Day of the Children.

Auckland Star, Volume LVIII, Issue 45, 23 February 1927, Page 6

Day of the Children.

A Magnificent Spectacle.

Young New Zealand's Royal

Welcome to Rovaltv

DUKE AND DUCHESS DELIGHTED.

If ;!".■;•(■ could be any more eloquent instar.cv of the virility and latent strength of a young nation, the Duke and Duchess have yet to see it. There in the great arena of the Domain were. 12,000 children from the public schools, grouped in masses of red. white, brown, blue and khaki. Allaround them were thousands of other children, and the elders of the community in their tens of thousands, mostly women, these latter, whose tinted dresses made wonderful splashes of colour against the picturesque surroundings. The turf was vividly green under a speckless sky. out of which the golden sun gleamed in all his glory. From the crowded and all-too-small grandstand, there was presented an unforgettable picture. Directly ahead was the hill on the northern side, under the splendid trees, of which ten thousand people found grateful shade. Beyond were the waving tops of the trees in the Domain, with the towering framework of the new museum building sharply outlined against the faultless blue. To the right was another green hillock also beautiful with its trees, and also swarming with people. To the left were more trees, silhouetted against the walls of the great new hospital building, on the flat roof of which hundreds of spectators looked down uj)on the wonderful sight below. A Striking Picture. It was the day of the children, ;here in their thousands to give to :he Duke and Duchess a welcome from hearts which more truly than anything else represented the spirit ot the young nation, and it proved a welcome which must have seemed royal even to Royalty. Here were the future men and women, the future mothers and fathers of the race, twelve thousand strong, standing in the strong light of the sun, in silence and in perfect formation, awaiting the arrival of those they had come to entertain. It was a striking and an inspiring spectacle, from the contemplation of which could be painted the picture of a great destiny for the British race in these far Southern Seas.

On cither side of tlie grandstand, back to each entrance gate, and from i ni' p to fence, the people were p.ieked in our den.-e mass, and they crowded the hillocks on right and Mr. and stood three deep around the entirp <-ir-d« of the arena, -while on the higher land out in the Domain they were al.-<> in their thousands, looking down upon the natural amphitheatre, wb.r'n pre-e..tefl s,-, unwonted and -o beautiful .. .-pfftr.elr—a spectacle such as hsi- never before been presented on th.r. crrouml. and one ■which will remain -tamped indelibly on the memories of tlt■ -e whu were privileged to watch it. It wn- ; , wonderful scene, and a. wonderful crowd, variously estimated at from sixty to eighty thousand people. I f seemed as if all Auckland was contained in that picturesque space. Royalty Arrives. Motor cars commenced to arrive through the gates at the Domain side of the ground, and the army of children took to cheering. Precisely at 3"! o'clock, the time arranged, the Royal car came in. and there rose ihe sound of a grand acclamation as twelve thousand child throats sounded their welcome. The Duke and Duchess drove along the fence on the in-i.le ..(' the arena, and a- their car drew up in Iron! of the grandstand ami the National Anthem was sounded by ihe hand, the va-t concourse all round took up the cheering. Again it was all eyes on the Duchess,

■with a bee-like buzz of admiring exclamations from those in close view of the party. To-day the dainty little lady had discarded her blue costume, and appeared daintier than ever in a pale pink, under the shade of a cream and gold parasol. The Duke was in naval uniform, as yesterday, and the Royal pair presented a picturesque sight as they alighted to be greeted by the chairman of the Board of Education. Mr. A. Bums. who escorted them to the dais alter presentations on the lawn.

As soon as she had taken her seat, the Duchess, whose happy smiles and charming manner, had won the hearts of everyone on the crowded grandstand, was presented with a beautiful bouquet by little Miss Grace Burns, the youngest daughter of Mr. A. Burns. Later in the morning another presentation was made to the Duchess by two tiny "brownies" from the Richmond Road Orphanage, the presentation being a large doll, a gift for the baby Princess Elizabeth, who is not accompanying her parents on their present tour.

On the grandstand with Their Royal Highnesses were the Earl and Countess of Cavan. the Prime Minister, Mr. Coatcs, and Mrs. Coates, the Mayor (Mr. G. Baildon) and Mrs. Campbell, Mr. A. Burns (chairman of the Education Board) and Mrs. Burns, the Hon. Mrs. J. LittleGilmour. Sir Heaton and Lady Rhodes, the Hon. W. Xosworthy, the Hon. G. J. Anderson, the Hon.*R. F. Bollard, the Hon. K. S. Williams, the Hon. J. A. Young, the Hon. Sir Maui Pomare. Mr. G. W. Forbes (Leader of the National party), the General Officer Commanding the X.Z. Forces, Major-General Young. Commodore Swabey. Smiles and Handclaps. Both the Duke and Duchess plainlv onstrated their pleasure in the entertainment, frequently smiling their pleasure and clapping the children, the Duchess particularly, her charming face being irradiated by an almost continual smile of genuine interest and pleasure, whilst .she applauded every pageant. The initial march of the Wolf Cubs—the baby Boy Scouts —the Sea Scouts, the bigger Boy Scouts, who saluted as they passed the Royal dais with left arm flung across the chest: the Guides, who marched with a tine steadiness, eyes right: the tiny Brownies, who romped past driven by their Scout mistresses in a manner truly delightful; the poi-poi dances of the Maori girls and the hakas of the Maori boys, all so novel and picturesque, each won from the distinguished onlookers its meed of appreciation, and theirs would have been blase hearts indeed, (which they are not) not to have been stirred to their depths by the magnificent "Haeremai"' of the school girls and by their nobly effective formation of the St. George's Cross, and by the salutes of the two thousand boys who did physical drill before them. Altogether it was an historic and a worthy pageant, and one which did credit not only to the youth of Auckland, but to that of the whole Dominion. The Magic Signwriter. Xext camp the turn of those masses of girls awaiting in the four corners of th'' enclosure. A teacher mounted one

pedestal, and a dainty lass with fair cirds stood upon another. There was a signal by whistle, and to the lively rhythm of the hand there stepped out c-ountle-s rows of white-clad lassies, who inarched and wheeled into rehearsed positions upon the white-marked playin- field. Soon upon the preen there spread the great da/.zlin- letters of welcome to the Royal guest*. It was as tli"Uph soin--> magic signwriter. with hugi- white-tlipped brush, had dashed the gigantic letters upon the sward. More signals -ounded. and the snowy svmbols changed in a twinkling to a" mass of colour as each human unit of the word raised aloft, and crossed over her head, a pair of lings. Ere the applause came there was a simultaneous ejaculation of wonderment from the throng of spectators. But another signal went, and the first letter of the brilliant word sank as every child con [.li-in.u it went down to the "'knee bend" and lifted a clear treble to shout "H." In turn the letters sunk as the girls spelt out "H-a-e-r-e-m-a-i.* 1 A living picture indeed it was. rousing those tens of thousands to enthusiasm. Ciiant letters of a word that Royalty

will hear many time- ere it leave- our shores lay before them, red superimposed on white. Suddenly the whole word rose, and from every throat came the shout "Haeremai."'" Again, and louder, once again, came the old .Maori welcome from those little throats. Xo great boom of native voices carried it to the delighted throng, but a treble that rang with a sincerity which impressed none the less. Three thousand tlags fluttered in emphasis of the greeting till the leader on the stand gave" the signal, and magically the word" changed again to white. A whistle shrilled."the band struck up. and the letters, though not the significance of their message." faded away as the girls marched off." The Boys' Battalion Drills. Immediately the pedestals were occupied by another teacher, and an alert though not nervous lad. To the tune of '•The British Grenadiers'' there came straight across the ground forty lines of blue and white. It was the turn of the boys' battalion, and the lads swung on with a verve and a precision that captured the crowd at once. At a signal they halted, opened out into a rigid square with a side of about 100 yards. Every eye went intently to the" little chap on the pedestal. On him lay the onus of a faultless display, and with him those two thousand moved and worked as one. He raised his hand to his head, and as Lis own cap did. so two thousand other caps disappeared into two thousand pockets. It was indeed "'hats off" in quick time. Then, with an alertness that any regiment might have been proud of the drill began, punctuated with burst after burst of appreciation as fervent as it was merited. Every exercise was a spectacle, but some were outstanding features of a memorable five minutes. When, as though moved by some un-ecn mechanism, feet sprang astride, arms swung up. and every body bent full downyards. the effect on the spectators was magical. Xext. down on their knees with a precision that shook the ground, went the lads, their arms came to "neck rest." and the great blue and white square swayed back and forward in time with that confident little chap upon the pedestal, springing again to their feet as he did. Finally, with arms stretched sideways, the whole battalion bent to right and to left with a motion suggestive of the effect of a great field of wheat swaying to the wind. It was a telling conclusion to a splendid combined effort, and when the young lads turned about to march off and line the back of the. enclosure the public were loth to let them go.

The Cross of St. George. It had lici'M intended |,i produce a- ,1 fitting finale, a display typical of Xew Zealand, fern li>hh>> surmounted bv a great kiwi. When this was tried at rehearsal, however, it war. found that there wa- no; su'lieicnt elcation to L'ive the necessary effect for the on-lookers, and. a- late a- Thursday h;-: it was decided to substitute the cross of St. (ieorge. What thi- meant in re-organ-isation only lho-e r.\-|'on-il>ie know, hut they deserve credit for the wonderful re-ult a>-hie\ed after hut three davof preparation and only one rehearsal, "nee more lone ' .•.diinm- ..it u:,rlmarehed .m to form a block of white throne.]- which ran tin* vertical and horizontal red lines ~f the hanner of F.iil'land's patron saint. The simplicity of the movement and the ma-s onlv heightened it- effect, which wa- f:ir; iic'r enhanced as each girl raised a pair of flags, and. following a preci-e little leader on the stand, went through short and graceful c\erci-es which turned the great banner into a iluttcring changing: mas- of colour. Once again Prince 'and people gave approbation, and the human flag lifted it- united voice in cheers. •Then those red lines marched out to fringe the background of white, leaving it with transverse lane-. The children had done their little bit. and there, on the centre of the field, and in ordered ranks surrounding it. they waited for Their lloyal Highnesses to do theirs. All wanted a close personal view of the Duke and Duchess whom they had weleomed. and for whom they had performed, and all eyes turned towards the Royal platform in that eai;erne-s of anticipation that only children can show. For the city children the great e\ent was at an end. and as they poured out of the gates their thoughts turned to train or cake-shop. For those from the country, however, there was yet another important item. Soon they were wending their way down that path which leads through the fields in front of the hospital, and. shepherded bv teacher-, they arrived .-.; the Drill Hall. Here, with their usual self-saerilice. hl.lie- ~; ;!;,. \ iM , League had worked during the morning, and here the visitors, producing mugs wiselv brought with them, quickly demonstrated that the bewildering sight- of the da v. and a personal view of Koyaltv h, d in' no wav lntertered with the abnor-nal demand's of the child appetite. Here was a

worth-while scene that both visitors and • the public missed, but that tho*e privileged to see it will not soon forget. The Children Pour In. In the country, children, excited at the prospect of a trip to town, had risen I long before the dawn. From S o'clock ! onwards the children streamed into the | Domain. Finin the Far North and from j the Waikato they came in their ■>! (thousands, the-e country children, for fek | this w a - a e : - t >at day in their lives. They ■'Iliad had a free trip to Auckland, they [were to -ee the Duke and Duchess, and j crowd- far greater than they eompre- | bended, they were to be fed by considerate city folk, and after a great day I they were to return wearied more by ; mental excitement than by physical exerliion. yet with wonderful experiences to ! ralk of for month- to come. Here was ja 'tov eminent ext-enditure at which none i could cavil. | Suburban boys and girl- regarded the I day more philosophically. For them the I traffic held no terrors, the streets no 1 novelty, but it was their day. the occasion on which they were to appear before C | Royalty, and households were early astir. The juveniles knew well how crowded 'the tram- would be. and though they I were mt lcouired to assemble before 1C | a.m.. at '•' o'clock cars and bu.-cs were II deliver ing thousands at Park Road and j i iraftoil Bridge, which echoed to the [chatter and laughter of childhood.

j Through the Domain gates they poured [to the enclosure, girl- in spotless white lor brilliant red. boys j n cool-looking | shirts that doting mothers had freshly 1 ironed, all of them pictures of health and ; happiness, fine abut specimens that bore I witness to a land of sunshine and plenty. ■ At the ground, teachers and groundsmen 'had been hard at work from the early 'hours that no detail might be neglected. On the tree-clad slopes oppo-ite the pavilion the country cousins were parked in a natural grandstand, which gave them : probably the best view of the whole disi play. for. though the backs of the performers were turned toward- lliem. they 1 had a full sight of every evolution, and gazed right across at the densely packed | mass of humanity that filled the hill- ! sides on either side of the pavilion. Per- | haps for the first time they realised the ; magnitude of a city population. ' An Inspiring Scene. | Inside the roped area, and lining the I two sides of it. were ushered the city 'children who were not participants in the day's exercises. In charge of teachers I they settled down on the sward to enjoy, land to criticise, as only youngsters can. 1 (iradually. while parents and elders [filled every vantage point. the performers of the morning assembled an,'. I were marshalled in great masses. Boy : Scouts, proud of their numerous and I varied badges of proficiency, fell into the [command "i their troop leader-: i.irl j Guides, even more coiispiciiou-ly proud j of themselves in their smart blue uniforms, colourful tie-, and becoming head'gear, assembled with military precision: on either side of the ground grew great [squares of white-clad girls, all bearing | their coloured tlags; and across from 'the pavilion there evolved from a vast 'assemblage of blue-capped white-shirts | the ordered ranks of a great phv leal jerks battalion, nearly 'iiKH) strong i Teachers were everywhere, marshalling, 'counselling, commanding, but as the 'great moment of the day drew near thev withdrew, ami there, with but few to superintend it. spread the great parade. ; There was really no need for evolutions ■The setting that awaited the Royal : arrival was in itself a demonstration — 1 a magnificent demonstration of glorious : virile youth of a young laiid, the makI ings of a great generatiou that would 'later play it- importantapaii-t in the life j of this Southern nation of the Empire. None of the vast concourse round the i ground could view that tense, expectant 'assemblage unemotionally. All must have i felt' the thrill of pride in our young" ' Aucklaiulers that later found vent in storms of unstinted applau-e. The stage ! was set. It waited but the important 'moment to ring up the curtain on the plav.