Australian Rules Started Again at the RMC, This Time Career Qualification
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Newsletter 212005 October 2005 Silver Jubilee There are occasions when unobtrusive events have a memory. His writings were buoyed by his obviously deep way of approaching without general recognition. Such a affection for Duntroon and the priceless value he gave to the one is, probably for many Members, likely to be the fact companionship of those who shared his experiences and that on the 27th of June the Duntroon Society Newsletter gave ear to his recollections. As importantly, he challenged reached its 25th birthday. Against :he trends of an era that and cajoled his readers to do the same or better. It worked. finds reasons or excuses for major commemorations for all For a decade or more it has been my good fortune as Editor manner of chronological markers, be they small, large, to have a surfeit of contributions although that happy state macabre or melodramatic, there will be no formal has been touched with more than a little regret at having to celebrations for this one. Reflections, though, may be in put aside far too many of them. This Editor in particular and order. the Society in general are Whether ~t was an much in debt to Paddy rnsylred choice or a fortunate ~!~F~~J~~'~J<~m~@~~~~"IHeffernan happenstance for Brigadier When wriling of change at the Geoffrey Solomon to be the ' l r 198 1 27 inc lQVl RMC, Brigadier solomon faundmg Editor is difficult to An I ntroductlon \11 1 tt~tor~al sought to placate those who A 1 x1 rrt., 8 rhrhcrI'\ ' Dun -% fathom at thls distance in tlme. ,, I ,, % (I, r w 1 oanliounLl ti rr I b, ,I rc cCi-. irn,hi ' . f had a nasty feeling that, not 1 111 ,nc,il i nonSu d 10 1 1'8 t ti GI nl l,nr I. (hi Whatever the cause it was ,. ithi~~rxI I I I\ 1 MI slnce Henry VIIl set to work felicitous not only for the ' ' ,' "0 I ',I "'""11'" "8 I " I ! "k " " ',i I", , ,r, " ,,,'I:, ,. ,,,I,.,,...,,. 3 ...a u. .' .., .,; , , , I,I, , ,. , , , , I I n I. on the monasteries has there . , , 8. , .. -I, '. loryn,,l I : I: " . ,.li. GI'bi- it. ..nd ,, lodl I xi I 11 I, is I'.., Newsletter, but also for the .I, .,,,,m 1" . ., >O.A-,,IC,.~ ,. -, .., ,;I ., \ .# 8 .J.c.,i~.~,, I,. I~IIO~,,~"L,. ~!RII.I. n a . ,> , - ,, Ild . , . , , I I V... s.. I - , . .I# h + .,OU,I W.,I ,Z "67 I C' .. been a dissolutio~zcomparable Society, He set out to infolm . ., ..$. .! . Ju! ', ,'"L ,... c 8 ! "d.' .""I L'll , '8 . u K ,'>!sk 'h . k d , , ,, - , , ,,,, , , ,, ,,. .. ,,,, L , , . , to that at the Royal Military , , , ., , ,, , ', ,I., .nu I:I.. li.rr.d I. 1, 1, 1'1. ..,. ,r I-. I. &.i :.:I the readers about the ' , . , ,. ... .; , , ,, . , , %. I , , i,,,, . ; .,. ,., ?, , , I.. ;, ..,,. .\ College in recent years, by I. I ,<.I I ," n< / ., : . ,., !' ,.\ , ! .:,A. t -.,I,,:$ ., 88, '% , - ">. ,:I- , ) ,. ," ,,-, 41< ' I*,.' ,8, 8 , ,r, y ".. "'"Ciar: o., prevailing situation in the : , , ,, , ,,,d ,,, , , , , ,,, , ,,. , , , ..,, , ,, ,,, %,.,, reassuring them that the . u I l , ! . I,, .oli., , .l h.'lll,, I", -,I, "i 1 much-changed College, to , ':~' , , ,. ., . rh,ll. , s.,ll , ,,, , ,, , , military program in substance report on the activities of the ,,',,',',,, ''f''c,,',:,,., ,:::.,-',, , ::':,:. "' ;::.I ,;';~,~~,!,;',";"~r,',,.;., I' Or "' .' ~'-"" must be strikingly famjliar. , , , ' I .,, ., 1 I ,. , , , ,lllll. \ . .>,, r >< 88 e I>,,lC ,>.u ,, I,',",;l-,, -,,-,,<,I Society and to provide a forum He would not be able to do so , ; I . '~<,,: ,,!I;;;:,~,;;;;; ,;Lv;:p,:,,;; ;;<;; ;;,; l1, ,y;,, :;;,8;;l; y.;~;~;!1,.8, ,hc;;;,,:i;;b; 8 .I pic#,-' I., t>:ri I,..# , 8 .,1,.1 .,I i $8, ,,iihlt 1" thdi dl L~L for the writing of memories , , . ,, , . , ,! ,.,,,.,,., ,. ,,, , . ..,, .~ ,, , .,,,,,,,,,, anymore. As is the way of ". * I ,. , lo',, .> .lirl.l !,...I hrrif lr,l,lr ir. $11 1 . 8. ., .I,:.# ,r. P,"-, 8, wl.~chiii <.., larlce and the coming together, . ,, , . - , I I .I ,., . L,,I I ,,, I , such things, the pace of . I . ht t I .I8 8, . 0 L I lll,.,rl#, I I rl i nllcl F. * '1 1.2ment .I 1. ;. and of , . 3.. I ,; .,.m 'mvcnI~,I$ at7$ , .-.~,E~I.L8 v.,. I ,,,Y I*,. I,, "::';,,.,~n tcL -~.,nt,~c 81, . I, , .-lcil I .,,I! ,..I, ,.,ll. I,.~,,I ,,,. ,, I ..I/ change has greatly increased the members so inclined. He in the intervening 25 years. wrote presciently that, The 7 .,, The length and contenl of the I . :. ,., .I . llil I11 .'I.., 8. I, 8, ,, ,,I,' , ,~.,,,IL .,# 8.8 ".~, 8 ,.,,'< . Newsletter is the voice of the ., , ,. .,. I,,,-.:,, .' ,,018,1 hi.., I,., 1, 8,. ,:11, '. .. .t, \,, ~, 8 ,,, ,,., r, ,, , . training now conducted is ,, !.r ,,,, I,, l,,,r 4 p,,~,,,,&>~,~.,#l,,:,I ,,, ,,,: ,>,;. 1, ~ ,I < , L,l.~< A:. ,,.,, 8 $1 . m: V\LI 3 ,, , . ,'.'#%.b.,, , WL, <,,.#<! 0' 8, .##*8 ,, 8, Duntroon Society. Within the , , , I , . r.. 8; .L 1.1 ,,, ,*#'* ..,,,ro 8, ',,p,>b#: \\,,,".I ,r,,, .I '.. -,..>,,. 'strikingly dissimilar'. The 5, ,. I . ,.,., , .!,,:,. n,.',', I:> I I,,,. .8 I*,., I, 1 ,111 U, #r .n .,.r .r. e , .. limits of its charter that voice .i #, r,,,, , >.. ., .,, ,,i,b~N,~~ ,&.' I ,I I ,I . ,.i<, l> l, l ,. 11 1 11 \ composition of the Corps of , , ,I 81, ,# ,,,I ,-? call ,-,,I I, I ' ,.L,81: . ,., .. ,, , . 8 ,< dr . m, A, ,,<,:1ar can be as weak or as strong as _ , I, ..I . ,,..I/.*, ..i,,,. .*T,)" 8 I,,%! ' i,',. , .,.. u,l\ - ' ;I: ,"LO Staff Cadets is markedly , ,, , I . ,'.,I ..I ... I(. ,,. hi, , I,., .. : l/b.,-li t. ...,.!. / 1, I#, 1. ., I. iUIIC F .' ,,(, "0 i ,. .,. l., i. , IL,. ,I ,.,.! I.. ,.. ,.I,: k 1. I .I ..?,.. 11, :,... , 8 i i,m, 1 .,,, the membership wishes and '<,, . ., ..,,...> l.1 r.C,l-. 1. , ' , , .,..-.I ,.I,, . different in its range of ages. ,% , , , I.,%, I.,, ., ,I.$ .,, .r /I ' 1, Y r. I., I, makes possible. , , ,.,2 8 ' in,! , , r 6 .- .. .I 88.1 1.. I 8. .I 1, . i. ill,<*., lli ,L r , the background experiences, ., r ' 1, I , . 18,: , , , 1 L ,,>s : ,,.,I < , !i% 1: I ' 8 , , ,,1l,l,,-, 11 Some five or so years . , . ti,' 0 . 8 , . L , . I. the various sexes, attitudes, n . 8 I . 2 I . .. > .' , rco "I!,. "I.'... .,",l'< ,. , "O.i,r s. CC: I '..I 1' , ,\. ',' '1 L,t ,I ,"d,~ I. ,I in,, I,,,:., 1. .. i I. '. .I. later his successors were .. 8 r I\ -.it. 1.. 8, i. .,iin . ilmi ,,r i ch i expectations and values. This . ..A,. ~ \ I b< . i..-.. 0" mr. :rrshl, feeling faint tinges of doubt % : 1,1. 8, r, ,,, n, .,l..rY is not to be taken as implied ,,,>I lbbr,hc.,,<. .c,, ,r, 1, ,, ,, , ,, ,,, hrn L, about the strength of that Ouc i...I, , . 0, ..U,l"b. r , 7 \\e . ui .. A .l criticism but rather is by way I ' , 1 mi, voice. Another who shared cn5 of observation. As yet the that sensation was Air Duntroon Society does not Commodore P.G. (Paddy) Heffernan ( 1928), who had reflect all those changes but, given that many of the contributed to some earlier Newsletters. He took up his pen graduates of recent decades will, with the effluxion of time, again and produced excellent articles for nearly every issue also develop the affection for Duntroon that the present of the Newsletter from 1987 to 1993 - in three of them he maturing membership holds, it no doubt will. As the voice offered two each! It was not the number so much as his of thc Socicty, so will the Newsletter. And that is largely lively and entertaining style backed by a prodigious due to Geoffrey Solomon and Paddy lieffernan. Another matter of much more than passing interest is Sydney Grammar School (SGS) produced 15 RMC that this will be the last issue of the Newsletter with Colonel entrants, all of whom graduated during the years 1954 to W.J. (Bill) Slocombe as Associate Editor. After 22 years of 1961. Although there have been others from SGS outside direct association with the Newsletter he is putting aside his this period who have graduated from the RMC, what is red staff college pen. Bill took over from Professor E.R. probably unique is that from the group of 15, at least one student entered Duntroon each consecutive year from 1951 (Ridley) Bryan in time to produce Newsletter 211983 with to 1958. the present incumbent as the Associate Editor. This continued until Newsletter 211986. In ways that only Although a variety of factors would have influenced each individual student, there are two which were probably someone who comes from a senior Class can do, Bill significant for all. One was the policy of the SGS Board of managed to lever me into the Editor's chair. This may have Trustees of that time which strongly supported the military been in retaliation for me having headed overseas for 18 ethos. This gave rise to the compulsory membership, by months during his stewardship leaving him to carry on students in fourth and fifth forms, of the SGS Cadet Corps. manfully on his own. Generous fellow that he is, he did not Many continued voluntarily in sixth form. Obviously a leave me in the lurch but remained as Associate Editor general exposure to Army methods and customs was thereafter. It was a pleasure and a comfort to have him in provided, but more particularly, they were presented that role. Without his sage advice and well honed proof accurately and at a level appropriate to cadets. This leads to reading skills the Newsletter would have been the poorer, the second influence. although we both have to admit that, try as we might, and we The SGS Cadet Corps had established a reputation did try hard, we rarely produced an issue without at least one for efficiency and exceptionally sound training which had error of some kind and, too often, a number of them.