HIGH SCHOOL OLD BOYS.

Press, Volume LVI, Issue 16881, 8 July 1920, Page 8

HIGH SCHOOL OLD BOYS.

ANNUAL REUNION. The annual reunion of tho Christchurch High School Old Beys was held in tho Art- Gallery last evening. There was a very large attendance, over which Mr A. T. Donnelly presided, j The toast of "The School" was proI posed by Mr H. H. Hanna, who re- | ferrcd in eulogistic terms to tno work J during the last 33 years or more of the • headmaster. Jlr C. E. Bovan-Brown, j who, he said, was to the .school very I much as Dr. Arnold had been to Rugby. | (Applause.) Ho had come out to : Zealand imbued with the best principles ! of the big English schools, which he had very successfully endeavoured to inculcate into the Christchurch High School. Mr Hanna indulged in numerous humorous recollections of his clays at the school, and went on to say that the lofty ideals and the high sense of : duty of the headmaster, and his patrioti ism and love of country, had been big j factors in the success of Iris administrai tion. The big public schools of England —Harrow, Rugby, Eton, and others —had in the past been able to plav a, big part in the business of the Empire. The Christchurch Boys" High School had not had any such opportunity until the big opportunity of 1314 came, andi then its old boys had unheld tho honour of the school a'nd the Empire with conspicuous ability. Mr Hanna incidentally mentioned the great gratitude al{ old boys at the front had felt at the gifts which had come to them from Mr and Mrs Bevan-Brown and* the boys of the school. The site of the school was | about to be changed, and the headmaster was about to resign aftejrntprly 40 years of invaluable service. To nim, the very best wishes and thanks of every old boy were extended. (Applause.) Mr Donnelly remarked upon the formation of a strong branch of t-he Association in Wellington, and he was authorised to send to the "Wellington old boys a telegram of congratulation and good wishes. Replying to the toast proposed by Mr Hanna, Mr Bevan-Brown, who was greeted with 'loud cheers- and continued applause, staid that he had a little tinge of sadness in replying to the toast, as it would probably be the last time that lie would respond to a toast to whicli he had responded your by year for more than 30 years. "Balbus had nearly finished his wall." (Laughter and! loud applause.) God knew how it had been built, but it was composed of good and strong stones —(applause)—and old bovs of the school were now occupying honourable positions in all parts of the world. It was a groat wrench to> have to say "good-bye" after a service of 36 years, but he would still remain the headmaster of most of those who were present that night. (Applause.) Nothing could the link between liim and the old boys of the past. The old boys had done magnificently at tho 'front, and he was sure that, just as they had done honourably in the trenches, they would do big things in the reconstruction that was now nccessary. Turning to other matters, Mr Bevan-Brown said that ho was pleased to say that tho present football team ranked -with the best that the school had "ever produced. (Applause.) There was a fine stamp of boy now at school, and their character augured well for the future of the old! boys. Tho speaker proceeded that ho was extremely pleased to see present some old colleagues who had been with him for more than 30 years—amongst them Mr B. K. -S. Lawrence—(ap-plause)—-and Mr W. Walton. (Applause.) He hoped that when he -retired lie would continuo to keep in touch with the old school, and to help it in every way he could. All could bo sure that his heart was,, bound up in "tho deal* old school. (Loud applause, and the singing of "For He's a Jobv Good Fellow.")

Mr Donnelly proposed the toast of "The Fallen Old Boys," which was drunk in silence.

The toast of "The Board of Governors of Canterbury College" was proposed by Mr T. "W. Reese, the oldest old boy present, and the first senior monitor of tho school. Mr llee-so paul a tribute to what the Board had dono for the school, particularly during recent years. The fact that they had authorised the building of the new school at Riccarton, at a cost of somo £60.000 or jSYO.Ua), showed,'he said, the faith the Board' had in the old school. Old Boys could rest assured that, the Board of Governors -would do whatever was in the interests of the school. They had helped handsomely in the past, and old boys generally owed a debt'of gratitude to the Governors. Incidentally, he eulogised the work of Messrs G. W. Russell", J. C. Adams, and IT. D. Acland. in their capacity of chairmen of the Board. (Applause.) Mr H. D- Ac-land, chairman of the Board of Governors, responded to the toast. He was, he said, proud of the fact ] le W as a member of tho governing body of the Boys' High School, a position which had been occupied by his father and his grandfather. (Applause.) Expressing the ideas of the Board to-. I wards the schqol, Mr Aclnnd said that their intention was to build the finest school not only in New Zealand, but south of tho Line, before they were finished. (Applauso.) The plans had been drawn up, but it was one matter to send the plans to the Education Department and have them approved, and quite another to get them back again. (Laughter.) Monev was another factor in the delay in the crectitm . of tho school. The Minister of Education had asked -what the most urgent needs in connexion with Canterbury College were, and had been told that the most urgent was £50.000 for the erection of the school. So far, he had not given his reply, but it was hoped that when he did so, the work of erecting the new school would be gone on with. (Applause.) There wero also the difficulties of labour and material to contend with, but already measures were being taken to place at least the playing grounds of the new school in order. Ho congratulated the Old Boys' Association on the fact that an ex-president, Mr J. R. Cuningham. was now an activo and energetic member of the Board of Governors. "Within a few weeks, he continued, the Board would have a most difficult function to perform, that of appointing a new headmaster to succeed Mr Bevan-Brown. In that the Board had a most difficult and responsible task to-perform, and it was to he hoped that its selection would result in the school's prospering as it had done in the past. Mr Bevan-Brown had said that "Balbns had nearly finished his wall," and the speaker would like to add that the wall : had been well and trulv laid. (Ap- j planse.) The difficulty in which the Board found it-self —ono which Mr Bevan-Brown's successor, whoever he mifrht bo, would have to face —was that unless the new headmaster were an ab- j solutely tip-top man, he would Tie com- j pared—at a disadvantage—with Mr I Bevan-Brown. In conclusion. Mr Acland said that the Bov S ' High School was to be con grn tula ted. morothan any I other school in New Zealand, in that it | had such traditions, and such a fine i spirit, as had been established by , Mr Bevan-Brown. (Loud applause.) j Mr J. R. Cuningham referred in j terms of the highest pro : so to sor- ; vices to the school of - Walton* j for over 30 years senior mathematical j

master, who resigned some time ago, but who has recently acted as relieving master. Under Mr Walton the school had produced such brilliant mathematicians as the Lancaster brotlieTs, Cooper and Keane, all of whom had done great honour tq the school and to the University. Mr Walton had done magnificent work, and the old boys could not allow liim to sever his connexion with the school without giving him some tangible mark of their appreciation and regaid. Mr Cuningham then handed to Mr Walton a handsome gold watch, wishing him all future happiness and prosperity.

Mr Walton, in returning thanks, said that the presentation had come upon him as a thunderbolt. . To him, it had been a very great wrench to leave the school, as it had always been his fixed intention to finish out his days at the school with Mr Bevan-Brown, for ho felt that he could serve under no other headmaster. He had always been proud of his connexion with the school, which would ever remain the dearest recollection of his life. The number of years during which the original and later members of the staff of the school had remained together on the staff had constituted a record in Now Zealand. All had been thoroughly capable men. He was delighted to see that his sue-, cessor was one of his most apt pupils— Mr Lancaster. (Appiause.) In conclusion, he expressed his thanks to the Board of Governors for what it had done for him, and tho tremendous debt he considered he owed to Mr BevanBrown. (Applause and cheers.)

Dr. J. G utiirie proposed the toast of "The Old Boys' .Association," and urged upon all old boys what they could do as members of the Association, not only in tho way of athletics, but 111 keeping up the atmosphere and esprit do corps of the old school. Ho hoped that the Association would in the future maintain tho traditions of the school as tho fifteen iiad done that day. Mr J. R. Cuningham briefly responded to the toast, explaining various avenues in which the Association was directing its activities, and paying a tribute to Mr Acland, Mr 4. E. Flower, a master of Clirist's College, and Mr J. C. Adams, for tlieii work in tho interests of the school in their capacity as members of the Board of Governors. The toast of ''The Staff" was proposed by Mr A. T. Donnelly, who said that tho school had of recent, years had a staff unequalled by any other school in New Zealand. Mr G. Lancaster briefly responded _to the toast, emphasising the great Influence the old boys could exercise on the school, and stating that they could do more for the school -when they left it than they could do when tliey were there. During the evening, which was a most enjoyable one, vocal items ■ were contributed by Messrs L. Fleming, W. J. Trewern, J. H. Cycles, A. L. Crorpj A. Dcy, and C. E. Bevan-Brown, Dr. Frank* A'Court acting as accompanist.