From the Archive
The Hair Supervisory Committee Joanne Horsley Archivist
Nearly 50 years ago, on 23 July 1971, Headmaster Gerard Cramer wrote to the Secretary of the School Representative Council of Carey (SRC) regarding the matter of length of hair for boys in the School. The SRC had recommended to the Headmaster ‘that a trial period (during which flexibility and length of hair be allowed) of ten weeks be implemented in the School’.
T
he issue of hair length had been a constant issue debated, counter argued and raised again and again. The unanimous decision was that there should be a liberalisation of the rules. After careful thought and deliberation, the Headmaster agreed, subject to certain considerations. Firstly, that a committee of three boys elected from the SRC and three staff representatives would be the arbiters of hair grooming to avoid excesses of style and length. This ‘Hair Supervisory Committee’ was appointed by the Headmaster and this committee would hold weekly meetings. A professional hair stylist was engaged and gave a series of demonstrations to students in Forms 10, 11 and 12. In a final statement on the matter, the Headmaster commented that, ‘If you can prove that longer hair will make for a better-groomed appearance I shall be delighted – and so will you.’
A
t the end of the trial period, the experiment had been vindicated, and it was agreed that the new hair legislation would continue in 1972. 34 | Torch
Above: The hairy Carey Hockey Team with their Coach, Mr David Morgan, 1975. A clear statement of the rules was issued in the following year and became official School policy. All students were asked to show the policy to their parents. The opposite
page contains an entertaining extract from the Hair Policy Statement, issued by the Acting Headmaster at the time, Mr Arthur Sandell.
