The final aim—and indeed accomplishment—was the creation of the team
spirit, with other virtues that accompany it, in a village school, as innocent of it as village schools usually are ; and the first outward expression of the new spirit was the school sports. The first step was the division of the school into four Houses : Haig, Stevenson, Nelson, and Rhodes, marked by ribbons of red, blue, yellow, and green. This was done by the selection of four captains who proceeded to pick their housemates in turn, four from each form, and so on till the tale was complete. It is of little use to have a House unless it can express and so solidify the unity by some active and actual co-operation. With no little difficulty a playing-field of adequate dimensions—it is known as Thistly Meadow—was secured ; and arrangements were at once undertaken for the holding of the first school sports day, at which the new endeavour was to secure public acknowledg- ment. A generous donor gave a challenge shield, and there were other gifts ; but for the rest the school did its own work. The boy carpenters made hurdles. They made a jumping gallows—a little model of ingenuity with a tape measure let into the upright on either side. The same device was adopted for the long jump frame. All other apparatui also was made by the children with no little craftsmen's joy.
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