FAMILY’S RECORD AT ADDINGTON

Press, Volume XCIV, Issue 28099, 15 October 1956, Page 6

FAMILY’S RECORD AT ADDINGTON

LONG ASSOCIATION WITH SCHOOL

PLANS FOR 75TH JUBILEE CELEBRATIONS

The Addington School’s seventyfifth anniversary, which will be celebrated from October 27 to 29, has brought to light one family’s association with the school for the whole period.

One of those who did most to bring about the separation of Addington School from West Christchurch School in 1881 was Mr W. K. Allison, who sent his children among the first pupils. One of these. Miss Mary Allison, married Mr A. L. Gourlay, and their four sons all attended the school while Mr Gourlay was on the school committee as secretary and chairman. Two of the sons, Harry and Archie, did their pupil teaching at the school, and the latter was an assistant on the staff. Mr Harry Gourlay. now a master at the Boys’ High School, is editor of the school’s anniversary history. The family connexion has been unbroken for 75 years. Dedication of a memorial fence on the Sunday will be one of the major functions of the anniversary. At the diamond jubilee in 1941, while the country uas at war. memorial gates were opened, and now the project will be completed. The Minister of Education (Mr R. M. Algie) will attend the school reunion on Saturday. October 27, and there will be other distinguished visitors. Mr T. Brewer will ring the school bell to open proceedings. After the unveiling ceremony on the Sunday afternoon there will be special church services in local churches in the evening. A banquet will be held on the Monday evening. Since the diamond jubilee, the school history records notable advances in music, art and craft, physical education. and visual education, and remarkable growth in the Parent-Teacher Association. Four new infant rooms were recently built at the school.