I cannot remember the words she said because they came as such a huge shock to me, but they went something along the lines of, “Susan, I would like to offer you the position of Head Girl”, and then turning to my companion, adding “And I would like to offer you the position of Deputy Head Girl. Are you willing to accept these positions?”
When I look back now, I still feel incredulous that it was I who had been chosen, I who had never even given it a thought. I now feel sorry for the girl who stood next to me because she must have been disappointed, devastated, even. I suspect that she had assumed, as had most of us in that final year, that she would win the honour of becoming Head Girl at our school of 700 students.
I came out of the Headmistress’s office with my mind in a whirl, stunned by what had just happened. Was I really the Head Girl of this school? This was followed by worrying thoughts, though, including wondering how my Deputy and I would manage to get along. Was she going to be jealous or not? Would she bear a grudge? However, it wasn’t my fault that I had been given this honour. I had obviously won more votes and that was all one could say.
I recall going home at the end of the school day and telling my parents that I had been chosen as Head Girl. I was still in a state of shock. My family was proud of me and, for the first time in my life, I felt that I had somehow achieved something that my brother John had not also won. After all, he was still just a sub-prefect in his school, wasn’t he?! This was innate sibling rivalry, not something which I feel proud to admit. My elation didn’t last long, though, since I was so concerned about all that my position entailed.
I knew that Head Girls and Head Boys were very involved in the life of their respective schools, both inside and outside the school boundaries, so much so that frequently their end of year examination results suffered. Like others in the same position ahead of me, I took on the task of organizing every week the supervisory duties of the prefects and sub-prefects. I also began to liaise with the Head Boys and Head Girls of brother and sister schools nearby. In my case, these were Queen Elizabeth (girls), Prince Edward (boys), and Allan Wilson (boys). We organized joint events such as semi-formal dances held at regular intervals throughout the school year.
I realized that I would be required to attend all meetings of extra-curricular clubs and societies, including the school’s sporting events. Many inter-school sports took place on Saturday mornings, possibly because the student boarders could come out to cheer on their teams.
I soon learned that, along with the Head Girls and Head Boys of the other schools in Salisbury, I was to take part in activities in the community, meeting the mayor, government ministers and even the Prime Minister. I was even flown around the country to attend special events and to visit said dignitaries. Looking back now, I can see that we were treated as the leaders of the future, contributors to our country, to be nurtured, rather than to be allowed to disappear elsewhere.
I was terrified that the demands of the position might mean that my results might decline. I could not afford this to happen to me. I had to win a scholarship since my parents could not afford to send me to university. I needed to apply for a bursary, as well. So, I feared failure, or, at the very least, not living up to expectations. Such was my anxiety that I even considered refusing the position. My parents reassured me that I would cope just fine.
