(Unsigned, 1911)
The midsummer vacation is approaching, but before it loom up the public examinations, both Senior and Junior being held by the Queensland University at the end of the year. We have every confidence that our candidates will uphold the reputation of the School, and that the Senior boys will annex a fair share of the scholarships offered.
The School has lost a popular and painstaking master, and the Cadet Corps an efficient officer, in Mr. Robertson, who has left this quarter, followed by our good wishes. At the same time let us extend a hearty welcome to his successor, Mr. McGill.
Cricket has ousted football from the first place in the sport of the School, and this year the turf has been further improved by the erection of a fine pavilion, containing capacious dressing rooms — a long-felt need. The wicket and ground are in fine condition and we expect the team to do well. The football team, though containing brilliant individual players, had a "patchy" season, and failed to gain the premiership; all will agree that the honour caps recently presented were well earned. These were five in number, one being kindly donated by Mrs. Stephenson.
The rowing four trained hard for the All Schools' Race, rowed on November 4th, but were defeated after a hard race by the Southport crew. The tennis teams did well at Auchenflower, when the fact that they were all new men is taken into consideration. Since last issue, the annual athletic sports were held at the Exhibition, in the presence of a large number of interested spectators; the Courier Cup, donated by the Hon. E. J. Stevens for the best all-round athlete, was won by R. J. Willcocks, with E. D. Doyle a close second.
This year the School gave another highly successful entertainment, the proceeds this time going towards the building fund for the pavilion. Let us hope this entertainment will be an annual affair. A considerable number of boys are commencing practice at the rifle range, but the Empire Cup match will not be shot off this year.
Let us conclude, as this is the last number of the year, with all good wishes for the future to those who are leaving us, and for a good holiday and a successful next year to those returning.
The annual dinner, as expected, was a very successful function, socially and financially. The genuinely hearty spirit of good-fellowship displayed, and the rich harvest of new members reaped, as well as the ever-increasing number of applicants for inscription on our roll, are consoling evidences that a new spirit is beginning to animate the Association, and that the policy adopted by the Council of having all features, as far as possible, at the School, is the right one.
Owing to transfer from the metropolis to Killarney, Mr. W. S. Dixon has resigned his seat on the Council, and the vacancy has been filled by the election of Mr. H. L. Kent.
The Free and Easy Smoke Concert, which was held on Friday night (27th ult.), was not as numerously attended as we had hoped — it may be that the night was an unsuitable one — but, at all events, a very pleasant evening was spent, and older members say the gathering was more successful than previous ventures of the same nature. The Hon. Secretary received many apologies for absence, but there are still a few older city members whose existence as such is only evidenced by the annual payment. We should like to see their faces occasionally at one or other of the various reunions.
This being the last issue for the year, we take occasion to remind members of the great annual event of the 28th February. The executive will do all in their power to make it outshine last year's celebration if possible, and invite the enthusiastic co-operation of all members to make the day and evening a thorough success, both socially and as a sporting event.
Elsewhere mention has been made of the loss the Association in particular has suffered by the death of one of our distinguished members.
Mr. Frank Berry, for some time manager of Messrs. Eve and Co.'s Sports Depot, has recently taken charge of another sports business in the N.Z. Insurance Building. Mr. T. E. Jones has crossed the Pacific, and is now gathering information in America. Mr. T. W. Bain is touring the East — Japan, the Philippines, China. Mr. Reggie Plant has returned from his visit to India and England. Mr. M. V. Parker has resigned his position at the Kelvin Grove School and entered upon a business career. Mr. Colin Corrie has forwarded several copies of the Ballarat School of Mines Magazine, of which he is Editor.
(The issue also carried a long letter from former master N. S. Robertson describing a journey through America, and a student article "A Spanish Bull Fight" by N. G. Sutton — not reproduced here.)
Note on the School Captain: No separate "School Captain's report" appears. The Captain of the School was R. J. Willcocks (winner that year of the Courier Cup for the best all-round athlete). The Editorial (unsigned) is reproduced below.
In this era, an Old Boy's year designation was the year he entered Grammar; the convention today is the year he finished. A boy who started in 1993 and finished in 1997 was (93) but is now '97.
Brisbane Grammar School Old Boys' Association · Old Boys History. Part of the OBA Knowledge Project.
Draft site for committee review. Spot an error or hold a missing piece? Tell the OBA