Speech Day 1916

The 1916 Boston Grammar School Speech Day took place on 18 December.

Newspaper Report

From the Boston Guardian, 123 December 1916

Speech Day at Boston Grammar School

Prizes presented by an "Old Boy."

Rev J B Simpson and education in Japan.

Character not culture wanted.

The annual speach (sic) day and presentation of prizes in connection withe the Boston Grammar School, which was held on Monday, again proved a glorious success. There was a large company of parents and friends of the scholars to witness the happy event. The chair was occupied by the Rev [John Basil Simpson|J B Simpson]], son of Mr J M Simpson, chairman of the governors, and chairman of the Holland Education Committee. The Rev J B Simpson is and Old Grammar School boy, and was Parry Gold Medallist in 1899. He was supported by the Rev W W Grigg, Messrs T Kitwood, W Kitwood, J M Simpson, G F Armstrong, W Pooles, with the staff, Messrs J W Dyson (headmaster), A Hill, [[Ernest George Hole|E C Hole) (sic), H Blackburn, Miss Sterland, Mrs A E Thompson, and M Tosser, and Mr G H Gregory, Mus Bac (Oxon). Amongst those also present were Messrs W T Small, J Thompson, T W Steel, R N Chapman, J Turner, J H Peck, Lieut Gregory, Rev R O Hutchinson, (Vicar), and the Rev J Marsland, Mrs H H Dodds, Mrs H Mountain, Mrs Deal, Mrs Canster, Mrs E T Cooke, Mrs Grigg, Mrs Dennis, Mrs Scrivener, Mrs Sherwin, Mrs Killingworth, Mrs C Holland, Mrs Haynes, and the Misses Rysdale, Gregory, Hayes, Deal, Swain, Swinn, Gilliatt, and others.

A Splendid Report

After the singing of the National Anthem, the Headmaster made his annual erport, saying that it was very gratifying to the boys, the masters, and all connected with the school, to see so many present that afternoon. It was very encouraging. Since he had the pleasure of standing there last year they had been carrying on, for the had increased the number of boys attending the school. At the end of the summer term last year they had 104 boys, a year ago they had 127, the last term they had 133, and now they had 144. The had also been able to increase their staff. He hoped that the people of Boston would see to it that those numbers were not only kept up but were increased. For this reason, that an addition of 25 boys meant the addition of another teacher to their staff, and an extra class. If the school had only a small number of classes then the standard in each was bound to be uneven, and all the boys in the form were not doing useful work. When they had a large number of classes they could get the boys to a more even standard of efficiency, and so the efficiency of the school was increased. For that reason they wanted to go on increasing their numbers. There were limits he knew and the difficulty at the present was the lack of classrooms. He did not wish to labour the point because it was one that the whole ofr (sic) the Governors appreciated. They had managed to turn one of the rooms into a classroom, thus making accommodation for an assistant mistress. As to the work of the school, the lower forms were examined by an external examiner, and the other by the Cambridge University Syndicate. They sent down Mr Fletcher, who was principal of the Day Training College, at Cambridge. He was an expert on education and anything connected with secondary education. He (the speaker) was sorry to say that since he had been to Boston he had died. His report, was one of his last pieces of work, and was very brief on account of his illness. When he was at the school he was very bad, and when he went away he became worse and died. With regard to the prize list there was one point to which he would like to refer, and that was the performance of Jack Armstrong, who was head and shoulders above the rest. (Applause). It was a very fine performance, and he would like to take the opportunity of publicly congratulating him. He was excused the London Matriculation examination on account of the other examination, and he was now a medical student at St Mary's Hospital. He was only 18 years old next August, so was a very young medical student, but he promised to do well. (Applause).

To be continued