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I have often wondered why Goldings has a latin motto, considering that the subject is not studied in the School and the meaning of this device
on the School badge is, to say the least, not self evident to our scholars. I confess it has taken me ten years to get round to the job of finding
out. (Why it is written in latin—not what it means). When I applied to Mr. Maslin, who is well qualified to write the official history of
Goldings, he was able to tell me straight away that a former school master of Goldings, Mr. J. J. B. Dempster, proposed this motto somewhere
round about 1926 and it was also due to his initiative that the school magazine THE GOLDONIAN was started. By a strange coincidence I
met Mr. Dempster long after he had left Goldings and before I came here. The last I heard of him he was Assistant Director of Education for
Southampton and no doubt still full of good ideas.
Perhaps it's a bit swanky to have a latin motto and I notice that the mottos of the local Grammar Schools are written in plain English, though
many of their pupils would have no difficulty in making a translation. At any rate it has the merit of making some boys curious and that is
nearly half way to learning.
Most Goldings boys, I hope, can tell you the literal translation of our motto is "The End Crowns the Work" and I consider it is very aptly
chosen for our School. We may apply it to ourselves in three degrees. First, it should be obvious that the business of growing older is not a
very good object in itself. A certain young man prided himself on his physical perfection and was always boasting about being fit. When
someone asked him "Fit for what?" he was somewhat deflated. We must grow up to be fit for a man's work and our training at Goldings, if it
fits us for our place in the world and prepares us for useful work, sets a crown on our period of childhood and dependence. When we leave the
protection of this community, our real testing time comes. Are we going to make a success of our lives, not only in material sense, such as
getting a good job, earning a good living as we say, but also in the sense that we become a good influence in the lives of others and, maybe,
become husbands and fathers on whom our dependants can rely. If we do this, that is an end which crowns our years of preparation. Finally,
there is the crown of everlasting life. This is a phrase which puzzles us and especially when we are young, appears a far-off thing—not worth
a great deal of thought. Yet here in this home we are taught the simple tenets of our faith, that if we strive, as in the words of a hymn we often
sing, "to improve our talents with due care," we shall be found profitable servants, fit to enter into our Lord's Kingdom. This means we must
strive and not drift, we must not accept defeat but get up and try again and whatever faults and shortcomings we have we must try to overcome
them and rise to the highest of which we are capable in the development of knowledge, skill, understanding and character, so that at our latter
end our motto will still hold good. "Finis Coronat Opus."
R.F.W.
SPEECH DAY, 1955
The Guest of Honour at our Speech Day this year was Mr. Max Robertson, quite a firm favourite with Staff who know him through his
frequent scintillating commentaries on radio and television, and also with those boys about whom he has commentated at Wimbledon.
His speech was punctuated with amusing stories mostly to do with his job as commentator. He recalled the incident when, during very excited
play on the Centre Court, he got mixed up, and referred to the ball-boys as "Roseballs." In all, his speech was far too short; but like all good
speakers, he was very interesting and most amusing. After the Prize Distribution by Mr. Max Robertson, Mr. Pegg, Vice-President of the
Hertfordshire Football Association, presented a County Football Badge to an old boy of the School, Victor King.
We were pleased to see and hear both the Chairman of the Goldings Sub-Committee, Mr. M. H. Tetley, and the Assistant General
Superintendent of the Homes, Mr. T. F. Tucker. The Headmaster presented his report of the past year, and paid tribute to his Staff at Goldings,
not forgetting the good work put in by all at Headquarters.
After the Prize-Giving Ceremony, we were treated to a Lawn Tennis Final for the Senior Championship, played between John Cooper and
John Mountain. John Cooper was the winner of a handsome trophy presented by the Weekly junior Express, who sent their reporter,
Mr. Nichols, and photographer, Mr. Hutchinson. The Umpire was a Wimbledon Umpire, the Reverend P. F. L. Burgess of All Saints' Church,
Hertford, and again Mr. Max Robertson presented the winner with the Cup.
PRIZEWINNERS
General Subjects: Edward Townsend, Frank Randall, Ronald Warrior, Christopher Pettman, Robert Robson, Terence Davies, Edward Toynton.
Prize for Progress in School Work: Jeremy Davies.
Prize for effort in School Work: Harold Downey.
Physical Training: Victor Sandall, Barry Mason.
Boot-making: Jeremy Davies, Sydney Rackham, Leonard Beckly.
Carpentry: Michael Hopcroft, Brian Gregory, William Roe, Peter Marshall.
Gardening: Eric Holden, David Price, George Lee.
The McMullen Prize: John Fleming. Printing: Frank Randall, Raymond Staniford, Peter Mitchell.
Apprentices: Terence Noble, Robert Pegg.
Sheet Metal Work: Victor Sandall, Keith Brierley, Malcolm Brierley. Special Award: Edward Burkett. Youth County Badge: Victor King.
S.C.C.
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