The appearance of the Brisbane Grammar School Magazine for 1952 is, we feel, an occasion for some mild excitement. It has at least two novel features: firstly, the size of the page has increased; and, secondly, the Magazine now appears once yearly instead of twice. The large page, we consider, allows a better setting out of articles, stories, poems, etc., as well as giving our advertisers greater scope. The other change we regret; we should very much prefer a half-yearly magazine, but this has been made impossible by the prohibitive rise in costs.
The innovations begun last year we have continued. The cover has been designed by J. Hodge, of VIa, and was chosen from several submitted by boys of the School. By changing the cover design each year we are encouraging the boys to express themselves, and to regard the Magazine as something in which they are personally interested. It is with this same purpose that we have continued to encourage original contributions.
We are not satisfied with the title of the Magazine. We feel that it is too stodgy. But knowing what is wrong is quite different from knowing how to put it right. Many titles have been suggested, but all have been rejected. We shall be pleased to entertain any suggestions that our readers may be able to devise.
Perhaps in our opening paragraph we should have said "three novel features"; for this Magazine is the first one for many, many years, in which Mr. A. J. Mason has not held the reins. It would be very easy to argue that the Magazine without Mr. Mason is like "Hamlet" without the Prince of Denmark, but (while the Shakespearian mood is on us) we sincerely hope that, with Mr. Donohue as Business Manager, "Caesar's better parts shall be crowned in Brutus."
Some of the changes have been forced on us, willy-nilly; others we have made deliberately. We have not produced a perfect Magazine, but we do feel that it is more attractive than the old, and that, if only for its novelty, it will be read with keener interest and pleasure. We believe that, with the increasing co-operation of the boys, the next Magazine will be better, the next better still, and, like Dean Swift's fleas, so ad infinitum.
(The 1952 issue carries no separate written President's message; the President's role is recorded through the Annual General Meeting.)
The Fifty-Fourth Annual General Meeting of the Association was held at the Brisbane Grammar School on Thursday, 4th September 1952. The President, Dr. S. A. Trout (retiring), was in the Chair, supported by Vice-President Mr. J. G. Felgate. Dr. Trout reviewed the activities of the Association, noting the report was in general good and the accounts disclosed a satisfactory position; he said he would like to see more Old Boys take a keener practical interest in the welfare of the School and impress upon present boys the great tradition of the past.
For President, Mr. J. G. ("Jim") Felgate was proposed by Dr. S. A. Trout and seconded by Colonel Harris, and there being no other nomination was declared President. The new President, having taken his seat as Chairman, thanked the meeting for the honour and undertook to keep up the high standard set by his predecessors. Dr. Trout, in accordance with Rule 5, became one of the Vice-Presidents; Mr. Clive Harburg was elected the new Vice-President. Mr. Vivian Burris was re-elected General Secretary "for the third time."
Old Boys' Association (Founded 1898).
R. H. Roe Scholarship Fund — "The present holders of bursaries are Messrs. S. M. Rowe, R. A. Ramm, and D. W. Ramm." (The Roe is tenable three years, so three holders run concurrently. From the dated references: R. A. Ramm = the 1950 award, D. W. Ramm = the 1951 award; the newest holder, S. M. Rowe, is therefore the 1952 Roe Scholar.)
1952 Roe Scholarship: S. M. Rowe (newest of the three current holders).
J. G. Nowlan Bursary — no 1952 award. The Council decided to make the first Nowlan award available for 1953 (it went to Robert Young — see the 1953 issue).
O.B.A. Prizes (presented at the 1951 Speech Day) — Champion Athlete Cup: R. Carter; Special Cricket Cup: L. J. McVinish; Senior Essay: K. E. Wells; Junior Essay: P. Clappison.
(A front-of-issue summary records the Reginald Heber Roe Bursary "awarded Foundation Day, 1950" to R. A. Ramm.)
They are not reproduced in this transcript.
Source: The Brisbane Grammar School Magazine, November 1952. (From this issue the Magazine became annual rather than half-yearly, with a larger page.) Notation: Bracketed "(year)" after a name = year of ENTRY to the School. School Captain 1952: D. R. Thompson. Headmaster: H. R. Pigott, B.A., B.Sc. (his final year — see the 1953 issue).
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.
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