Chapel

In a recent article in The Times, John Sutton, the general secretary of the Secondary Heads' Association, wrote this: "A law which cannot be obeyed or enforced is a bad law, and should be amended. A bad law which is also counterproductive and frustrating needs that attention urgently. This is undoubtedly the case with regard to collective worship in Schools."

John Sutton was drawing on his experience in the maintained sector, but he was addressing an issue which is of concern to all involved in education as we seek to promote the moral and spiritual development of the young people in our care. The Government regards collective worship as an important element in spiritual development, and it is this which is causing difficulties for many Schools — particularly in those maintained Schools which do not have the religious traditions (a Chapel and a Chaplain, for example) of many Schools in the independent sector.

Sutton himself identifies some of the reasons for the difficulties: the growth of secularism; the development of a multi-faith and multi-cultural society; the raising of the school-leaving age; the contemporary emphasis on, and expectations about, the visual media; and the decline in the acceptance of authority. In addition to these reasons, the issue is further complicated by the question of whether anyone, child or adult, can be induced to worship simply because the law says so. Is not worship the free response of an individual to his or her perception of the reality of God? Moreover, the law seeks to promote the spiritual development of young people. Does spiritual development have any necessary connection with religious development? If not, why require worship (a religious activity)? Indeed, should compulsory worship (surely a contradiction in terms) have any place in a state-run education system?

There are particular problems for many maintained Schools — size, religion and cultural mix and the absence of any requirement that the Head should profess a particular religious faith to name but three. Denominational Schools which have a religious requirement for entry are perhaps more easily able to provide opportunities for collective worship, and to use these to promote the spiritual and religious development of pupils which they would regard as one of their aims. Those of us who are privileged to teach, and to exercise Christian ministry in the independent sector, are also greatly helped by our School's religious traditions. These traditions should not, however, excuse us from the task of justifying on educational grounds the compulsory Chapel (a term which is surely more accurate than compulsory worship) which is a part of our life.

So, why compulsory Chapel? It would be easy simply to say: "Because we have a Christian tradition here, and part of what we are about is to present the Christian faith to our pupils and to encourage them to respond to it." But more needs to be said about compulsory Chapel. I offer four reasons: intellectual, cultural, ethical and spiritual.

First, intellectual. It is my hope that what our pupils hear in Chapel encourages them — however grudgingly — to acknowledge that the question of God may not be quite the closed question many of them would wish to think. Theism is an intellectually credible option — and an option which, if adopted, has significant personal and social implications. In short, I hope that, intellectually, Chapel helps to keep open for our pupils the possibility of God. If there is a God, I take it to be self-evidently worthwhile that our pupils should be helped and encouraged to perceive that reality.

Second, cultural. We live in a society whose cultural heritage is indisputably Christian. Art, architecture, literature, music, constitution, calendar — all these are rooted in the Christian story. I assume that knowledge of, and an ability to appreciate, our culture is a good thing, and I believe that the exposure to the Christian tradition which Chapel provides helps to deepen that knowledge and to enhance that ability.

Third, ethical. One of the characteristic features of our society is moral relativism. Such an ethical position has tolerance as its chief virtue and encourages an "if it seems right to you, do it" approach to morality. I do not wish to enter here the subjective-object debate, but simply to say that the Christian tradition has rich resources to offer those who are willing to think seriously about moral issues. I believe that Chapel has an important part to play in helping our pupils to be aware of those resources.

Fourth, spiritual. Man is a spiritual being. The Christian tradition would want to say that man's spiritual nature is that which enables him to perceive and relate to God. The experience of worship — its words, its music, its liturgy and its atmosphere — exposes pupils to that which is not only man's offering to God, but also one of the channels of God's grace to man. There can be no compulsory worship. But there can be opportunities to experience worship. In a School which aims, as St. Peter's does, to "encourage pupils to explore the spiritual dimension of human life within the context of the Christian tradition'', there is a proper place for giving our pupils the experience of worship.

This year we have continued with the Sung Eucharist for the whole School on one morning each term, thereby giving pupils a regular experience of the central act of Christian worship. The Dean preached at Choral Evensong in the Christmas Term, and led a week's Chapel during the Summer Term. Major General Henry Woods gave the address at our Remembrance Service in November and the Bishop of Selby presided at our Confirmation Service in May. Lionel Stock, an ordinand at Lincoln Theological College, spent a week with us in September, and Brother William Nicol, from the

Community of the Resurrection at Mirfield, visited us for a week in March. Other visitors have included Friar Ian Gomersall, Chaplain of Full Sutton Prison; Friar Andrew Girling, from St. Leonard's Hospice; Friar Jeremy Valentine, from Sand Hutton; and Friar Barry Orford, from the Community of the Resurrection. David Hughes prepared us for Remembrance Day by leading a week's Chapel on the poetry of Wilfred Owen. The Advent Carol Service was again well supported, as was the Christmas Carol Service in the Minster. Early in May we had a Memorial Service for Tudor Howat. The Leavers' Eucharist was held at the end of May. The Leavers' Service on the last full day of the School year was a moving occasion. Keith Pemberton, himself leaving to enjoy a well-earned retirement after forty years on the staff, gave a fine address. He said it was the first time he had ever preached a sermon. What pearls of wisdom generations of Peterites have been deprived of! The Reverend Dr. Donald English, a former President of the Methodist Conference, preached a moving and inspiring sermon at our Commemoration Service in the Minster. Through such sermons vocations are nurtured. It was a privilege and a joy to have him with us.

The beginning of the academic year saw the installation of a new PA system in Chapel. It is a marked improvement on the system it replaced — even allowing the Chaplain, with a radio microphone, to walk around Chapel while he is talking!

The Reverend Raymond Hargreaves retired in March on grounds of ill health. His priestly ministry has been widely appreciated by pupils and staff over many years. He will be replaced by the Reverend Leon Carberry. Mr. Carberry will be known as the Second Chaplain, rather than as the Chaplain of St. Olave's. Although he will have primary responsibility in the Junior School, and I will retain primary responsibility in the Senior School, the hope is that together we shall exercise a collaborative ministry in both Schools.

S. C. Harvey

IN MEMORIAM

ALAN TUDOR HOWAT 23 April 1909-24 April 1994

Tudor Howat's father was a Presbyterian minister, and thus he was brought up in the manse. No doubt this gave him a good start to becoming what we all here know him to have been: a good man, straightforward, reliable and honest, in the widest and best sense of these words. I need not enlarge on this: it is common knowledge. In the circumstances of his up-bringing he might have been expected to adhere to the Presbyterian denomination, but in fact he had no difficulty in fitting in with the form of worship to be found in the School chapel.

In due course he went up to Emmanuel College, Cambridge, to read maths. It seems that he distinguished himself more as an oarsman than as an academic. At this time Emmanuel had a remarkably successful VIII, of which he was a member, and for many years he ran the Boat Club at St. Peter's, coaching, administering and even boat repairing, for he was very good with his hands. From Cambridge he decided to enter teaching. The early middle thirties was a time when the supply of teachers greatly exceeded the demand, and when the opportunity offered he went to Argentina and taught in two Schools: the latter one being St. George's, one of those Schools run on public School lines which sprang up in several parts of the world for expatriate families.

It was at this time he met his wife, Olga. They married in Argentina in 1935 and the two older sons were born there before they came to live in England in 1938. Tudor taught at Ipswich School before he was appointed as an assistant maths master at St. Peter's in the Autumn Term of 1945.

It is a curious feature of teaching that one virtually never sees one's colleageus actually doing any. But I do know that Tudor had the liking and respect of his pupils. Though perfectly capable of doing VI form teaching, he never regarded himself as a high-powered mathematician. Perhaps that is why he had a flair for explaining mathematical principles in a way that made them easy to understand. Whilst one knows little of what goes on in the classroom, a colleague's work outside it is easy to see. Tudor's activity with the rowing has already been mentioned but he was also much interested in the School music; singing in the choir for many years and playing the clarinet in the orchestra. At one time or another he undertook some of the less attractive but necessary duties undertaken by the teaching staff of those days, such as managing the tuck shop and running the bookroom; this last being an arduous and sometimes thankless task. These he undertook with efficiency and unfailing cheerfulness. He did the normal spell of duty as a Housemaster, in his case in School House.

An abrupt change came when he became master-incharge at St. Olave's in 1964. This was for various reasons a difficult period in the history of the Junior School and that the job was offered to him at all is in itself a tribute to his standing as a man of tact and firmness; that he accepted it is a tribute to his willingness to undertake a difficult task when he felt that it was his duty to do so. He retired in 1969 and found sundry outlets for his energy and versatility, including managing accounts for Godfrey's (now Blackwell's), the bookshop in Stonegate, organising courses for the Yorkshire Agricultural society and becoming something of an expert at indexing, mainly in the Minster Library. The fact is, he was really happy if he had something worthwhile to do. In other words he always enjoyed life, at home with the family, working at his profession and that well beyond the call of duty, helping out in his retirement. His integrity assured peace of mind, and, within his sphere, he left the world a better place for his having been there.

Leslie he Tocq

(Abridgedfrom the address given at the memorial service in St. Peter's School chapel on 9th May, 1994)