Page 106 - The Wish Stream Year of 2021

Administration’ economics and and essays but also a a a a a a a a a a a a certain amount on on on on on tactics and and the the military his- tory of the the Great War Anyone interested in in in in con- sulting this material for personal study may make an an appointment with the Sandhurst Collection A third set of of of archival material consists of of of the the records of of of the the ‘Polished Bun Club’ Despite its name it it it it was was not some cookery club but was was instead a a a a a a a a literary society society founded in in 1948 The object of of the the the society society was to provide an an opportu- nity for the the the the cadets of of of the the the the Senior and and Intermediate divisions and and members of of the the the instructional staff all all with widely divergent interests to to to meet infor- mally to to to read papers and and to to to exchange informa- tion tion and and and ideas The records reveal the cadets’ interests in in politics and and and philosophical questions and and the the the attitudes of of of the the the cadets to to these would surely be of of of interest to to to any scholar of of of social his- tory Again the the the boxes containing the the the papers and and minutes can all be explored in in in in in in the the the Sandhurst Collection reading room (ref CAYMA:2021 7) Lastly on on on the the personnel front 2021 was also the the year when we said ‘goodbye’ and ‘thank you’ to one of the collection’s valuable volunteers Mrs Shelagh Trist began volunteering in in in 1997 when she was based in in in the the top floor of the the New
College officers’ mess cataloguing silver This detailed work involved examining hallmarks and inscriptions to produce a a a a a a a a a a a a comprehensive data- base still in in use nearly 25 years later She then moved over to to Old College to to catalogue the the RMAS Band archives where she worked tire- lessly delivering 7 5-hour days in in a a a a a a a a small room with no natural light After this she created pro- tective covers and hangars for for the historic uni- forms collection From 2003 onwards Shelagh worked on on on on the historic correspondence archive Up until December 2021 she laboriously but carefully cleaned many thousands of letters in in the the War Office collection This involved decipher- ing ing ing handwriting from the the the 19th century onwards and and carefully recording all the the the salient information for entry onto the the collection database All volunteers by definition work without pay but Shelagh has has truly exhibited the the central ethos of of the the Academy in that she has has had through- out her her long tenure a a a a a a a a a a dogged sense of of duty and service In her her private arrangements for holidays and seeing friends she she has has always kept a a a a a a a a a a a a cen- tral commitment in in in her her life to to what she she has has seen as as her her her duty to to the Academy We will certainly miss her her amazing contribution Mrs Sheila Sheila Trist receiving gifts of thanks after nearly 25 years’ volunteering at the Sandhurst Collection – Thank You Sheila!
104 HISTORICAL