Shrewsbury
Letters from Shrewsbury No39: Dear Praepostor
Every year, a number of senior pupils at Shrewsbury take on a distinctive leadership role. They become Praepostors. Or Postors, for short.
A Praepostor is ‘one who is placed before’. Not placed ‘above’ but placed ‘before’ (or in front of) others. Their job is to serve the School.
Each Praepostor has her or his individual strengths and aptitudes; enthusiasms, weaknesses and quirks. Lead by the Heads of School and their Deputies, you work as a team to set the tone of the school and help things run smoothly.
You are the ambassadors, public speakers, listeners; the doers and makers; the movers and shapers. Custodians and change-makers. You are the organisers of lunch queues. You are doers.
You listeners and watchers; the eyes and ears of the pupil body. You are a key channel of pupil voice in the School. You give of your time, your talent, your kindness to others; your concern for the best interests of the School.
We give you a waistcoat. We give you a tie and a pin. We give you a few privileges: you are allowed to ride a bicycle – a ‘time-expander’ – so you can get swiftly from one thing to the next. But most importantly, we give you an opportunity to give back to the School.
As you wrote your name in the book of Praepostors, you took your place in the living history of Shrewsbury School.
The volume you signed this year contains the signatures of your predecessors going backwards in time – term by term, year by year – to 1913. 110 years of Praepostors. One of this year’s signatories flipped back to 1955. And found the signature of his grandfather.
Their handwriting is all we know of their service to the School. Each signature is a personal pledge, an individual mark of commitment – and an honour. The Praepostors of yesteryear took lessons, disciplined fellow pupils and acted like junior members of staff. Nowadays, you are servant leaders, each leading out of who you are. Together, you embody the values of the School: the Salopian Virtues of kindness, wisdom, courage; self-mastery; integrity and spirit.
Thank you, Dear Praepostor, for setting the tone and leading the way. May you lead with humility and integrity: Intus Si Recte, Ne Labora.
Further Reading:
For a list of other uniquely Salopian terms, have a look here:
https://www.shrewsbury.org.uk/about-shrewsbury/school-history/salopian-terminology
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