Benmore Forestry School - Rules and Duties
Papers courtesy of Gordon Donaldson, Cowal and Trossachs Forest District, who had obtained them from the office of Len MacRae.
This series of papers which can be seen in full in the PDF detail the rules and regulations relating to students attending the school. The papers include fire drill stations for all the named staff and students (note the students are from the 1962 and 1963 intake); the role of student Orderly Officers who undertook a series of duties over a two week period; and details of the readings to be taken at the meteorological station located at the school.
It all appears very regimented from today’s perspective and no doubt some would query the role of the Orderly. The school staff also used the Orderly role, along with other observations, to assess how the students would perform in the Personal Assessment category (General ability: Mind set: Fitness to be a forester – this was a very divisive subject at the time and very subjective or so we thought!).
The names of the students listed include the Seniors 1962-64 and Juniors 1963-65 (very last intake at Benmore Forestry School) and are as follows:
Charlie Farmer NI (Senior)
Jimmy Davidson (Senior)
Johnny Thomson NI(Senior)
Mike Wearing (Senior)
John Waters (Senior)(Do not remember him?)
Ray Brown (Senior)
Sam Harrison NI(Senior)
Bill Barker (Senior)
Alex Sandilands (Senior)
Pete Humphries (Senior)
Brian Foggo (Senior)
Andy Little (Senior)
Justin Smart (Senior)
Sandy Davidson (Junior)
Alex Herd (Junior)
Jim Pratt (Junior)
Pat McAulay NI (Junior)
Dave Whitmarsh (Senior)
Mick Day (Senior)
Norman Davidson (Junior)
Brendan Jones (Junior)
Dave Corner (Junior)
Ken Ellis NI (Junior)
Harry Schneider (Senior)
Gordon Kinnes (Senior)
Gilly Dunbar (Junior)
Len MacRae (Junior)
John Povall (Junior)
(Note that NI indicates Northern Ireland Forestry Service)
The school staff are listed as:
Philip Gough (Principal)
Roddy MacDonald (Assist Principal)
Bob Hart (Instructor)
Jimmy Wilson (Instructor)
Not listed is Mrs Masson Office typist and Clerical support
Olive Clark (School Cook – always Mrs Clark!!)
Mrs M McCluskey (Kitchen Staff)
Mrs M McGibbon (Kitchen Staff)
Mr E McGrath? (Did not a Mrs McGrath work in kitchen too?)
Mr H McHardy (Caretaker handyman?)
Can someone help with the first names of the staff and who did what?
Groups: Forester Training Schools and Universities, Forestry Areas, Forestry Records, Booklets and Reports