Postby xtc » Wed Sep 18, 2013 12:41 pm
This was originally a contribution from the supportive Dominik.
His account for some unexplained reason disappeared along with all his posts.
He has allowed me to reinstate the post.
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Dear Sir,
Thanks for your information letter. It answers most of the questions that were still open. There are, however, some minor issues that need some clarification.
Firstly, the collar: your request that the boy’s name is to be engraved on the collar makes it clear that you expect the boys to be collared already when they arrive at St. Herod, but unfortunately you don’t give any specifications for the collar:
- Is it to be made of leather or iron? (The term ‘engraved’ suggests the latter.)
- What colour should it be: black or natural (leather or iron) colour? Or any other colour?
- What are the required dimensions (width, thickness etc.)?
- Is it to be removable or permanent?
Secondly, you didn’t give any informations referring to footwear. Does that mean it is the boys’ choice what shoes & socks they wear, or are they required to be barefoot?
I must admit that I am quite surprised to learn that you use just ropes to restrain the boys. Of course I agree that boys should learn how to use ropes properly, especially since games like ‘Capture the Flag’ play a major part in your P.E. curriculum, and learning what it feels like when ropes are used on them is an important part of it. As a means to enforce discipline, however, wouldn’t lockable leather or iron cuffs – connected by a short chain – be better? After all, they are easier to apply and more secure.
An even greater surprise to me, however, are the arrangements you made for the night. Firstly, a look at the temperatures will tell you that covers – let alone duvet covers – are absolutely unnecessary; they will only make the boys hot and sweaty.
Secondly, an experienced educationist like you will know how horny boys that age are, and I don’t have to tell you what will inevitably happen in the dorms during the nights if you don’t take any precautions.
The best way to prevent what zealous christians would call ‘sinful activities’ is to secure their wrists and ankles to the bed posts. Thus, the boys are not only effectively hindered to play with themselves, but also to ‘visit’ other boys in their beds.
If the boys are secured like that, any clothes are unnecessary, but gags will be useful; without them, those who cannot sleep yet will inevitably start to talk, thus keeping the whole dorm awake.
Some boys might complain at first that they cannot sleep like that, but they will get used to it very soon; my sons have spent the nights for more than a year now, and there were never any problems.
Please do not understand this as an attempt to tell you how to run your school, but maybe it could be somewhat helpful to avoid possible problems.
Yours sincerely
Frank Linke-Crawford
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This is back to Xtc now:
Dear Mr. Linke Crawford,
Thank you for your enquiries. May I refer you to page ten of our prospectus where you will find a photograph of a pupil immaculately attired in his uniform. You will notice that the collar is, indeed, formed of a double layer of 25 mm natural leather with three D-rings sandwiched between the layers and a stainless steel name plate riveted on to it. We leave it to parents to decide whether they will retain all the keys to the padlocks that hold their sons' collars in place or whether they would prefer the Pupil Welfare Officer to retain one.
As will be clearly seen from the aforementioned photograph, pupils are required to be barefoot at all times. All areas of the school may be accessed without the need to venture outside. We do find, however, that, regardless of the time of year, most boys do choose to go outside at lunch- and break-times. Boys are sturdy beings and, as long as they have about ten minutes to warm up, they even enjoy their early morning winter cross-country runs.
As you say, it is important for boys to learn the appropriate use of ropes for Physical Education and, indeed, for social purposes and we like them to be involved with the day-to-day discipline in the classroom. We find that such involvement increases their skills significantly as well as increasing their feelings of "ownership" of the school ethos. The imposition of leather cuffs is reserved for the worst infringements against the Code of Conduct and, when needed, they will be supplied by the school. I should point out, however that any boy who has been required to wear cuffs (a punishment that usually lasts a week) is unlikely to be allowed to remain in school following a further infraction.
Whilst I agree that the carefully regulated temperatures throughout our school could allow our pupils to sleep without bed-covers, boys of that age appreciate the privacy that a duvet cover provides and we don't like to be unreasonable in our treatment of what is usually a splendid body of boys. Very few boys have ever found the need to use a duvet itself. Sleepwear is important to us. Even the best behaved of boys does not always conduct himself as perfectly as we would like and we sometimes need to turn out a dormitory of five boys to stand on the grass and do press-ups and other exercises for about half an hour until they have dissipated their excess energies. Whilst I understand that it would be a case of "all boys together", I am sure you would agree that it would be better if they were not naked in the circumstances.
As for the "night visits", I am certain that one from such a distinguished military family as yours will understand the need for us to develop self discipline in the boys. If, however, such behaviour is encountered, as you say, the substantial bed frames do have their uses. Very few boys do actually complain of being unable to sleep while loosely spread-eagled after the first two nights. At Saint Herod The Great's School for Boys we realise that certain night manoeuvres are an inevitable part of growing up and, in the words of the old saying, "It never did us any harm." Dormitories of five boys do, however, provide a rather public stage for such activities which the boys consequently try to confine to other locations.
Thank you for your considerate suggestion with regards to gagging boys at night to enable everyone to enjoy a peaceful night, but I'm afraid that Health and Safety considerations make such a practice impossible. We do, however, have other measures that we do not hesitate to use to ensure a peaceful night's sleep for all our pupils.
I hope that I have satisfactorily addressed your concerns but please do not hesitate to contact me if I can be of further assistance.
Yours sincerely,
J. J. Bagwash, MEd, Bsc
(Head Teacher)
Last edited by
xtc on Tue Oct 08, 2013 4:05 pm, edited 2 times in total.