LOCAL AND GENERAL

Ashburton Guardian, Volume 67, Issue 54, 13 December 1946, Page 2

LOCAL AND GENERAL

Poor Prospects For Fishing As. a result of nor’westers and heavy rain in the hack country, the big rivers in the Ashburton County are in freshes, and prospects for angling during the week-end are consequently not bright. The Hinds River, however, is fishable. Killinchy School Picnic About 40 children, and their parents, with''the staff of the Killinchy School, to-day held their annual picnic in the Ashburton. Domain. From all appearances they seemed to be enjoying their visit, the equipment in the playground being particularly popular. Excellent Judgment Shown Four of the seven pens of lambs selected yesterday to represent MidCanterbury district in a competition among South Island lambs to be judged in England were picked out by G. Chatterton, a drafter of the Canterbury Frozen Meat Company. This is stated to be a most outstanding performance, reflecting real credit on the sound judgment of the man concerned. “Your Sermon ‘Griped' Me” In assuring his listeners that be would not bore them with a lengthy address, Captain. H. Sutcliffe at the Ashburton Technical High School break-up last evening "told a story about the Bishop of Fulham. The Bishop had received a letter from a lady of the congregation outlining the benefit she had gained from one of his sermons. One phrase caught the Bishop’s eye and drew peals of laughter from. him. “How much your sermon griped me.” She meant “gripped.”

Christmas Carolling Besides steady practice for the New Zealand brass bands’ championship contest, the Ashburton Silver Band has a very" big programme of Christmas carolling in front of it for the next two weeks. This season will be opened on Sunday, when the band will play in the Ealing-Ruapuna, WillowbyEiffelton, Westerfield-Mayfleld, Hunt-ingdon-Flemington. Lowcliffe - Coldstream and Hinds-Maronan-Lismore areas. On the following Sunday an additional country area will be covered, and on Christmas morning it will be the turn of the town to hear the band.

High School Farm Mr E. A. Cockroft (headmaster of the Ashburton High School) refers to the position of the High School farm in his annual statement. “The school, farm lias now been leased. In its place in the agricultural course we hope to have a plot of ground on which experimental work will be carried out. In this way, with much less expense, we can do similar work to that which we were doing on the farm with these advantages, that very little manual labour will be required from the boys and that it will not now be necessary to disturb the work in other subjects taken by the boys doing agricultural work. We are sure that the change is for the ibest and that good results will come from the new scheme.”

Placement of Students

It had been impossible to meet all demands in connection with the placement of students, said the principal of the Ashburton Technical High School (Mr W. Crawford) in his review at the break-up ceremony last -night. The number of students who obtained positions during the year totalled 48. They were distributed amongst the various callings as follows: —Government service, 4; clerical, 12; shop assistants, 11; building trade, 3; engineering (motor, electrical and general) 8; industry, 10. “This figure is somewhat lower than in previous years, and this fact can probably be accounted for by the operation of the school age regulations which forbid the permanent employment, of children below the age of 15 years,” said Mr Crawford.

Foundation of Life ' i “I would remind you students that the. lessons that you have learned at school both inside and outside the classroom or the workshop must be the foundation on which the rest of your life is to be built. The influence of this school will remain with you always,” said Mr W. Crawford (principal) at the break-up of the Ashburton Technical High School last evening. “To the end of your days you will belong to the school and the school will belong to you. You came here to be educated, but education does not mean the acquisition of a fund of knowledge, but rather the process of applying wisely and usefully those faculties with which you are endowed. Its aim should be human wisdom, and the ultimate benefit of society rather than the selfsatisfaction of the individual person.”

School Medical Inspection “Last year a medical inspection of the girls was carried out by the Medical Officer for Health for Canterbury,” says Mr E. A. Cockroft (headmaster) in his annual report on the Ashburton High School, which will be presented at the break-up this evening. “This year the examination was extended to include the boys. An early inspection such as this has great advantages. Defects not noticed by the untrained person may develop into something more serious. Many small defects were noticed during the inspection, and it is pleasing to note that in nearly all cases where the pupils or the parent was asked to see a medical practitioner or a specialist it has been done and the defect removed. We are very pleased with this medical service and extend our thanks to the District Medical Officer and the District Nurse who spare no pains in. the inspection itseif and in seeing that their advice is being followed.”

Pupils Enter Employment “Quite a large number of pupils have left school to enter employment,” says the annual statement which the headmaster of the Ashburton High School (Mr E. A. Cockroft) will present at the break-up this evening. ''‘Even then it has been impossible to supply the demand,” continues Mr Cockroft, who gives a table showing the class of employment chosen. Girls into offices, 26 per cent; girls home, 6 percent; boys into mercantile firms, 15 per cent.; farming, 15 per cent.; trades (tailoring, hardware, tobacconist), 10 per cent.; interim Air Force, 4 per cent.; massage work at hospital, 4 per cent.; dental surgery, 4 per cent. “It will be seen from the percentages that the school supplies all kinds of positions. We are pleased to state that employers generally are pleased with the product of this school,* whether the pupils enters a trade, a profession or commerce.”