Era ends as hostel matrons pack their bags
BY RHONDA MARKBY
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Judith Vercoe and Jeanette Davis are the last two women who will ever hold the title of matron at Timaru Boys' High School's Thomas House hostel.
With next year's change in staff duties, the boarders will be cared for by a residential manager, a change in title, but still someone who can provide a motherly touch.
Between them, the women have given the hostel more than 45 years of service and have helped care for at least 500 boys.
Ask them about their role, and it is obvious how they have substituted for the boys' mothers whenever necessary. The matrons say there have been boarders who have been terribly homesick and the everyday things that annoyed them will sound familiar to mothers – clothes lying on the floor, beds not made properly and clean washing not put away.
More serious misdemeanours were for the housemasters to deal with.
With their official title being matron, Mrs Vercoe wonders whether some boys knew their proper names. She once put a note on the board asking a boy to come and see "Mrs Vercoe", but he did not arrive. A message to see Matron would have got a quicker response.
Ask about the ratbags they have known, Mrs Davis said matrons probably only get to know 30 per cent of the students well – the very good or very bad.
Most of the boarders come from "good solid farming backgrounds", Mrs Vercoe said, and such boys had often known for years they would go to boarding school. Not-so-perfect students were those who had been placed in the hostel as a "babysitting service".
"They come in as delightful little boys in year 9, are not so delightful in year 10, are horrible in year 11, better in year 12 and are perfect by year 13," Mrs Vercoe said of the changes she sees in the boys.
The boys seem less homesick these days, thanks, they suspect, to having cellphones and being able to ring home as often as they like. They also come for a night and a day at the end of year 8 which helps familiarise them with the hostel.
Having dealt with so many boarders, the matrons can offer some simple advice to parents to ensure their son gets off to a good start at boarding school.
Make sure he knows he is going to boarding school long before it happens.
Make it clear that boarding school is not a punishment.
Tag all his clothes. Each year bags of nameless clothing are taken to the opportunity shop.
- © Fairfax NZ News
