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may in time bear fruit. We can sincerely hope that such will be the case.
The Old Boys I meet today have in the main
achieved two successes, one in the Services and the other in civil life. What vistas of success are now open to those at the School with all the opportunities which are theirs for the taking? I earnestly ask them to grasp those opportunities and make the School's name revered throughout
the land, and lastly that by their actions they bring respect to themselves and future generations attending our Alma Mater.
J. R. S. OWENS (Bobby), 359.
London Branch Old Boys' Association.
London Branch Tribute
Towards the end of my Army service I knew that I would be settling down in the London area and had thought of forming a Branch there. In the meantime "Pally" Shaw, who was then living in Devon, had been thinking on the same lines. On a visit to the School he had nut the idea to Lt.-Col. Nason, who was then Commandant of the School, and he suggested that Shaw should get in touch with me. I then received a letter from "Pally" suggesting that we should form a branch in the London area. At that time I still had a year to serve, and I had not intended to form a branch until I had left. Nevertheless we decided' to make a start. I was' given several addresses of Old Boys who had settled down south, and other addresses came from the School News Letters.
Our first meeting was called on the 12th of December, 1954, and was held at my home. Seven Old Boys turned up—R. G. Shaw, A. J. Archer, G. A. Archer, the two Watt brothers Willie and Ton», my young brother Archie, and myself. Out of these a caretaker committee was formed consisting of "Pally" Shaw, my brother Archie and myself. From now on each meeting saw an increase in our numbers. The first three meetings were held in my house. The number of members in the branch had by this time increased to twelve, with promise of more, so it was decided to find another place for our meetings, to cater for our increasing numbers. I had in the meantime contacted the C.O. of the Middlesex Depot, where I had been working as their P.T. instructor. He agreed to let us have the use of the Middlesex Regiment Old Comrades' Hut at Mill Hill, but as this was a rather difficult place to reach we did not use it. Willie Watt, who was friendly with the manage- ment of "The White Lion" Inn, secured for us the use of their large dining room, and our fourth meeting was held there. It is convenient for everyone to reach, and food and drink are supplied at a reasonable cost. Since then the "White Lion" in Holbom has been regularly used for our meetings, which we hold twice a year, usually in the last week of September and in the last week in March.
In the meantime "Pally" Shaw has gone to Australia and I have carried on, with the encouraging support of all members of the London Branch. We can now claim a membership of forty Old Boys, and at our half-yearly meetings
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we have from twenty-four to thirty members
turning up to each meeting. Four of our members were in the First Hundred in the School— J. A. Archer, T. Watt, W. Watt, and J. A. Mcllroy. We also have Ernie McLeay, School No. 237, who returned to the School as a R.A.E.C. teacher with the rank of Sergeant. That was in my time at the School (1925). He is now Lieut.- Colonel, R.A.E.C. With us, too, is Brigadier Lunt, R.A.E.C., who was Headmaster of the School from 1926 to 1931. As far as I know, four Old Boys from this Branch have had their sons following them at the School.
To finish, I should like to inform you through the Jubilee issue of the "Victorian" that the London Branch is to present to the School a silverine bugle to commemorate the Jubilee.
J. S. CARRUTHERS,
Hon. Secy., London Branch.
Glasgow 'Old Boys'
1958—"Jubilee Year"—and Glasgow still has a very active branch of the "Old Boys Association" —and believe it or not, I see signs of a revival. This time last year I could not see the old branch lasting much longer, but somehow the "Few" carried on—meeting the first Thursday of every month—running small socials and meetings and at regular periods visiting our old School.
I know many old boys resident in Glasgow who are not interested in the Association. I have spoken to them sent letters and notifications, have appealed to them but always in vain. Yet recently I have felt more optimistic, and hope that this year, the fiftieth birthday of our old School, may mean a real revival.
Over 30 years ago I attended the first meeting of the "Glasgow Old Boys," the meeting being held in the 1st Glasgow Boy Scouts quarters in Alfred Terrace. I remember it was a most interesting meeting and most encouraging. The whole thing had been arranged by "Dick Crosbie" and before the evening was over we were a properly constituted branch. "Willie" Auld was elected chairman and "Eddie" Quinn secretary. It is interesting to note that we saw nothing of Crosbie or Auld after that meeting. Those who were interested turned up at the meetings and for a while everything looked bright; then after a few years of struggling along the branch faded out. A second attempt to form a branch was attempted by "Eddie" Quinn and myself, and once again everything looked bright and cheerful. We met in each other's homes and cafes and pubs, and some really grand nights we had, and I must mention some of the boys who at that time tried so hard to keep the branch going—Albert Currier, John S. Macleod, Alistair Craig, Allan Kirkpatrick, Gordon Gumming, Alex. Center and Jimmy Black. Allan and Gordon have since "passed over," Macleod I hear is in Australia, the others I believe are still resident in Glasgow and district, but I regret to say are not members of the present Association. Just before the second World War our second attempt at keeping the branch going failed again.
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