Letter to the Editor
To the Editor,
Have just read your article regarding the strange smell at GBCS and it brought up a memory of a time in the late 50s that had the same result.
If your readers remember the science teacher, Hank Beamer, was a good practical joker at times. One day toward the end of the school year the temperature was up in the 90s and most of the students were not really interested in learning. Hank was in charge of lockers throughout the school and had the combinations of most of the students’ locks so had access to them for nefarious use.
He quietly made up a batch of hydrogen sulphide and put it into jars that had some sort of delayed disintegrating top. He must have put these into some lockers throughout the school during a break in the morning as the gas started to permeate the school just after lunch.
Naturally the whole school was herded outside due to the smell and as they knew it would take some time to clear, Hank suggested to the principal that maybe the students should all go down to the beach and enjoy an afternoon learning about water and sand. We all marched down and had a great afternoon.
At the time no one but Hank knew where the bottles were so he was able to later remove them and put things back to normal.
Hank was loved by all students who passed through his classes and he made his mark on the the minds of all those he came in contact with.
Cheers,
Daryl Hepple, Hakaru, New Zealand
