Chronicle for 1948

• jV-"" -^7^ i U^ t KEARSNEY <>' t.'. COLLEGE H CHRONICLE ■fi) 4 •i P£ ■ JULY, 1948 Kearsney College Chronicle Vol. 2 No. 7 JULY, 1948 EDITORIAL One is sometimes tempted to wonder whether the amount of labour put Into a task is justified by the result, no matter how gratifying that result may be. We study a subject daily for half a dozen years In order to satisfy an examiner In a three-hour paper. We rehearse for weeks at a play that Is going to be over in three hours. We practise at songs and carols for hours without number, for the sake of a concert or a service that lasts perhaps an hour and a half. We train diligently for months and possibly years to win a race which may be completed In ten seconds. Scores of people work ceaselessly for months on end for a Fete which lasts less than six hours. Is the energy worth it ? The answer Is, of course, "yes." There are two aspects to be considered. The value of the one concerned lies in the work put in and not In the result. Years of study, months of training, weeks of rehearsals, are all fitting the Individual mentally, physically and socially to take a rightful place in the competition of life. He learns patience, perseverance, accuracy, self-control ; he learns co-operation, unselfishness ; he gains will-power, culture, fitness. He has become a better man by reason of all this, even though the examination and the concert and the play be cancelled. The value lies In the preparation. The other aspect to be considered is that the finished product, if It be well presented, brings satisfaction to the doer and pleasure to others. A play or a concert, well presented, gives other people a jolly time and may impress them deeply. A fete, well organised, becomes the talk of many lips. Examination results can bring renown to the boy and to the school. There is great satisfaction In this. If a thing is to be done at all, it may as well be done properly. There is little to be gained from a thing Ill-prepared and ill-produced. There Is much value in hard and patient preparation. 269 SCHOOL NOTES First Term : January 28th to March 24th Second Term : April 12th to June 25th It is once again our misfortune to have to say farewell to Mr. Milner, after nearly a year as Bursar. We should like to pay tribute to the excellence of the work he has put in during his term of office, cleaning up the secretarial work and presiding over the School non-academic activities. His fame is far-spread, of course, as one of the leading lights in the Cross-Country Quiz, and he and his partners won the final round (and the prize-money) for Durban in the latest competition. He now intends farming in the Natal Midlands, and we wish him and Mrs. Milner luck in their new surroundings. We feel sure that their interest in Kearsney will remain unabated. Congratulations to Mr. and Mrs. Osier on the birth of their son, Anthony Douglas. We offer our sympathies to Mr. Nel, on the sudden death of his mother at Easter ; and to the brothers Newlands and Russell, who lost their fathers on the same day. Older Kearsney boys will be sorry to hear of the death of two old friends : Mr. A. E. Foss, of Stanger, who was the School's first secretary, and always maintained a keen interest in the School ; and Mrs. P. Haley, of Darnall and Umhiali, who so often accompanied her husband to our Sunday services and other func tions. To Mrs. Foss and family, and to Mr. Haley and son, we offer our deep sympathies. Just as we went to press we heard with profound sorrow of the death of Mr. J. B. Huiett, son of our founder, at the age of 80. Mr. Huiett was a close friend and daily visitor at our old School, present at all our games, and at our tennis afternoons ; he was a good personal friend to many of us, who so frequently went across to "Sprowston " for tea or dinner or bridge. Mr. Huiett retired about 10 years ago, and he and Mrs. Huiett came to live in Durban. Since we came to Botha's Hiil we have not seen these old friends so often, and now we feel that yet another link with the School's early days is broken. To sorrowing relatives we offer our sympathies. A still later news report tells of the very sudden death of Mr. G. J. Crookes, of Renishaw, at the age of 78. Mr. Crookes was in perfect health till the end. There is little need to remind readers of all that Mr. Crookes has done. As a prominent member of our Board of Governors he has always taken a most lively interest in Kearsney and Epworth, and the Epworth gymnasium was erected by him in memory of his wife. His financial help to Kearsney was instrumental in our being able to build the new school, and his interest in his own community and in Method- 270 ism has been a very long and sincere one. His death comes sa a severe and unexpected shock, and once again it is our sad duty to offer sympathies to those who are bereaved. Her Excellency, the Countess of Clarendon, who received a copy of our last Chronicle from a friend, writes : " I was much interested in the Kearsney Chronicle, especially in the 'Gallup Poll,' and am sending it to a big public school where one of my grandchildren is a boarder." We wish our sister school, Epworth, the best of luck in their efforts to raise £25,000 for their new building project. Our parent school, Kingswood, Bath, England, recently cele brated its bi-centenary. It was founded by John Wesley on June 24th, 1748, and for the rest of his life it was one of his chief interests (and anxieties). Originally founded in Bristol, the school was rebuilt at Bath in 1850. During the recent war, the buildings were taken over by the British Admiralty, and the boys were evacuated to Uppingham School for six years. The polio epidemic seriously affected our activities after Easter. It was necessary to avoid all external contact, to ensure against fatigue, and to safeguard ourselves against possible local infection. The result was that for several weeks there was no rugger, apart from a little light kicking ; there was no visiting to or by parents or friends ; and for the whole term the School rested after lunch. With School matches cancelled, the week-end routine became very dull, and the Head paid frequent tributes to the exemplary manner in which the School had accepted these limitations. Among other things, with the Fete in view, the boys spent much willing time cleaning up the School grounds. We are pleased to hear that plans have gone through for the building of library and laboratory at the south end of the class room block. An Old Boy, Melville Poole, is architect. Lord Elton, Secretary to the Rhodes Trust, has written offering u, £4,000 at a low rate of interest. The library and reference rooms especially, will remedy a great want. We understand, too, that the Chapel Committee has been instructed to go ahead with plans for our long-awaited Chapel. The visit of the S.A.B.C." B " programme artistes is mentioned elsewhere. They provided a most enjoyable evening. Mr. Oram is President of the Hill Crest Tennis Club. Mr. Brown has been giving keenly appreciated help with the Church music in Pinetown. Several members of the Staff are keen members of the S.O.E., our late Head, Mr. Matterson, continuing as Pro vincial President and Mr. Reece as Provincial Minute Secretary. We offer our congratulations to : Our marksmen for winning the Imperial Challenge Shield for shooting. Natal Section. The following boys, who did outstandingly well in the N.J.C. examinations, coming top in the country in the sub jects indicated : 271 N. Kitchin and I. H. Lund (Arithmetic, with 100 per cent, each), N. Kitchin (Geography), J. Bishop (Biology), and D. Metcalf (Mathematics). A most gratifying result ! Mr. van den Berg and his helpers for the dazzling display of posters at tha Fete. A new coat of paint to the School's exterior is making all the difference to its appearance. Competition on Sports Day was very close, with Gillingham winning by 3 points out of over 1,600. They have now twice won by 5 points or under. For those boys who do not play rugger, and for others who are keen to be coached, Mr. Reece has kept the cricket nets going through the winter season. Once again the School was invaded during the Easter holidays by Youth Campers, the majority from Durban. While the novelty of the previous year's camp had worn off a little, all had a most enjoyable and beneficial time here, and were very sorry to leave on the Monday night. On the evening of May 20th, Mr. B. Henwood, United Party can didate for Parliament for Maritzburg District, came to address the Senior School, Staff, and neighbours. We enjoyed his clear exposition of the case for the United Party, and were glad to learn, later, that he had been returned by a very large majority. The following boys left at the end of 1947, date of coming being in brackets : G. M.

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