A leading boarding and day school for boys and girls aged 12-18 in Perthshire, Scotland
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HockeyThe Junior House Hockey tournament never fails to deliver in one particular area: it is always freezing cold. However cold it may have been in a meteorological sense, the hockey on the pitch was, if not scorching hot, certainly warm. With an inexperienced team, the Matheson's rolled up their sleeves and got properly stuck in, and even won our last match, much to the delight of one and all. All the boys deserve credit for their efforts, and all can be very proud of how they developed as a team, but of particular note was Lachlan Cheyne, who fresh from the coach which had brought him back from a morning school fixture, literally ran to the astro's and played for the whole round robin tournament for the House as captain! His leadership (along with the able assistance, coaching and management from Riley O'Dwyer and Orlando Pritchard-Barrett) was inspiring to say the least. Needless to say, I was very proud of how the boys pulled together through the afternoon, showing exactly what it means to have strong team spirit. |
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SteeplechaseThursday before Half Term saw the Steeplechase in a new venue. The Golf Course proved an excellent location boasting a great course, and the race did not fail to live up to expectations. Matheson's boys represented every section of Cross Country prowess on the day, notable performances coming from Ludger Roehm who came 9th in the Junior race, and Fifth Former Orlando Pritchard-Barrett, improving on his efforts of last year, finishing a very impressive 6th in the Senior race. This was especially impressive because this race included all of Fifth, Lower and Upper Sixth, and so the very best Glenalmond has to offer. I was proud of the way the boys put in every effort to do as well as they could - many improved on last year, and all supported each other through the afternoon. |
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MusicIn the Festival of Sport which pervades all at Glenalmond it is always nice to reach an oasis of cultural calm. The Matheson's band, featuring Edmund Wise, Gavin Morgan, Kiril Fatyushin and David McCann, all worked hard putting together a piece to perform the to the whole school. They very much enjoyed the experience of preparing the item, but I think learnt the lesson about quality rehearsals in the actual venue: technical issues marred what was otherwise a very rich performance. |
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DramaWe were able to extend our time in the cultural oasis on the final Saturday of term with the house drama competition. This year's theme was 10 minute Shakespeare - Matheson's drew Richard III out of the hat. The cast, led with able imagination by James Dove and Edmund Wise, surpassed themselves learning lines, arranging lighting and selecting music for choreography (including some talismanic Pink Floyd, which has become something of a tradition in Matheson's House Drama productions). The boys singled themselves out as being the only House to treat seriously a serious play - Kiril's menacing assassin and James' terrifying Richard were only two of the highlights - and their setting of the play was as imaginative as it was appropriate: the heady world of high level business, steeped in underhand deals and sinister arrangements, murder even. Their slick production, featuring music and movement, atmospheric lighting, captivating tableaux and some very strong performances was powerful from start to finish. |
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DebatingEver one who likes the sound of his own voice(!), Cameron Montgomery deserves special mention for debating this term. He and Edmund Wise (again, even more fond of his own voice) distinguished themselves by winning the Senior Debating competition last term, speaking with particular flare and in particular working well as a team, playing to each other's strengths as speakers. Cameron has furthered this success by being half of one of the Glenalmond teams to reach the Semi Finals of the Donald Dewar Memorial Debating Competition. This national competition is very hotly contested, and this accolade is something they can be very proud of. |
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FootballThe final week of term saw the hastily arranged House Football competitions. In the junior tournament, with several away ill and injured, every boy did his bit, playing with stoic enthusiasm in the face of some very stiff opposition. The seniors, who promised a stronger side, were again stalled in their attempt at sporting glory but nevertheless enjoyed the afternoon, even when a particularly senior senior saw red… |
Michaelmas Term 2011 has started at its usual fast pace! Welcoming a new batch of Mathesonians has been fantastic, and the boys have all settled in and made their mark. Once again, it has been great to see how welcoming the "regulars" have been - the new boys look as comfortable as the old lags! Joint Heads of House Gavin Morgan and David Dalrymple have been working exceptionally hard, and are already an invaluable part of the Matheson's team.
The boys and tutors enjoyed a fantastic afternoon bowling on the first Sunday of term. This was a great team building experience, with the teams each containing boys of all year groups. Performances ranged from the outstanding to the rather less so, but all had a really fun time getting to know each other!
The first Wednesday of term saw the opening of the Debating Season. Thrown in at the deep end, Cameron Wilson and David McCann opened the speeches with their defence of the nicely topical proposition "This House would allow teachers to strike". Neither having debated before, both very much enjoyed the thrill and the experience, and hope to be able to do more in the future.
This year the Lower 6th wrote letters of application to become prefects as part of the selection process as well as the usual round of Leadership Exercises, staff recommendations and pupil soundings. Writing the letter has been particularly useful preparation for the future, and more immediately, writing UCAS Personal Statements: learning how to sell yourself is a very important skill! I was therefore delighted to be able to appoint David Dalrymple, Gavin Morgan and Peter N'Dow as House Prefects - though there may well be more appointments next term! David is a College Prefect and, breaking with Glenalmond tradition but following the example of 1,000 years of Roman history, he and Gavin are joint Heads of House. I am sure they will do an excellent job leading the House together through next year in the manner of Roman consuls, and I am very much looking forward to working with them.
Basking in the glory of more than 20 years of Matheson's tradition, this year's leavers chose McDiarmid Park as the venue for the leavers' dinner. As ever, the evening was a great success - good food, great wine, and even better company - St Johnstone once again did us proud. Among the usual guests were Mr Wright, who was at the Matheson's helm when the boys were in 3rd Form, and Dr Stewart, who was their tutor for 4th and 5th Forms. Another year older and certainly another year wiser (and even better looking? -ed.), Lewis Fyfe, Tom Francis, Fraser Burt, Oscar Eriksen, Will Sanderson, Campbell Findlay, Sandy Orgill and Barnaby Benson posed for photographs like true professionals - their contributions to Glenalmond and Matheson's life has been outstanding in every area, and we wish them fair winds and following seas as they embark on the next chapter of their lives.
Following the outstanding efforts of the Mathesonian creative team behind this year's Give Gig, Tom Francis, Oscar Eriksen, Campbell Findlay and Lewis Fyfe were invited to visit the Perth Young Carers charity for the afternoon this term. They presented a cheque for more than £3,000 raised by Glenalmond pupils through the Lent Term, and got their picture in the paper. The boys really enjoyed helping with some activities with the children, whose lives are made very difficult having to care for family members and are therefore often not able to attend school and enjoy a "normal" childhood. They hope to have the opportunity to do more work like this in the future.
The last night of the year blessed us with weather good enough to enjoy the traditional Tug o' War and parlauf competitions. Once again, the Matheson's Tug o' War team delighted one and all with their butch sailor outfits (Cameron Montgomery's "hello sailor" hat particularly catching the eye). Lamentably, there were no points for costumes, and, in spite of some very close trials, we did not take the cup home. The other part of the evening, the parlauf, started strongly, Richard McPhail's opening leg giving us a good position. Thereafter, even with the great efforts of Ludger Roehm, Liam Kirkpatrick and Riley O'Dwyer, we came 4th overall. Ludger, Liam and Richard were all awarded Half Colours for their hard work (Riley already has his Full Colours).
For something to do(!) after their GCSEs finished, Edmund Wise, Cameron Montgomery and Richard Johnson all took part in this year's 100 Mile Walk in support of two charities with close personal links to various members of the group. Spread over 5 days, this gruelling feat was a great achievement, and will live long in the memories of all who took part.
House Shout Victory
Tuneful singing, smooth choreography and brilliant theatrical entertainment are not things you'd expect to see from a boys' house, but Matheson's stunned the crowds with their whole-house rendition of 5ive's "Keep On Moving". After several weeks of phenomenally determined practice and many of the boys struggling to get over the fact that they'd be singing and dancing to a boyband song in front of the whole school, the house stole the show and won the House Shout Competition. Performed with a backing track mastered by Dr Ridley, the boys pulled off some beautifully tuneful singing, and some simply awesome dance moves.
From the smooth-moving Gavin and David in the Third Form, to the most ungainly forms of Campbell and Juan-Pablo in the Sixth, the entire house was on stage and had an absolutely brilliant time. Special mention must go to Orlando Pritchard-Barrett, whose freestyle dancing and 'body-popping' inspired the rest of the house to produce some rather unconventional moves. I think a favourite must have been the 'sandwich-spreader' from Gavin Morgan (I'm sure he'd love to show you if you ask). Having secured such a comprehensive victory, house spirit is at an all-time high, and we can be sure of many more victories to come.
(Written by Tom Francis, College Prefect, creative mastermind and dance move guru, who discovered depths of inspiration he never knew were there, and whose leadership and organisation preparing for this were outstanding).
Junior Rugby
The Glenalmond Festival of Sport continued in fine fashion with the Junior House Rugby just before Half Term, and saw a fiercely contested and avidly supported 7 a side competition. Always an entertaining event, this year proved no different, with the Matheson's intrepid squad, small in number but great in heart, playing some very good looking 7s – free flowing running, sensible and structured play at the breakdown and some great individual efforts. Led by the experience of Conor Griffin and ably backed up by the wise rugby heads of Edmund Wise, Laurence Smith and Richard Johnson, all the boys put their hearts and souls, as well as their bodies, into the afternoon. Tom Files, Salvador Fuster, Josh Gorham and Lachlan Cheyne also played their parts and certainly contributed to the magnificent team effort and spirit that abounded. For their outstanding commitment over the afternoon, Laurence Smith and Tom Files were awarded their House Half Colours.
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I was very proud of the way the Matheson's boys played - they threw themselves into every match with tremendous passion, determination and elan. They may have walked back to the House tired, cold and bruised, but they will remember the day for their inspiring spirit and teamwork. That and, of course, the pizza-fest they enjoyed after prep.
Senior Rugby
All the superlatives liberally festooned across the Junior Rugby report apply to the Matheson's Senior Rugby Squad, and with bells on. Numerically disadvantaged by injury and early departures for Half Term, each member of our squad of seven good men and true played every minute of every game over the afternoon (this is usually unheard of in normal rugby tournaments). In spite of this, the focused passion and outstanding skills of Lewis Fyfe inspired the lads to keep at it, and they played some good rugby over the afternoon, and in every position: Fraser Burt set up play after play at scrum half, and our forwards, Gavin Morgan, Sandy Orgill and Will Sanderson worked terrier-like to provide tidy ball at the breakdown, Juan Pablo Contreras showed great pace and strength in defence and attack on the wing, but Performance of the Day must go to 5th Former Riley O'Dwyer, qualifying by age to play in the senior competition, but utterly unfazed by the idea. Clearly buoyed by the magnificent posters declaiming "In RO'D we trust", lovingly created by his friends, Riley stepped up to the challenge brilliantly, hammering boys two years older than him, and scoring a memorable try; for his inspiring contribution, he was awarded his Full House Colours (usually reserved for 6th formers).
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Once again, I was really impressed by the unwavering spirit of the boys – their sportsmanlike behaviour in every game, their support of each other, and their willingness to put 100% in to the afternoon truly exemplify what it means to be a Mathesonian.
Debating
Ever at the cutting edge of things cultural, the opening of the Debating Season was met with eager anticipation by the political animals of Matheson's. Captain of Debating Campbell Findlay and Tom Francis (Captain of Choir) hit the lectern running, as it were, on the "d" of "ding", and, in a well argued debate, trumping their impressive opponents from Home with their defence of the monarchy – a rich mixture of clinical analysis and indulgent humour. Our Juniors, Orlando Pritchard-Barrett and Laurence Smith, both complete novices in this discipline, but coached admirably by Campbell Findlay, gave a good account of themselves on what turned out to be a slightly less than Glorious Thirteenth, worsted as they were by a fearsome Home attack on their motion supporting fox-hunting. Both boys, however, have expressed an interest in continuing with Debating, further typifying the Mathesonian ideal of participation. I look forward to seeing what rhetorical fireworks will appear in the next rounds over the coming months.
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