Mr. Carmichael.
"Eheu, fugaces, Postume, Postume,
Labuntur anni."
Thus, some two thousand years ago, did Horace lament the relentless
flight of time. To adapt another Latin verse— "Time flies and we fly
with it." It seems incredible that nearly thirty-eight years have sped
since first I made Mr. Carmichael's acquaintance, but the simple
subtraction sum, 1933 - 1895 proves that it must indeed be so.
Most of us older boys, I think, find it rather difficult to recapture
the impressions of our schooldays. Some, it is true, persist in almost
unabated vigour, most have grown shadowy and dim. My most vivid
impression of the four years which I spent under Mr. Carmichael's
instruction, an impression which has not been dulled by time, is that of
the perfect discipline maintained in his classes, a discipline secured
not by harshness or bluster but by the sheer force of personality. There
was no doubt that he had a "daur" over us. And yet he rarely appealed
to the "tawse," and never was the appeal made to secure order within
the classroom. Only for some heinous offence like playing "kip," i.e.,
truant, was the belt produced and well applied.
And here the reader will perhaps pardon a morsel of relevant
autobiography. Envying the fact that candidates for the Leaving
Certificate—in those days the examinations were held in June—had the
rest of the day off after the hours of actual examination were over, the
boys of Class II. met in conclave and resolved unanimously to .spend
the coming "Maths" hour at ease in the playground. But alas ! when the
critical moment arrived, only the two ringleaders--" Jimmy " Leask, now
of the Federated Malay States was the other—were bold enough or stupid
enough to stick to their resolve. Some anxious minutes passed, and it
was only when John Pithie, a malefactor of Class I., littering an
inarticulate cry, vanished over the playground wall to seek sanctuary in
Madras Lane, that we hurriedly thrust short-shanked clay pipes into our
waistcoat pockets and prepared to face the wrath that was surely
coming. Soon the grim figure of Mr. Carmichael stood before us with
beckoning finger, and slowly and sadly we followed him to face the
grinning majority of "funks." At the end of the period— oh ! the added
suspense of waiting !—condign punishment was
administered, punishment mitigated in greater measure than Mr.
Carmichael realised, by the exceeding toughness of our palms, the result
of much rope-climbing in the Gym.
Although in these far-off days the demands of Leaving Certificates,
University Preliminary examinations, and Bursary competitions were not
so exacting an they are now, and we were untroubled by the bogeys of "Coordinates" and "Modern" Geometry, I still remember vividly the
thoroughness with which Mr. Carmichael saw to it that we mastered the
elements. What had to be memorized was memorised, and I think that many
of us could have enunciated most of Euclid's propositions backwards had
the need arisen. But it was ever Mr. Carmichael's aim to encourage us to
use our own reasoning powers, which. he assured us, we really did
possess, to develop initiative, and to slum all stereotyped "rules"
for solving our problems. Perfect discipline, thoroughness, meticulous
accuracy, and kindly encouragement of bright and dull pupils alike these
are the impressions which I retain to-day of Mr. Carmichael's teaching.
In fostering school athletics Mr. Carmichael was equally assiduous. A
keen rugby player and golfer in his school and college days, he
collaborated with the late Walter G. Mair in developing what football
talent we possessed, faithfully attending both Tuesday and Thursday
afternoon practices, and regularly accompanying the XV. on its Saturday
travels. It was only a few years before his retirement that Mr.
Carmichael relinquished these activities to younger members of the
staff.
Of Mr. Carmichael's prowess as a golfer it is needless to speak. It is a
byword, and, although he may not be so "long'" off the tee as in
former days, many of us have reason to know that he has not lost his
devastating ability with iron and putter. If the School Golf Club is not
actually Mr. Carmichael's creation, he has certainly been its
inspiration, and under his fostering care it has grown so formidable that—so rumour hath—it cannot call to
mind a defeat for unnumbered years.
Himself an old pupil of Madras College, Mr. Carmichael joined the staff
in 1892 after a distinguished University career. It was but three years
earlier that other three strong but widely-different personalities,
with whom Mr. Carmichael was closely associated, John Mackenzie, Rector
of the School for a great part of his teaching career, Jane Finlayson,
headmistress of the " Kinder," and Joseph Esser, head of the
Modern Languages department, had also become members of the staff. From
September 1892 till Easter of the present year Mr. Carmichael served
Madras College faithfully and well both in his capacity of head of the
Mathematical department and as a devoted member of the Old Boys' Club of
which he has already been and is now again President.
And we would not forget Mrs. Carmichael who has ably seconded all her
husband's activities on behalf of the school and has given unsparingly
and ungrudgingly of her time and labour for many a year.
It is pleasing to know that Mr. and Mrs. Carmichael are not to leave St.
Andrews, that they have decided to spend their well-earned retirement in
our midst, so that, although their connection with the school is now
perforce less close, we shall meet them from time to time and keep the
old friendship evergreen.
That they may enjoy health and happiness in the years which the Gods
may grant is the sincere wish of the Staff and of all the pupils, past
and present alike, of Madras College.
J. C. C.
