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L/v (IXARTER MAYOR

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Prehistoric Aldershot

NTO whatever obscurity Aldershot had sunk during the
Middle Ages, there is not the slightest doubt that it was
the home of a community which had attained a very
high degree of civilization, evidenced by the huge fortifi-
cations they erected, by their elaborate tombs, and by the

traces still remaining of their progress in the peaceful arts of agriculture,
weaving and pottery, at least 1,500 to 2,000 years before the coming of the
Romans in 55 B.C.

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Come with me to Caesar's Camp, which, like so many other so-called

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Roman relics " throughout the country, existed thousands of years before
Rome had attained the dignity of a world-power.  Set the clock back
from 5,000 to 10,000 years, and if your imagination is rightly tuned, you
may see hundreds of Palaeolithic, or " Old-Stone,'' men labouring, with
the antlers of Great Irish Deer as picks, to convert the natural promontory,
in the shape of an irregular pentagon, into a hill-fort, at an elevation of
from 200 to 300 feet above the level of the plain below.  Across a narrow
valley to the east, and about three-quarters of a mile away, is a similar
promontory, Hungry Hill, upon which other Palaeolithic men are working
to construct a similar hill-fort, and part of the original palisade of which
may still be traced.

See how the ramparts are suited to the configuration of the hill.
The eastern side, which is as steep as a cliff, is left unprotected save for
the palisade of sharpened stakes along the edge. The northern side,
having a slope of 1 in 5, certainly has a double bank along one portion of
its length, but for the most part relies on the natural scarping of the slope-
a characteristic device in British camps. The southern and western sides,
however, excepting only the entrance in the middle of the latter, which is
level and quite undefended, are protected by a double entrenchment,
that on the west being slightly stronger than that on the south.  The
inner rampart stands 17 feet above the level of the bottom of the ditch,
which is further strengthened by rows of pointed stakes arranged in the
nature of a cheoal de frise.

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A section of palisade, large enough to completely fill the level entrance,
is kept immediately inside the fortress, and can be lifted bodily into
position in times of stress, after the last of the cattle have been driven into
the enclosure. The water-supply for the inhabitants is obtained from
a spring which emerges between " Jock and Jenny " stones below the
scarp at the north-east corner, and part of the original path still exists ;
the cattle are watered from the large " dew-pond " within the area of
the fortress.

Hear the maddening shout which rends the air !

It comes from the direction of what are now known as the " Six Bells "
Gravel Beds, and that it is a shout of victory is evident from the excitement
exhibited by the workers, and taken up infectiously by the women and
children on the top of the hill.  Soon the cause becomes apparent;
parties of wildly gesticulating men approach, carrying bleeding sections
of the carcase of a huge animal, which we now know as a Mammoth,
and which the hunters have succeeded in trapping, afterwards hacking
the carcase to pieces with their flint axes.

Let 1,000 years or so pass by, and we now see that our community
on the hill-fort show signs of great development. They are well organized,
the various occupations being carried out by those best fitted to perform
them. The young and swift of limb are hunters and fighters ; the older
and more feeble tend the cattle, make pottery, or weave baskets; while
down in the valley on the north-west, working patiently, and with evident
pride in his work, is an artisan, famous among the communities for miles
around as the maker of the sharpest knives, arrow and spear heads, saws,
and scrapers, the latter with ground edges. For the present inhabitants
of the fortress are Neolithic, or '' New-Stone " men, who have made
tremendous strides along the path of civilization since the days when their
predecessors hunted the Mammoth in the regions around.

Stand on the top of Hungry Hill fort, and watch that gaily-decked
cavalcade pass along the causeway in the direction of Farnham.  They
are Phoenicians wending their way to Stonehenge, there to barter the
merchandise of the East for the tin of Cornwall, or for the tusks and skins
of animals from other parts of the country.

Yet one more change of from 1,000 to 2,000 years, and this time we
watch a procession of a much more solemn character.  For the chief of
the hill-top community is dead, and his remains have been brought for
burial. The body has been cremated, the ashes placed in an urn, and,

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AT THE COURT AT BUCKINaHAM PALACE,

           PRZSRXT,
THE KI'NQ'S MOST EXCELLENT MAJESTY IN

COUNCIL

RRI~I~XAS there nas this day red at the Board a Report of
a Committee of the Lords of His Xlulesty's &rout Honourable
I'nvy Council, dated the 18th day ol ?$arch, 1922, in the wordb
lollowing, vw -

YOUR hfbJ6'ITY having been pleaaed, by Ynw Order of
the 13th day of October, 1920, to refer unto thrs Committee
the humble Petition of certain Inhabitant Householdm of
the Urhnn Uistnct of Aldershot, in the County of
Soi:thampton. prnying for the grant of  Municipal Chartet
of Incorpration

" %S IARDS OF TEE CnMXllTEE, in obedienm to Your
Malesty'n aid Order of Reference, bnve taken the md
Patition mto counideration, and, being of opinion that a
Scheme for the sdptment of the propertS. rights, hablhtios,
kc , of the Urban Diatnrt Council of Aldershot, and for other
purpoeaa, would ho necessary u1 the event of a Charter
of Incorporation hang Cfmnted. Their Lordships, efter &er-
ence to the Secretary of State, the Mmister of Hedth, the
Board d Trade, and the Board of Education, settled a
Scheme for those purposes, which 50id Schema they caused
to be published IU mnformty with the Municipal Cor-
tions Act, 18.99, snd not havlng received my Petitm ag5inst
the said Scheme, as nettled, Their Lordships do this day
agree humbly to report, a8 theu opinion, to Your Majesty,
that it may he advisable for Your Malesty to mnfirm the
said Scheme ''

HIE MAJESTY, hsvrng t&en the mid Report. together mth tho
md Scheme (a copy whereof 18 hereunto annexed) into con-
ardmtion, ispleased, hy nnd mth the advice of Hls Pnvy Council,
to approve thereof, and doth hereby confirm ths said Scheme.

THE KING'S OFFICIAL APPROVAL OF 'THE SCHEME

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together with choice foods and drinks for the spirit of the departed on its
journey to the next world, will be placed in that hollow to the west of the
hill, and a circular mound, similar to those near by, will be constructed
above the remains, the while loud lamentations go up from the assembled
tribe.

Yes, I know that those mounds are labelled " Roman Tumuli," but
they were there thousands of years before the Romans had risen to promi-
nence. Those mounds are British " Barrows " or burial places, and from
their shape may be recognized as belonging to the Bronze Age.

Middle Ages

IN Saxon days Aldershot was in the Hundred of Crondall, which was
formed of the north-east part of Hampshire.  Most of the land had
been given to Winchester Cathedral towards the support of Bishops and
Monks. The ancient division of land into Hundreds is still retained for
certain purposes, though the original principle- land supporting  a
hundred families-- has long since vanished. When the Crondall
Hundred was sub-divided into Chapelries, Aldershot district formed
a separate Chapelry.  But as this consisted mostly of "land of brown
heath and shaggy wood," with sparse population, there is not much
of historical interest to record.

Later Times

THE dictionary tells us that a charter is the written grant of rights by
sovereign or legislature, especially the creation of a borough or company.
Henry I gave Winchester a chartcr granting Borough rights because his
only son was born there. He also granted a charter to Southampton,
a port of great importance to the Normans.  Portsmouth received its
charter because the townspeople agreed to pay a large sum of money
towards the ransom of King Richard I, the Crusader; end Henry 111
granted a charter to Basingstoke on payment of 280 per annum ; and so
on through the Middle Ages to modern times.

These charters often gave great trading privileges to particular
boroughs, enabled them to resist oppression by lordly abbots and selfish

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barons, and allowed them to make their own bye-laws for the betterment
of the town. The charters also imposed responsibilities, such as the
raising and training of troops, the building of walls, and making and
repairing of bridges and roads. The chief burgesses would meet in
Council and decide what sums of money the burgesses should pay, what
punishments should be meted out to those in default, and to consider
any matters for the good of the town.

In that year of great reform, 1832, Parliament instituted an inquiry
into the government and management of Boroughs, and in 1835 Borough
Councils became elective ; that is, elections were held, and the burgesses
chose their own Borough councillors.

One of the great wonders of the last century was the growth of towns.
Scores of places which less than a hundred years ago were mere villages
are now large centres of population : while they kept the old name, they
outgrew the old local government.  Many of these towns were much
larger and of more importance than some of the old boroughs, and claimed
the same rights and privileges. Hence Parliament was compelled to
legislate from time to time for better local government.

So there has been established at various times the following forms of
local government, doing work as indicated by the names. The simplest
is the Parish Council, then Rural District Council (which rules over a
union of several parishes), Urban District Council, Borough Council,
the highest of all being County Borough Councils and County Councils.

It was under a Local Government Act of 1894 that Aldershot became
an Urban District, being then a town of good size.  That is why the
nyster;ous letters `` A.U.D.C." are painted on the town's carts and notice
boards. But soon the painters will be at work blottinq out those letters
and putting in their place the magic letters `` A.B.C.," for this year our
town becomes a Borough, going a stage higher in local government.  Since
1894 the town has so developed that an important representative Com-
mittee, formed by the townspeople, has been considering the matter for
several years, and sent in a claim for Borough rights to the King's Privy
Council. A public Government inquiry was held, and the result was very
favourable.

The Privy Council recommended the King to grant the Charter,
which he has done ; and on Wednesday, June 21st, 1922, it was brought
from London by the Mayor-Elect and handed to the Chairman of the
District Council for safe keeping.

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Pho!o bv Gait & Polden, Lid.. Aldcvshof.

General Morland watching the Procession Pass.
  The Guards Band in the Procession.

The Mayors assemEile at the Council Offices.
   The Presentation of the Charter
Some of the Children in the Manor Park.

Guard of Honour at the Railway Station.
Railwaymen and Friendly Societies.

In November, when the borough elections take place all over the

country, Aldershot burgesses will choose their first Borough Council.

Local government in England has taken hundreds of years to develop,
and to-day it is the wonder and admiration of the world.  Let us remember
that those who live and work for Aldershot are living and working for
England.

" A land of settled government,

A land of just and old renown,
Where Freedom slowly broadens down

From precedent to precedent."

Aldershot as I know it

FIFTY years ago had the parents of Aldershot determined that every
child below the age of 14 should attend school, they would have
found that it was impossible to bring this about. The town had grown
very rapidly, and school accommodation had not kept pace with the increase
of population. Schools were few and small, consisting of one each
provided by the Roman Catholics and the Church of England, together
with a small building at North Town under the newly-formed School
Board.

The West End Schools were opened on November 24th, 1873,
when 161 children presented themselves as pupils. In the Boys'
Department one saw the Headmaster, faced by 92 lads of various
ages, dispositions, and attainments-some, alas ! with none of the
last, except what had been taught by the streets.  With the aid of his
two pupil teachers, one with three years' experience at Farnham, the
other a country lad of 13, our head set about his task of registration and
classification. The way he overcame his difficulties filled us with awe
and wonder. Certainly no lad present on that day will ever forget it.
One can safely state that in the Girls' and Infants' Departments equal
difficulties were successfully negotiated.

The East End Schools were ready for their share of the child popula-
tion on June 22, 1874. The numbers present were less than those at
West End, but the Headmaster had this advantage : he could welcome
some of his old scholars from the National School.

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More recent years have seen both the West and East End Schools
considerably enlarged, North Town School closed, and the Newport
Road Schools opened. As the last link (up to the present) in the chain of
.development, one must not forget to mention the County School. Alder-
shot is to be congratulated that it secured such a boon.

How often is heard this statement !-`` My schooldays were the
happiest of my life ; I should like them over again."  One wonders some-
times whether the youngsters of the seventies and early eighties left school
with such happy memories. Then they were looked upon by State,
ratepayer, and teacher as grant-earners. Every child who had made
250 attendances at the end of the school years, on a set day underwent
a more or less severe examination by H.M. Inspector.  The Annual
was a most trying time, both to teacher and scholar, especially those of
nervous dispositions. With this ordeal in view, is it a wonder that the
methods were often cruel and harsh when compared with those of the
present day. Now the child is carefully studied; he is coming into his
own.                     The truant has dis-
appeared ; he was much in evidence in the early days of our schools.

The Inspector is no longer an ogre to him.

Nothing has been said of the material growth of Aldershot since 1873.
Journeying to school along Crosvenor Road, one noticed no buildings
on the east side and few on the west. Queen's Road had an open appear-
ance-no Wesleyan Church, and St. Joseph's part of the present school.

Sometimes the way to school lay by Ash Road; houses were very
scanty. Coleman Road, Institute Road, and Herrett Street were non-
existent ; Newport Road was then a country lane, named after a malt-
house. The Manor Estate was then part of the Park, and Victoria Road
could boast none of its present important buildings-e.g., Holy Trinity
Church, the Post Office, the Institute, and the Church of England Institute.
We passed very few shops, and sometimes remembered it was once a
narrow country lane.

Since that time one has witnessed the erection of the Municipal
Buildings and Fire Station, with the Municipal Gardens, then devoted
to market gardening. To crown all, who would have dreamt that our
public men would have arranged the purchase of the Manor and Aldershot
Parks ?                           To turn to
the Camp, onc remembers his father talking of walking from Farnborough
to Aldershot by a track surrounded by heather. Later the Camp was
formed, but what a contrast to the present ! Wooden huts arranged in

What advantages the present inhabitants possess !

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lines, and named alphabetically, were the order of the day-at first with
no Cambridge Hospital as a landmark.

The question now arises, how has Aldershot progressed socially and
morally. One cannot exaggerate the immense strides it has made.  The
present moral tone of town and camp is far away superior to that of even
thirty years ago.                  As the result of all
this, His Majesty has graciously granted the Charter, and soon we shall
speak of each other as burgesses. We have fitted ourselves for this great
honour ; let us see to it that each strives to do his part in the future.

In fact, there is no comparison.

What of the future from the educational standpoint ?

                        Judged by the
past, success stares us in the face, if we take a large view and
shoulder our responsibilities.  One looks forward to the time when an
open road will be planned for the brightest and most intelligent children
of good character leading from the Primary School to the University.
In order that this ideal may be accomplished, the Primary School must
possess some of the advantages now the exclusive property of the Secondary
School. In the case of the latter, the age of entrants must be raised and
fees abolished.  Every child should begin his educational career in the
Primary School. The present Scholarship System must be improved by
the abolition of the set examination, the bugbear of the nervous but
often capable child.  Each Primary School should be allocated a certain
number of free places in the Secondary School.  The character and full
career of each applicant should be carefully reviewed and studied by
representatives of the school managers, the head teacher, and the class
teacher, who would thus be capable of selecting the fittest by a method
much superior to that at present in vogue. Unfortunately, through force
of circumstances, economy is the order of the day.  Let us be wise, and
grudge nothing in reason that is spent on the best education we can give
our future burgesses.

Boys

How TO BECOME A GOOD CITIZEN.

THERE are many reasons why a boy should strive to become a good citizen,
but they are so tamiliar they are apt to be overlooked.
                     Freedom to worship
as conscience dictates, freedom of speech, freedom to move from town to

Every Englishman is indebted to his country.

town, freedom of the Press, and freedom from military service are a few
only of the privileges we enjoy, but which many countries have still to
secure. Surely it is a duty to pay back this debt, and one way of doing
so is to help voluntarily our country.

This can be given in many ways.

Firstly, by being cleanly, truthful, manly, honest, thrifty, diligent.
kind, and well-mannered, virtues are being acquired which are very de-
sirable, and a character is being formed which will make a delightful
friend, a faithful comrade, a trusty servant, or a kind master-all of whom
are advantageous to our country.

Then, as happiness largely depends on health, it is of the utmost
importance that the body should be treated with care and consideration.
Avoid excesses and over-indulgence, and take daily exercise to keep fit.
While still at school, join in the school games and develop muscle as well as
brain, and do not drop sport on leaving school, for there is perhaps even
more need to take exercise. Unless blessed with good health, instead
of earning a living and keeping himself, one probably becomes dependent
on relatives or charity, and is a drain on the resources of the community.

                      As a guide to the
solution of the problems of life, a study of the lives of great men of the
past is helpful : their experience will be of use in solving our own diffi-
culties. Reading the technical textbooks of whatever particular profession
a lad enters will greatly assist in making him a better workman, and a
good workman is an asset, not only to his employer, but also to his country.

Lastly, in every town or city public bodies exist to perform duties
for the benefit of all. Everyone cannot be a member of the local Council
and actively assist in the performance of public duties, but help can be
given by taking an interest in its doings, and by voting at the election of
councillors. By means of the vote, all grievances can be righted and
all opinions expressed. Its possessor has the right of having a voice in
the management of his town, and in the same way the parliamentary vote
confers the privilege of expressing an opinion on national affairs.

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On leaving school, education is not finished.

Thus, with a splendid character, a healthy body fit to perform useful
work, and a mind educated technically and interested in its surroundings,
a lad is bound to become a good and useful member of society, and will
in a small degree repay the debt due to his country for the many rights and
privileges he possesses.

Girls

" I AM a Roman citizen " was the proud boast of the ancient Romans.

Aldershot is now a corporate town governed by a Corporation.  We
are its citizens, every girl and woman as much as boys and men.  Shall
we be able to say with equal pride, as those conquerors of the world did
centuries ago, `` I am a citizen of Aldershot," and realize, as we say it,
we are " citizens of no mean city " ?

It lies entirely with its inhabitants in town and camp to make it such
that it may be no idle boast. The word " corporation " is derived from
the Latin corpus (" a body "), and means that a number of persons have
joined together just as if it was one person in one single body, in order to
govern our town in the right way. When a town is a corporate town,
it is called a Borough.

The government is vested in the Mayor, Aldermen, and Town
Councillors, and all the burgesses or borough men and women who pay
rates have a right to choose the persons to make up the Council, which
has special powers and privileges.

Now, in what particular way can we help to make our town better

than what we found it ?

As girls, we must remember our sex is new to the power vested in
us by the recently-conferred right to vote. When we each become entitled
to use it, are we going to do so in the right way ? We generally get what
we deserve, and if we are not careful to record our votes for the ablest
people-that is, those who will always aim high for the general welfare
of our town-then our carelessness or indolence will have a reward
matching our indifference, and our town will lose rather than gain in its
management.

Much has been and is being done to improve the condition of life
and work. Much has yet to be done, and we must not be an ignorant
electorate.  When our time comes, we should be a powerful factor for
good, if we only take trouble and create our own ideals and methods.
The citizens of a town should be, to all intents and purposes, members
of one family working for the general good of all.  We must not be afraid
of studying difficulties ; e.g., we should endeavour to understand-
(U) Housing-i.e., the building and furnishing of houses on such principles

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as will save labour ; (6) Health, including mother and child welfare, water-
supply, sanitation, and hospitals ; (c) Education, playing-fields, houses of
entertainment, etc.

Sex barriers have been removed, both sides recognizing that what is
good for the one acts equally well on the other, and so for the common
welfare.

Our duty to our neighbour is a sacred duty.

What can a girl do?

           Aim at keeping her town attractive by pre-
serving the beauty spots, and study ways and means of improving it.
Aldershot is situated in one of the prettiest districts in the country-let
nothing defile it.        Respect herself : her body is her own,
her soul is God's; keep the one a fitting covering for the other.  Do

Play the game.

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the tasks allotted to her cheerfully and completely.

The parent school of England is our own county one at Winchester,
and its motto is "Manners makyth the man."  Let our manners be
courteous, so that the name `` Aldershot girl " may be synonymous with
politeness, cheerfulness, and straight dealing.

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In the name of all good women who have left the place of their
habitation in some degree better than they found it, let us each do what we
can, and we shall not have lived in Aldershot in vain.

" Higher " Education

`` THE traditions of English gentlemen, self-effacement, and a high code
of honour." Such was the answer to an Aldershot citizen inquiring at
one of the oldest public schools in this country as to the aims underlying
its system of education. Such also can be what every school stands for,
be it elementary, secondary, or `` public."

Instruction in the higher branches of knowledge-e.g., Mathematics,
Science, French, Latin, Foreign History, Art, etc.-is surely a desirable
thing. Would that it were more accessible to all who are capable of
profiting by it than it is ! 'Tis worth striving for, and the acquisition of
knowledge is worth sacrifice, for knowledge is power.

The evils that we suffer from, individually and corporally, are mainly
due, in matters physical, mental, and spiritual, to ignorance and selfishness.
To lessen these evils, to make ourselves and the world in general happier

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and nearer to perfection, is the function of education in all its phases,
and through all its stages, primary, secondary, and university.

Young life of this new Borough !  Seize, then, all opportunities
that come for the advancement of all that is best and highest within you !
Aim high ! Perfect yourselves mentally, not for mere pride of place or
petty power or pelf, but that you may the better be enabled to serve your
fellow-creatures, your day, and your generation !  Dedicate your gifts
to the service of mankind, and educate yourselves in sympathy and

gentleness and cheerfulness ! i

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Always remain a learner, and remember that a true education becomes
a friend in solitude, a balm in sorrow, an inspiration in emergency, a con-
soler in misfortune, and a guide to true perspective in success !  Seek
after truth in thought and word and deed, and meditate that a good life
well spent is the finest " souvenir " we can leave-intangible, but real ;

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more real, in fact, than printed word or gilded page !

" Finally, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest,
whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things
are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report ; if there be any virtue,
and if there be any praise, THINK on these things."

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