CHRIST'S COLLEGE

Press, Volume LXVIII, Issue 20733, 19 December 1932, Page 7

CHRIST'S COLLEGE

PRESENTATION OF PRIZES.

j HEADMASTER'S ADDRESS

j The annual prize-giving ceremony at Christ's College was held i n the College Dining Hall on Saturday evening. The Warden of the College, Bishop West"Watson, presided, and presented the prizes. There was a large attendance, including the Board of Governors and many old boys and parents.

At the opening of his address the headmaster, Mr E. J. Eiehards, referred briefly to tho difficulties of the times and to their effect on tho school. "JUko everyone else," he said, "we are feeling the strain very much and have to exercise the strictest economy. Any other course, in the present state of ■world affairs, would be the greatest folly and so it is that we feel bound, although with great regret, to close Condell House. It is, of course, only an act of common prudence, made necessary by the unfortunate fact that no sooner had the new boarding house been completed than the affairs of the country began to go seriously wrong. "This school could not have attained its present position without endowments. Those endowments have been largely used to provide scholarships and exhibitions for boys whose parents needed help. 'And now, when that help is most direly needed, the income from endowments has been seriously depleted. In these circumstances it is clearly right to make every economy wo can in order that as much money as possible may be available from the endowments for the provision of scholarships and exhibitions. Work of Mr Jenkins. "Nevertheless, such a move brings with it much pain, and for me makes a very sad ending to what has otherwise been a happy year," went on Mr Richards. "It is only because Condell is the smallest house and has the least up-to-date building that it was selected as the one to be shut up. If it were judged on health alone it would bo the last to go; in house spirit, too, and in all other respects it is in a singularly happy state. "That this is so is largely due to the work of Mr Jenkins as housemaster, and I could not let an occasion like this go by without paying a very high tribute to that work. It is not that I have had only this year to judgethough on that alono I should have formed a vory high opinion—but Mr Jenkins was once my own housemaster, and so I have two angles from which to judge, and I can safely say this, that if everyone in the world had done his work as competently as Mi Jenkins has done his, then this world would be a very different place from what it is now.

"Before passing on to review the years' activities I must, with the greatest regret, refer to the deaths of throe old boys, who were ?losely associated with the life of tho school—William Pember Beeves, George Ifenry Merton, and Guyon Alister Macdonald. It if hardly necessary for me to outline the distinguished political career of the first—it is well enough known to yon already. Here with us his name will probably best be remembered as tho author of the College Song.

"Mr Merton's association with tlic school extended over a period of moro than sixty years, and during that long period he always showed the most intense loyalty and devotion to the welfare of the College. Mr Macdonald, ever a most loyal old boy, will be remembered for his years of faithful and valuable service as a member of the Diocesan Svnod and Standing Committee." The headmaster then spoke of the doings of old boys in various parts of the world, and of their successes in political, academic, and sporting life. The School Work. "And now about the work in the school," he continued. "I suppose it will be judged largely on the results of external examinations, and so wo can as yet say little about this year's work, but only look forward with faith and hope. In the university entrance last year G. C. X. Johnson gained a University National Scholarship and I. E. Coop, P. H. T. Alpers, and l£. C. West-Watson passed with credit. It is gratifying also to be able to record that matriculation passes are still on tho increase. The 42 last year was the largest number we have ever had. "In games we have had a very fair measure of success. At both football and cricket our old enemies, the Christchurch Boys' High School, defeated us and one other school defeated us at football. Otherwise, our teams have been very successful in their games with other schools. In athletics we had an exceptionally good year. For the eleventh time in succession wo won the senior competition in the inter-school sports, and there were sonio very fine performances in our own .sports, when six records were broken. After the prize-giving last year our rowing IV. had a fine victory over Wanginui, and they repeated the performanco only this week. "Other school activities have gone on well. The efficiency of the Cadet Corps some of you were ablo to appreciate earlier in tho day. While on the subject of the Cadet Coips, special mention must be made of 11. M. S. Orbell, who was this year awarded the Friar Memorial Prize as tlie most efficient cadet in the Southern .Command. The boxing, swimming, and gymnastic competitions all showed that good work had been done. The carpentry class, while not as big as usual, turned out some excellent work." Mr Richards mentioned specially the Debating Society, which ho regarded as one of the most important clubs in the life of tho school, and complimented A. A. Eobertg, the head prefect and secretary of the society, on winning the debating competition. "One word further about the head of the school," ho continued, "and the prefects generally. To them I am very grateful for the smooth running of that part of the machine that falls to th"ir care. To tho staff I know I owe much, and it is quite possible that I owe morn than I realise. But I am particularly grateful to them for making my first year so easy as far as they were concerned., W<= wrdeorne nniong; them this year Mr P. H. T. Williams, who was head of the school five years ago, and has since been up at Cambridge. Health of the School. "Of the health of the school I do not like to boast too much. I usually think of myself as an unsuperstitious person, but I always have a nasty feeling that things are apt to go wrong if one boasts how right they are, and the school doctor has warned me that we are due for some kind of epidemic soon. However, I will say that the work of the doctor and matrons is extremely systematic and efficient, aud wc have certainly enjoyed a good Year in the matter of health—the kind of year that an English school would not enjoy once in fifty. • We were quite free from epidemics except one, with which the medical profession was quite incompetent to deal—Yo-Yo.

"One further reference and 1 have done. We have to lament the denarture from College House of Canon Gilford, whose great work there has meant much to the school, though it mav seem to the outsider that we are not directly affected. But it i a true, none the less,

that it is very much in the interests of the Bchool that the upper department, as it used to bo called, should be in a flourishing condition. However, we can look forward with confidence to the future of College House under the new principal, the Rev. Stephen Par*, who, of course, is very well known to us as tho headmaster of the Cathedral Grammar School, and formerly chaplain of this school." Bishop's Address. The Bishop then presented the priz.es and afterwards congratulated, on behalf of tho Fellows of the College, the headmaster and his staff on the fine work that they had accomplished in tho past twelve months. "The new headmaster has taken command and is steering the ship successfully through tho troubled seas of the present," he remarked. "Whatever may be the result of tho examinations this year I am-quite sure tho headmaster's place in the minds of the boys is secure. "There are problems of loyalty and dutv, problems of conduct, of right and wrong, which demand that a man shall have some sort of anchor to save his ship from wreck," Bishop West-Watson concluded. "Tt is our earnest hope that this school, by its teaching and by tho training it gives its boys, should provide that anchor to bo a help to its pupils in later times of difficulty and danger." " During the evening the school orchestra plaved several items, including "Bourse." "(Adam Carse), "Pomp and Circumstance March, No. 4" (Elgar), "March from 'Carmen' " (Bizet), and at the conclusion the College Bong was sung, according to custom, by the head boy, A. A. Kobcrts. PRIZE LIST. The prizo list was as follow*:—English—Vl.: K. 0. West-Watson. \.l- - X Gardner. V.2a: P T. Now... V-ib-G. M. B. Douglas V2c: J. 0. Saunders. V - G. C. Sandston. V.3b: 0. T. Newton. V.Bc: B. H. R. Hill. R.a: D. F. Hancoc*. Rb- D. C. William*. A.o: A. H. Akers. IV.a: B. J. Brake. IV.b: G. S. Joseph. Science—VL: E. Jt. Nanson V.l? C. T. B. Pearson. V.2«: O. L. Curie. V.Sb.J. P. Oregon. V.2c: A. 0. Williams. A..la. A. M. Sandston. V.Sb: J. T. Lituey. V.;!c. H. H. R. Hill. R.a: 1). W. Hansen. R.b: N. R. Blunden R.c: P. H. Tovcy. IV.a; V>. 1. Everist. lV.b: G. S. Joseph. I^tln—Vl.: N. 11. Buchanan, V.l: ,T. _u. Gerard. V.2a: P. T. Norris "V .2b: GM. B. Douglas. V.20: L. W. Sucltlintr. \.3a G. C. Sandston. V.Sb; J. h- Collins. V.3c M. S. Robinson. R.a: R. I. R- fckelley. R.b: D. F. Hancock. R.c: W. J. Byrne. JV.a: J. N. Sams. IV.b: B. J. Drake. IV.c: B. K. G. Wagner. Greek —K. C. West-Watson. Latin Equivalent—N.L.l. I'. X. Stace. N.L.2: J. T. Limey. Trench —VI.; K. 0. West Watson. \.l: J. D. Gerard. V.2b: A. A. Deans. V.2b: !•. W. Suckline. V.2c: P. R. Mating. V.3a: J. R. Johnson. V.3b: M. F Hall A.Sc: B. L. Tapley. R.a: R. D. Bell. R.b: D. R. Rankin. R.c; "M. P. Kay. IV.a: D. J. O'D. Davis. IV.b: B. J. Drake. Mathematics —VI.: E. M. Nanson. v.l: J. K. Steward. V.24: H. G. Stephens. V.2b: D. I. M. Anderson. V.2c: B. C. Wright. V.Ba: J. B Bullock. V.Sb: T. W. O. Fox. V.Sc; P. J. 11. Howden. R.a: J. N. Ramsay. R.b: J. If. Climie. R.c: R. M. Williams. IV.a: 13. J. Drake. IV.b: D. S. Thomas. SPECIAL PHIZES. Chapel Choir—N. H. Buchanan, C. Gresson. Music —11. J. Evans. H. E. Dent. Carpentry—P. R. Maling. Debating—A. A. Roberts (Cooper Memorial Prise), G. I. Louisson. Divinity—Balfour Prize: K. C. West-Wat-son. Warden's Priies —W. J. Gardner, D. MacIntyre. Lower Fifths: G. C. Sandston. Removes; D. R. Rankin. Fourths: E. 8. Williams. The Orford Prize—K. C. West-Watson. Donfcam Memorial Priae—J. N. BuchananMatson. TANORED PEI2ES. History—Class A: No prize. Class 1} (V.2): K. 0. Saunders, P. T. Norris; (V.3): G. 0. Sandston. Class 0 (R.) : A. M. WestWatson. Class D (IV.) : W. 11. Radford. Literature —Class A (VI.): K. 0. WestWatson, E. M. Nanson, N. H. Buchanan. C. Gresson; (V.I): W. J. Gardner, H. J. Evans, R. TT. i'ryer. Class B (V.2): C. M. J. Holland. Class C (R.); A. T. Johns. Class D (IV.) : J\ Buchanan-Matson. W. H. Radford. School Stm —W. J. Gardner, It. A. Doms, S. M. Gray. Head Prefect's Prlae—A. A. Roberts. SCHOLARSHIPS. Somes Junior Scholarships— Under 10: 11. A. Ostler. Under 15: R. H. Shepherd, K. A. Rutherford (Waihi). Under 14: F. W. Seldon (Waihi), A. 0. Gilmour (Waihi), M. J. Ritchie (Waihi). Old Boys* Scholarships—A. B. Anderson, W. T. Everist. R. J. a. Murchison, N. 11. Thompson, W. 11. Hobbs. Entrance Scholarships—L. Koppel (Elmwood), B. McClelland (Eimwood). Ivan Manning Exhibition—P. T. Norris. Higher Leaving Certificates— J. N. Buch-anan-Matson. R. H. Dawson, R. G. Deans, 11. E. Dent, D. 0. Ellis, R. F. Fryer, F. N. Ktace, R. Stacey, W. J. Gardner, S. JT. Gray, G. I. Louisson, 0. N. Macltcnsic, E. M. Knnsoa. J. K. Steward, .1. Q. L. Scott.