SENIOR SCHOOL
A fine end to an era: a tale of two Chess Captains
Oliver Patton (12Sc) and Samuel Imperial (12Wb) joined the
School and the Chess Club in 2010 and since then have been
key figures in Guildford Grammar School Chess. They have both
featured over the years in nearly all inter-school team events, both
Quadrangular and PSA. It was apt therefore they should share the
Captaincy of Chess, which they have done in both Years 11 and 12.
Their styles of play are contrasting and neither has consistently
stood out over the other in match play. Oliver is an attacking
player with flashes of brilliance, particularly in setting tricky opening
traps, while Samuel thinks deeply for longer and thrives in complex
and difficult positions, if his clock time allows.
It is significant that Oliver and Samuel have led the Guildford
Grammar School teams in their highest achieving season, with
the School finishing in third place in the PSA group of seven
schools, and featuring wins against old rivals Hale School and
Scotch College and the less experienced Aquinas College. It was
particularly good to see the close team spirit, with the Captains at
centre before the last must-win match against Hale.
Samuel Imperial and Oliver Patton.
That PSA chess result was announced on the same day as the much
celebrated 1st XVIII Football triumph, last achieved in 1958 by the
team that included Oliver Patton’s grandfather!
The Captains’ involvement in extra-curricular activity has not been
confined to chess, with Samuel coxing the 1st VIII to a historic result
in the Head of the River, and Oliver a Prefect and the Captain of
Mock Trials.
The boys’ friendly and smooth running of the house chess
competition and team training sessions, and their cheerful welcome
to club newcomers of all ages, has helped bring a strong revival of
interest in competitive chess in the School.
We hope to welcome them back at the next Old Guildfordians
match, an event which they inaugurated, and which provides vital
preparation for the challenge of PSA competition. Their departure
together will certainly deplete the team’s strength, but I have
confidence that will be a temporary setback, given the core of
talented new prospects recently attracted to chess.
Captain-designate Nathaniel Harris (11Ha) is confident that he
will finish the job his predecessors began and gain the edge over
the top two PSA chess teams next year: Christ Church Grammar
School and Wesley College.
Mr Robin Shaw
Teacher-in-charge, Chess
Book Club
In Term 3 it was our turn to host the regular joint Book Club
meeting with Perth College. After having a great time at their
Term 2 visit to the girls’ book club, the boys were ready to
display their own skills as hosts. Members of the Junior and
Senior Book Club worked together to prepare for a successful
joint meeting. Book Club aims to develop students’ analytical
and social skills as well as nurturing their love of reading.
The topic of the meeting was a thorny one; ‘What is
literature?’ a subject that has been much debated by
experts in the field as well as one on which any reader will
have an opinion. Does being a best seller make it good?
Does it have to make skilful use of language, have great
ideas or be truly original?
After a short presentation by Book Club facilitators Alison
and Merriwyn Spicer-Wensley, and armed with some
sustaining offerings from the Guildford Grammar School
kitchen, the students got down to the business of the day.
Mixed teams of Perth College and Guildford Grammar School
Book Club members sorted piles of books according to their
view of their literary merit. Then it was time to justify their
decision to their peers. Each group had to explain why they
had selected certain books as having more literary merit than
others. Discussion was vigorous but friendly and small prizes
were awarded for interesting and well-expressed ideas.
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Shaun Tan’s wordless book The Arrival caused considerable discussion
since it could hardly be described as making skilful use of language, but
many of the Book Club members thought it quite literary. There was also
some interesting discussion about books based on other works which
were generally thought not to be as literary as original works, but Nicki
Greenberg’s award-winning graphic novel of Shakespeare’s intriguing
play Hamlet ‘staged on the page’ was the exception that proved the rule.
Boys and girls both cooperated, discussed and debated with energy, with
everyone having an enjoyable time. Both groups are looking forward to
our next joint meeting at Perth College.
Alison and Merriwyn Spicer-Wensley
Book Club Facilitators