Our school, Epsom Girls' Grammar School, was founded in 1917, during the war.  While we are remembering WW1, we will also be celebrating our school centennial.  It is therefore interesting looking back with the help of the school archivist at the school magazines and newsletter articles from that period.  Here are two example that show both the practical actions and the idealistic thoughts of the time.

"The first term subscription went to buy khaki handkerchiefs for our soldiers; the second term we took no subscription but worked for the Old Girls' Red Cross Bazaar, and were delightes at its success.  We now have a Red Cross League of 92 members, all busy sewing or knitting for our wounded men, and probably our third subscription will also go to the war work.  We have helped also to collect for the YMCA Trench Fund."  1917 School Notes

"The fifth year of the War has noe begun, and, though the news of late has been encouraging, we hardly dare to hope for a speedy end of the dreadful struggle that is convulsing the world.  Our temptation is to grow weary of the war, and to slacken our efforts to help - and we must steadily resist this tendency.   This was is no ordinary conflict: no other war in human history has had such momentous consequences depending on its result.  It is a battle between good and evil, between righteousness and wickedness - and will decided whether mankind is to live in freedom or in slavery.

Let us rouse ourselves anew by considering how paltry and how small are all the efforts and the sacrifices we can make, when compared with what our lads in the fiels are doing, ebduring, and suffering for us and the Empire.  Let us contrast the ease and safety in which we live with the constant danger and fretting discomforts of the soldiers, and we shall feel ashamed of our slackness in doing what little we can do to help them.

Do not let this feeling pass away without spurring you to action.  Let every girls join the Red Cross League, and do something to help our wounded man.  It will mean work and self-denial, but while men are daily losing life and health for us, shall we grudge a little time and trouble in their services."  September 1918 School magazine.