Kenneth Hugh Rhodes

KENNETH HUGH RHODES

The address given by Mr. J. Dronfield, M.A., J.P., at the memorial service in Chapel on September 13th.

This gathering together this morning of those who in one way or another may be called "Friends of St. Peter's" has one purpose in mind, to remember Kenneth Rhodes, or "Rhoddy", as he was affectionately . known and will be affectionately remembered—over a span of 56 years he was Peterite, Old Peterite, Oxford Exhibitioner, Member of St. Peter's School Staff, House Tutor in School House, Housemaster of School House, Senior History Master, Second Master, Housemaster of Temple, and for a long time now doyen of the Staff—all of us here knew him in one or more of these capacities, and each could add from his experience to this wide and varied catalogue of his contributions to the life of the School over these 56 years. We are also conscious of the many who could not be here today but who are very much with us in spirit, and remember so many others who alas are no longer able to be here.

When we first heard of Kenneth's sudden death on July 20th we felt overwhelmed. Perhaps selfishly, we thought—"But we can't do without him—he's always been there—we relied on him—perhaps took him for granted—he has been a friend to us all!" It was to him all visitors turned —especially Old Boys and former Masters. A cheery word, a reminiscent chat, a real welcome for all. Few if any School functions did not depend on him for their organisation, and especially for those details which make or mar a function but often don't get the headlines. He was the everpresent host, the link with everyone. He loved to hear news of Old Boys, and gleaned it from every possible source. How can we do without him!

Now after trying for eight weeks to get used to the idea, this sense of irreparable loss is still with us, but it is overshadowed by a sense of thankfulness—thankfulness that for so many years he was always there, thankfulness that for so many years he was such a friend to us all, thankfulness too for his devoted service to St. Peter's School, a service which I feel will never be equalled either in length of time or in quality.

As one senior O.P. put it in his letter to Kenneth's sister, "Rhoddy was the salt of the St. Peter's School earth and the cement in its brickwork."

St. Peter's was his life and his love, and by St. Peter's I don't of course mean just the buildings or the grounds or the present boys in the School—or the Staff or the successes or failures academically or on the sports field—all these combined—"Yes", but most of all that spirit of service which by his example he inculcated in others, and without which the School would have been a lesser place. It was he who in his quiet and friendly way extended a hand of welcome to new Masters, and who set our high standard of Common Room concord and co-operation. He had the priceless gift of being able to help all, even the most youthful and inexperienced, to settle down and to learn what schoolmastering was all about. Seniority meant nothing to him, and it was he who created this Common Room atmosphere which more than anything else has made St. Peter's a happy School. Many a Master who has served with Kenneth, including the dozens of "Student Princes"—as he called them—who came

to us for a term's teaching practice, would bear witness to this kindness and helpfulness—a truly important part of his contribution to the teaching profession in general.

In a real sense we have come to the end of an era. This is no exaggeration, and in the tidy way historians have in parcelling and labelling time, could well and truly be called the "Rhodes" era. It comprises—for the record—two long Headmasterships and the first two years of a third. But in an ancient foundation like ours there must be, if we are to survive, a spirit which transcends any such changes. The embodiment of that spirit here for many years has been Kenneth Rhodes. That is what he would have meant by loyalty to the School, if indeed he had thought or talked of such things. No question of a switch of personal adherence. He gave unstinted support to all three Headmasters in their turn. My own experience shows that he could be a firm and unyielding opponent of any proposal which seemed to him to threaten the best traditions of St. Peter's. He possessed a steadfastness unshaken by staff changes, the alarms and excursions of wars, political and educational upheavals, and the many ups and downs which no school has escaped in the course of its history. Kenneth Rhodes expected this high sense of duty in everyone and was satisfied to give his support where this was forthcoming. A change of personnel was incidental. He only quarrelled with those who seemed to be harming his School.

His first Headmaster, Mr. Toyne, received him as a boy, provided him with a full, active, and varied school life, helped him to win a History award to Oxford, and invited him to return to St. Peter's as a Master— one of the many acts for which we thank Mr. Toyne. I well remember the high terms of promise in which he recommended Kenneth to me, and all his prophecies have been more than fulfilled. We are very pleased that Mrs. Toyne, who had so much to do with Kenneth's first twenty-odd years at St. Peter's, is present here this morning, and her presence does indeed provide a link with those formative and developing years.

Soon after Mr. Toyne retired the second World War began, and again as crisis loomed we soon learnt to lean heavily on Rhoddy. Difficulty of staffing, problems of food and accommodation, fire watching, a wartime O.T.C.—in all these and many other wartime and immediate post-war imponderables he proved his sterling worth. Again, and by no means least among his contributions, he rendered great service by fathering temporary staff—ever leading and guiding them to see his old school through. In those days there was little he did not turn his hand to, either in or out of the classroom. This is well illustrated by his comment to me only a few months ago, in the course of a reminiscent conversation, that he was anyhow relieved that he was not asked to teach Chemistry!

In April 1942 the air raid on York seemed to be a frontal attack on St. Peter's. When at its height School House was set on fire he assembled his meagre forces and then amid falling shells and burning buildings set out on his bicycle to find the Fire Brigade. How typical! His beloved school was in danger! How well this illustrates his immediate reaction to danger of any kind from any source.

No appraisal of Kenneth Rhodes, however brief, would be complete without recalling two of the qualities which helped to make him the complete schoolmaster. First, his habit of finding and of pointing out the good in everyone. Many a time he has intervened in discussions at Masters' Meetings to ensure that the good points in a boy's work or 5

character were not forgotten and were given their full consideration. He was always slow to impute unworthy motives for a person's action and his boys always knew that, severe as he could be on occasion, they would get a fair deal. And secondly, he was broadminded, or perhaps I should say "with it". He saw and sympathised with many of the modern boys' points of view and was always ready to discuss rather than to condemn. His lesser enthusiasm for some ultra-modern ideas of the youth—and some of their elders—of today could, however, sometimes be cryptically expressed by his familiar "Wel-l-l" which spoke volumes in goodnatured disapproval.

In the course of a short valedictory address there is no time or place for any attempt at enumerating all Rhoddy's interests and activities. This is rather the province of his biographer. But I feel I must mention just three. His interest in School Theatricals, especially in the 30's and 40's, will be readily recalled by many here this morning, with perhaps "Journey's End" as his masterpiece. Then his love for and devotion to rowing, a sport he followed all his life—as a schoolboy, at Oxford and Henley and throughout his mastership at St. Peter's. The present thriving Boat Club owes much to his pioneering work throughout those long years. And thirdly he was well known in York and district for his many years' work as Secretary of the Oxford Society, a job I know he enjoyed and on which he spent much time and thought.

I have left till last what I am quite sure he looked upon as his crowning honour—to be elected two years ago President of the Old Peterite Club. No honour was more deserved, for had he not been in large measure the architect of the modern Club? Right up to his death he was carrying out most assiduously the duties of that office, and he obviously enjoyed every minute. I suspect too that over the last two years the Headmaster has equally enjoyed the O.P. dinner circuit in company with a President who knew just everybody.

And so we take leave of him in this Chapel where he has for so many years been such a familiar figure—our perpetual Churchwarden. His religion was simple but profound and his example to generations of boys healthy and invigorating.

Our sympathies go out to his sister, to whom he has been so close all his life, to his near relatives, and also especially to the Headmaster and the School of today, who have just reassembled for their first post Rhodes era term. They have lost a friend but have inherited a priceless tradition.

As we read in our Commemoration Lesson: — "There be of them, that have left a name behind them, that their praises might be reported". Wherever in the future Old Peterites meet and talk, this memorial will be in evidence. Whatever happens, as far as we here this morning are concerned, and many others we represent, Kenneth Rhodes will never be forgotten. Over the course of years his contemporaries will depart, but the influence he has had on many of us as boys, on many of us as staff, will go on in our lives and in the lives of our children and our children's children—it is something that although difficult to define is indestructible.

Let me end with the words he and all of us have sung so lustily at our Commemoration Service, and say with him as a not inappropriate epitaph "In thee 0 Lord have I trusted, let me never be confounded!"