With thanks to 12342 Al Stewart

I was home for the Christmas Break after first term of first year, when my father, 3173 Maj Gen John Stewart, RRMC Class of 49-51, asked me if we still used the college cheer and rang the bell.  I think I answered, what cheer and what bell?  He then told me that one of his seniors, and eventual CDS of the CAF, Gen Ramsey Withers, a member of the first class to enter Roads after the end of the Second World War, had written a little doggerel that had become the unofficial cheer for Roads. It went like this.  

CRUMPETS AND TEA
CRUMPETS AND TEA
WE ARE THE CHAPS FROM THE CMC
REALLY ROLLY
BEASTLY JOLLY
ROYAL ROADS
ROYAL ROADS
RATHA!!

From that day forward (and hopefully to this day), I and whomever I could convince to join me, would shout this out at every mess dinner after the Royal Roads March past was played. 

As for the bell, we all recall, those of us who were running circles, would assemble at O Dark 30 in front of Nixon block with the Duty Senior in charge.  We would then run counterclockwise past Grant Block, the Library, through the porte cochère in front of the Castle and then back up the hill to complete the circle.  Previously unnoticed by us, was a small bell hanging in the porte cochère.  As my father related to me, when he was running circles, occasionally someone would break ranks while running through the portico and ring the bell.  As it was typically pitch black, the senior standing in front of Nixon Block would have no idea who it was.  

So, upon my return to Roads after the Christmas break, I took it upon myself to take the first opportunity to try this out.  This was probably the first day back.  I recall the stunned look on the senior’s face as we ran past him on the way around for the second lap.  No mention of this was made after circle parade concluded, but we could tell he was baffled about what to do.  This revived an old tradition that had somehow fallen into disuse over the passage of time. As a side note, this was the same bell that was stolen by students from U Vic that we dispatched a convoy to retrieve.