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Polls: Favourite Schoolgirl - Poll Added
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Author:  ChubbyMonkey [ Wed Oct 14, 2009 9:58 pm ]
Post subject:  Polls: Favourite Schoolgirl - Poll Added
There are hundreds of girls who attend the Chalet School, some for briefer periods than others. But what makes a 'good' Chalet girl, and is this the same as being a likeable character? Who is a 'nice' schoolgirl?

Some of the traits prided by the Chalet School are honesty, integrity, strength of mind, to be able to cope in any situation (and not be a spineless jellyfish!), to always be true to yourself, to always play the game, to be prepared to help others, to not always set your needs first and to marry a good doctor!

But who is your favourite schoolgirl in the series and why? Do you think that Joey is the best? Or Mary-Lou? What about Len? Perhaps it isn't such a major character - Tom Gay, who will always play the game, Biddy o'Ryan who goes from a mischievous middle to a favourite member of staff, Daisy Venables, who is always popular? Does Elizabeth's reformation make her a likeable character to you? What about those of a more serious nature; does Lugia di Ferrara's determination to stand by her religious beliefs make her your favourite schoolgirl?

We are asking people to put up a short post explaining who is their favourite schoolgirl and why; nominations will close on Monday, and a poll will be added, which will run until the end of Wednesday. So, please post your favourite schoolgirl (and why!) below.
Author:  abbeybufo [ Thu Oct 15, 2009 10:24 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Polls: Favourite Schoolgirl
I always find it difficult to come up with one favourite -

    Joey has to be a contender, but Joey as she is in the early books - i.e. Schoolgirl Joey
    I only like Mary-Lou when she first goes to school - and just before, so I wouldn't nominate her
    In fact I like Clem far better than OOAO even at that time :lol:
    I very much like Gay, Jacynth and Gill Culver - but would find it hard to split them
    In the end I think I'd go for someone like Dickie Christy, who comes to school late, but mucks in and gets on with things, ending up as Second Prefect - and would probably have been HG if she had been in the School longer, and wasn't the same year as Peggy who was a shoe-in!

So my nomination is Dickie Christy :D
Author:  Alison H [ Thu Oct 15, 2009 10:54 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Polls: Favourite Schoolgirl
My favourite character is Con because I identify with the wandering about in a daydream :D , but my nomination is Daisy:

1. Part of a group of friends but not one which dominates other people in the way that Mary-Lou's gang or Jack's gang do.
2. Tries to help people (eg Tom) but without being too much of a "butter-in".
3. Huge achievement in qualifying as a doctor at a time when it was difficult for women to do so, and winning a lot of awards in the process, but never seems to expect everyone to go on about how wonderful she is and TBH never really gets the recognition she deserves.
4. Gets on well with everyone.
5. Popular games captain - one of the few CS girls really to excel at both games and studies.
6. Carries Elfie, who has hurt her ankle, to safety through bad weather - not a male doctor anywhere around to save the day that time!
7. Does all this despite a very difficult start in life.
Author:  Lottie [ Thu Oct 15, 2009 11:07 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Polls: Favourite Schoolgirl
I'm not sure if I have a favourite, but I'd like to suggest Cornelia Flower. She struggles to fit in at first, possibly not helped by being motherless, but settles down and makes friends with the quintette. She's ready for a bit of fun, and doesn't always think before she acts, but she's never deceitful or unkind. Then she gets left with the middles when the rest move up because she's slightly younger, and a little behind in work, but she proves she can be a responsible middle. As a senior she's friendly and approachable and becomes an excellent Head Girl. All through, she never loses the essence of the original Corney - we're never quite sure when there might be another outburst of picturesque language! We know that she carried on being kind and helpful as an adult, since she looked after the Pertwee girls while their mother was ill. I think she epitomises what the CS was trying to produce as a real Chalet girl.
Author:  jmc [ Thu Oct 15, 2009 11:55 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Polls: Favourite Schoolgirl
When I was a lot younger I used to like Mary-lou and Joey. Mary-Lou was mainly because Three goes was the firt book I ever read. Joey, mainly younger Joey was also a favourite because I am a Jo/Joey too, and even get Josephine occasionally although it's not actually my name, and I used to pretend it was me in the stories. I lost interest in in Jo in some ways later on because I felt that she strayed away from her original character and this was not helped by the fact that I wanted no children.

I don't think I really have a favourite now. I like Hilary Burn as a schoolgirl. She seems to be friendly and always willing to help others. Clem Barrass. She is a more rounded character than some of the others. Not as saintly as some of the other major characters but just seems to be an all round decent girl. Both Corney and Evadne are also favoutites as they are just so much fun.
Author:  violawood [ Thu Oct 15, 2009 12:37 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Polls: Favourite Schoolgirl
I'd like to nominate Gisela Marani. I think she did an excellent job as the first Head Girl. She was consistently kind and helpful, always ready to listen and very modest. She was responsible for starting the Head's birthday celebration and the Chaletian - two important traditional school umm traditions :D Gottfried is a thoroughly nice bloke (not to mention a doctor :D) and I think both the Maranis and the Mensches are lovely families in the early books. It's a shame we don't really see much of her after the CS leaves the Tyrol.
Author:  Sunglass [ Thu Oct 15, 2009 12:48 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Polls: Favourite Schoolgirl
She doesn't get a lot of attention, really - because she suffers from being more or less a contemporary of Joey's - but I have a soft spot for Mary Burnett as a schoolgirl. She's kind and responsible, has natural leadership and moral authority, keeps Joey in her place during some of her more tactless moments, and is an excellent headgirl and student without being remotely dull, humourless or over-reponsible in a Len-like way. For me, she's the headgirl that really impresses even from a period of good headgirls - you feel the school is in safe, kind hands when she's in charge.
Author:  Carys [ Thu Oct 15, 2009 1:12 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Polls: Favourite Schoolgirl
I'd like to nominate Gay Lambert as she takes Jacynth under her wing and looks out for her even though they are not in the same form. She stands up to Miss Bubb and is not afraid of doing what she believes to be right. She also worries about getting her friends into trouble and tells them to only keep her running away a secret for as long as they possibly can. In Mystery she again is shown to be helpful to those who are clearly unhappy.
Author:  trig [ Thu Oct 15, 2009 4:39 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Polls: Favourite Schoolgirl
My favourites - Dickie Christie, Clem and Gay, have already been nominated but I've always liked Bride and Tom's crowd too. It's hard to pick between Bride and Tom as they're both enjoyable, flawed characters who I'd like in RL. I'll nominate Bride as I feel she had a hard time living in the shadow of Perfect Peggy and still managed to remain cheerful and with a life of her own.

Other favourites include most of the Quintette of Tyrol days, Deira, and Kitty Burnett for the sole reason of her longevity! She's a junior middle in Eustacia, and is still at school in Lavender!
Author:  Nightwing [ Thu Oct 15, 2009 7:34 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Polls: Favourite Schoolgirl
Since trig nom'd Bride I will Tom! She's lovely, from her first book where we see her independence in clearing things up with Daisy, to Island where she has taken Rosalie under her wing and is prepared to do the same for Annis, to after she's left school, where even when she's doing her own missionary work she's able to find time to donate her house to the school's Sale. She has a strong moral compass and never loses her "gentlemanly" qualities, not in all her years at the school!
Author:  Jennie [ Fri Oct 16, 2009 1:14 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Polls: Favourite Schoolgirl
I've always liked Ros Lilley. She copes remarkably well with being plunged into an absolutely new and bewildering environment.
Author:  JayB [ Fri Oct 16, 2009 1:42 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Polls: Favourite Schoolgirl
Of the 'big three' - Jo, ML and Len - I much prefer Jo as a schoolgirl. Adult Jo is a different matter.

I like Tom Gay too - as well as her gentlemanly qualities, I think she's perhaps EBD's best portrayal of a girl who has a strong faith. I really believe in Tom's faith as an integral part of her character, rather than EBD using a character as a mouthpiece for her own beliefs, if that makes sense.

I like Hilary, who was HG at the most difficult time in the school's history. I like Gay and Dickie too, but we didn't really see them develop over a period of years.

But since all of those have already been nominated, my choice for favourite schoolgirl whom we see mature over a period of time is Robin. Child Robin is is yucky, but teenage Robin from Exile onwards is lovely.
Author:  GotNerd [ Fri Oct 16, 2009 2:33 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Polls: Favourite Schoolgirl
There will be some loud protests about this, but Len :)

I didn't feel EBD ever really gave her a fair chance. When we see her, for example, in Joey and Co, it seems to me that there's so much character there that EBD just doesn't show us. Her flirting with Roger, and her desire for a ponytail, show teenage Len, aside from the dull responsible box into which EBD always tries to paint her. Not that I don't like her responsibility - I think it's kind of nice to see someone who's responsible, but not bossy, unlike Jo, who has all of the second, and none of the first :roll: . Her relationship with the younger Maynards is also very adorable. And, unlike many of EBD's other later characters, who just become a 'chalet girl' stereotype once they hit the sixth form, Len still has feelings at the end. Her being snappy at Reg at the sale in Prefects is a good example of this, I think.

Perhaps, as another oldest child with a chronically irresponsible mother, I just see things her way way too easily..
Author:  Bethannie [ Sat Oct 17, 2009 10:11 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Polls: Favourite Schoolgirl
I am going to voice my support for one of the most misunderstood characters....Simone.
She was always the 'odd-one-out' of Joey's group. I don't think Elinor really liked her as a character, and never did much with her apart from making her the over-emotional foil to the much-loved down-to-earth Joey.
At school she was good at my favourite subject - mathematics. (Which counts against her...in schoolgirl fiction the sympathetic characters never like maths!....slight exception for Tish in the Trebizon series, but Becky still hates maths there!)
She isn't given the favoured status of marrying a doctor....and in fact marries relatively late.
Yet, she is fiercely loyal, a genuine scholar, and much more of an individual than many of the Chalet-School clones!
Maybe someday someone will do a 'Simone of The Chalet School' fill-in and redress the balance in favour of my favourite CS character.
Author:  Fiona Mc [ Sun Oct 18, 2009 12:02 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Polls: Favourite Schoolgirl
I loved Frieda as a kid. She was my favourite charcter from Tyrol that I wished EBD had developed more. I do have a lot of favourites which tend to fall into the generations of the school.

Tyrol: Frieda Mensch
English Years: Daisy Venables/Bride Bettany/Gay Lambert
Swiss Years: Con Maynard/Ailie Russell

Overall, I guess I would have to vote Frieda Mensch simply because she was someone who I always wanted to read more about, nice to everyone, and tactful. Only Corney managed to rouse her temper
Author:  Emma A [ Sun Oct 18, 2009 3:49 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Polls: Favourite Schoolgirl
I really like Juliet, from the Tyrol years. She copes well with horrible personal situations - being abandoned by her parents, having her first love reject her - is a pioneer for women's education being, IIRC, the first student from the school to go to university, and matures believably to a really nice woman. It's a shame we see so little of her after Exile.

But I think my absolutely favourite schoolgirl character is Ted. She does all she can to justify the school's faith in her, and I really like the way she, Ros and Len become friends. She's responsible and friendly, but not a plaster saint - if she loses her temper she apologises - and I also like the fact that she's not pretty (and that EBD says so quite markedly!).
Author:  ChubbyMonkey [ Sun Oct 18, 2009 6:41 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Polls: Favourite Schoolgirl
My favourite schoolgirl is Joey, but I think that she does lose the "special something" in the later books, and so I'm going to nominate Evadne.

She is always prepared to 'play the game' and is straightforward and uncomplicated in her emotions. She knows how to have fun, but at the same time she's allowed to age quite naturally, and she becomes a respected senior and prefect. We see her deal with loss in the death of her first fiance, and eventually find happiness - and not to a doctor!

She's just one of the nicest, well rounded characters in the series, I think!

I'd also like to add that the nominations will close at 12 noon BST this Monday (tomorrow) and that the poll will then be put up. After this you will not be able to nominate, so if you're still waiting to do so, please do now!
Author:  Elle [ Sun Oct 18, 2009 7:06 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Polls: Favourite Schoolgirl
Am I allowed to nominate Jesanne Gellibrand? I know she didn't appear in the series much, but she did make it to headgirl so EBD must have liked her too! I really liked her in The Lost Staircase, I thought she was well drawn, she is gutsy and determined, and I really like the book!
Author:  JB [ Mon Oct 19, 2009 9:39 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Polls: Favourite Schoolgirl
I'm another one whose favourite is Daisy Venables. She's always pleasant and cheerful, and kind to those around her. She's clever and good at sports. She's also a middle who's "naughty in a nice way". The friendship group of Daisy, Beth and Gwensi is lovely and probably the one of which i'd have liked to be a part. I admire the way she's overcome so much loss in her early life and manages to keep a positive outlook as a teenager. I can quite see how Tom and other girls look up to her. I wish we'd seen more of her as she appears mainly in the Plas Howell years when things are fragmented.

I did wonder if i was being unfair to Joey as this thread is about "favourite schoolgirl" and not, I assume, how characters turn out in later life but although I think Joey is a well written character as a schoolgirl, there are still instances when EBD clearly thinks Joey's in the right when IMHO she's behaving badly.
Author:  Alison H [ Mon Oct 19, 2009 9:51 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Polls: Favourite Schoolgirl
I know I've already nominated :oops: , but we can't have the poll without EBD's ideal CS girl :lol:, so the case for Mary-Lou is:
1. She is a strong leader - you can't ever imagine her going to pieces in a crisis.
2. She does try to help people - admittedly she "butts in" too much, but no-one else tries to help Jessica or Naomi, or to intervene in Theodora , or even really to be pally with Verity in Three Go.
3. She is great as a Junior/Junior Middle ... and I think she'd've been a lot less annoying later on if EBD had kept Phil Craven at the school as her nemesis!
4. She gets an awful lot dumped on her and copes with it all.
5. She is very kind to Emerence after the accident: she could well have blamed Emerence for her injuries but she doesn't.
Author:  Nightwing [ Mon Oct 19, 2009 9:54 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Polls: Favourite Schoolgirl
JB wrote:
I did wonder if i was being unfair to Joey as this thread is about "favourite schoolgirl" and not, I assume, how characters turn out in later life but although I think Joey is a well written character as a schoolgirl, there are still instances when EBD clearly thinks Joey's in the right when IMHO she's behaving badly.


I have to say, I always wonder if Joey the schoolgirl would be better liked on the CBB if she hadn't turned into Joey the adult! Joey as a Middle is one of my favourite characters - I love her as a young adult and young mother, too, but she's really at her best when she's rubbing shoulders with other strong characters like Margia and Grizel.
Author:  ChubbyMonkey [ Mon Oct 19, 2009 12:18 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Polls: Favourite Schoolgirl - Poll Added
I've added the poll! I've set it to run for three days, to make sure that we encorporate all of Wednesday as promised, so you'll be able to vote until roughly 12 noon BST Thursday. You can vote for one girl.

Those in the poll were chosen from the nominations as having been mentioned more than once by someone - this compromised the first nine options. We've also included Joey Bettany, as we thought that no poll could be complete without her! Results will be announced on Thursday, so - get voting!
Author:  Carys [ Mon Oct 19, 2009 2:35 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Polls: Favourite Schoolgirl - Poll Added
It's interesting that all the nominations are for girls from the Tyrol/British years.
Author:  Loryat [ Mon Oct 19, 2009 6:16 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Polls: Favourite Schoolgirl - Poll Added
I eventually went for Joey, but Corney and Evvy are both well up there for me. :D
Author:  JennieP [ Mon Oct 19, 2009 7:52 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Polls: Favourite Schoolgirl - Poll Added
I suppose, apart from the triplets and OOAO, most characters from the move to Switzerland onwards only really show up for a book before becoming the perfect CS girl and fading into the background.
Author:  Sarah_G-G [ Tue Oct 20, 2009 11:58 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Polls: Favourite Schoolgirl - Poll Added
I too went for Joey in the end but it was a close run thing! I love Evvy and Corney together too much to pick one above the other, and then I *nearly* went for Daisy but eventually decided that schoolgirl Joey just pipped her to the post! Joey's infectious enthusiasm and schoolgirl friendships, passions and sulks just encapsulate so much of the spirit of the early Tyrol books for me. Daisy would easily be my second choice though. She's someone who just seems like a typical jolly schoolgirl. Actually, she always slightly reminded me of Jo when she was at school, much more so than Mary-Lou or Len ever did. She has the same ability to totally miss what's right under her nose (which is very typical of teenagers in general, I think, where something doesn't directly concern them) mixed in with that same happy-go-lucky kindness and friendliness.
Author:  JackieP [ Tue Oct 20, 2009 12:56 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Polls: Favourite Schoolgirl - Poll Added
I've gone for Bride - she has to wear glasses, take over as HG halfway through a year - but she's not two-dimensional - her reaction to Diana's wrecking of her study really rings true for me...

JackieP
Author:  Mia [ Tue Oct 20, 2009 9:14 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Polls: Favourite Schoolgirl - Poll Added
Is there a reason why Mary-Lou (nominated by Alison on page 1) hasn't been included in the poll? She would have had my vote being my favourite...
Author:  Lottie [ Tue Oct 20, 2009 9:17 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Polls: Favourite Schoolgirl - Poll Added
Mia wrote:
Is there a reason why Mary-Lou (nominated by Alison on page 1) hasn't been included in the poll? She would have had my vote being my favourite...

Because the poll is limited to ten options, it was decided to go with the girls who had had more than one nomination.
Author:  Mia [ Tue Oct 20, 2009 9:22 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Polls: Favourite Schoolgirl - Poll Added
Lottie wrote:
Mia wrote:
Is there a reason why Mary-Lou (nominated by Alison on page 1) hasn't been included in the poll? She would have had my vote being my favourite...

Because the poll is limited to ten options, it was decided to go with the girls who had had more than one nomination.


Ok - it doesn't actually say this anywhere in the nomination process though?
Author:  ChubbyMonkey [ Tue Oct 20, 2009 9:25 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Polls: Favourite Schoolgirl - Poll Added
Sorry Mia - we only decided it once we'd seen the list of nominees, although I have explained in a post up the page, once we knew!
Author:  abbeybufo [ Tue Oct 20, 2009 9:26 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Polls: Favourite Schoolgirl - Poll Added
When nominations closed on Monday, more than 10 people had been nominated.

Then we realised the poll option was limited to 10, and we decided this was the fairest way to go.

ETA - and as ChubbyMonkey has said, she explained in the post announcing the poll was up
Author:  ChubbyMonkey [ Thu Oct 22, 2009 3:49 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Polls: Favourite Schoolgirl - Poll Added
The results are in!

First Place: Daisy Venables, with 10 votes
Second Place: Joey Bettany with 9 votes
Third Place: Bride Bettany with 8 votes
Fourth Place: Gay Lambert with 7 votes
Fifth Place: Evadne Lannis with 6 votes
Sixth Place: Tom Gay and Cornelia Flower with 5 votes
Seventh Place: Clem Barrass and Dicky Christy with 4 votes
Eight Place: Hilary Burn with 1 vote

Runners up: Gisela Marani, Mary Burnett, Ros Lilley, Robin Humphries, Len Maynard, Simone Lecoutier, Frieda Mensch, Con Maynard, Ailie Russell, Juliet Carrick, Theodora Grantley and Jesanne Gellibrand.

Thankyou all for your participation in the poll, both nominating and voting. I apologise once again for the confusion over the nominations; this was rather by nature of an experiement, and obviously there were some creases to be ironed out! Congratulations to Daisy for being named as our favourite schoolgirl :D
Author:  Alison H [ Thu Oct 22, 2009 4:39 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Polls: Favourite Schoolgirl - Poll Added
Yay for Daisy, who never got the credit she deserved in the books!
Author:  Carys [ Thu Oct 22, 2009 5:37 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Polls: Favourite Schoolgirl - Poll Added
I do think Daisy is a worthy winner so I'm pleased she won!

Thank-you Ariel for organising this, maybe if this was done again in the future then there could be heats for different era's of the school and then a grand final could be held from that?
Author:  Clare [ Thu Oct 22, 2009 7:20 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Polls: Favourite Schoolgirl - Poll Added
Carys wrote:
maybe if this was done again in the future then there could be heats for different era's of the school and then a grand final could be held from that?

Sounds like we're preparing for a CS sports day!

I do take your point though and think that is a very good idea, and it would be interesting to see who heads each era. I'd find it tough to choose in the English books though - it was hard enough choosing in this! All my favourite characters emerge in the Armishire and St Brivals books - Gay, Bride, Tom etc.
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