The Court of Governors and McClure

I n S I r John Mc c lure’S era , the c ourt M et Monthly – More frequently than the current c ourt of G overnor S . the aG enda

I te MS dIS cu SS ed were recorded I n

G reat deta I l , typ Ically I n the Mo S t eleG ant, G ra MM at Ically perfect copperplate handwr I t I nG. the MI nute S probably took lonG er to wr I te than the M eet I nG took I t S elf!

The minutes also suggest that the Court was more engaged with operational matters than would be the case today. The Business Committee and Finance Committee in particular appear to be heavily involved in the management and reporting on day to day commercial matters. Sir John was left to ‘run the School’.

On 31st January 1922, the Governors met as usual at the Baptist Church House in Mill Hill.

The meeting opened at 4.45pm. The Right Honourable Sir Albert Spicer, Bart was in the Chair. His co-Governors at the meeting were Dr H Morley Fletcher, Messrs R W B Buckland, A W Pickard – Cambridge MA, F A Wright MA, T A Herbert KC, N Micklem KC, H Marnham, G W Knox, E S Curwen and F L Lapthorn.

Sir John and the Clerk attended and Dr H J W Martin was also in attendance.

The agenda was a full one but the items involved nothing atypical: the Headmaster’s Report; the Treasurer’s Statement; the Report of the Business Committee; the Report of the Medical Officer on School Meals; Board of Education negotiations on Belmont pensions; presentation of a silver salver and cheque to Dr Martin for long and honourable services to the School; discussion on the Board of Education’s views on the issue of notices to Local Education Authorities regarding the offer of places under the School Teachers’ Superannuation rules; report from the consulting Dentist on dental decay among pupils.

The Clerk was instructed to circulate a list of dates for the meetings of the Court in 1922. It was resolved to follow the same procedure as to days as in 1921, but to alter the hour of meeting to 4.30pm, and to provide tea at that hour.

Eighteen days later, Sir John McClure passed away, six days before the next meeting of the Court.

There is no hint in the January 1922 Court minutes of any health issues regarding McClure. It is ironic that the great man’s final Court meeting was so spectacularly normal, although, had one known it was his finale, there was still much to applaud in his Headmaster’s Report:

The Mill Hill pupil population was 282 compared to 61 when he was appointed. Boarders were 260 vs 42. There were a further 83 pupils at Belmont.

Oxbridge entrances were successful and Mill Hill had obtained its first ever mathematics scholarship at Hertford, Oxford, another at Corpus, and a Classics scholarship at Queens, Cambridge.

Two additional School Entrance Scholarships were recommended for approval.

Captain G J V Weigall, former Cambridge Cricket Blue and Kent CC XI and sports journalist for The Times, was to be appointed to take charge of cricket at the School.

The revision of the Service Book for the Chapel had been completed and was ready for printing.

Issues to be resolved had a familiar ring to them. Boarding accommodation was insufficient and the issue was referred to the Business Committee. Influenza was rife and Sir John recommended inoculation in a letter to parents:

Plus ça change!

Sir John McClure’s relationship with the Court of Governors evolved over a period of 30 years.