A SCHOOL TROPHY.

Auckland Star, Volume LIV, Issue 247, 16 October 1923, Page 7

A SCHOOL TROPHY.

THE GWYNNE SHIELD. HAMILTON MARISTS WILL NOT TAKE IT. Writing to the Morrinsville School Committee recently, the headmaster of the school, Mr. Campbell, stated that whilst the school had won the competition for the Gwynne Shield it had lost the trophy for playing a boy over the age of sixteen. The headmaster explained that this boy came to the school over two years ago with a transfer from the Vermont Street School, Auckland, at the time in charge of Bro. Calixtus, and who is now at the Hamilton Marist Bros." School. At the time of transfer the boy's age was given as 13 years 3 months, and from that the boy should have been on the day of the match 15 years 9 months, which was the age given on the school roll. Bro. Calixtus, now at the Hamilton school, now asserts that the boy was over 17 years at the present time.

Brother Calixtus, in a reply addressed to the editor of the "Star," s.ays: "Mr. Campbell, in a statement he made to the School Committee, re the Gwynne Shield, fell into some errors. He claims that the lad in question brought a transfer from Vermont Street, giving hie age as 13 years 3 months. That age was transferred to the Morrinsville admission register. He now blames mc for the mistake in the age. He evidently didn't give the matter much thought, or he would have blamed the head teacher who made out the lad's transfer when he came first to Vermont Street from another school. I would blame the boy himself, who evidently gave his wrong age at the outset.

"He says I made an 'assertion' that the boy's age was over 17. I didn't. I had a baptismal certificate giving the age over 17. as I stated in a letter to Mr. Campbell. I also got his birth certificate from the registrar. Both gave the age as well over IG. The played, who, according to Mr. Campbell's certificate, weighed in at IISJIb, looks every day of his age. Mr. Campbell says the school records deceived him. These are not reliable, for the reason that a child does not produce evidence of age at enrolment. The Morrinsville playors were the heaviest primary school team I've met in any competition. He hnd every reason then, in fairness to his opponents, to get the correct agps of his lads. Didn't he have reason to suspect that this lad could scarcely be only to years 9 months, when his sister, younger than he. must be between 15 and 1C 7

"I wrote Mr. Campbell oji receipt of the. boy "a birth certificate, and told him I left it to him to do the right thing. He chose, publicly, to justify his action by blaming mc. Hence this answer to his insinuations.

"The matter is now in the hands of the Primary Teachers' Union, and from my long experience of teachvra' unions I am sure they will do what is juet! I have also intimated to them that we will not take the shield. The shield is nothing, but 'fair play" is something."