SCHOOL JUBILEE.

Press, Volume LXVII, Issue 20333, 4 September 1931, Page 7

SCHOOL JUBILEE.

CELEBRATIONS BEGIN AT WOODBURY. YESTERDAY'S REUNION. The first functions connected with the jubil©6 of the Woodbury. School j were held yesterday, when there was an attendance of nearly GOO ex-pupils and friends. y Woodbury, a small township about Six miles from Geraldine, owes its origin to th® timber industry. It was riot until the year 1874 that the little township, vnaa named Woodbury, it previously being known as Wftihi Bush. There has been a school in the district from as far back as 18/3, it being known in those days as the VV&lhi Bush Sell do!, with an attendance of approximately 30 pupils. ( . In the year 1878 it was decided to move the school eastwards towards Geraldine, and the name of the school district was, on. October Bth, I°9*> changed from Waihi Bush to Woodbury. . - - | The first scliool, named the lileneaulty School, was held in a private house some distance from the township. Mr Slipper was headmaster, and thd children were charged Is 6d a week for their schooling. The riext teachers were Mtf J. Hardcastle and Miss Hftrdcaatl<6 (now Mrs C. Ward), who is now residing in Christchurch. Mr and Mrs Murray followed the Hardoastles, and after teaching for four of five years Alf Murray died, the vacancy being filled by Mr Palmer. The present echOo) on being built in 1878 was contr6lled by Mf Palmer, with Mr Murray as headmaster.

Mr J. Fifield, who has been chairman of a school committee for 34 years> welcomed all present to the jubilee celebrations. He statod that it had beep very hard to locate a number of old pupils, but he was sure that the Jubilee Committee had done its best in this fespect. The Key. J. F, Coursey (chairman of the Geraldine School Committee) oongratu]at&d the school on ite goldiU) jubilee. Mr Coursey extended, on behalf of the .Geraldine jscliool and citizens, their. heartiest congratulations and "greetings for a very successful jubilee. Jklr CourseV paid the occasion reminded hiiu of his iiseociations with his own school, which had had hiany jubilees and was 18.000 miles away.. The education. sys-» tem wisr a splendid ope iff N(Bw ZSear land, for it gi*e every ehfJd a wtaderfd sdwolmg. pwsto

could not be bettered, and- he truly hoped that it would continue for many y»ta. . , • ~ This concluded the speeches or welcome. Mr Woodiiig (an old pupil) then hoisted the flag. The pupils then fell m in their (respective decades and marched to the Coronation Hall for lunch. . .

After lunch several early reminis- « cences were told by former masters of the 6chool. Mr Fifield, who presided, ] read apologies from the following: Mr T. D. Burnett, M.P., llev. Mr Lawry (Geraldinc), Messrs Smith, G. W. Armi- '< tage, and J. G. Gow (members of the ( Canterbury Education Board), Miss Hard castle (now Mrs C. Ward), and ft number of old ex-pupils of the school.;; • Mr. J. McLeod, headmaster of the-, school during.the years.:;lß97 to 1902,;.: congratulated the school on attaining! its 60th jttbiloe. It was now 30 'years since ha "had been in the district,.and ha could see many changes. The five years spent in Woodbury were.he could safely say, the happiest or his life. A number of the old pupils* of, the school held very important positions in New Zealand to-day, and it spoke well of the schooling they " had received when they resided at Woodjvfessrs George M. Pilkittgton {lieadrnaster from 1906 to 191fi), H. R. Marks (1924 to 1929), and. E. Ford (19294930), ox-inaetera at tho Woodbury School, also spoke, congratulating the school on attaining its jubilee. Mr T, B. FJatman. an old pupil of the school, welcomed aIJ present on behalf of tho old pupils. Mr Fifield then called on Mrs A. Allan (nee Mucdonald), the oldest expupil jii-esent, to cut the jubilee cake, i which she did amidst oppl&use. , In the afternoon the roll of .the school since its inceptiop wto called, and a largo nunjber .anikered their names. v During the afternoon the Geraldine Silver Band gave items, which weto mi)ch appreciated by those present.