The Strathallian
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The Strathallian 1979 V o l. 12 N o . 4 C ontents Page Strathalliennes 2 Editorial 4 Salvete 4 Notes 5 Denis Young 6 House Reports 9 Winter and Spring Term Sports 16 Drama 29 Music 32 C.C.F. 34 Social Services 42 Dragons 46 Activities 51 Summer Sports 54 Valete 67 Strathallian Club 71 THE ARRIVAL OF THE DELICATE SEX AT First Impressions STRATHALLAN On T uesday 11 th September 1979 thirteen members of the It was with a curious mixture of anticipation and appre fairer sex arrived in a flurry of giggles and skirts at Strath. hension that we all returned to School this term. Before Many people have asked why we chose Strathallan . coming back it had been hard to imagine the opposite sex . W ell, with a 98% male population we feel that the mixing in with a community such as ours and yet now, only answer is obvious. a few weeks later, it would seem unnatural without them However, we have had to put up with quite a few odd somehow. W ithout being obtrusive I think they have looks, especially from the boys’ parents who scrutinised us added a touch of colour to our small society. At the risk of carefully to assure themselves that their sons would not be tempting fate or possibly affronting the girls’ pride, their fraternising with ‘shameless hussies’ ! arrival at Strathallan appears to have passed unexpectedly There was no help from the masters either. Their pre uneventfully. The initial apprehension that these strange judice against us was made immediately obvious when, on creatures might bite having worn off, those one would have our first day of classes we were confronted with a Male expected to, among the boys, broke the ice. (W h o says Chauvinist Pig tie, the first of many! that rugby players don’t have sex-appeal!) In order to help Then too, many people seemed to have trouble differen integration, the Vlth Form coffee lounge was opened this tiating between us and the boys, as we were often being term to both sexes and soon the seniors were very quickly yelled at as ‘You boys!’—we were never warned about mixing very freely while the more junior boys stared from sex changes! a distance. It must, however, be admitted that it soon Our time here has already seen us becoming fitter. This became clear that Riley boys, ‘in those sweet shorts’ had an has been caused firstly by the amount of walking we do and unfair advantage over the majority of the School. To the secondly, and mainly, by the circuit-training— our biceps dismay of some, the ‘weaker sex’ (as they hate to be called) are nearly as well developed as those of the boys, and we were no pushovers and stubbornly refused to wait hand and have even moved on to 2-pound weights. But this fitness foot on anyone. Noticeably, the appearance and manners has proved to be useful as, desperately clutching a bath- of several gentlemen improved this term and budding towel, some poor girl makes a frenzied dive into the casanovas appeared everywhere. Could it have been wardrobe as yet another visitor is shown around the significant that the first Vlth Form theatre visit was to bungalows. ‘Romeo and Juliet’? Our arrival was heralded by the acquisition of a sixth- The girls themselves seem undaunted, even happy, at the form coffee lounge. Unfortunately the atmosphere in it 13:400 ratio. W hile at present following their own games during the first few days was not quite as desired: girls in programme, most of their activities are carried out together the right corner, boys in the left corner with a No-Man’s/ with the boys; some of the girls have made their physical W om an’s-Land of tables in the middle. skills known at mixed indoor hockey and most are keen Although we admit that the bungalows are somewhat supporters of the XV. better than the conditions in which the boys have to live, It is to be hoped that integration will become progressively we do have certain drawbacks; mainly the fact that we have easier with time and the wearing-off of novelty value. to do our own washing. The first week or two saw the It may seem a rash judgment after such a short time but kitchen being flooded by water/soapsuds; girls playing games there is a feeling within the School that a full ‘co-ed’ in pink and blue aertexes rather than white ones; and the system is desirable and that we might aim to develop the introduction of a novel excuse for being late for classes: facilities for complete integration. ‘Sorry, sir, I had to hang out my washing.’ The general impression at present is that the girls are Our first couple of weeks, though hectic, will never be happily accepted as part of our everyday lives and that forgotten or regretted by any of us, and we are now looking whilst they have undoubtedly lent a new dimension to forward to this coming year with less apprehension as we Strath, in retrospect, very little has changed. already feel a part of the large family that is called Strath. 2 STRATHALLIEN NES ? Many of you will know that at the start of the School year we welcomed thirteen girls into the Sixth Form— for the superstitious there will be fourteen in January! What at the beginning of the term appeared a brave innovation had, by half-term, become so much accepted as part of the normal life of the School that it scarcely seems to warrant comment now as news. E>ut as the first two girls to be registered were daughters of Old Boys, it may be helpful to others to give a few facts. The present policy only admits girls into the Sixth Form. Currently there are six in the 2nd year Sixth taking a post-Highers one year course to ‘A’ Level. The remaining eight are taking the normal two year post ‘O’ Level course. The girls stay at night with staff families within the grounds; they leave in the morning for School breakfast and thereafter until returning home in the evening, have as exclusively theirs, a base in two modern bungalows by Thorny Shades hockey pitch. Here they have studies, day rooms and the rest. Over at the main School there is a newly furnished Sixth Form Coffee Lounge common to boys and girls. The girls have their own Housemistress, House Tutors and games programme and, wherever appropriate, they are encouraged to take part in all School activities. The scheme has certainly got off to a good start, but what the future holds it is too early to predict. Perhaps it is sufficient to say that not one member of staff was actually opposed to the admission of girls and on going to press I have received only one reservation from a parent which was couched in the mildest of terms. Have we been lucky or was Harry Riley more perceptive than many would have thought when in 1934 he presented to the Strathallian Club a chain of office with the charge ‘that he or she, if the days of co-education do come C.D.P. EDITORIAL April 1979 In another year of strikes, industrial disputes, general elections, Scotland winning the wooden spoon and other such III— Dodds, J. G. (L ); Thain, J. R. (L). disasters, Strathallan remains strongly unperturbed! The usual activities and sports have been pursued, and in answer to those critics who maintain the magazine lacks variety, September 1979 it should be remembered that it is something of a living prospectus, displaying what the School offers. UVI— Douglas, Susan D. (T); Frame, Lorna G. (T); McMinn, Having failed to extend the cricket report to a not unreason Morag J. (T); McTeague, Karina T. (T); Rogers, W endy D. able twenty pages it was decided to put the emphasis on (T ); Rowe, Clarissa J. (T). photographs as opposed to graphics and the Board hope that this will be successful. Last year’s magazine lacked an Editorial LVI— Fitzpatrick, Gail S. (T); Gilmour, Carla G. R. (T); Board photo but our gross vanity has demanded that this be put Johnston, Adrian P. (R); Johnston, Alistair P. (R); right. This picture is not, therefore, the result of a policy MacLaurin, Barbara A. (T); Naylor, K. Lindsay (T); decision! Pickett, I. W . (N); Rutherford, Sally J. (T); Wilson, E. Caroline (T); Wishart, Gail (T). V— Cairns, S. A. C. (N); Seriniyom, A. (S). IV— Howe, M. B. (N). Ill— Bryson, H. C. (L); Burrows, I. S. (L); Caban, M. A. (L); Callander, N. S. (R); Dixon, C. I. M. (L); Drummond, M. (S); Dryden, M. S. S. (S); Gee, M. B. (R); Gill, G. K. A. (R); Greenshields, M. J. A. (R); Houison Craufurd, J. A. (F); Kingan, R. B. (N ); Lawrence, A. T. (F); McCall-Smith, B. (R ); Macdonald, W . J. R. (N ); Mackie, P. R. B. (S): McKee, H. N. (N); McLaren, J. (S); Main, S. A. (N); Marr, A. J. W . (R ); Mundell, D. D. (N ); Panton, D. I. (S); Read, G. M. S. (S); Robertson, H. S. (R ); Russell, A. L. V. (N ); Shaw- Hider, A. M. (S); Smith, G. K. (F); Smith, K. A. (L); Steel, M .G.(R);Tyser, P. H. (L). Riley II— Bond, C. J. T.; Churchill, S. B.; Clarke, J. A.; Denton- Miller, A.; Dods, B. M.; Fraser, J. S.; Garnett, J. M.; Macdonald, G. A .; Stratton, N.