Annual examination at the Vauxbelets, July 1911
The annual examinations in Agriculture, Horticulture, Chemistry, Engineering and English took place at the Vauxbelets Schools. Examiners from the Société d'Agriculture de France came to the island especially to conduct some of the examinations, which were all oral. There were fifteen first year pupils and five second year pupils.
The examiners were M. du Moucel, Officier Méchanicien; M M Viteude de Kamoul, Conte de Laubier, Conte de Lorgerie and Conte de Boisaiger, agricultural engineers; M Hon. de Penoustère. Polytechnique. The local examiners were Messrs J R Gibbons, horticulture; W S Barker, agriculture, C Kitts, farming; A G de la Hulinière, seniors in English, and J A de la Hulinière, juniors in English.
The subjects in some instances were very difficult, but all the lads showed signs of shrewd intelligence, and even those who had but ten months' training answered questions clearly and described whatever was asked of them. The allotting of points was by no means an easy matter, but when all had been completed the points were added up and the following in order received certificates: Seniors, R. Rualt, silver gilt medal; H. Templer, large silver medal; Paul Rocquet, small silver medal; Pierre Legall, bronze medal, and Yves Dargon, bronze medal. These medals were presented by the Société d'Agriculture de France. Juniors: 1 André Hende; 2 C Le Gac; 3 E Gibbons; 4 M Foyer and V Buttler, equal; 6 G Berth; 7 W Bertron; 8 J Legall; 9 D Mace; 10 J Viand; 11 N Rivière; 12 Y Deluen.
The essays written by the senior boys on agriculture and horticulture were very nicely compiled. They were as follows: Rualt, 'Milk and Butter'; Le Gall, 'Beetroots'; Bequet, 'Artificial meadows;' Dargon, 'The potato;' Templer, 'Vine disease and its treatment.'
At noon the examiners and friends were invited to dinner [&c.] Prior to the presentation of certificates Maurice Rualt read a paper in French, in the course of which he welcomed the examiners from France and thanked them for their presence.
The President said he was glad to see and to have heard a clever boy like Rualt tell the gathering such good things. The examiners were happy to find such feelings of comradeship and friendliness amongst the Guernsey people who had assisted at the examination. At present there was no school in France where pupils could be taught Christianity with agriculture and other subjects [&c.].
See 'The Story of Les Vauxbelets', Quarterly Review of the Guernsey Society, Spring 1989, by Brother Christiantian. The Vauxbelets' College Echo, school magazines, Library collection. The Star, July 18th, Annual Sports Day, confined to the scholars of the Day School, all from Guernsey.
The Star, September 21, 1916
The sad intelligence has been received at the Vauxbelets Agricultural College of the sad death at the front of a former student, Soldat Paul Berty, who was educated there from 1912 to 1914. He died on the 18th August at Maurepas, and was only 20 years of age. Soldat Berty had lately been training in the machine gun section in a Zouave regiment, and had received the war cross 'with palms'. He had been recommended for the Cross of the Legion of Honour, and was mentioned in despatches after the attack on the 17th August (for the second time) with award for the Médaille Militaire.