Empire Day (1906)

Post date: Feb 05, 2012 7:34:12 PM

As reported in The Wateringbury Parish magazine of June 1906:

EMPIRE DAY.—This day of National observance was kept by our children in right loyal fashion. After service at Church all the children attending our three schools were drawn up in ranks in the play-ground where also a goodly number of visitors, including several of the mothers of the children, were assembled. The Union Jack at the head of the flagstaff was gaily flaunting in the breeze. The proceedings began with the stirring patriotic song "Flag of Britain," the children saluting the flag at the end of every verse. Then came the March, "Red, White and Blue." Mr. Edgar A. Smith, A.C.P., the Head Master, then welcomed the visitors, remarking that it was most gratifying to the Teachers and most encouraging to the children to know that they were always well backed-up by the Managers and by the parents.

The Vicar then announced that the Victoria Essay Prize had been won by the boy who had chosen ''Labor omnia vincit" as his motto. The sealed envelopes were then opened and it was found that the boy's name was George Robert Fisher. This is the second time that he has won this prize. Lewin Palmer was ''proxime accessit''; indeed so nearly did Palmer's essay equal Fisher's that a very close and careful analysis of both was necessary in order to place Fisher's first. The Vicar remarked upon the unintended humour to be found in many of the essays, and said that it formed an element of compensation for the trouble involved in classifying them. He reminded the children why the prize was instituted, that it might preserve the memory of our late Queen Victoria the Good aud the marvellous progress which was made in her reign. And the reason why the competition took the form of an essay was to give the competitors an opportunity for original study, without direct assistance from their teachers. General Sir George B. Wolseley, K.C.B., then presented the K.E.C. Medals and Certificates. He said that it afforded him much pleasure to be there, and that now he had retired from active work with the Army he hoped to be able to the best of his power to devote himself to helping forward every good work. The education of the young was a very good work, if not the very best. He wished to impress upon the children that the lesson of Empire Day was the lesson of unselfishness. Our Empire was what it was to-day because her sons had freely given themselves and all they had for her glory and extension. This was the only true way to live one's life, to be willing to give our best for the good of others. He remembered very well thirty years ago attending the Great Durbar in India when our late Queen was proclaimed "Empress of India." He would never forget what his feelings then were of glowing pride in his country and of passionately loyal devotion to his Queen and Empress.

After Sir George's speech, which was loudly cheered, he presented the Medals and Certificates to the following boys, viz :—

Medals: Ernest Shepherd (2) William Crockford (3), Thomas Smith⁶ (3), Ernest Spice (6), William Burrluck (3), Augustus Adams (2) Harold King (2), George Mace (2), Fred Relf⁵ (2), Nevile Smith (4), Robert Ralph⁴(2), Frederick Bell, Jack Bowles (2), Jack Ladams⁸, Sydney Latter, Walter Maytum¹(3), Harold Randall, John Burrluck (2), Walter Ladams, William Shelford (3). The number in brackets after the name shews how many times in previous years the medal has been won by that boy.

Certificates: Lewin Palmer, 385 ; William Butcher², 385: Arthur Monger, 384; Alfred Shelford, 384; Victor Goodwin⁷, 382; William Latter, 385; Charles Cartwright, 385; George Martin, 385; George Maytum, 386; William Barnden, 382; Edwin Bell, 382; Harry Clements, 386; Herbert Pearson, 381; George Randall, 380; John Sharpe, 380 ; Arthur Hollands, 381; Charles Underhill, 383; Edward Underhill, 381; Thomas Barnden, 381; Fred Burrluck, 382; Bertie Latter, 382; Ernest Shelford, 382; Frederick Martin³, 385. The number after each name shews the attendances during the school year.

Mr. Amos Baker, in the name of the Managers, heartily thanked Sir George Wolseley for his kind interest in the children and for having attended that day to distribute the rewards. He also very gracefully and considerately complimented the whole of the teaching staff of the schools on the great care and pains they had so evidently given to the organization of that day's proceedings, and said that the happy smiling faces by which they were surrounded reflected on that day the great care and kindness of the teachers for the children during the whole year.

In the afternoon, sports, arranged by Mr. Smith for the Boys' School, were held in the grounds of Wateringbury Place, by the kind permission of Sir George Donaldson. The following is a list of the winners of the first prizes :

five races of 100 yards, Edward Underhill, C. Underhill, T. Martin, G. Maytum and W. Maytum¹;
three 3-legged races, L. Large with C.Underhill, J. Ayling with W. Barnden, V. Goodwin with G. Maytum;
four races of 200 yards. T. Martin, B. Wood, C. Beale and W. Maytum;
four sack races, T. Barnden, A. Monger, W. Crockford and L. Large :
two boot races, L. Main and T. Smith;
1/4-mile, W. Ayling;
1/2-mile, V. Goodwin;
1 mile, C. Fielder;
throwing cricket ball, W. Carter;
kicking football, T. Martin;
bicycle race, B. Main;
bicycle race (slow), A. Monger;
V.C race, A. Relf and T. Harrison ;
wheelbarrow race, V. Goodwin and G. Maytum ;
shoe race, G. Fisher;
flat race (open to Old Boys), Mr. G. Davis;
tug of war, A. Relf, C. Head, C. Fielder, W. Crockford, A. Monger, A. Latter, H. Farbrother and H. Kingsnorth.

The following ladies and gentlemen contributed the money for the prizes: Mrs. and Miss Lownds, Mr. and Mrs. Alan Lambert, Messrs. R. H. Fremlin, W. W. Blest, E. Goodwin, M. White, C. King, F. Cronk, E. Morris, W. Monger, Sir George Wolseley, Dr. Southwell-Sander, Rev. J. L. Cook and the W.O.B.S.—J. L. C.

The previous year was the first Empire Day to be celebrated in Wateringbury albeit on a lower key but was reported as follows in the Parish magazine of June 1905:

EMPIRE DAY (May 24th) was celebrated for the first time in our village by a half-holiday given to the Schools. The children were marshalled at noon outside the Schools, where, in the presence of two or three dozen parishioners, they were briefly addressed by Mr. Amos Baker and the Vicar. They all wore red white and blue rosettes made by the girls, and the drum and fife band performed in uniform. Patriotic songs including the National Anthem, were sung and the National Flag was saluted. During the afternoon the band paraded the village. Some such celebration, started in some of our colonies, and but slowly taken up in the mother country, ought to be observed in every town and village of the land. Its object, of course, is to engender a consciousness of the greatness of our empire, and to promote imperial unity. It must be kept free from party politics, serving to unite all political parties in its great aim.

National context: It was not until after the death of Queen Victoria, who died on 22 January 1901, that Empire Day was first celebrated. The first 'Empire Day' took place on 24th May 1902, the Queen’s birthday. Although not officially recognised as an annual event until 1916, many schools like Wateringbury across the British Empire were celebrating it before then.