THE PETERITE. VoL. XXI. JULY, 1913. No. 211. SCHOOL LETTER. UR experience is that one school year is very like another, at least in general outline, and so we must crave indulgence if our opening letters have a tendency to reiterate in subject matter. And so, despite all attempts to elude the phrase, we are back once more with the old words " we are at the end of another school year." The year has been a memorable one in a many ways. Dum loquimur, fugerit invida aetas, and even as the swiftness of time has seen us with a change of Headmasters this year ; so next year will see a change of Editors. Putting aside all selfish considerations we will hope the change will be for the better, at the same time breathing a prayer that the sins of Editors during the past two years be not judged too harshly by readers. This year the School may congratulate itself upon possessing a good cricket team. No eleven of the past few years has equalled its achievements. We have succeeded in beating Bootham by a substantial margin and only time robbed us of a double victory. Time also fought for our opponents in the match with the Yorkshire Gentlemen. We heartily congratulate Haynes on the success of the eleven whilst condoling with him for the undeniable bad luck he has experienced on several occasions. All the drawn matches were decidedly in our favour. 824 OXFORD LETTER. Mr. Toyne's coaching and assistance has been invaluable. Mr Eddershaw and Mr. Tendall have also contributed much to the general enthusiasm shown for the game this year. One has only to look at the averages this season to realise the change which has come over the cricket of the School. Our success seems likely to be lasting as next year will see us with several of the present " colours " left. Commemoration Day was observed on June 28th. The Rev. Canon Sandford was the Preacher and a most appropriate and impressive Sermon was given. Mr. and Mrs. Toyne entertained a large number of guests to lunch in the gymnasium, the Lord Mayor of York being present. In the afternoon the match with the Old Peterites was continued. A splendid finish was witnessed and the School put up one of their best performances of the season in scoring over 200 runs for the loss of four wickets in the concluding innings of the match. We were glad to see an unusually large number of Old Peterites at the School during the two days. On Friday, June 27th, a Concert was given by the School and various Old Boys prior to the Annual Meeting of the Old Peterite Club. It is an innovation which thoroughly deserved the success it met with, and thanks are due to Mr. Tendall for his excellent work in organising the singing. Even as we write the pale ghost of Examinations disturbs our rest so that it is not altogether aequo animo that we deliver our farewell letter. OXFORD LETTER. DEAR EDITORS, In due course we received our June number of the Peterite and discovered an effusion from our Cambridge brethren de- corating its early pages. It began, as usual, with a sarcasm directed at the supposed casual nature of the Oxford O.P. Our reply, like the sarcasm, is threefold. OXFORD LETTER. 825 I. Is the barbarism that hangs over Cambridge so thick that they even look upon waste-paper baskets (made famous by Oxford slang) as an almost unheard-of luxury. 2. We have heard rumours about credit at Cambridge which make us sus- picious of these wholesale claims of cash payment and we are quite open to a challenge on the question. 3. Why spend five lines in reviewing a joke which seems so utterly beneath their notice ? We are glad to hear that at Cambridge they manage to shiver through the so-called summer term without fires. This, no doubt, is the cause of the wide-awakefulness which produced a Cambridge Letter. Basking in the glorious sunshine of Oxford, untroubled by Editorial requests we forgot (forgive the strong word) to do our literary duty. Please accept our sorrowful apologies (pause for silent emotion !). Except that Northcote wrestled with " Divvers," perhaps the least serious of the Oxford schools, we have been untroubled by thoughts of approaching examinations—natural results laziness and an uneventful term. Darling's friends, particularly the Northern ones, will be glad to hear that he followed up his career on the river by rowing in " The House " 2nd Eight. Golf is numbered among his relaxations and seems to leave him little time for lunch. Jackson and Northcote have been frequently seen on the Isis and Cher in a " Canada," with the appropriate inscription " What is it ? " on the bows. Rude small boys on the bank answered the mute question with a quotation from a once popular rag-time. Jackson, besides frequently indulging in orthodox bathing is reported to have sampled the water on two occasions, in places not set apart by the authorities for the purpose. The rumour has humorous possibilities but we credited him with better punting. There are two questions we should like to ask Jackson : (r) Why he spent so much time in North Oxford ; (2) how he managed to come smiling out of a don rag after doing so little work. Not everybody can so deceive the authorities and we should like to know how it is done. Northcote has been let off rather 826 OLD PETERITE CLUB. lightly so far, one thing must be added : frequenters of Holywell may have heard vocal scales in the early morning filling the air with Caruso-like resonance. Not to fill the heart of the great tenor with jealousy we hasten to add that there was just a suspicion of Northcote about it. Our readers may have forgotten Crompton, but he still craves notoriety and astonished his friends by hiring a private tennis-court—not a compliment to Tennis Club of his College. The term has long been over, our memories are short, neither can we hope to reach the length of other letters to the Peterite, and we close with congratulations on the School cricket and every wish for success in Rugger next term. May we also add our congratulations to Jolly. MONASTICUSZ' OLD PETERITE CLUB. The Twenty-eighth General Meeting of the Old Peterite Club was held in the Hall of St. Peter's School on Friday, 27th June, at 8-30 p.m. The following members were present, viz. :—Mr. S. M. Toyne (Headmaster), Rev. A. W. Richards, Rev. R. 0. Walker, Messrs. G. Yeld, C. A. Swift, G. F. Tendall, J. T. Grey, H. T. Eddershaw, L. Procter, Capt. W. A. Pearson, H. W. Rhodes, R. Crawshaw, K. E. T. Wilkinson, N. T. Crombie, H. L. Creer, H. C. Scott, J. F. Wallace, M. H. T. Roy, J. N. Blenkin, R. D. Foster, A. E. Schroeder, A. J. Peters, J. S. Denby, C. W. Richards, K. Procter, N. Hodgson, E. A. Clarkson, F. Ferguson, R. T. Brode, R. C. Bethell, J. C. Lyth, and Arthur Peters (Secretary). Mr. S. M. Toyne was unanimously elected President of the Old Peterite Club in the place of Canon Owen, who had tendered his resignation, and was accorded an enthusiastic welcome when he took the Chair. OLD PETERITE CLUB. 827 The Minutes of the last Annual Meeting having been read and confirmed the Treasurer's Accounts for the year 1912 were adopted as audited and printed. The existing Vice-Presidents were re-elected together with Canon Owen, C. H. Chadwick, and the Rev. P. E. Lord, whose names were added to the list. The following Officers and Committees were elected for the ensuing year, viz., Head Secretary and Treasurer • • Arthur Peters. Secretary for York • • H. C. Scott. London • • • • C. H. Chadwick. Oxford • • • • Rev. H. H. Williams. Cambridge • • A. E. Schroeder. Committee :—R. Crawshaw was elected in the place of H. R. Partington, who had resigned, and B. Dodsworth and J. N. Blenkin in the place of the Rev. P. E. Lord and the Rev. H. B. Greeves, retiring by rotation. Sports' Committee :—H. C. Scott, L. Procter, and J. F. Wallace. Dinner Committee :—F. P. Fausset, R. H. Bailey, and Capt. W. A. Pearson. A resolution was passed that a Sports' Secretary who was " au fait " with both cricket and football should be appointed, and J. F. Wallace was elected to act as such Secretary. It was resolved that a Dinner should be held in York at Christ- mas, provided that not less than 20 acceptances be received. The following money grants were made, viz. :— f, s. d. School Sports' Prize .. • • . • • • • 2 12 6 Do. Reading Prize • • • • • • 1 1 o Do. Theatricals .. • • . 5 0 0 London Dinner (not exceeding) .. • • 3 0 0 York Dinner and Social (not exceeding) .. • • 7 0 0 The business part of the Meeting concluded with a hearty vote of thanks to Mr. Toyne for presiding at the Meeting and for allowing the Club the use of the Hall for the purpose. 828 THE ENLARGEMENT OP THE GROUNDS. A new departure was made at this Annual Meeting which was sandwiched in between a short and enjoyable Concert in which the School took part and an " O.P. Social " which made an agreeable ending to a very successful evening. THE ENLARGEMENT OF THE GROUNDS. The appeal for funds to assist the Governors of the School in buying the Clifton Grove Estate has met with a hearty response. To make a really satisfactory purchase, however, and to lay out the grounds suitably it will be necessary to raise at least £I000.