School Magazine

in 1968 - 1969

The past year has been a very good one for athletes in Berbice High School.  In our own Inter-House meeting we had very stiff competition among the houses.  We went on to win the Inter-School competition for Zone 1.  Then we played a leading role in seeing that Zone 1 convincingly won the other Zones in the Inter-Zone meeting.   Our Inter-House competition took place in brilliant weather at the Mental Hospital Ground.  It turned out to be one of our most keenly contested affairs in recent years.  Scrimgeour House, in a supreme effort, gathered points to finish ahead of the previous champion McKay.  Cooper House followed closely, while Pugsley edged out Beharry House which finished at the bottom. Several athletes distinguished themselves with sterling performances.  Chief among them was Gordon Alert of Cooper House who for the second consecutive year won the Champion-Boy Trophy.  He received very keen rivalry from the promising Joey Poonai, who featured in two of the hottest races of the day – namely the 100 yds. open, where he edged out Edmondson of Cooper, and the 440 yards where he whipped Alert in fine style.  Among the girls, Barbara Welch of Scrimgeour was the undisputed queen.  She was very instrumental in Scrimgeour’s victory, and if she continues at this rate, she will certainly go far. At the Inter-School Sports for Zone 1 we asserted our supremacy over Berbice Educational Institute, Scarder High, and Smythstown School. G. PahalanGames...

in 1968 - 1969

Schools Essay Competition   Every civilized state acknowledges the right of its citizens to certain fundamental rights and freedoms.  These rights and freedoms are usually enshrined in and guaranteed by the Constitution of the land and enforced by its law-courts, although it is a fact that in many countries they are granted only in theory or in part.  These rights constitute indeed the very foundations of democracy and put, or try to put, every individual on an equal plane  with everyone else.   What are these human rights?  There are, to cite a few examples, the rights to freedom of expression, freedom of worship, freedom of movement, the right of a worker to a fair day's pay, for a fair day's work, the right of an accused to a fair trial, and equal rights for women.  These rights are fundamental and should be granted to every human being regardless of colour, creed, religion, race, sex or social standing. These rights should provide adequate scope for the pursuit of individual happiness within the framework of the law.  These rights must be granted in order that, in the words of the Atlantic Charter signed in 1941 by Churchill and Roosevelt, "all the men in all the lands may live their lives in freedom from fear and want."  It is indeed on these rights that human dignity is based. It is because Man is free that he is what he is. Yet the path of human history is littered with the bones of the oppressed, the under, or rather un-privileged, human beings stripped of all their rights and shackled with the chains of slavery.  History is full of the records of man exploiting his fellow man, depriving him of all his rights.  Slavery, fascism and racialism have blackened man`s history.  But it is not only that the denial of human rights has gone on; it is going on.  In the Communist States, for instance, freedom of expression exists only theoretically.  In America and Britain, supposedly the bastions of democracy, racial discrimination is practised.  The most glaring example of all is in South Africa and Rhodesia where the Negro majority is treated like inhuman creatures.  No statesman or individual with any sense of right...

in 1966 - Golden Jubilee

A student shall come to school regularly and punctually, and shall not take French leave. A student shall honour, obey and respect his or her superiors in rank, and shall not be rude to them. A student shall not exhibit any form of dishonesty. A student shall not chew his or her cud in the formroom, nor otherwise devour anything there, nor litter the campus with refuse. A student shall not speak in the formroom, nor bray, nor scream, nor whistle at anyone, nor keep any sound unless it is required of him or her, when he or she shall speak in the language deemed appropriate. A student shall not injure his or her neighbour, nor utter anything defamatory or derogatory concerning his or her neighbour, nor instigate his or her neighbour to do the like, nor in any way exacerbate animosity. A student shall not steal anything from his or her neighbour; neither his or her hat, nor his or her books, nor his or her friends. A student shall not smoke, nor drink, nor use indecent language, nor in any other way act in a manner that will cause the school to be brought into disrepute, but shall try to enhance the reputation of the school by exemplary conduct. A student shall not write or carve his or her name, nor another, nor write anything on the furniture or buildings, nor in any other way deface them. A student shall try to do his or her best at all times in all fields of endeavour, and shall try to emulate and ameliorate on the examples of those who went before him or her.   Muneshwar...

in 1966 - Golden Jubilee

What days are more pleasurable than school days?  What phase of life more enjoyable?  What gift more precious is to us endowed than the pleasure of being a schoolboy?   To the old these words are golden, and there is reminiscence of the joys of an enraptured youth.  To the young, and those of tender years, they may sound false, and echo like empty saucepans rolling down the kitchen stairs.Some think there is little pleasure in school life, that there is no freedom, no liberty to do as one thinks best.  Yet in spite of these shortcomings, to me there are no days more pleasurahle than those spent as a schoolboy. To a schoolboy there is no limit to his adventurous mind, in the classroom or an the playing field.  I remember that as a younger schoolboy I was renowned for my audacity. There was a rectory adjoining our school.  On its grounds there were some sprouting jamoon trees, from whose bulbs hung the most purple and delicious of all fruits.  Now these grounds were out of bounds, and it was up to someone to make himself a name by stealing some of those prized fruits.  At that time I was no ringleader, but afaithful follower of a big bully, who was preparing to create a reputation against the other ringleaders.  But for the jamoon trees he lacked courage. One day when everyone was at recess, I jumped on the garden wall and called for their attention.  Then I proceeded to do my bid by vaulting over into the rectory grounds.  Getting up the tree was no hard task, for I was lithe and agile as a monkey.  I returned a few minutes later amidst the cheers of my schoolmates.  Soon afterwardsthere was a mass invasion of the trees, which resulted in the capture of quite a number of slow-moving unfortunates. In school there is also the pleasure of "gang-rivalry."  Each group of hoys used to try to out do the other, in school work, at play, and in the martial arts.  There was constant friction between and within various of the gangs, and many a time did I return home with a black eye and missing shirt buttons....

in 1966 - Golden Jubilee

Berbice High School athletes helped Zone 1 take top honours at the East Berhice Secondary Schools Inter-Zone Athletic Championships.  The competition, held on November 25 at the Skeldon Estate Community Centre grounds, saw Zone 1 with 375 points easily overcome Zone 3, with 240 points and Zone 2 with 186 points.  The scoring difference undoubtedly would have been higher had not a rainstorm washed out the relay races, the strongest event for Zone 1.   Eight first places were earned by B.H.S athletes.  Besides these, many other points were scored by B.H.S competitors who took seconds and thirds. The outstanding point-scorers of the day were a pair of quick-footed girls from Berhice High.  A. Elgin and R. Sinclair both won two firsts for Zone 1.  Miss Elgin, running in the under 13 class, started off right by winning the first event, the 80 yard sprint.  Later in the day she also won the high jump and led Zone 1 to victory in the only relay that could be completed before the rain came.  Miss Sinclair remained unbenten in six consecutive races this year as she easily outclassed her opponents in the 100 yards in 12.8 and the 150 yards in 19.5. B. Blair, boys under l3 class, took first in the long jump.  His excellent leap of 15 feet surpassed his best previous mark by over two feet.  S. Ferdinand won the same event in the girls under 13 group.  Her victory came as somewhat of a surprise since she had been second in both previous meetings.  A third jumper to win top honours from Berbice High was V. Welch in the boys 15 to l7 triple jump.  This was the first year this diliicult event had been held, but Welch showed that he had already mastered the technique in a very short time. In the girls l5 to l7 group speedster B. Welch lost her first race of the year as she got off to a bad start in the l00 yards.  But she didn't let that discourage her, and came back strong to win the 220 in a time of 30.0.  Other point scorers from B H.S. were: R. Anderson, boys under 13, 100 yards third place;...

in 1966 - Golden Jubilee

Mackay House, beating back a strong challenge from Scrimgeor House, won the Inter House Athletic competition of Berbice High School held at the Mental Hospital grounds on Novenber 9 and 10.  Amassing 121 points, to 101 for Scrimgeor, MacKay received the championship trophy.  The other three houses, far back in points, fought a stiff competition for third place.  Cooper house won that honour with 59 points, followed by Beharry house with 57 points, and Pugsley house with 56 points.  The issue of third place was in doubt until the final race, the mile.  With a dramatic one-two finish in that event Cooper House moved from last to third in the keen competition.   Outstanding individual performances by athletes added to the encitement of the sports day.  In the girls under 13 group A. Elgin of Beharry house was the champion athlete.  Beside winning the high jump and the 50 yard sprint she ran on the victorious Beharry house 440 relay team. B. Blair of Pugsley House was the champion athlete for boys under 13.  He won the long jump and placed second in the 100 yards sprint.  However, his efforts were not enough to move Pugsley into third place.  Speedster R. Sinclair was the champion athlete in the girls 13 – 15 group.  She gained impressive victories in the 100 in the time of 12.7, and in the 150, timed in 19.4.  In addition she ran the anchor leg for her victorious Mackay house 440 relay team. One of the athletes greatly responsible for Scrimgeor's challenge to the crown was S. Thorne, champion of the boys 13 – 15 group.  Besides winning the 100 yard sprint he also took honours in a long jump with a mark of 15.2.  Another big point scorer for Scrimgeor was B. Welch, 15 – 17 girls champion.  Blazing to victory in the 100 yards in a time of 12.3 she came back later to easily defeat all comers in the 220 yard sprint.  However, her relay team finished second to Mackay House despite swift anchor leg. Relatively feet girls over 17 competed in the sports.  Most preferred to sit on the sidelines and watch, dressed in their "Sunday best."  Of those participating R.Khan...