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THE PETERITE Vol. LXI FEBRUARY, 1970 No. 382 EDITORIAL John Bunyan's pilgrims were shown, in the Interpreter's House, "a man that could look no way but downwards, with a muck-rake in his hand," and the man could not see the crown offered to him because he did not look up. "Where there's muck there's money" is well-known to us, and there can have been few decades that have borne this out more fully than the decade of the sixties now passed. Obscene books, obscene films, obscene "plays" have certainly brought in the money for their unremem- bered authors, producers and actors. Memoirs of prostitutes and criminals have brought easy wealth; a drug offence has become almost essential publicity for some. Decent discretion is now labelled hypocrisy, and skeletons that used to be in cupboards are now expected to be proudly displayed. Writers of "plays" have turned a quick penny by shooting little arrows at long-accepted heroes; the writers' names are soon forgotten, but those at whom they have shot have had an awkward habit of standing secure, unsullied: Havelock, Nightingale, Churchill, Nelson. Not to be out-done, some churchmen have jumped on the wagon. At first it was to help prove the literary merit of "Lady Chatterley's Lover". Then a new "humanism" became the vogue, and a clerical collar became the badge of the avant-garde, provided its wearer was disproving the divinity of Christ, or "rationalising" the faith by which he is presumed to live. The man with the muck-rake certainly had his head well down. But as the decade wore on: as man's mastery of nature was steadily making him the slave of technology, and as the most agonising dilemma of the century was rending Vietnam and bewildering world opinion, man reached out for the stars. It seemed there was nothing he could not do with rocketry and computers. It seemed almost superfluous that the two great nations who were searching space should need to train a very special type of man; he needed qualities that were elusive because they were innate, and science could not provide them: high intelligence, physical excellence and courage. As for the achievement in space—it was all done by science; or nearly all. When one of the special men was rounding the Moon, he read to the listening Earth words familiar in almost every part of it: "In the begin- ning God . ." Some humanists found it naive or even arrogant to read 1 CONTENTS PAGE Editorial 1 School Notes ... 2 Valete 3 Salve ... 4 Chapel Notes ... 4 Choir ... 5 Orchestra 5 Choral Society 6 School Play ... Four Short Plays About Old Age 9 Debating Society 10 Modern Languages Society 10 Russian Society 11 History Society 11 Senior Science Society 11 Junior Science Society 12 Theological Society ... 12 Music Society ... 13 Photographic Society 13 The Arts Society 13 Young Farmers' Club Notes 14 Motor Enthusiasts' Club ... 14 Gramophone Society ... 15 Ornithological Group, 1969 ... 15 Walking Group 16 Data Processing Group 16 Radio 5 16 I.C.A. Business Game 17 British Ship Adoption Society 18 House Notes ... 18 C.C.F. Notes ... 23 Scouts ... 25 The Duke of Edinburgh's Award Scheme 26 Winter Sports Holiday 26 Peterites Abroad 27 Rugby, 1969 28 Shooting 33 Squash 34 Fencing 34 Options 36 The Oxford Cup, 1969-70 36 Cricket Fixtures, 1970 37 Old Peterite News ... 38 English Public Schools' Association of Victoria 43 the scriptures of western religions. Would it have been more acceptable if he had read: "He causeth the night to enter in upon the day, and the day to enter in upon the night, and He hath given laws to the Sun and to the Moon"? He would have been reading from the Koran. Then at the high point of the decade, one of the excellent men was ready to walk on the Moon. No computers now; just hands and feet for motive power, and one of man's basic inventions, a ladder! Before going to the ladder, the man asked for radio silence, and it was not known until later why he asked for it. He had taken with him to the next planet Sacraments previously blessed by his minister on Earth, and he wished to make his Communion before he stepped out into history. "What a piece of work is Man!" wrote one of us who achieved unequalled fame without giving offence, and Who made his money with- out a muck-rake. SCHOOL NOTES Congratulations to the following on their successes in the recent examinations for entrance to Oxford and Cambridge: — AWARDS M. J. Black, Open Exhibition in Mathematics, Worcester College, Oxford; R. J. Brockbank, Open Exhibition in Engineering, St. John's College, Cambridge; T. M. Day, Paddy Organ Scholarship, St. John's College, Oxford. PLACES A. S. Bowie, Emmanuel College, Cambridge (Modern Languages); R. M. Cooper, Clare College, Cambridge (Natural Sciences); J. Fender, Brasenose College, Oxford (Mathematics); D. F. Harding, St. Peter's College, Oxford (English); J. R. Lund, Balliol College, Oxford (Classics); D. Pollard, Christ's College, Cambridge (Mathematics); J. R. Williamson, Emmanuel College, Cambridge (History); S. P. Withers, Trinity College, Cambridge (Engineering). * * * A remarkable lecture on the "Great Abbai Expedition" was given by Captain J. R. Chapman, M.B.E., on September 18th. * * * The Royal Navy Presentation Team arrived by helicopter on Sep- tember 23rd, and gave a most polished and concise presentation of the work of the modern Navy, and all were delighted with the display by the helicopter over the cricket field. * * * Captain R. Baker gave a talk on the Merchant Navy on September 29th. * * * On October 18th and 19th several Headmasters and representatives of preparatory schools attended a conference in the School. 2 The week-end visit by Father Humphrey Whistler, of the Community of the Resurrection, from October 25th to 27th, gave many boys an opportunity to meet and talk to him either informally in Houses, or by private arrangement. * * * The play, "Six Men of Dorset", by Miles Malleson, was presented on October 29th, 30th and 31st. A review of this performance is found later in this issue. * * * On November 1st a Coffee Party was held for parents of IVth Form boys to meet the masters, and the half term holiday began after this, lasting until November 9th. * * * John Lazarus, George Walker and Jenny Walker gave a scintillating concert on November 29th. * * * On December 11th, four short plays were presented by masters and boys. A review is found later. On December 13th a concert was given by the School Choral Society in conjunction with Queen Anne's School. * * * A group of Manor Senior Middles collected money for Shelter by carol singing locally, and this would seem to be an activity that could be extended. * * * The departure of the Rev. M. H. Burden, M.A., Chaplain of St. Olave's, will be felt in St. Peter's where his forthright views, sometimes controversial, were appreciated. We wish him well in his new appoint- ment at Beverley, and thank him for his contribution to life in St. Peter's. * * * Term ends on Monday, March 23rd, and the Summer term will be from Friday, April 24th to Monday, July 13th. * * * The next issue of The Peterite will be in October, 1970, and it is likely that there will in future be two editions in each year. * * * The recent History of St. Peter's School, by F. J. Wiseman, with thirty- seven illustrations, has been published at two guineas. VALETE CHRISTMAS, 1969 DRONFIELD R. J. Brockbank, School Monitor, Head of House, Cambridge Exhibitioner; M. P. Dobson; R. S. A. Valentine. 3 MANOR A. P. Andrews, House Monitor; R. M. Cooper, House Monitor; P. W. Dacey, School Monitor. QUEEN'S P. R. Bailey, Rugger 1st XV Colours; M. J. Black, House Monitor, Oxford Exhibitioner; J. Fender, House Monitor; P. M. Wright, House Monitor. RISE S. P. Withers. SCHOOL HOUSE A. Gray, 1st XV Colours; J. R. Williamson, Head of School. TEMPLE J. R. Blacker; J. R. Lund, School Monitor, Head of House; M. J. Winter- bottom. SALVE JANUARY, 1970 GROVE R. Turton. CHAPEL NOTES A memorial service for Mr. K. H. Rhodes was held on September 13th, when Mr. J. Dronfield gave a moving address to a packed chapel. Also a School Memorial Service was held, at which the Headmaster gave the address. The Young Farmers again organised the Harvest Thanksgiving Service, F. T. Gooder leading the proceedings. The Chapel was 'alive with food gifts from boys, parents and masters for the old people of York. To ease the timetables this term, the Senior School and Junior School alternated weekly between Chapel and Hall for morning services. In Hall, the weekly themes were, "Community or Chaos" and "The Christian Mission Today", by the Chaplain; •the Second and Eighth Commandments by Mr. Exham, R. Ashburn and M. Bailey; "The Individual" by the Headmaster and Mr. Oxley; Mr. Cummin also conducted a week of Services based on Bible readings with the theme of Man's relationship to God. Visiting preachers this term were Mr. G. L. Willatt, Headmaster of Pocklington, and Father Humphrey Whistler, who visited the School from the Community of The Resurrection at Mirfield. He impressed many people by his deep, traditional faith. Canon Cant preached at a Sixth Form service, and the following week, the Middle School service was centred on the hymns and poems of George Herbert. Voluntary choirs helped most ably at these two services. 4 The Rise and Queen's each presented a week of services in the Chapel. The Rise considered Cliff Richard's beliefs, and Queen's theme was "The Sermon on the Mount".