NEED FOR IDEALS.

Auckland Star, Volume LXIX, Issue 208, 3 September 1938, Page 7

NEED FOR IDEALS.

WOMEN OF TO-DAY.

RESPONSIBILITY IMPOSED.

GRAMMAR SCHOOL FUNCTION. Old girls of the Auckland Girls' Grammar School gathered in force at the school in Howe Street this afternoon, when, on their behalf, Mrs. A. M. Nicholson, president of the Old Girls' Association, unveiled and presented to the school a liandsome new honours board. It was the contribution of past pupils to the jubilee celebrations at the school. It was a simple function, with the central theme in the honours board, which is of handsome modern design, with the school badge in colour at the top. Set out on it are the names of scholarship winners and head prefects of the school since its foundation. The best test of a school's usefulness lay in the loyalty and affection of past pupils, said Mrs. Nicholson. The new board was tangible evidence of the esteem" and affection that old girls of the Auckland Grammar retained for their old school. It was hoped that it would serve, not only to preserve the names of distinguished scholars and leaders of the school, but would help to maintain inspiration among the pupils of to-day and to-morrow. "As we look back over the pa-st fifty years," she said, "we see the sphere of women's usefulness widening, until to-day women have won the right to equality with man in all phases of the national life. This era presents opportunities to the girls of to-day which were denied to their parents; but it also brings the responsibility that the widening influenco of women is one of high ideals of service to God and humanity. It will not be asked of us so much 'What have you done?' but 'What have you done well?'" A welcome to the guests, who included not only old pupils of the school, but the Mayor, Sir Ernest Davis, other members of the Board of Governors, and old teachers at the school, was extended by Miss A. W. Whitelaw, who was head mistress of the school for three years and a half from 1907. She also read a number of apologies. Dr. E. Robertson, chairman of the Board of Governors, in accepting the honours board, thanked the old girls for their continued interest and active work on behalf of the school, and congratulated them on the vitality of their association. The present head mistress, Miss E. M. Johnston, expressed the thanks of the school to the old girls for their gift.