After a prompt / request in the Lemon Biscuits section of the board, here's my Missing Terms article, in full. This was originally published in the FOCS magazine many, many years ago, and like any writer-y person, I cringe a bit reading it now, but what the heck

PART ONE

Throughout the first half of the Chalet School series, there are several terms, and indeed whole years, about which no books were written and little information is available. The following article attempts to place those terms in the correct chronological position and identify the major events and plot lines that occur. Where no information was available, some theoretical plot lines have been suggested – some likely, others more far-fetched. I’ve also given them some Chalet-esque titles.

Year 1
The School at the Chalet

Year 2
Jo of the CS (terms 1 & 2)
The Guides of the Chalet School
In the Easter Holidays Madge, Joey and Robin stay with the Maynard family at Pretty Maids after a week with the Bettany Aunts in London. Madge leaves them for a week to undergo training to be a Guider. At the Maynards’ New Forest home they meet Mollie Maynard’s twin brother, trainee-doctor Jack Maynard, for the first time. They also experience the effects of snails on a window, before Grizel Cochrane joins them and they return to the School for the new term. It is to be Gisela, Bernhilda and Wanda’s last term at the School, and the girls are not sure how the school will manage without them. Miss May Carthew (History mistress) and Matron Wilson join the staff. The school starts Guides in earnest after Miss Bettany’s training course, and everyone becomes obsessed: there is much protest from the girls because they can’t camp, as Madge doesn’t have a camping licence, and school work looses out to their new interest. A folk festival is held at the end of term. The Sanatorium opens at the Sonnalpe.

Year 3
Juliet of the Chalet School
Miss Bettany’s ward Juliet Carrick is appointed as the new Headgirl and the girls wonder if she will be as good as Gisela. After her troubled start at the school, she has some difficulty gaining the respect of the girls and imposing her authority on them. Her problems are complicated by constant comparisons with Gisela. Grizel Cochrane is made Games Prefect and the power goes to her head making her very conceited and difficult. Miss Helena Wilson joins the staff and has trouble settling down and making friends amongst the other staff due to her different academic background: she is very lonely. New girls include Ilonka Barkocz and Mary Burnett’s younger sisters Kitty and Peggy Burnett. The girls indulge in lots of snow sports, as for most of them it is their second winter in Tirol; some of them overestimate their skill at skiing and skating. Several girls contract snow blindness, after not wearing their tinted glasses. A Christmas play is performed, of course!

Spring Term at the Chalet School (renamed Deira Joins the CS when I actually wrote the thing)
The school suffers a serious measles epidemic, and 14-year old Jo Bettany is dangerously ill for 2 days, then recovers well before everyone else, including Frieda Mensch, who was the first to catch the disease. Matron Wilson has to leave suddenly after a family bereavement, leaving the school in the lurch. The first small-scale Sale of Work is held at the end of term, with a “Many Nations” theme. It is a success, and the girls discuss the possibility of repeating it next year. New girls Deira O’Hagen & Lisa Bernaldi join the School, and Deira, with her fiery temper, finds it difficult to make friends. Jack Maynard completes his medical training and comes out to join the staff at the Sanatorium, as Dr Jem’s assistant.
The Princess of the Chalet School

Year 4
Visitors for the Chalet School
Bette Rincini is appointed Headgirl, and does very well, but has to leave at the end of term. Matron Lloyd and Miss Annersley join the staff, and both become very popular. Miss Annersley and Miss Wilson become friends as they have similar backgrounds and training (both suffered early family bereavements – Hilda’s mother, Nell’s sister and later parents – and both have a University education, unlike most of the rest of the staff – both have M.A. degrees from Oxford). A party of English schoolgirls stays at one of the local hotels and they play hockey and netball against the Chalet Girls. Herr Braun has the school Hall built. It’s the first term without Madame as Head Mistress and the girls all miss her – especially Joey – although she visits the school each week to teach English. It’s also Princess Elisaveta’s last term, as her grandfather King Rodolfo dies, and she becomes heir to the throne of Belsornia. English/French/German days are started at the School to give the girls a more rigorous training in all three languages. Joey and Robin go to England for Christmas with the Maynard family as Madge is in Vienna with Jem. Gottfried Mensch joins the San staff.
The Head Girl of the CS (terms 2 & 3)

PART TWO

Year 5
Rivals of the CS, Eustacia Goes to the CS, The CS and Jo, The Chalet Girls in Camp
Year 6
Exploits of the Chalet Girls, The CS and the Lintons (A Rebel at the CS), The New House at the CS

Year 7
Jo Returns to the CS
Trouble for the Chalet School
Marie von Eschenau and Baron Eugen von und zu Wertheimer get married over Christmas and Joey, Frieda, Simone, Paula, Irma and the Robin are the bridesmaids. Mlle LePâttre is still very ill, although the girls think that she is recovering. Miss Annersley is acting Head Mistress and has a troubled start. Louise Redfield and the prefects have more difficulties with middles, and the School is thoroughly unsettled. Jo writes her second book up on the Sonnalpe, and the girls hate not seeing her and think she hasn’t time for them. First inklings arrive that Miss Browne is giving up St Scholastika’s; a number of her pupils leave, not to be replaced. Ted Humphreys and Dr di Bersetti die in a climbing accident, leaving Robin an orphan and Bette a widow. The annual Sale of Work is held using local Tirolean “Myths and Legends” as the theme. Jem Russell agrees to buy St Scholastika’s from Miss Browne to use as a holiday home, after she sells her School to Madge.
The New CS (A United CS)

Two Chalet Girls in India (Holiday Story)
Jo Bettany is annoyed by the attentions of a young Doctor at the San; Madge and Jem Russell decide to take up a long-standing invitation and send her and the Robin to Coorg in India to stay with Dick and Mollie Bettany & family. Robin is sent because she is still pining for her father, and the doctors think she needs a change. Jo worries about the responsibility of looking after Robin on the long voyage. Once there, they make friends with Dacia-Denise Parsons (later to be the mother of Erica Standish) and have an exciting holiday exploring India, although both suffer badly with the hot wet climate. Maeve and Maurice Bettany are born whilst they are there.

Year 8
Gillian of the Chalet School
Gillian Linton becomes a very capable Headgirl but has to deal with more troublesome middles (of course). Betty Wynne-Davies and Elizabeth Arnett start communicating by Morse code during preparation – a dishonest practise strongly condemned by the Prefects. The new House arrangements (seniors, middles and juniors in each House) take effect, and several groups of friends are split up, again unsettling the school. The new House, called St Scholastika’s, opens. Mrs Linton has a bad relapse, and Gill decides to leave school at the end of term. Hilary Burn is to be the next Headgirl and works closely with Gill to prepare to take over. Joey and the Robin are still in India until the middle of term; the girls rejoice when they come back. Joyce Linton completes her reformation and is appointed a sub-prefect for next term. Rumours start spreading about the possibility of war.
The CS in Exile (terms 2 & 3)

Year 9
The Chalet School in Guernsey
The school is closed for a year. Joey and Co. travel to Guernsey from Switzerland, via France, and Madge, Jem and the rest of the family reach there straight from Austria. Joey and Jack Maynard get married, and Jack gets called up as an Army surgeon and is sent to France. Rosalie Dene, Grizel Cochrane and others of the School arrive (Cornelia Flower, Polly Heriot, Biddy O’Ryan, the Lintons). Madge Russell gives birth to her third child, Josette, and all of the children have chicken pox. Margot Venables dies, as does Mrs Linton, leaving their girls as orphans. Rosalie, Grizel, Gill and Joyce meet Anne Chester and Elizabeth Ozanne and all the Chester/Ozanne/Lucy children (Janie Lucy is still “unwell” after the birth of her new son Barney). Rosalie, Grizel and Joey teach the young Russell, Bettany and Venables children and Robin of course. The reader visits major staff members such as Con Stewart, Nell Wilson, Hilda Annersley, Jeanne de Lanchenais and Matey, and also the homes of various pupils who will be returning to the School.

Year 10
The CS in Exile
Danger for the Chalet School
The war gets underway in earnest and comes too close to Guernsey for comfort. The School experiences several air raids and some of the girls have to leave as their parents don’t want them to be so close to France. Cornelia Flower is appointed Headgirl (despite some reservations from the Staff) after Maria Marani’s nervous breakdown. Maria is admitted to the Sanatorium as she is so unwell. Polly Heriott continues as Second Prefect and Violet Allison is appointed Games Prefect, Robin Humphreys and Lorenz Maïco are also made Prefects. More of the School’s friends arrive from Austria and Marie, Wanda, Frieda and Simone feature strongly, with their families. Simone is very worried about her family in France, and Con Stewart is troubled as news of her fiancé in Singapore fails to arrive. No Sale of Work is held, due to the War situation.
The CS Goes to It

PART THREE

Year 11
Robin of the Chalet School
Robin Humphries is appointed to the Headgirl position, despite Dr. Jem Russell’s fears about whether she is really strong enough. Lorenz Maïco and Jeanne de Marné are Second and Games Prefects respectively. Hilary Burn is welcomed onto the staff as Games mistress, and Pam Slater arrives as Maths mistress to replace Simone de Bersac. It is a particularly harsh winter, and Upper III’s Daisy Venables, Beth Chester & Gwensi Howell grasp the opportunity to go skiing behind Plas Howell using planks of wood as homemade skis. The young Russell, Bettany and Maynard children catch influenza; Sybil has to delay starting School by a term, and baby Margot is particularly ill – the first sign of her future poor health. The Sanatorium is finally established in the Welsh Mountains, and Jack Maynard leaves the Army to join Jem Russell and Gottfried Mensch on the San Staff. The girls repeat “The Bells of Christmas” as their Christmas Play, and persuade Jo Maynard to sing the solos.

The Chalet School and Sybil
Sybil Russell, aged 7, joins the Kindergarten. She thinks she deserves special treatment, as Mrs Russell’s daughter, and gives everyone a very stormy time. She eventually becomes friends with Betsy Lucy, and starts to learn that she can’t always have her own way, and to take teasing without flying into a tantrum. Miss Susan Robinson joins the School to teach Junior English, and Mlle Julie Berné returns. Amy Stevens gets caught in a downpour whilst on a walk and catches a bad cold, which turns to pneumonia. After a week of anxiety for everyone, she starts to recover, but is left as frail and delicate as when she was a small child. Her sister Margia visits, bringing news of several other Old Girls. Karl Linders crashes his Luftwaffe plane in British territory, and is captured. Joey and Jack Maynard visit him in his POW camp, and he tells them how he and his sisters helped Bruno von Ahlen and Friedal von Glück escape. Wanda and Friedal call their new daughter Emmie Joanna after the Linders’ sisters. The School holds its first Sale of Work in Armishire: theme “Nursery Rhymes”.

Adventures of the Chalet Girls
The School is firmly established at Plas Howell after one year’s residence. This term sees major rearrangements within the building, to make better use of the space and give the four Houses (Ste Therese, St Clare’s, St Agnes & St Scholastika’s) their own sections. Magazine editress Amy Stevens is still absent through last terms’ illness, and consequently, nothing is done about “The Chaletian” until very late. School essays are used, but even so, the Magazine is very thin. Robin decides to give up the Headgirl position at the end of the year, although she is staying at School, and despite being asked to keep it for another year. She wants to concentrate on her work, and she isn’t really strong enough to do both properly. Mary Shand is appointed Headgirl for the next year. Guides comes to the fore as an out of School activity. Due to the blackout, the girls can’t camp out, even in the grounds of Plas Howell, but make up for it with daytime activities, hikes and badge work. At the end of term, the girls give a garden party for the local evacuee children.

Year 12
The Chalet School and Elizabeth
Elizabeth Arnett becomes a responsible prefect, much to Betty Wynne-Davies’ dismay. Betty does her best to get Elizabeth into trouble and make things difficult for her, before Mary Shand, as Headgirl, puts a stop to it. Joey Maynard helps Elizabeth cope with Betty’s behaviour. Kitty Burnett and Jocelyn Redford are Second Prefect and Games Prefect, respectively. The School grows significantly, welcoming a number of new girls, including three Welsh girls, Megan and Marilyn Evans (17 & 14) and Eilunedd Vaughn (12). Miss Dolly Edwards (Junior Maths) and Matron Gould (Junior Matron) return to the School. After an investigation, a temporary maid is caught stealing the girls’ possessions for her brother to sell, and is dismissed. The School holds a Christmas Festival for the end of term, incorporating Nativity Play, Carol Concert and traditional Austrian Christmas festivities (including a Feast for the girls and Staff). A Christmas Tree is erected in Hall, and the local evacuee children receive presents and a party from the girls.

A New Form for the Chalet School
A lot of the older girls are staying at School longer than normal, as they lost a year of their education when the School left Austria (Robin, Lorenz, Amy, Kitty, etc. are all over 18). Consequently, Mrs Russell, Miss Annersley and Miss Wilson announce the formation of the Special Sixth. This new form is started to cater for older girls, such as these, who want to specialise in the arts or music, or work in more depth in preparation for University. Miss Ivy Stephens returns to the School to teach Junior Geography. Two-year old Margot Maynard gets bronchitis very badly and almost dies; her health is seriously affected for years to come. Joey Maynard finally completes her conversion to Catholicism, and draws on her new faith to help her cope with Margot’s illness. Naughty Juniors Peggy Bettany, Nita Eltringham, Daphne Russell et al decided to explore the Anderson (earth) air-raid shelters in the grounds of Plas Howell one boring Saturday afternoon, and get trapped inside. The Sale of Work is as successful as ever, with the stalls representing different “Historical Stories & Characters”.

Strangers at the Chalet School
Mary Shand is to stay on as Headgirl as she can’t get back to America, due to the war. The junior prefects, Elizabeth Arnett, Biddy O’Ryan, Enid Sothern, etc. prepare to sit their School Certificate exams. Two teams of girls from St David’s boarding school, Cardiff, visit to play the School at Cricket and Tennis one Saturday. As their school is quite a distance away, they and Elsie Carr, their Games Mistress and Old Chalet Girl, stay overnight, and then find they can’t go back as some juniors at their school have gone down with Scarlet Fever. The 20 St David’s girls have to stay at the Chalet School for the six-week quarantine period, causing chaos. In fact, the whole Chalet School and guests are in quarantine, although no one contracts the disease. Robin Humphries decides that her final year at School will be part-time, and Jem Russell is knighted for services to medicine. Herr Anserl retires after 55 years teaching music. Jack Maynard is called up as a Naval Surgeon (due to a severe shortage of medical personnel, as the scope of the War increases) and immediately sent to the Far East, to Joey’s dismay.

PART FOUR

Year 13
Highland Twins at the CS, Lavender Leigh at the CS, Gay Lambert at the CS, Jo to the Rescue
Year 14
The Mystery at the CS, Tom Tackles the CS, The CS and Rosalie

Year 15
Sisters at the Chalet School
The four Herbert sisters, Rosalie Way’s friends from home, join the School: Bess (13), Madge (12), Nan (11) and Ruth (8). Rosalie knew they were going to boarding school this September, but didn’t know it was this one. This is the Maynard triplets first term in the Kindergarten – they will be 6 in November, and Jo and Jack decide it is time they went to School as they are all clever girls. Margot, frail, lazy and somewhat spoilt, has difficulty settling at School. Also more daughters of old Chalet School girls join the School: Natalie, Gisel and Gretchen Mensch, Maria and Emmie von Glück and Josefa Wertheimer. There is trouble with some of the younger girls, as they adjust to having German speaking “foreigners” in the School again, whilst England is still at war with Germany. Daisy Venables is Headgirl this year, after Beth Chester leaves, as Jem and Madge Russell unexpectedly decide that she should have an extra year at School in the Special Sixth, before going to Medical School. Joanna Linders is Second Prefect and Peggy Burnett replaces Daisy as Games Prefect. Miss Annersley finally returns to full time teaching after the bus accident.

The Chalet School and Gwensi
Magazine Prefect Gwensi Howell has a huge row with Eilunedd Vaughn right at the start of term; she thinks no more of it, but Eilunedd broods about it, and gets her revenge by stealing and hiding Gwensi’s possessions. Gwensi, with her hot temper, gets into trouble left and right and only Daisy believes she is not being careless. Some of the Prefects, particularly Marilyn Evans, are keen that she should loose her position, as they accuse her of lying repeatedly to cover up her own untidiness, and to get Eilunedd into trouble. Beth Chester visits the School to advise Daisy and Gwensi. A group of girls and staff get lost on a walk, caught in thick fog. They have to take shelter in a remote barn, and use their Guide skills to keep warm etc., until help reaches them. The Sale is held with a theme of The Willow Pattern; the first time this theme is used; Griffiths makes his famous trellis bridge and a giant Willow Pattern plate. Tom Gay, now in the Fourth form, makes her second Doll’s House for the Sale; called Sacarlet.

Peace for the Chalet School
World War II officially ends this term; the girls join in the May VE Day celebrations, and give thanks for the victory over evil Nazism. Joey Maynard and some of the older girls and Mistresses speculate on what has happened to their old friends in occupied Europe and Germany, and when they will be able to return to Tirol. The School receives messages from Old Girls in Austria and Germany (Sophie Hamel, Gertrud Steinbrücke & Carla von Flügen). Jo and Madge are thrilled to be in touch with their friends again, and Marie and Eugen von Wertheimer talk about reclaiming the Schloss and returning to Austria. Frieda and Bruno von Ahlen, still living in Howells Village, have a daughter named Gretchen Margaret (after Frieda’s mother and Madge). Lavender Leigh’s friend Lilimani is able to return to Kashmir. Fourteen-year old Peggy Bettany (Upper IVa) sprains her ankle badly whilst playing tennis, resulting in her being out of games for the next two terms (and hence not starting Lacrosse until Three Go to the CS, when she is in Upper V). The School holds a Garden Party and School Sports for the end of term.

PART FIVE

Year 16
Sixth Formers of the Chalet School
Marilyn Evans, now a member of the Special Sixth, is appointed to the position of Headgirl. Unfortunately, she is very ambitious, working very hard towards going to University, and is an awful Headgirl. She neglects her responsibilities, doesn’t turn up for her duties, alienates the Juniors with her erratic discipline (too strict and then too lenient) and annoys her fellow prefects. She is the first Headgirl to make a mess of the post and after much agonising by the Staff and Madame, has to be replaced by Gillian Culver of Form VIa at the end of the Autumn term. Amongst her faults as Headgirl, Marilyn nursed a grudge against Gay Lambert, the newly appointed Games Prefect (replacing Peggy Burnett). Gay is younger than the rest of the Prefects, being in the Lower Sixth, but is the only girl qualified to fill the post of Games Prefect, as the Upper and Special Sixth girls are very academic this year. Miss Davidson joins the School to teach Junior Art, and Miss Beth Carey (Handcrafts) returns to the School. Half-term sees the girls going camping, climbing and walking in the Welsh Mountains – trips are possible now that the War is over. Some dramas occur during this trip, naturally. Madame writes this year’s Christmas Play, as Jo Maynard is going to be “too busy”.

The Chalet School and Viola
Miss Annersley and Miss Wilson vow that no more Special Sixth girls will be appointed as Headgirl or Prefects. This decree prompts some outcry from the girls, as it means that the prefects will not be the oldest girls in the School, and results in the appointment of some new prefects. Gill Culver makes a success of the Headgirl post, despite her lack of experience, with the help of Gay Lambert as Games Prefect and Anthea Barnett who replaces Dorcas Brownlow of the Special Sixth as Second Prefect. Jacynth Hardy is one of the new Prefects. Viola Lucy and Josette Russell, aged 8, join the Junior School. Both have problems settling down. Josette is still very frail and shy after her accident of two years previously. Although she has been in the Kindergarten for a year, Vi still feels she has a lot to live up to, with five older sisters and cousins at the School and one a former Headgirl (Beth, Nancy, Vanna, Nella, Julie and Betsy). Eventually they make friends with Doris Hill and Lesley Malcolm, forming the nucleus of the Gang. Miss Wilson leaves at the end of term for a six month Educational Tour of America. The annual Sale of Work is held, with a Welsh theme.

Claudia Charms the Chalet School
Future Society debutante the Hon. Claudia Bristow (aged 17), who’s select school has had to close, causes problems for the School. She is older than the usual new girl and Misses Annersley and Wilson debated long and hard whether to accept her. Not in the least academic, she is more interested in marriage, parties and clothes, darling. Initially, there is a lot of antipathy towards her, but eventually, she wins everyone over with her charm, and proves to be a star on the tennis court. She leaves the School at the end of the term to spend a year in Switzerland being “Finished”. Miss Annersley has a lonely term, without Miss Wilson, and hence Madge Russell (who is without a young baby at the moment – Ailie is almost 3) spends more time at School. Delicate Ruth Herbert (9) catches measles during the Easter Holidays and almost dies. She leaves the School temporarily, although her three older sisters stay. Joey Maynard gives birth to her third son, Michael James. Herr Anserl dies after a short illness; his Will establishes several music scholarships for the School. Madame’s birthday is celebrated by a weekend-long School trip to Oxford; three girls miss the trip after cheating in a Latin test.

Year 17
Three Go to the CS
Disaster Strikes the Chalet School (term written by LisaT as A Difficult Term at the CS)
Gillian Culver has to leave suddenly during the Christmas holidays, due to a family bereavement; the Second Prefect, reserved Jacynth Hardy, becomes Headgirl at very short notice. A number of the girls and staff go down with a strange illness, which no one can identify. Symptoms include sickness, fever and sore throat. Everyone is ill including the Maynard triplets, especially Margot, and the infection proves resistant to treatment. Jo Maynard is distraught because she isn’t allowed to nurse her girls, as she can’t leave Michael (he is too young). After much testing, the doctors establish that the drains at Plas Howell are causing the infection. It is decided that the School must leave Plas Howell whilst the drains are repaired and disinfected. The annual Sale of Work has to be cancelled, due the chaos caused by the infection. New girl Annis Lovell, unhappy at home, causes problems as she really hates being at the School; even at the end of term she still isn’t reconciled to it.
The CS and the Island

Phew!

Thanks Caroline

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to be nobody but yourself - in a world which is doing its best, night and day, to make you everybody else - means to fight the hardest battle which any human being can fight; and never stop fighting.
e.e.cummings
http://stitchwords.blogspot.co.uk

Thanks very much Caroline! Very interesting

That was as interesting as reading the books themselves.

Thanks!

And look at all those terms with no fill in book written....!

Brilliant thanks! I've just been reading a drabble [someone's going to have to explain to me just what that means!!] about Isobel and Maria Balbini - trying to work out just where it fits in!

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Find tongues in trees, books in running brooks, sermons in stones, and good in everything.

Thank you, Caroline. I think I have a copy of the original article somewhere but it's great to see it on line again. It's one of the thing's that has been most asked for on the Board.

What a wonderful piece of work! Thank you!

Thanks for this, Caroline!

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"And I'm sure there was blood in the gutter from somebody's head, or else it was the sunset in a puddle."

Thanks, Caroline .

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We really must stop eating like this ...

Minds are like parachutes - they only function when open.

http://setinthepast.wordpress.com/

Thanks Caroline. That was really interesting.

Fascinating to read, thank you Caroline.

Maybe more drabblers will be inspired to have a go at the fill-ins now...!

Thank you, Caroline.

Mods, could this be made a sticky, do you think? It would be great to have it on hand to refer to....

I really liked that. Thanks Caroline!