Clubs and Activities

COMMUNITY SERVICE DUKE OF EDINBURGH AWARD

Community Service has flourished throughout the year, with much loyal and willing help behind the scenes as well as in the main events. About twenty-five senior pupils have regularly visited the elderly in and around the Fothergill Homes Almshouses and their cheerful visits have been a boon, especially to those residents who are housebound. We invited our Fothergill regulars and their friends to a Christmas Party where they were enthusiastically entertained by various members of the School, including the choir and wind band. The high spot of the party had to be the bingo, co-hosted by Rachel Smith (whose deadpan descriptions of the 'fabulous prizes' were far more entertaining than the game itself) and Heidi Clark, renowned for her inimitable bingo rhyming slang and the fact that she doesn't need a microphone. In June many members of Fothergill came on the summer outing; a mystery tour and huge afternoon tea at Easingwold.

We were delighted with the response to the gifts for the homeless at Christmas, when some 200 gifts were brought in, and that so many were able to help with the shopping trip for the elderly and disabled at Christmas and with the many street collections in the city during the year.

That's just a sample of what's been done. Thanks to everyone who has given so much time and enthusiasm. There are many ways in which you can help if you'd like to. We'd be glad to see you. Julie Bainbridge & Derek Paterson

During this year some thirty-five juniors have been participating in the award at bronze level, camping on the North York Moors and various service activities including St. John's Ambulance First Aid. Some ten seniors have been completing their gold award also.

TOP HOUSE QUIZ

The second half of the Easter Term brought the eagerly awaited Inter-House Quiz Competition. Since last year the captain of the Manor team, Tim Dunn, had had a resounding success on Central Television's popular sixth form quiz show "Blockbusters". He showed great speed on the buzzer and the other Houses were now keen to beat him. The standard of answering was particularly high this year and all the teams performed well. The final duly took place in the Lecture Theatre on March 25th between The Grove and yes! The Manor. The Grove fought valiantly but The Manor emerged as victors once again by 66 points to 58. Congratulations to the victorious team of Tim Dunn, Mark Benson, Nick Abrams and Peter Hield. A personal thank you comes from me to all the contestants. J. W. G. Shaw

Sarah Richards received the Barry Daniel Award for adventurous travel.

SCIENCE SOCIETY EGG RACE

The Egg Race, MUSIC RECYCLED, was directed towards the creation of musical instruments from reject materials. Teams were asked to make a stringed, a percussion and a wind instrument from items which would normally have found their way into the waste bin. The instruments had to be capable of playing a recognisable tune at the end of the competition.

As always in these events, much was learned about the basic engineering and mechanical aspects which are so often taken for granted in the real article. It is always sad to see an elegant design which cannot take the strains imposed on it! Nevertheless music emerged — tunes were sometimes recognisable and where the technique was weak cosmetic cover was delightfully evident.

It was a close fought event — differentiating between the entertainment and technical values was not easy, but it was the latter which the adjudicator had been told to assess. The Rise were the winners with The Grove a close second but every House, the staff and the Junior School all made ingenious and often musical devices.

Mr. Dawson, himself a maker of several worthy musical instruments, thought out this project and we are grateful once again for his enthusiasm in promoting the Egg Race.