The Last School Year
 

The School production of Captain Swing was played at the end of the term. It was the most successful play performed by the School's dramatic society. Michael Owens, who is now an actor, was very impressed by the performance.
Old Boy's Weekend came on the same weekend as the School play and there were many old boys in the audience, The old boys fielded a very strong rugby team in the yearly game against the School in which the School went down 19-13 in a hard fought match. The old boys stayed to attend Chapel on Sunday and hear the Band beat Retreat in the afternoon. This was the first old boy's weekend, suggested by some old boys, and it was an unqualified success.
Summer Term
The School reassembled for the summer term in mid-April after a three week holiday. For most of us this term has been a busy time with the S.C.E. examinations covering four weeks of the term and involving all boys in forms IV, V and VI. During this period the School selection board, under General Graham, sat to select next year's new boys. Once again applicants outnumbered the available places by almost 3 to 1.
On the 18th May four boys departed for the U.S.A. with the English Speaking Union. The visit organised to sponsor friendly relationships between Britain and the U.S.A. is to last for three weeks in which time the boys will live with American families and also attend school and various other engagements.
This term we have seen a few staff changes with the departure of Captain Davies at the end of last term from Wavell House then we saw the arrival of Captain Woodhouse after his short absence. At the end of this term Major Hughes, who has been Trenchard Housemaster since he came in 1966, will be leaving us to go to Malta.
This year we had another visit by a group of Swedish High School Students. Many boys benefited from this visit and it is hoped that next year the School may be able to send an exchange party of boys on a similar visit to Sweden. Since the end of the S.C.E. examinations many visits have been arranged for forms IV, V and VI. These visits have included a lecture on Physics at Dundee, a visit to Hunterston Nuclear Power Station and a return visit to Falkirk Infirmary by a number of the sixth year.
At present boys who are leaving the School at the end of the term are helping to do odd jobs about the School and also parties of boys are regularly going down and helping in the old folks' houses in Dunblane. With two weeks left till Grand Day (at time of going to press) the boys are settling down to serious rehearsal for the Grand Day Parade.

AFTER ONE YEAR

A year ago I came here as your chaplain, and I have been asked to set down my impressions at the end of that time.
I have at least learned one lesson, it takes a long time to make a schoolmaster. Of course I should have realised this, for that has been my experience in another profession.
After three years at University followed by three years in a theological college the young minister, stuffed with book learning, faces his first parish, totally inexperienced, and begins to learn by experience. If he is capable of profiting by experience another four years may find him not too inadequate, though he goes on learning all his days. That I, suspect, has been the experience of your masters in this school. It is rather hard on our congregations and our pupils that we should have to learn our jobs by practising on them, but there seems to be no escape from this painful discipline. Dozens of books exist which teach one how to teach or preach but they can only help us to avoid certain elementary errors. The rest is learnt the hard way, on your feet, in the classroom or pulpit. Two events stand out in my recollection of the past year, the carol service and the school play.
I listened to a tape recording of the first and was amazed at the high standard of performance achieved by a choir most of whose members cannot read music. The school play produced a similar impression. I had met all the participants of course, but had not realised that some of them had considerable talent in this direction.
This leads me to think that the chief task of the educator is to help people to discover and develop their capacities. Perhaps then the best thing which a school chaplain can do is to help each boy to find his own way to faith and commitment to the Christian way of life.
L. A. Ritchie.
 

This year we will continue the trend started last year in giving a summary of the school year. There have been no adverse comments about this article, we can, therefore assume either nobody read last year's article or there is a reasonable demand for it.
The 1968-69 session has been a year of school experiments—the abolition of school prefects and the total reliance on monitors to do their jobs, the formation of several committees to look after school welfare and affairs, the decision to abolish the house-system and their replacement by a system dependent upon age.

OBITUARIES
Mr J.  BULL
We sadly record the death of Mr Bull who worked at the school from 1945 to 1962. He was a highly regarded and well-known member of the school staff. Our sympathies are offered to his wife in her late bereavement.

FRANK McLAURIN
We are sad to hear of the death of an old Victorian K. F. McLaurin. Frank McLaurin left the school in 1934, trained as a piper and joined the Royal Navy gaining six medals in the Second World War. He remembered his old school well and always spoke highly of it. Our condolences are extended to his father, Major McLaurin, M.B.E. (retired.)

MARRIAGE
Ian Smith who left the school in 1967 to train as an industrial chemist, will be getting married in June. His bride is Susan Jamieson, the daughter of the Rev. A. N. Jamieson who was our resident Church of Scotland minister from 1957 to 1967 when he left to take a charge in the Orkney Isles.
The school extends its best wishes for their future happiness and prosperity.

Winter Term
Two new members of teaching staff arrived, Mr Lambie who took the place of Mr Hughes as teacher of History, Geography and Modern Studies, and Captain Gardner who replaces Captain Walker as teacher of Maths and Science. Mr Hughes who retired from teaching last year is still we are happy to say connected with the school, as school Librarian. Another addition to the staff was Mr Deeley, to whom we must apologise for misspelling his name in the last edition.
There was a succession of lectures—the first was from Captain Minter-Kemp about his participation of the solo trans-Atlantic. Which, accompanied by slides, proved to be most interesting. The next lecture was given by Mrs Sanders and was entitled "Sue Ryder and the Forgotten Allies". This lecture was largely arranged by the headmaster and brought home to us, in no mean way the suffering the last war is still inflicting on people. Dr. Brian Fairgrieve, a surgeon from Falkirk Infirmary, gave us an excellent lecture on medicine today—which introduced us to a visit to Falkirk. This visit ranks among the best we have ever been on.
We were visited by a group of education students from Stirling University, doing, we suppose, a project on boarding schools. The boys were unfortunately not given the opportunity to meet them to get our opinions.
The term ended with the usual Carol Service which included instead of the traditional nativity play, various Christmas poetry. The same service was repeated at St. Columba's, Helensburgh, Mr Ritchie's former parish.

Easter Term
The Easter Term saw the C.C.F./R.A.F. sections Air Experience Flying getting fully under way. This is the most popular aspect of the section, and it will continue to be so, we are sure. The Pipe Band had several engagements. They performed at Tulli allan Police College for a Passing Out Parade. At Westquarter, Falkirk, the Pipe Band competed in the Miniature Band and Solo Piping Contest. Although they met with little success, their overall standard was quite high.
The C.C.F. Army Section went on a trip to Kirk-newton to the 1st Battalion Black Watch who gave a display as to how an Infantry Battalion is formed, and its role in the Modern Army.
Mr Bruce and Rev. Ritchie gave a Music Recital in the School Memorial Chapel. It was an informal gathering, and was well attended by both boys and parents. One of the School's up and coming pianists, Vincent Parker, gave a very good performance. It was a very successful "happening".