QRC Old Boys’ 75th

It was on March 23, 1934 that a Committee of Old Boys produced a draft of the Old Boys’ Association Constitution, following on initial work done by a team comprising former students such as Sir Courtenay Hannays, Sir Hugh Wooding, GC Grant, Dr EH Farrell, Dr FL Patrick and Hamel Wells. The Constitution would be formally approved on April 28 of that year. The Hon Dr Arthur Mc Shine had been the first president. Other officers would include CA Child, Vice President, Archdeacon CS Doorly, then Principal of Queen’s Royal; Sir Courtenay who would become one of the country’s distinguished legislators, Grant, Dr Farrel and Wells as committee members. Arthur Farrell, a noted QRC Master, Internal Secretary and Treasurer, and CH Archibald, External Secretary and Treasurer.

Within mere weeks membership had grown to 132.

At the Association’s inaugural dinner on July 7, however, at the then Hotel Sands, 87 persons turned up including guests of honour — the Director of Education, Capt J O Cutteridge; HH Hancock, a retired QRC Second Master, the Principal and Masters. Despite the relatively modest turnout of Old Boys though, interest in the Association remained high.

The following year, FC Marriot, a retired Master, concerned at the number of boys denied admittance to Queen’s Royal, due to limited accommodation, proposed at the second Old Boys’ Association dinner that wings be constructed to the North and South of the College’s main building. The wings — the Science Block, erected in 1939, and the North Block, the following year, allowed QRC to have its own permanent laboratories on the compound for the teaching of Science. I should explain. Prior to the 1939 opening of the Science Block Royalian students were taught chemistry in a temporary laboratory built in 1922. And although this was better than the old arrangement of teaching Practical Chemistry in a corridor of the College, it was far from satisfactory.

It was only when an official team from the Old Boys’ Association held talks with the Governor, Sir Murchison Fletcher, that action was taken. The Science Block, along with the North Block, underscores the crucial importance of the contributions the Association has made. At its opening, the Science Block contained, and I quote from the Principal’s address: “...besides the Science rooms proper, we have an Artroom and our Library.” In the North Block “we have a gymnasium, a workshop, five form rooms, the College Office and the Principal’s study.”

Meanwhile, the Association has donated an Annual Cambridge Prize for Mathematics in memory of Mr Ralph Cambridge, a former QRC Principal. The first recipient was Solomon Kehela in 1943. In turn, it has provided meals to deserving students, as well as exhibitions, with the first of these awarded to M Paul, whose father, Mr James Paul had been a Government exhibitioner and Old Boy. In 1934, the year the Association was established, has its own Royalian Memory Lane apart from the Association itself.

In that year, QRC won the Alexander Clarke Shield, the Cadet Training Shield and one of its legendary Masters, William Douglas Inniss, retired. In 1934 staff included such notable figures as Archdeacon Doorly, Achilles Daunt, Grant Elcock Pilgrim, Benjamin Bedell, AL Potter, B Persaud, Arthur Farrell, A Wilkinson, GC Grant and J Wright. The Drawing Master was Miss AM Smith while the Relieving Officer and Secretary was G De Verteuil. That year DB Murray won the Science Island Scholarship; JE Thornhill, AJ Carrington and KA Bhaggan won House Scholarships on the basic of Junior Cambridge, while L G Dookhie won the Stollmeyer Medal as well as the Stollmeyer Book Prize for Maths, and the General Knowledge Prize, along with EH Murray.

In the field of sports, Kenneth F S Sealey won the Knollys Championship placing first in the 220 yards, 100 yards and high jump. Prior Jones won the prize for throwing the cricket ball 110 yards, two feet five inches; JE Moore triumphed in the half mile; EL Robertson, the quarter mile. In the Under-15 events, EO Robertson won the 440, 220 and 100 yards and high jump.

In turn, Queen’s Royal won the first of three Inter-colonial cricket matches against Harrison College, Barbados by ten wickets, after declaring at 276 for 8. It drew the second and lost the third. The then present day pupils would, like the Old Boys founding of the Association, add lustre to 1934.