = A companion who is not good company,
                         Icicles hanging upwards in caves.
A dog which can be kept without a license = a stuffed one.

Author of "Abide with me" = Titania in "Midsummer Night' s Dream".
What country outside Europe has a king? - England.

 

House Points

 

	Holgate	Talbot	Price	Guest
Terminal Orders	49	48	53	59
Stars and Stripes	65½	52	70½	12
Higher School Certificates	5	5	20	-
School Certificates	30	39	33	33
Distinctions	18	15	15	18
Magazine Contributions	15	9	9	12
	182½	182½	200½	134

 

Depression over Hemsworth:

Further Outlook:: Brighter

One rainy day in the Christmas holidays, I dug out a pile of School magazines dated from about five year’s back to the present. After reading them through, it struck me what an obvious improvement had taken place from my first mags to last term’s. The boring time had spent reading those pre-historic journals, crammed with junior poems on robins and spring, drew from me the conclusion that they were as interesting to a Schoolboy as a Church Magazine and Undertaker’s Weekly rolled into one, and I wondered if anyone, except the printer, obtained enjoyment from them. Now the mags are made by members of the School, we ought to cater for our pleasure, not the printer’s. Let us have brighter articles, contributed voluntarily, and not so much ‘press-ganged’ filling from the Junior Forms, who regard it as a task not a pleasure.

 

A thing that is generally forgotten  when writing an article for the magazine, is that the reader will be reading it on the last day of term and he or she will consequently be in a happy frame of mind, because of the forthcoming holidays. So be sure a contribution is interesting, and not like a funeral oration to a dead snake! Put your thinking caps on all you budding authors, and let the H.G.S. Mag be a thing to look forward to and not just another means of extracting sixpence from you. So ‘Vive the brighter School Magazine!’

 

P.S. A few hints to contributors:
 1. To Artists: What about a few cartoons of the Staff or sporting events?
 2. To Poets: Poems on ‘Spring’ and co. are useless for the mag; use more humour.

 3. To Politicians:  (The School’s full of ‘em) - Will some minor Gladstone give his views on running the country?
 4. To Authors: Some ambitious person wrote a detective story for the last mag - let’s have more!
 
Krutchen's  VS, Talbot

 

Dictators

Dictators! This word immediately produces its effects, and anywhere, in any company, will produce a lively argument. Are they for good or evil? Peace or war? These questions cannot be answered easily, until you have delved deeply into the subject, and weighed up the arguments for both sides.

At the present day we are surrounded by a maze of dictators. Some are dictators of great power, at whose mailed fists the world trembles, and at whom democratic ministers shake their heads in a great perplexity, whilst on the other hand there are numerous dic­tators of smaller states, who come into power with names blazed in newspaper headlines, only to fade away again, before the shining star of some new aspirant power. South American states give a good example of this. People laugh at their fortnightly revolutions involving ‘Broncho Bill’ generals in gold braid, and arrogant dago dictators. That is all very well, but men are being slaughtered like cattle to create the laugh.

 

Of course, the average Englishman hates the dictatorships with hearty ‘John Bull’ hatred and speaks scornfully of the Bolshies, Brownshirts and others of the rainbow-hued-shirt fraternity. The newspapers too, are very prejudiced, and it is difficult to gain any idea from them of dictatorial merits, but if you carefully collect data from various magazines and periodicals over a number of months, you can find a number of grudgingly thrown bouquets.

 

Take present-day Germany for instance under Hitler’s ‘Guns before butter’ policy, the country is arming feverishly: for what? No one can say, but if the motive is purely for defence, they are being more than thorough over the job. To a certain extent the allies were responsible for this. The more you crush a country, the more stubborn and. violent it will be when it recovers. This happened to Germany at the Treaty of Versailles, and had the delegates there read a little more history they would have known the consequences of their suppressive policy. Meanwhile, the German people tighten their belts another notch, and are fed by an unceasing stream of propaganda telling them what fine fellows they are. But apart from this, Hitler has worked wonders inside Germany during his four years of power. For example take the new roads he has constructed. These roads, the ‘Auto bahner’, are the finest roads in the world, dead level and dead straight, with one road for up traffic and one for the down, with a wide grass verge and trees separating them, and, finally, no cross roads whatsoever. The motor industry has been changed in four years from a state of bankruptcy to one of prosperity. If Germany had been a democratic country, cheeseparing ministers would have haggled for years over a single bypass road, and nothing would have been done. The ministers too, would have had to travel once more in stage-coaches for the motor industry would have disappeared. 

 

That is where a dictator scores over a democratic government, he can pass a law in a moment with no opposition from capitalists, communists or such like. Of course the law can be for good or evil, but this depends upon the integrity of the dictator himself.

 

The three modern dictators of the great powers are not my idea of good dictators. These, Hitler, Mussolini, and Stalin, especially Mussolini and Hitler, seem to delight in making aggressive speeches, and in delivering shocks to democratic powers, without any previous warning. This upsets any faith a democracy might have in thern. If a man who has good intentions came to be a dictator, and whose thoughts were not just thoughts of power and glory for him-self, he could pull a country through a depression more quickly and with better results than a hundred parliaments. However, this does not seem to be so. It must be that power turns a man’s head, and blinds his good judgement with greed and lust for glory. Until we have leaders in Europe who work for the common good, and set aside personal ambition there will be no rest from war and from rumours of war.

Williamson, VS, Talbot

 

Calendar
April 15th (Thurs) Term begins.
April 18th  Summer Time begins.
April 23rd  St. George's Day.
April 30th  Inter-House Reading Competition.
May 6th  Ascension Day.

May 10 - 18th (inc.)  Coronation and Whitsun Holidays.
May 24th  Empire Day.
  Marks and Orders.
June 9th  Inter-School Sports.
June 14th -18th School Examinations.
June 21st  Marks and. Orders
June 28th  Mid-term Holiday.
July 2nd  S.C. and. H.S.C. Art
July 5th - 17th S.C. and H.S.C. Examinations.
July 15th  Folk Dancing Display 6.30 p.m.
July 17th  Entrance Examination  10.00 a.m.
  Returned Papers 10.00 a.m.
July 19th  Marks and Orders.
July 21st  Parents Day.
July 28th  Term ends.
Sept 15th (Wed) Autumn Term begins.