Notes and Items

And for this success our thanks must go, primarily to the Headmaster, who sacrificed his entire holiday to be present at the camp, organising the distribution of boys among the farmers and managing the administrative and financial sides of the camp. We must thank also Mrs. Dronfield, who was also present throughout the six weeks of camp, Mrs. and Miss Williams, Mrs. Frost and Mrs. Bainton for their invaluable work in the cooking and catering arrangements, as well as the various masters who gave up parts of their holidays to take charge of the camp at different times. Nor must we forget to mention the boys, who were, after all, the mainstay of the camp, and whose work, they may rest assured, has been of the greatest assistance to the dozen or so farmers who had what we may presume to call the good fortune to have them in their employ.

NOTES AND ITEMS.

This column exists merely to record those events and pastimes which have occurred during the term, but which do not come within the range of the regular contributions to this magazine. This term, however, there are few such events to mention, because the unforeseen postponement of the beginning of term made it necessary for us to confine our attentions exclusively to the regular features of a summer term.

On Wednesday, July 15th, the Rev. Dr. F. M. Hnik gave the School a most interesting and revealing lecture upon Czecho-Slovakia. He told the School of the long and bitter struggle of the Czecho-Slovaks to attain self-government and freedom of conscience, and of the great strides in social reform which had taken place in that country before its subjugation in 1939. Dr. Hnik politely glossed over this country's share in the shameful events of September, 1938, but, to some of us, this very omission only served to emphasize Great Britain's part in the desecration of the Czecho-Slovak State, and the necessity of making amends after the war is won.

The Headmaster and the School and House Monitors represented the School at the enthronement of the new Archbishop of York. Those boys who were fortunate to be present greatly appreciated the privilege of being able to witness this rare and moving spectacle, particularly the four boys who were a part of the actual procession.

In the light of recent experience, it has been discovered that the trenches at the bottom of the 1st XV Rugby pitch are of little use during an actual air-raid. Consequently it has been decided to make use elsewhere of the valuable timber employed in their construction, and the dismantling of the trenches has provided many boys with a useful occupation in their spare time.