Monitors

[tobeconfirmed]

I nearly applied but didn't when I weighed out the pros and cons, and thought that although there are some advantages, they're not really that big; and I wanted time to study for A-Levels; and I don't see what people find so appealing about doing dress parades and drill DTs in the mornings.
I agree with Hendrik, and NP (but not so emphatically though!).

[Happy]

Hello all,

I agree with NP and Hendrik. We used to joke that there was a very serious class system in place built on discrimination which did not encourage any form of respect, but conversely denied it. From an organisational view, I could not imagine something more destructive.

From long and protracted discussions in house, I feel much damage was done to development of self worth in general to normal Grecians who were discriminated against, despite what one did 'for the school' and reinforced cliques to the detriment of everyone's school experience as a whole.

I can't believe that a school with such noble pastoral foundation could be so selfish to the majority.

My sis has just been made one, and although the Grecian within me congratulated her warmly, this Old Blue couldn't help feeling a very profound sense of relief.

[tobeconfirmed]

I can't believe that a school with such noble pastoral foundation could be so selfish to the majority.

Yes, one small example (although I'm sure there are many better ones) is when the guest speakers come in for a Grecians' Lecture. Some of them are really interesting people and have some good stories to tell and things to say, and it is always said: (S)he'll be in lunch if you want to have a chat with them...etc. But only the dozen or so monitors have that opportunity, because the speakers were always invited to sit on the dais and completely ignored the rest of the school, even the 100 or so other Grecians.

[Mary Clare]

Ok, I'm going to be really sad here.... I was made a monitor, and loved it! Not because of the whole power thing, but I felt I could give something back. I hope people thought I did anyway... I just had a really good laugh, and tried not to take things too seriously (though I did fail on that account on more than one occasion!). Yeah, dress parades and drill DTs weren't that fun but, hey, someone's got to do them, and why not with a smile?
Naturally, there will always be bitter people.. But I can promise that even while I had fun it wasn't all jokes...
Lunch on the Queen's table was grand though...

[graham]

I remember the transistion from "table service" to cafeteria style lunches caused some uproar in the monitor department on my Grecians. The rest of us (the rest of the school, that is) had to take out our own cutlery and crockery at the end of the meal, which made trades easier, I guess (although I was a Grecian, so I didn't do them!!!)

The problem was that the monitors just left there plates on the dais and catering staff (very P.C. there, Graham) had to clean up after them. My friend, Joel Fowler, didn't like this!!! He would go up there and clear up their plates while they were still sat there, to make his point. One day he even got hold of a Fairfield cap, I think. The monitors got really arsey with him - these were our peers, remember, but they felt they had somehow earned the right to leav their sh*t behind while everyone else had to clear up theirs. I don't know if that has changed since, but it did show me what power can do to you, and I think that was probably the point that I decided that I was glad not to be a school monitor.