4 minute read
On the matter of dancing on School property
Joanne Horsley
Archivist
During WWII, 40 Old Carey Grammarians lost their lives, leaving five widows with children. It was resolved by the Old Carey Grammarian Association (OCGA) to inquire if financial assistance would be welcomed by these families to educate their children. Two of these families were subsequently helped through the OCGA Memorial Provident Fund founded through donations and fundraising at various functions, including square dancing in Raymond Hall.
The OCGA asked and were given approval for these dances by a unanimous resolution of the School Council on 12 April 1948. The monthly dances started on Saturday 26 February 1949, offering ‘soft lights, sweet music and beautiful coffee’ to the 80 to 90 young people who attended the dance.
In March 1949, the School Council received advice from the Secretary of the Baptist Union of Victoria (BUV) that a member of a Baptist Church had written a letter protesting the holding of a dance by members of the OCGA on School property.
The Chairman of the School Council reminded members that control of School property had been vested in the School Council by the Baptist Union, and a letter was forwarded to the Union advising the reasons for Council’s decision to permit the holding of the dances at Carey.
A meeting was held between the representatives of the Executive Council of the BUV and the President, Headmaster of Carey and the Secretary of the School Council. The Executive Council of the BUV then sent a resolution that stated: ‘That while we are prepared to leave the matter at present with the School Council, we remind the Council of its important responsibility in this matter’.
By August 1950, the matter had gained momentum and there was an organised protest by regional Western District Baptist Association.
The Preparatory Building in 1925, within which is Raymond Hall.
‘We the undersigned members (…) view with deep concern the fact that our Raymond Hall at Carey is used for dancing and crave that the Baptist Union of Victoria disallow the further use of Raymond Hall or any other Baptist property for dancing.’ Further protests erupted with rumours also ‘of the desire by some Old Boys to introduce intoxicating liquor into School functions’ and ‘that dancing was a deplorable example to the youth of the denomination’.1
The School Council accepted a deputation from the Union that claimed there had been near division within certain churches over the matter of dancing on church property at Carey. Leading members of the School Council, such as Mr Howard Jenkin, Dr Keith Farrer and Dr Harold Moore, were resolute that it would adhere to its past decision to permit OCGA dancing in Raymond Hall, which should not be considered in the same category as Church property.
But still, the protests continued in the strongest terms from the BUV, that they were not disposed to assist in future support of the School, ‘whilst dancing is permitted on their premises in support of the benefit of the School’. The facts were that Raymond Hall was not a ‘church’ property and the dances were not ‘School functions’ as they did not benefit the School and were not open to current Carey students. Further, any funds raised from the dances were added to the Memorial Provident Fund established to help with the education of two children whose Old Grammarian fathers had been killed in WWII.
By 1951, the School Council had received two deputations from the BUV and regional Baptist churches.
Finally, a letter from the Executive Council of the BUV resolved that, ‘The dances in Raymond Hall are organised by the OCGA, an independent body over which the School has no jurisdiction, but to which it allows the use of the hall monthly (…) with no possibility of undesirable elements to be introduced’.2
In March 1953, Mr Vernon Wilcox (past President of OCGA, 1949–50) reported to the OCGA Annual Meeting held in Raymond Hall, that ‘the first child taking advantage of the Memorial Provident Fund is now at Strathcona’. Some in the BUV were mollified by this positive outcome of dancing on School property, and by 1955, when square dancing in Raymond Hall was wound up, it had raised over £500, which would be approximately $17,500 in 2020.
However, the matter still simmered through to 1959 when the Executive Council requested that all three Baptist grammar schools in Victoria at the time be asked for statements concerning the ‘problems associated with dancing at their schools, and of their policies in the matter…'3
With the benefit of hindsight 60 years later, the matter seems quite trivial. However, it was a real issue and occupied many hours of discussion and much correspondence over the 12 year period. Thankfully, we are safe in knowing that the Baptist Union is happy for dancing to take place on Carey school property today.
References
1 Correspondence from the Baptist Union of Victoria, 2 August 1950.
2 Minutes of meeting of Executive Council of Baptist Union of Victoria, 1 February 1951
3 Correspondence from Baptist Union of Victoria to Carey Baptist Grammar School, 22 September 1959
