At present we have 600 prize draw books distributed for our New Year Draw. Please nota that prizes are being presented free by our own members. Stiil 200 books for distribution. Please return at earliest.
Lastly, our Annual Reunion Dinner and Dance to be held next year in the Minto Hotel, Minto Street, on Friday, 28th February. Tickets at 25/- each will soon be to hand. Please give us your support. We would like to sell 120 tickets and I am sure if we all pull our weight we should reach this number.
A. G. Bulloch, Hon. Secretary.
(London Branch)
On Saturday, 12th October, 1968, we held our annual social at the Duke of York's H.Q., King's Road, Chelsea. This was, indeed, a memorable occasion in more ways than one, firstly we had a new member and his wife with us in the person of Jim Cooper who was the first boy Drum-Major at the School, and I believe his number was 49. When we met in September it was for the first time in 56 years.
A vote of thanks was expressed by the Chairman to the Commandant, Staff and Boys for the framed and inscribed print of the School Colours, also the wall plaque of the School Badge. The announcement was wildly applauded and in turn was put in a prominent position where they were greatly admired.
Unfortunately, Bert Harrison was unable to be with us as he had caught a chill. Members, wives and friends had prepared a great welcome for him as the 12th October was his 70th birthday.
As well as having three pipers we had a group of five who played for some dancing, and it is hoped that some of the younger Old Boys can take encouragement.
Our hard-core members turned up, also George Stirrat and his wife who were in London on a visit to their daughter.
To all who so generously contributed to the raffle held, and those who helped to make the evening such a success, I am deeply grateful.
The following notes were contributed by Bert Harrison (67) :—
I regret very much having to report the death of Bert Gamack (31) who passed away nearly two years ago in the City Hospital, Aberdeen. I heard some time ago, a report, that he had died but I have only recently received confirmation that his death occurred on 18th January, 1967, only eight months after the loss of his wife. Bert was the first boy who actually played the pipes in the School, doing so on the pipes of the then Pipe-Major, J. Wilson, late H.L.I.
 

 On leaving School in 1912 he joined the Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders and served with them for 13 years. He was later on the staff in Stirling Castle for 23 years and afterwards moved to Fraser-burgh where until his retirement he was employed as a security officer at Messrs. Macconachie's Food Factory.
Another member of the "First Hundred" has come to light in the person of James Cooper (49), the School's first Drum-Major. Thanks to the kindness of George Stirrat (43) and James Grassick, Secretary of the London Branch, who passed on information they had received, I was able to make contact with Mr Cooper who resides at 6a Palmerston Road, Westcliff-on-sea, Essex and since then have exchanged several letters with him. I am very happy to have got in touch with him as he was the only one of the Colour Party who went to Balmoral Castle to receive the School's first Colours from the hands of King Edward VII, whom I was unable to trace.
On leaving School Jim proceeded home but on the outbreak of the First War he joined the Royal Fusiliers and after service in Malta and Khartoum he proceeded to Gallipoli in 1915 and from there in 1916 to France where he remained until the Armistice. During his service there he was awarded the Military Medal and as far as I can trace he was the only one of the First Hundred to be decorated in that war. Since then Andy Swan (2) has been awarded the M.B.E.
J. Grassick,
Secretary and Treasurer.


OBITUARY
Some Old Boys who have left during the past five years may be sorry to learn of the death of The Commandant's dog, Brooke, for he had had many friends among succeeding generations of boys, particularly in their younger years. As a recipient of unwanted scraps in the dining hall he performed a useful, though strictly forbidden, service, and he knew all the regular sources of eleven o'clock biscuits in the School.
He was thirteen and a half years old when he died, and the Commandant had had him for thirteen years less one week. As he became increasingly frail he was less often seen about the School, and he died of a heart attack on 24th November. In School terms he was senior in age and service to everyone in Wavell and was a contemporary of the Second Year Senior School boys. He featured in many "School Group" photographs.