Speech Day

Speech Day, more recently called Prize Giving, is a ceremony held each year for the presentation of prizes to students for work and sporting achievements from the preceding academic year.

A sample programme is as follows. In recent years more music has been added to this basic programme.

• The Chairman of the Governors' report
• The Headmaster's report
• The School Song
• Distribution of prizes
• Guest of Honour's speech
• Vote of thanks from the Head of School
• National Anthem

Until the early years of the 20th century, school prizes were almost invariably presented by either the chairman of the trustees or the mayor of Boston, a notable exception being 1895, when the guest of honour was the American Ambassador. However, wit the arrival of James William Dyson as headmaster, Speech Days began to assume their present pattern, with a distinguished visitor making the presentations each year.

Year	Date	Location	Guest of Honour
1895			Thomas F. Bayard, United States Ambassador to the United Kingdom
...
1913			Dr Edward L Hicks, Bishop of Lincoln
1914			Henry Hebb Sills, MA, tutor of King's Cambridge, a BGS governor
1915			J W (later Sir John) Gleed, MA, JP, chairman of Holland County Council's Higher Education sub-committee
1916			Rev J B Simpson, MA (former BGS pupil)
1917			Dr Thomas Charles Fry, Dean of Lincoln, former headmaster of Oundle and Berkhampstead Schools
1918		Not held
1919			A Cooke Yarborough, Mayor of Boston
1920			Rev B G Nicholas, MA, Vicar of Spalding
1921			Prof A J Grant, MA, D Litt, professor of history and English, University of Leeds (former BGS pupil)
...
1955			B L Hallward, MA, Vice-Chancellor, University of Nottingham
...
1959			General Sir Francis W Festing, GCB, KBE, DSO, Chief of the Imperial General Staff
1960			Sir Stanley Rous, CBE, JP, secretary, Football Association
1961			Canon A M Cook, Vicar of St Botolph's, Boston
...
1965			Group Captain Leonard Cheshire VC, DSO, DFC
...
1972	1 November		G V Cooke, Chief Education Officer for Lincolnshire County Council, and Mrs Cooke
1974			Canon P E Paine, JP, Mayor of Boston and Chairman of the Governors
1975			E Miller, Master of Fitzwilliam College, Cambridge
1976		The Centenary Methodist Church	Professor H R Loyn, MA, D Litt, FSA, professor of mediaeval history, University College, Cardiff, president of The Historical Association
1977		The Centenary Methodist Church	RT Revd R O Goodchild, MA, Bishop of Kensington
1978		The Centenary Methodist Church	Professor P A Young, MA, Ph D, FIMM, MAus.IMM, M Can.IMM, C Eng, professor of mining and mineral sciences University of Leeds (former BGS pupil)
1979		The Centenary Methodist Church	Lieut Col J M Dymoke, MBE, Queen's Champion and High Sheriff of Lincolnshire
1980		The Centenary Methodist Church	R M D Rowland, head of BBC open University Production Centre
1981		The Centenary Methodist Church	J Kerr, OStJ, QPM, CBIM, Chief Constable of Lincolnshire
1982	March 1983	The Centenary Methodist Church	L Marsh, M Ed, Principal Bishop Grossteste College, Lincoln
1983	23 September	The Centenary Methodist Church	Group Captain R D Arnott RAF, Station Commander, RAF Coningsby
1984			Mrs Jean Parker, B Comm, Chairman Lincolnshire Joint Development Committee, Lincs CBI group
1985
...
2012	21 December	The Centenary Methodist Church	John Cridland CBE, Director General of the CBI (former BGS pupil)
2013	20 December	The Centenary Methodist Church	Charles Hart, father of Joe Hart, footballer: Manchester City and England
2014	18 December	The Centenary Methodist Church	Adam Shergold On-line sports journalist for The Daily Mail (former BGS pupil)