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ST. AUGUSTINE'S GRAMMAR SCHOOL
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pjf-stripes4
30th April 2002
My dear boys,
Whilst the the memory of the First Grand Reunion of St Augustine's Grammar School remains fresh in the memory, I am informed that the 1974 intake have now met together for a pleasurable if not entirely memorable evening. Their later transfer to the 'Club Med' takes me back to my time at the English College in Rome and latterly my time spent as RAF chaplain during which I was posted to locations all around the Mediterranean.
The fish, as many of you will know, was used as a sign of recognition between the early Christians and is still in use, as a symbol representing many Christian groups today, particularly those of a charismatic nature. It has recently come to my notice that several Old Boys have taken to using fish to identify themselves, so appearing to emulate the activities of the early Christians. However I remain to be convinced that this keen interest in fish by certain Old Boys is any way inspired either by the the early church or any charismatic movement of the latter day church. Whilst acknowledging that fishing is a worthwhile and honourable leisure pursuit (indeed the Headmaster himself has been known to indulge in piscine activities), neither fishing nor pisciculture can be regarded as suitable material for the curriculum of a Grammmar School: the lenient angle taken regarding this subject cannot continue and henceforth all such activities on weekdays should be restricted to after 3.50pm.
"Sharston Mount Poet Laureate"
The Headmaster now has great delight in announcing the first "Sharston Mount Poet Laureate" Award. The successful entrant for this award will take claim to this title for the academic year 2002-2003. He may be required to provide and recite poetry at school occasions throughout the aforesaid academic year.
Candidates for this honour must be former students or assistant masters/mistresses of the school and should submit a qualifying poem in accordance with the guidance outlined below.
The subject should be St Augustine's Grammar School - most facets of this great school would be considered suitable but I must remind all candidates, that on deciding on the content, one would be well advised to remember the general principle that one ought not to put in writing anything that one is not prepared to say to the intended audience in person.
Candidates are advised to confine themselves to three stanzas of 4 lines each in Iambic tetrameter, for example:-
Be present, Holy Trinity,
Like splendour, and one Deity:
Of things above, and things below,
Beginning, that no end shall know.
Candidates are at liberty to select other forms but they must bear in mind that the verse may be recited at Assemblies of the School and on Speech Days. It is doubtful whether more than three verses will be thought desirable.
The Adjudicators will be The Headmaster, Monsignor McGuiness; Mr. Glynn, Dept. Spoken English and Mr Scrowston, Dept. English.
Entries must not be signed but are to be handed to the Registrar, who will ask the competitor’s name and assign to him a number which she will keep secret until after the Adjudicators have chosen the winning entry. The Adjudicators will not know the identity of the competitors until after they have announced the result.
Entries must be submitted not later than the penultimate day of the Summer Term, i.e., Thursday, 25th July, 2002. The Adjudicators expect to announce the result at the commencement of following Michaelmas term. The Adjudicators reserve the right not to make any award if entries are not of sufficiently good quality.
Staff Retirements Mr Jim McCabe, formerly Head of History and one of the founder assistant masters at this school, will retire from his current post as Headmaster at St Thomas More RC Secondary School, Buxton at the end of this academic year. We wish him well in his retirement and take the opportunity to thank him for his service at this school.
Will the following boys: Keith Prep, Anthony Murray, Peter Phik and Pek Thripe, please report to the Headmaster's office after assembly.
Yours sincerely,
(F.J. McGUINESS)
Headmaster