Notes for the Term

With the term now over, the next edition of the ‘Draconian’ magazine is being prepared.  Under this heading are included a number of points of interest that have emerged during the term:

I have received from West Coker Rectory a number of essays written by the children attending the Church School. They show that essay writing is carefully taught; and though in originality of treatment and in expression they naturally fall short of our boys and girls of the same age, I must say that, in writing and spelling, on the average they beat us. I am much pleased to see how good they are.

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The competitors for Mr. Fitch’s Speech Prize were A Carling, P Mallalieu, Betjemann, Chadwick, B Burton. Carling received 10 votes and Mallalieu and Betjemann 2 each.

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The boys subscribed £20 to help the Barnado Home and £5 for the crippled children’s ward at the Headington Orthopaedic Hospital.

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Garner (Lynam)’s valuable 15 inch brass cartridge case from the Hohenzollern Redoubt has been hung up as a school gong. It awaits an inscription.

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During the past term, Dr FG Hobson, working under Professor G Dreyer of the Department of Pathology, has made observations upon a number of boys in the school. These observations have consisted of measurement of standing height, sitting height and chest circumference, and in addition the weight and lung capacity of each boy has been taken.

The observations were taken at the beginning and end of term and it is hoped to follow the same boys through succeeding terms.

The work is being done under the auspices of the Medical Research Committee and forms part of a general investigation, which is now proceeding, upon the questions of Standards of Physique and Physical Fitness. When sufficiently extensive observations have been made, a report will be sent in giving the results of the enquiry as far as it may be of interest and value to the school.

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As Hum (Lynam) reports below, we have had a reasonably healthy term, and have taken measures to combat any influenza:

“Acting on the advice of the local doctors, we had all but half a dozen of the boarders inoculated (by two injections at an interval of a week) against Influenza. There was no case of indisposition resulting from the inoculation, and we hope it may be as successful here as at a friendly rival establishment where, they assure us, they have never had a cold since it was done, eight months ago.

During the last three weeks of term we had a few cases of ‘impetigo contagiosa’ – better known as scrum-pox; and also of chicken pox. The latter seems hardly worthy of the name of disease, and is usually much less serious than a severe cold.”

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Next term starts on Tuesday 20th January 1920.