Sir Arthur Sims Again Visits Boys’ High School

Press, Volume XCI, Issue 27593, 25 February 1955, Page 12

Sir Arthur Sims Again Visits Boys’ High School

"If you want to get anywhere in life, you have got to take chances,’ said Sir Arthur Sims when he spoke to boys of the fifth and sixth forms at his old school—Christchurch Boys High School —yesterday. Sir Arthur Sims said he was not much in favour of the idea of “security from: (be cradle to the grave.’ He would rather that his listeners would take “a bit of calculated risk” in making their way in life. There were two or three different roads confronting those going out into the battle of life, he said. They could go out to live a life of "placid security” or they could “take a chance.” If they took a chance, there would be battles, but the very fighting of them would mean that they would develop into stronger and better men. If they were involved in a battle they should never give up. for they never knew how me other man felt. Effort Needed It was also very true that if they wanted to get something out of life they had also to put something into it, said Sir Arthur Sims. He could remember from his own schooldays a boy who said he wished to run the 100 yards at the school sports. He seemed an unlikely winner, but he persevered and won the race. “And that applies to all of us,” adcad Sir Arthur Sims. When he was young, people had

been worried about the future, he said, but life was full of opportunities. Sir Arthur Sims asked whether the boys might be granted a half-holiday during the visit of the English cricket team to Christchurch. The headmaster (Mr J. Leggat) announced after conferring with the deputy-chairman of the board of governors (Mr G. Guy) that the board would not object to the proposal Welcoming him to the school, Mr Leggat recalled that when Sir Arthur Sims was a pupil there, the Christchurch Boys* High School was the biggest secondary school in New Zealand. The roll was 250. Yesterday, only the boys of the fifth and sixth forms were in the assembly hall to listen to Sir Arthur Sims, because the hall could not accommodate the whole

school. The president of the Old Boys’ Association (Mr K. A. Gough) said that, when Sir Arthur Sims had been honoured by the University of New Zealand, he had said in effect that all old boys owed something to the school which had given them so much in their youth. Old boys who felt similarly about what, they owed the school were very pleased and encouraged by this. During his visit, Sir Arthur Sims, met about 20 old boys who were pupils with him. He also met 16 of the present pupils who are grandsons of old boys.