SOUTH CANTERBURY.

Press, Volume LVIII, Issue 17645, 23 December 1922, Page 9

SOUTH CANTERBURY.

TEMUKA. Tile Temuka District High Seliool had its annual distribution of prizes on Thursday. In the afternoon the junior and infant classes had their ceremony at the school, the chairman of the committee, Mr E. B. Coopei\ presiding. The acting-headmaster, Mr J. J • Smart-, Miss Motiougan, infant mistress, and other members oi" the teaching staff, the chairman of the Board of Education, Mr G. W. Armitage, and Mjb Armitage, the Mayor of Temuka, Mr Gunnion, and Mrs Gunnion. Mr i. 1). Burnett, M.P., the Rev. A. H. Morris and Mrs Morris, Couunaudant Armstrong, Mrs Armstrong and Miss Armstrong, and Ensign Pratt, of tliSalvation Army, Miss Phillips, and members of the school committee, Mrs Til brook. Messh-s E. Foote (secretary], F. Sanders and A. E. Smith, and a fo.\" parents and friends'of the scholars vers present. Brief addresses were given by Commandant Armstrong, Mr T. I>. Bur 7 r.ett, M.P., and Mr Q. \V. Artnitage, and the prizes were presented bv tin Mayoress, Mrs Gunnion. In the evening a large gathering assembled at the Dominion Theatre for the distribution of prizes to the senior scholars. The ceremony was so successful that it is certain that there will be no reversion to the former" practice of having the ceremony in the limited space of the schoolrooms. The entertainment given by the scholars under the superintendence of the actinglieadmaster, Mr J. T. Smart and the infant mistress, Miss MacGougan, was excellent; the singing and acting showed very careful training, and the deportment of the scholars on tho stage was very good; all the items were very heartily applaucted. After the entertainment, the presentation of prizes was made, tho chairman of the committee, Mr E. B. Cooper, presiding; with him on the platform wei'e members of the school committee, the chairman of the Board of Education, Mr G. W. Armitage, the Ala}'or and Mayoress (Mr and Mrs Gunnion), Mr T. D. Burnett, M.P., Miss Phillips (a former teacher), she Rev. A. H. Morris, the acting-headmaster and other members of the staff. " An apology for absence through illness was received from, the Rev. C. Macdonald, also from the Rev. F. T. Harris. Mr Armitage in a brief address complimented tho school on the very good report -which it had received from the inspectors, and congratulated the teachers and scholars on the excellence of •• their entertainment. He stressed the importanco from an Imperial point of view of having on the staff, temporarily, a Canadian lady, Miss MoGougan, and h© expressed a hope that the" Board would be ahl© to make arrangements tli at would ensure an extension of Miss McGougan's term at Teinuka. (Applause.) Mr Burnett, who had already spoken at four schools that day, made a liapjy" little speech, in which he urged the duty of being hardy and working hard : there was a danger in* these days of people becoming soft and shirking the hard tasks, at the same time lie urged the scholars to enjoy their holidays whole-heartedly, and to come back to school renewed in mind, ready for hard work next year. At the call chairman, Miss McQougan gave a short address in which she told the Temulca people that on returning; to Canada she would be nappy to give a very favourable account of the New Zealand children, whom she had had the great pleasure of teaching. The" prizes were presented by the Mayor, Mr (Junnion. Besides tho prizes for scholarship and attendance, prizes were presented for swimming and football, and the South Canterbury Schools Championship Banner and silver cup were presented to the winners for the past season, the captain of the Temuka school fifteen, R. Blyth, receiving the banner and cup, and alio a framed photograph of the team. - A presentation from tie boys to ono of the masters, Mr S. Craven, in token of their appreciation of Bis keen interest in their sports, was made by Mr Armitage, who was for some years in bygone days a,South Canterbury representative footballer.