High Master John Lewis Alexander Paton, known as J L Paton, was one of the School's greatest High Masters. His ideals which he 'strove to inculcate in his boys' were manliness, straightforwardness, promptness, courage, good temper in defeat, and kind-heartedness.  He often quoted these as the aims of the 'all round training of body and character in social and intellectual life, which a great school should provide'.

It was High Master Paton who introduced the clubs, camps and activities to MGS during his tenure here and he had his very own Hugh Oldham Lads' Club.  1906:  'In the back streets of the Manchester slums there stands an old disused police station', he wrote, 'it is now a Boys' Club'.  And the Salford Boys' Club still survives today (as seen on the television series Secret Millionaire).

Paton also introduced camps and the first MGS camp took place at Alderley Park in 1904.  Four tents and a marquee!  These 'children of the owl' learned the importance of helpfulness and diligence, stalking, cheerfulness and an awe-inspiring competence.

In 1910 Paton had himself led a large party of boys wandering and camping in the Taunus valley north of Frankfurt-am-Main.

Two years later he set up the MGS scout troop. The following month one hundred boys gathered in the four corners of the gymnasium to form four troops of twenty-five members each.  They found themselves four scout huts in four Manchester suburbs, and soon on Saturday afternoons were to be seen in their light and dark blue jerseys, sky-blue neckerchiefs and smart scout hats.  By September, Paton had managed to engineer a visit to the School by the venerable Chief Scout himself, Baden Powell.

Paton's passion has inspired all those who have since followed to continue challenging our boys, from the recently introduced DofE Scheme, to the regular camps and treks, charity work and community action programmes of today.

 

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The Paton Lecture is our annual Lower and Middle School event which continues Paton's passion of inspiring MGS boys to set themselves new physical challenges and also encourage them to give their time to help others. More here