|
same sureness of draughtsmanship—and it is altogether pleasing to be able to visualise these two boys blazing an entirely new trail of fame from Queen Victoria School. For their example is certain to be followed; the exhibition held evidence galore.
On the handicrafts side there was just as much to show that here at least craftsmanship is not in danger of dying.
From tea trays to a trolley, from sledges to a
garden seat, by way of stools, shopping baskets and a myriad other things the scent rose keen of budding tradesmen.
The garden seat, of stout reinforced concrete and solid bars of wood, took shape from the class's own design, and it stands firmer and sits more comfortably than any other of its kind I have ever seen.
These and other portents made one realise that in a changing world, where the soldier's role has undergone radical recasting, Victorians will leave their school equipped as well as any and better than most of their contemporaries. |
A full secondary school education is their lot, plus all the advantages of a boarding school, and a thorough military grounding in the best possible environment.
No wonder Q.V.S. cadets are finding their way to Sandhurst. Before places were taken on parade there was the ceremony of prizegiving, held in the chapel, in which the principal part was played by Maj.-General Douglas N. Wimberley—himself distinguished both as scholar and as soldier.
Beforehand the headmaster, Major D. H. McNeill, had with modest mien but justifiable pride, told how candidates for the Scottish Leaving Certificate this year had triumphed in thirty-six papers out of forty (last year the percentage of passes was under fifty).
General Wimberley's speech goes on record as being the easiest to listen to, the most instructive and entertaining that a general officer ever gave. The kernel of it was an admonition to pursue knowledge, develop a sense of humour and practise courtesy.
|
|
194 books have been added to the School
Library during the year. Several books have
been presented. We are indebted to Colonel R. Leckie-Ewing for "Proud Heritage" by Lt.-Colonel Oatts, a history of the H.L.I.; to Mr Lax for "The Story of the 20th Division" and "The K.O.S.B. in the Great War"; to Captain Priddle for six novels by P. G. Wodehouse; and to Major A. C. A. Mackinnon, M.B.E., for Volume III of "The History of the Cameronians," covering the period 1939-46. Another useful gift has been a set of "The Boy's Own Paper" for the years 1939 to 1955. These were given by Mr C. S. Scott of Bearsden. They are being bound.
Of books bought, some fifty are Penguine and Pan books, bound for us locally in boards with a transparent covering. They are much cheaper than the cloth editions of the books, and they have stood up well to normal usage: to being carried round all day clutched in the hand or stuffed inside the jersey, to being left about on ledges inside and out, to being sat on in the dining hall, and to being stored beside football boots and lemonade bottles in the bottom compartments of lockers.
Despite additions, there is more empty space on the shelves. Junior fiction has been removed into the keeping of Housemasters of the Junior Houses; and a number of books have been put away for disposal. The library proper is now open to secondary boys only.
Book reading in the School seems to be in- creasing. In ten weeks of the summer term there have been over 600 issues to the Secondary School. It contains 113 boys and. 99 of these have taken out at least one book each. The best customer has had 25. Undoubtedly, some books have come back unread; but a popular book is sometimes passed about unofficially and read by two or three boys with. only one issue recorded.
|
Books about episodes of the last war are still the favourites. Of just over 600 issues, '195 have been war books. But Nevil Shute is easily the most popular single author. There are now eight of his books in the library and there have been 62 issues of these. "Sapper" and Leslie Charteris come next, but far behind, with about 30 issues each. Novels of Buchan and of C. S. Forester are still popular, too; but the regular patrons have been through these long ago.
If we exclude war books, only about 50 issues of 600 have been of books other than fiction; and half of these have been books about summer sports. This indicates a weakness. But one customer anyway has shown diverse interests; books about biology, physics, the films, cricket, as well as a dozen novels and a volume entitled "Teach Yourself Personal Efficiency"!
Casual readers, who fill in half an hour turning over pages in the library, still go mainly to the Geographical Magazines and to the Times History of the War (1914-18). Boys dip into regimental histories, too; but most of these end at 1918 and do not appeal much to the generation whose fathers fought in 1939-45.
Material has been ordered for putting the library catalogue on to a card index system.
This will probably be done next year, and it will be a task much lightened by the work of Mr Bowen, who classified and catalogued the whole "non-fiction" library.
What we most lack at present is popular fiction of decent quality. The rush on Shute's books and, earlier, on those of Buchan and Forester, the fairly steady popularity of Brett Young, Cronin, Doyle, Wells, and the continuing interest in Scarlet Pimpernel books, Dumas, Sabatini, show that paper-covered stories about gum-chewing gunmen have not spoiled the taste for better stuff and for the old favourites. We could still do with more of these.
 |
|
