Kourion Complex Basilica? Survey calculations (Oct.–Nov. 1938)

In discipline an effort is made to emphasize the rewards, honors and merits of good conduct as much as the penalties of misconduct. Thus, a list of Honor Boarders is announced at the beginning of each academic month and includes the names of boys who have had during the previous month excellent conduct and a general scholastic average above a certain high grade. These boys are given special privileges. In spite of the fact that a unanimous vote of the Internal Staff is necessary before a boy is named an honor boarder for a certain month, the list has been steadily growing in size so considerably that we were obliged to raise the required academic qualifications. Meritorious deportment is often given public or private commendation by the Housemaster. A number of prizes are given at the end of the year to boarders who have excelled, not so much in purely academic attainments, but in general cultural development, in sportsmanship and in the various aspects of our corporate life in the House.

The Boarders' Committee represents the boarders, acts as the link between them and the Administration, is responsible for order in the Boys' Common Room, organizes parties and entertainments and, in general, works conscientiously to promote the welfare of the boys. Toward the end of the year this committee offered to take charge of the evening study period three times a week. The boys behaved as well when the proctor in the study hall was an older boy as when he was a teacher.

The problem of the boys' study habits has received special attention in recent years. No serious effort could be made to assist the boys to learn economically and effectively so long as the teacher monitor's main duty was to keep an eagle eye on potential trouble-makers and act as policeman rather than as supervisor. It took the better part of two years to help the boys overcome their queer notion of what a study hall really was. Mr. Elias Eliascos who has been acting as one of the monitors in the younger boys' study hall for the last three years deserves special commendation for his work to help create a more business-like atmosphere in the younger boys' study hall. With the problem of study hall discipline solved, the monitor can now go about from desk to desk to guide and supervise the boys while they work and to teach them how to study better. Our statistics show that fewer boarders fail in their lessons now than formerly.

Our program of regular hours for work, sleep and recreation, our balanced diet, the healthful situation of the building far from the noise and nervous strain of the city, the greater opportunity for exercise in the open air and the fact that precious time, which would otherwise be spent in commuting, is saved for recreation and sleep contribute toward keeping the boys in good physical condition. Our infirmary statistics for the year show that 46 boys were treated in the hospital, though some of them oftener than once, and that only 35 boys were ill for a period longer than four days. The great majority of these boys were laid up with the endemic grippe. The average hospital attendance per boarder this year was 4.31 days. Statistics of height and weight compiled by this office a few years ago show that our boarders surpass considerably the Greek norms at large for the corresponding ages. Our 18-year olds, for instance, were found to be on the average taller and heavier than the median for Greek navy conscripts at the age of twenty-one. Due to the small number of cases studied and to other obvious sampling limitations, these statistics cannot be considered scientific enough to permit valid conclusions but they do show, I think, that at least we need not worry about our boarders' physical development.

Dr. Davis' idea to have the House invite its alumni to spend Commencement weekend at the School this year proved most successful. Thirteen boarding alumni were able to attend this three-day reunion at the College; some of them came from as far as Mitylene or Salonica. We enjoyed having them in the House, and the general impression was that they had a genuinely happy time in their familiar school surroundings and showed a keen interest in the work and the future of the College.

Our aim in the House is to combine the safest of the new developments in educational theory and practice with the spirit of the best American boarding schools on the one hand and with the best traditions of our Greek heritage on the other.

In concluding I wish to acknowledge my debt to my colleagues of the Internal Staff for their loyal and generous assistance during the years that I have been serving as housemaster and to express my gratitude to President Davis for the confidence and support which he has given me in the fulfilment of my responsibilities.

George S.Phylactopoulos Housemaster