Housey 'Peaceful Revolution'

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carong
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Housey 'Peaceful Revolution'

Post by carong »

Has anyone seen this group on Facebook?

http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=2 ... 658&ref=nf

It has been a year now that we have all sat around grumbling about the changes put in place around our School, and enough really is enough.
Rather than to lash out without much purpose, and find ourselves in trouble, as many of us including myself, have found ourselves doing, it's time to do something about it.
I've heard so many times people talk of disobeying, boycotting or ignoring new rules and sanctions, but fear has stood us all in line and we have slowly followed.
This isn't really about whether we have 15 minutes less outside after prep, it's not about smoking rules or shorter Rock Concerts, it's about the spirit of the School we all know (or knew) and loved. I'm sure each and every one of you (bar 2nd formers) remember the warm welcoming into the School we got from Dr.Southern, Mr.Avenell and Mrs. Ireland. I don't want to dwell on these names too much, because they are never coming back, but, whether or not you are too stubborn to admit it, we all did feel a certain sense of community and love within the School, something which really isn't easy to find. This is slowly diminishing. Not only has the School become a place run with no emotional intelligence or care, but it is turning cold, we can all feel the dissapproval in the air, the anger and dissatisfaction of the state we are in.
The ethos of Christ's Hospital, everything that really made it special, is slowly being replaced, I'm not quite sure what the aim is, perhaps to bump it up a few places in the league tables perhaps? But something is missing, and we want it back. It's time to let the Housey spirit show for once. We will made our voice heard, without risking our futures for it. Do you want to save C.H? Or are you going to sit back and watch something special dissappear? The choice is yours, we have ideas to try our best to change things, are you ready?


They are looking for Old Blues to pitch in with support, and I think they deserve it!
Caron Garrod (nee Haskell)

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icomefromalanddownunder
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Re: Housey 'Peaceful Revolution'

Post by icomefromalanddownunder »

carong wrote:Has anyone seen this group on Facebook?
Have now, and, despite being a Facebook incompetent, even managed to post two messages.

xx
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Great Plum
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Re: Housey 'Peaceful Revolution'

Post by Great Plum »

I think I might join... it appears the new regime is ruffling some feathers...
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carong
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Re: Housey 'Peaceful Revolution'

Post by carong »

Great Plum wrote:I think I might join... it appears the new regime is ruffling some feathers...
I've posted on here before about my opinion of the new headmaster and his attitude towards the pupils, which seems to be that they get in the way of his running an efficient and economic (and soulless) school. And the parents are even worse!

I've been told that the facebook posting is an exaggeration, which may be a valid opinion, but all I can say is that I have noticed a distinct lowering of morale among my daughter and her friends over the past year.
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Hannoir
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Re: Housey 'Peaceful Revolution'

Post by Hannoir »

I can't believe they are getting grecians to march in with grecians houses! that just totally detracts and it was one time that you knew you would get to see people in lower years that you were friends with and not living with any more. and skytv is a waste of money and pretty stupid when you are at a school with so much talent and such lovely grounds - especially when i believe the school is in financial trouble.

i live nowhere near the school but i think some old blue action/support is needed - what drew me to the school was the atmosphere and friendliness there and I'd hate to see that go.
"All I need to be happy is a little house with a small yard, a white-picket fence, some trees in the yard, and some of my enemies hanging on the trees."

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Great Plum
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Re: Housey 'Peaceful Revolution'

Post by Great Plum »

I thought Grecians were meant to march with their house as they also would help take preps / play sports matches with their house etc... is this no longer the case?
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CHAZ
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Re: Housey 'Peaceful Revolution'

Post by CHAZ »

I loved to march with the House even when Senior Grecian! I preferred to forego the standing in front of dining hall every lunchtime parade and slip back to march in with PeB. House identity is really important but then as I have often said those were the 80s....Bring back Baker!
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tim1234133
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Re: Housey 'Peaceful Revolution'

Post by tim1234133 »

Grecians do still play sport for their houses, but as far as I know they no longer do things like take prep in house. (When I joined the school in 2002, they sometimes did, but it is not something I have seen in the past 4 years or so).
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Re: Housey 'Peaceful Revolution'

Post by kerrensimmonds »

Plum... reading another thread on the Forum, I think I got the idea that some of the Grecians had been sloping off from marching with their Houses and so no-one knew where they were. I got the impression that that was why it has been determined that they should now march as Grecians' Houses, so that individuals could be identified andcounted. But it's a long time since I lined up in the hallway of 2's at Hertford, took my distance from the shoulder of the girl in front, and then marched out into the centre of the Square and turned left to go up to Dining Hall. Happy days....(?!)
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Eruresto
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Re: Housey 'Peaceful Revolution'

Post by Eruresto »

The problem is thus: Grecians are meant to march with their Avenue Houses. All too often they don't. Because of them being in a different house they are nigh on impossible to chase and say "where were you". Thus, by marching in Grecians Houses, it is hoped that they will be easier to hunt when they don't march. :axe:

I agree with this, but apparently nobody else does - I hear it was rejected three times by last year's monitors. However, being the cynic that I am, I suspect that most people don't want this because it'll mean they have to march. But oh well.
Joshua Bell: PeA 2002-2008, GrW 2008-9
chpupil
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Re: Housey 'Peaceful Revolution'

Post by chpupil »

I'm new here but have seen the group on facebook Housey Peaceful Revolution and would like to add a comment or two.

firstly that some of those involved are well aware of the possible one sidedness of their ideas. we know that it could simply be a case of devout Southernism and that the juniors at school may not feel the way the seniors do. and if when an attempt to discover the views of those younger pupils is made it appears that they have no sense of or desire to revive the spirit in CH, then the "revolution" will have to be completely changed or stopped.
but it is not the changes that are the problems in themselves and we know that they are trivial, it is the total lack of spirt and community left in the school. again this could ony be with the older pupils but that has an effect on juniors. Many people do not want to be at school the way they did, it is not as much of a fellowship and it feels that a choke is being put on areas of CH where we engage with the community. to continue the theme of social retardation, the consolation offered for the restriction of social time and activities in the headmasters letter at the end of year (sky tv everywhere), will lead those younger pupils at the school who have yet to develop the deeper relationships that CH creates, to do nothing except sit glued to the tv in house EVEN MORE.
yes the changes are trivial but the senoir mangement does not seem to take the spirit of school into account (from a pupils perspective, and if this is not true, then i sincerely apologise), the ethos seems to be dissolving. (once more possibly just the effect of being a senior) some things which CH seems to promote and create (correct me if i'm wrong) are self confidence, pride, fellowship and cameradie. some of these are obviosly affected by rules and restrictions that cause you as a pupil to resent time spent at CH, it may be that we are just at a time when the generation of pupils at CH have a lack of interest and motivation which does appear in many instances to be the case. for instance the fact that NOONE sings in chapel anymore, which was something at CH that was AWESOME. if this is true then the change has nothing to do with Mr Franklin and is our own fault as a lazy generation of children. but it is definitely worth finding out.

if you were bothered to read all of this then thankyou, and do try do check out the Housey Peaceful Revolution on facebook if you care to take an interest in this perhaps trivial affail :P
tim1234133
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Re: Housey 'Peaceful Revolution'

Post by tim1234133 »

Of course it would be easier to ensure that all Grecians march if they do so as a house, and this is the reason that this change has been made.
However, to me it seems much more important that when people march they do so properly proud of what they are doing, as part of their long-standing avenue house than it is to make sure that they are actually marching. I don't really see that a couple of dozen (at a guess; I would normally expect to see pretty much all Grecians in our house turning up to marching under the old system) Grecians dossing is that much of a problem, and certainly bothers me less than the idea that the top year be boxed into an extra unit just because it makes organization easier. More soulless administration in the name of efficiency....
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blondie95
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Re: Housey 'Peaceful Revolution'

Post by blondie95 »

I watched lunch parade about 3mths ago and did not see the grecians in their two houses marching. It certainly was the case on my grecians that many managed to get out of coming back to the avenue house to march. I did and wanted to as it was nice to catch up with the deps who we were close too and see our squits from our deps year in house. And most of it was pride to march and show the younger ones how its done!
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Angela Woodford
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Re: Housey 'Peaceful Revolution'

Post by Angela Woodford »

I don't know much about life at Horsham - except via the Forum. House Barbeques??? Wow.

chpupil - your post was thoughtful and constructive. I can't believe nobody sings in Chapel? No, your concerns about the changes at CH can in no way be called "trivial". Absolutely not. I'd have liked to have left a Facebook message, but :oops: :oops: :oops: I can't work out how. Erm... not very clever at these things, moi.

Still to contribute a little bit to the discussion, it seems very odd to prevent inter-house socialisation and use of good facilities in the evenings. This even has a little whiff of the life of Hertford about it - we were discouraged from making friends in other Houses! :shock:

It seems most undesirable to offer Sky television to those kept in. There is so much rubbish on Sky! Fortunately. there was no Sky tv when I was the mother of three.

Goodness, I was never a strict mother.. I offered them the option of viewing choice - not to bother with programmes that were stupid, boring, too adult, too scary, in bad taste - a sort of self veto system between the three of them. I did insist that the tv was switched on for specific viewing, rather than wallpaper-in-the-corner.

But what to do in a boarding house? Would the Houseperson/older pupils monitor the watching of nonstop trashy stuff?
"Baldrick, you wouldn't recognise a cunning plan if it painted itself purple, and danced naked on top of a harpsichord singing "Cunning plans are here again.""
chpupil
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Re: Housey 'Peaceful Revolution'

Post by chpupil »

Angela, it is quite possible that the houseparents and older pupils could monitor the sky affair, and that is a good idea. however, the younger pupils spend an inordinate amount of time in house. they already dont socialise that much and dont seem to want to. i remember when i was their age and the seniors had control of the tv, that would no longer be allowed, also when we had free time we went and played football in the sport centre or outside in the summer, and we continue to do so. but the juniors do not seem to. so the seniors who would have control in house are not in house as we are outside enjoying the sun and the grounds.
it is also the timing, when we're outside after prep the juniors have reign and that is fine as they cant go out. but they spend the time before and after actives, before marching, before and after tea and even get up early before breakfast to watch the tv. it just seems that they never get out and learn to love the school as well as the box they oogle. :) but on the other hand your point still stands, maybe it should become the seniors unofficial responsability to encourage them to get out as well as not to watch trash, else their only peers are another 7 within house which cant be too healthy.
a good plan is that from Mr Kirby the housemaster of maine a, who has introduced a vertical support system within the house so a second former has a member of the house in each year in his/her column. perhaps a role of this set up could be to help these littleuns to broaden their horizons and have some pride in their school too. :D :D :D
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