GREENFORD COUNTY SCHOOL A Meeting of Welcome to Parents To be held on SATURDAY. 16th MARCH. 1940 at 3 p.m. The School will be open for inspection from 2 p.m. A short display wt11 be given in the gymnasium at 2.20 p.m. The main address was given by Alderman J.C. Fuller, chairman of the Middlesex Education Committee. He began by saying that his committee welcomed the establishment of the school, which in building and equipment was as fine as anything of its kind in the country. It was one of the first major public institutions to be provided for the large new community of Greenford, and it should enrich the whole corporate life of the place. He reminded the boys and girls that as the first pupils of the school their task was not to carry on traditions but to create them. 'It is your privilege to lay the foundations of good traditions in this new Greenford School and to set a high standard of conduct and service for future generations of Greenfordians. Standards depend on each individual among you.' In encouraging the parents to co-operate with the Headmaster and Staff of the school he advised them not to let the demand for juvenile labour resulting from the war sacrifice their children's careers for easy money. He also advised that a high-powered radio set in full blast is not the best accompaniment to effective homework. Further, growing boys and girls need for their physical and mental development plenty of sleep. 'The cinema may be pleasant and even useful as dessert occasionally, but as a daily diet it is likely to be enervating and harmful.' 'Again I would ask you to encourage your children to read good books, an unlimited supply of which can be obtained from the school or public libraries. Part of education is to learn how to learn. Encourage them, too, to form independent opinions, and not to be ready to accept other people's, not even yours. It may be that, if they develop this habit, they will sometimes tell you that you are hopelessly behind the times; but never mind. Most of us who are parents have been through the experience, and it has not done us much harm. Replies to Alderman Fuller's speech were made by the Mayor and the Headmaster. In his reply. the Headmaster said '. . . we need to develop the simpler virtues honesty, love of justice, mercy, long suffering, and, above all, the faith that it was right to do right even when one did not see it leading to anything in the immediate future.' His generation, had done a grievous thing in seeking to make the world a better place instead of concentrating upon the production of better men and women. They had sought to produce a better world without real spiritual effort, but supposing such a world could be produced would it stay like that? . . . He thought that whatever sort of world we had we should need citizens of integrity, willing to take risks instead of merely seeking security, we should not have a country worthy to be called free, certainly not free in spirit. The meeting was preceded by a display in the gymnasium and after the speeches musical items were rendered by the school choir. D.S. Webb and Winifred Bassett sang solos, and a song was rendered by a trio Betty Forest, Winifred Bassett and Muriel Martin. The Head thanked Mr L.F. Potts, who had been seconded to the school from the Ealing County School for Boys, and who arranged and accompanied the musical programme. Shortly after the Service of Welcome the Head informed the Staff that Mrs Kimmitt had kindly offered to present the School with a cup and suggested that it might be given to the most popular boy or girl in the School. The latter suggestion, however, did not meet with the approval of the Staff. Several other suggestions for the use of the cup were made, but it transpired that most of the Staff were more in favour of something in the nature of a Service Book in lieu of a cup. It was agreed that a leather book with vellum pages was the sort of thing in mind. In this book would be written the names of pupils who rendered service of any sort to the School. Refugees The war relentlessly continued to increase its effects on the life of the school and at the end of June a short Staff Meeting was called to discuss yet another the matter of 500 refugees that were to be supplied with meals at the School. 'No details were to hand, and all the Headmaster wished to do was to get a decision from the Staff as to whether we should hand a portion of the building over to thc refugees and relinquish control of the undertaking, or whether the Headmaster should still be the final Authority in all matters concerning the School premises and anything that might take place here.' 'After a considerable amount of discussion, it was decided by the majority of the Staff that whatever happened, the Headmaster should not, if it can be avoided. hand over control to any outside body; and that, while we cannot offer much, if anything, in the way of actual labour, we will act in an advisory capacity, and will help the refugees in whatever way lies in our power.' The first year was over. The school had survived its infancy. page 28