|
| 1867-86
|
1887-1902
| 1903-32
| 1933-1947
| 1948-72
| 1973-2003
| 2004 - |
|
|
The
Sherwood Experience:
(A Brief History 1903 - 1932) |
The
Legendary Mr. Dixon: Years of Growth and
Consolidation: |
|
Mr.
W,A. Pemberton served as Principal for a
short term (1903-1906), but his
successor Mr. C.H. Dixon was to become one of
the best-remembered Heads of the school. When
he retired in 1932, the fortunes of the
school had scaled unprecedented heights. The
school was blessed at this time with an
exceptionally gifted staff who brought with
them not only academic excellence but also
the fine ideals on which a school is
nurtured. Among them was Tom Taylor, 49 years
on the staff and the embodiment of all that
was good in Sherwood; Mr. Roberts, who
started the school magazine in 1908; Mr. C.
Duggan, a founder-member of the staff, and
'Dingo' Dawson, the Science master, who
composed the school song which was sung to
the tune of 'Way Down in Dixie'. There are
lovely stories associated with C.A.D. (which
Mr. Lean hastens to add were most
inappropriate initials) : Mr. Dawson's
Science lessons invariably ended with an
explosion. One such explosion deposited a
piece of glass in Mr. Lean's ear ! On another
occasion he tied up his lap assistant, that
grand old man 'Lighting', as tiger bait and
he once attacked a hornest' nest in his bare
feet while out camping with the scouts and
thereafter could not wear his boots and socks
for many weeks to come !
Another great man was Mr. Norman Smith, 'Bluey'
to all who has been described as the doyen of
absent-minded professors. It was rumoured
that he once put his stick to bed and stood
himself in the corner !
|
The
Great War ! |
|
The
Great war of 1914-18 saw Sherwoodians
distinguishing themselves in the armed
forces. Lt. Holmes won the Military cross for
gallantry at the Relief of Kut and Allan
Jones the Distinguished Conduct Medal for
blowing up enemy dug-outs at Vierstraat
France.
|
The
Four Houses are introduced : |
The
originator of the division of the School into
4 houses in 1918 was Mr. Lilley :
They are:
| HOUSE |
COLOUR |
MOTTO |
| Robin
Hood |
Green |
'Stet
Fortuna Dumas'.
'Let the Fortunes of the House Prevail'. |
| Friar
Tuck |
Blue |
'Ones
Separabit nos'.
'None can Seperate us'. |
| Allen-A-Dale |
Red |
'No
Lite Cedere'.
'Never Give In'. |
| Little
John |
Yellow |
'Units
pro omnibus-Omnes Pro Uno'.
'One for all and for all and all for one' |
|
Old
Faithfuls : |
Among
the lesser mortals Who have passed into
immortality
there was 'Chester', a grand old faithful,
whose duty it was to rouse boys out of bed
every morning to the sound of a semi-gong
(the other half having been broken off by an
over enthusiastic time keeper at boxing bout
!) and all that he got for his pains was a
volley of boots and a shower of curses. There
was the tailor reputed to be skilled in the
art of re-stitching boys' trousers without
their having to remove them. Then there was
'Friday', another old faithful, more often
seen than heard as he noisily tinkered around
making hot-water for baths. Service to the
school became a tradition with many families.
There are some today who can trace their
association back to the very beginning, among
Durga and Goverdhan, the chaprassis : Bandoo
the barber; Sanoo the head sweeper; and Hafiz
and Khlil, the dhobis. |
The
infirmary is built: |
|
In
1922 electricity came to Sherwood and on on
15th June of the same year the infirmary was
dedicated and sanctified. It stands on the
spot where once stood the 'gwala's hut' that
accommodated, to quote an eye-witness,
"three or four dehydrated cows and
thousands of cubic feet of overpowering
bovine odour. the milk we never got in our
porridge or never got in our tea was
apparently from these cows !"
|
Horsman
Wing: |
|
The
Horsman brothers, both old Sherwoodians, With
their generous contribution of Rs. 75,000/-
made possible the construction of the junior
wing known as Horsman Wing, which was
dedicated to their father. This was completed
in 1927.
|
|
|
| 1867-86
|
1887-1902
| 1903-32
| 1933-1947
| 1948-72
| 1973-2003
| 2004 - |
|
