First Speech Day (Mar 1957)

CERTAIN occasions loom large in anticipation but having passed are quickly forgotten; others retain in retrospect that indefinable quality which marks them out as important. Such an occasion was the First Speech Day on 26th March, when we were honoured by the presence of Mr. John Saltmarsh, the Vice-Provost of King's College, Cambridge, Mr. Saltmarsh was to have performed the ceremonial opening of the School last year but was unable to leave Cambridge owing to the sudden death of the Provost. Having been compelled to wait for our guest's visit, we were all the more eager to meet him and listen to him.

Mr. John Miles, the Chairman of the North-West Middlesex Divisional Executive, and a valued friend of the School, opened the proceedings by welcoming parents and visitors, and then the Headmaster reported on the first year's work and activities of the School. It had been the aim from the beginning, he said, to get boys to think about their work and to present it clearly and carefully; this was no easy task since in many cases boys came to the School poorly equipped for real work. But it was eminently worth while to expend energy in cultivating habits of study.

Cultural and out-of-school activities, though naturally limited in a young school, had begun to claim the attention of many boys. There had been a Junior Drama Competition of high standard in spite of the almost complete absence of equipment on the stage; the Choir had performed notably on several occasions-as indeed they did during the course of the evening there were the beginnings of an orchestra, and the usual school societies and clubs were functioning. Games had flourished commendably and with a fair measure of success in spite of a lamentable lack of facilities at the school. A party of boys had flown to Guernsey and had spent a geographically profitable holiday, and parties were planning to visit the Lake District at Easter and the West Country and France during the Summer holiday.

Beginning his report the Headmaster had quoted from a speech by the Minister of Education, "Man attains his full stature only when he is a member of a society in which he believes wholeheartedly." One could not help but feel, while listening to the report, that many boys had already begun to probe their way towards a fullness of stature because they had begun to take an increasing part in the life of the school.

In introducing Mr. Saltmarsh, Mr. Miles spoke of the splendour of King's College Chapel and the fact that probably no one was better qualified to speak about it than our guest. When Mr. Saltmarsh rose to present the prizes, he asked the Headmaster if he would accept for the school a short history of the Chapel - which we have subsequently discovered has an introduction written by Mr. Saltmarsh himself.

And so to the climax of the evening with the prizes and trophies received from Mr. Saltmarsh and the audience waiting expectantly for his address. We were treated to a history lesson of rare quality and inimitable style. We discovered that the manor of Ruislip, of which Northwood was a part, was the earliest endowment of King's College, given by King Henry VI on the very day on which he founded the College - February 12th, 1441; and we were delighted to learn that Mr. Saltmarsh, a Fellow of King's College, is consequently Steward of the Manor of Ruislip with the right, now unfortunately in abeyance, of punishing the men of Northwood for digging unauthorised holes in the Queen's highway, and the Northwood women for brewing and selling bad beer! But the connexion between Northwood and King's College had now been commemorated in a far better way - in the name of a Grammar School. And in 1448, as if King Henry foresaw the needs of 1937, he changed the name of his foundation to the "College Royal of Blessed Mary and St. Nicholas", so providing a name for the sister school now rising beside us.

King Henry founded schools as well as colleges - grammar schools like St. Nicholas. He founded them to the honour and glory of God, and the service of God in the Church. He founded them that boys might learn to serve the realm and their fellow men by the power and wisdom that they discovered within themselves, Good King Henry would have been gratified that his aims were being carried out at St. Nicholas: to train boys up to do those things which in themselves are worth the doing: to teach them to discover the talents that are in them and how to use them wisely - not for themselves, but in the service of their fellow men.

And on the grammar schools the colleges rely for the recruitment of their members just as they did in King Henry's day. They seek now as in the past the best living stones with which to build boys excellently equipped with character and ability. Perhaps in the time to come boys from St. Nicholas will proceed to King's College, Cambridge. In Mr. Saltmarsh's words, "It is merit, remember, that opens the door. No other key can serve. We seek the best boys we can get for our college. And we rejoice when we find them."

Thanks to Mr. Saltmarsh were suitably expressed by Councillor W. D. Charles and Councillor Mrs. I. J. Marsingall-Thomas and our First Speech Day was over. This was without doubt one of the occasions which deserve the familiar "Haec olim meminisse juvabit", for whether there is a prize on the bookshelf or a cup on the sideboard to prompt the memory or not, memories of this Speech Day will remain. And for the boys, let us hope that this first contact with University life and scholarship in the gracious personality of Mr. Saltmarsh, will foster the desire for closer acquaintance.