DOMINION DAY.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 308, 22 September 1908, Page 10

DOMINION DAY.

THE SCHOOL CHILDREN'S DISPLAY. ELABORATE ARRANGEMENTS. Very elaborate arrangements for the success of tho display by the school children at the Basin Reserve on Saturday morning, and for the comfort of both the city and visiting school cadets, havo been made. . As previously announced, the principal feature of tho display will be the " Living Flag," a representation of the Now Zealand flag by somo 3000 children. As it will not bo possible to arrange for a proper rehearsal of the " flag " before Saturday, the committee of management has drawn up very full and precise instructions for the carrying out of the idea aud,-given good weather, the display should be a complete success. The directions are as follow: —

Pupils' should be at the Basin Reserve by 10.15 a.m., when they will be received at tho • wicket-gate in front of the band rotunda by' Mr. Win. Foster, headmaster of Mount Cook Boys' School, and marshalled to their places. Teachers are requested to,bring tho pupils down in, two lines, boys on the right and girls on tho left. At tho wicket-gate the two lines will bo" arranged, boy and girl alternately. Staffs will accompany their respective classes, and assist in the arranging of ' them in position, after which they will take up a position on tho eastern side of the flag. Tliby .will then bo in a position to receive tho Dominion medals from their respective headmasters and distribute the same. It is suggested that each pupil should wear a small badge of the school colours to facilitate ■ recognition by teachers 'and otheri.; , The plan'of the flag. will, be outlined in small white squares on the Basin,Reservej pupils will stand on the'iiitersection of lines forming these squares, and the flags for each pupil will be'found lying immediately: in-front of the position "taken up by that pupil. Schools' will be arranged as-, far' as: possible iii adjacent lilies, so as to. facilitate the distribution of the medals and the dispersal of ' the pupils after the ceremony. This applies to'the whole " flag," with the exception of . the.four stars; as' the construction of- these ' is more difficult than the rest- of the "flag," those'positions'will be taken* by the senior Mount Cook .School girls and boys; as these are convenient for rehearsal.■ Tho . pupils' forming the .flag will work by flag signals given by Mr. Foster from the ' centre balcony of the pavilion. - As the whole success of this featuro of the ceremony depends on uniform movement in mass by the pupils, and as there-is no-possibility of a rehearsal, head teachers are specially asked to ■ make the pupils acquainted with, the work .. they have to do'. It will be as follows:—■" (a) " Attention." — Flag's held' pointing • perpendicularly to and resting on .the ground. (b) " Reception of Governor."—" Royal • Salute," "Present Arms'.'; "one," raise flags from position of "attention" with* a\. circular; -. swing forwards and upwards; ".two,", remain in this:position"three,-" .lower flags with cir- ; •cular.swing downwards, until the sticks point' to .the ground, making an angle in front with ■' ■ the body of 45 degrees., q . (c) "Inspection of Cadets by . His Excel- :, lency the Governor."—Flags.raised to a verti- .'>.' cal position close to the shoulder.-by bend- ,- ing' the, forearm upwards, and- keeping the ■ elbows /close to the sides. ; All ■ pupils- are to watch Mr. Foster, and imitate any signal ho makes! (d) ." Saluting the- Flag."—As • for the .. - "Royal Salute," one,,two, three (timo taken . from Mr.-Foster). (e) : "Applause!"— Either before or after speeches, the pupils.will participate: by hold- < •ing . tho flags overhead, and waving them. Tho occasion and duration of this is to be '.- left to tlie discfetion" and example of Mr. ■ Foster. ' " v '.■■■■ • After the ceremonies' are - concluded,- the pupils will march, off,- school by school, by . samo route as that taken when coming in. As it is estimated that the presence of 3000 pupils will be necessary to .make, the "Living ■; - Flag" a success, it is-hoped that teachers ' will co-operate towards,this end. It is suggested:"that' no' children under eight years shouldi'Hiakoi partj'm'r this ' particular, part of tlie cei'emony, but this is only-a-suggestion.; the selection of the children'Triustvbo-left 'to the--discretion of' tho? teaching-.' staffs...' It .musfrbo,pointed.out,:liowev ; er, .that the: pupils*-n\u will bo on their, feet, for, at .least If hours, probably .longer. ■ ; ' ' Arrangements have been , made • for the presence ,of an ambulance party to' render aid in cases of faintness, etc. .• -r The work of marking out-the squares'ftjr 1 ■ the "Living Flag", will be done by the Public ' ' Works Department. A scale plan of the. "flag", has been prepared, showing the positions to bo taken up, and this will be reproduced, in linio wash;- on 'the Basin' Re- ' ■ serve. - — • ■ ■'■'■

It was previously announced that the school cadets were •to be provided with lunch at the Alexandra Barracks. This arrangement has : been. altered, and' the luncheon- will ba - served in the big Garrison Hall, in Buckle • Street. Many'anxious inquiries, have been made by the juvenile soldiers as to tho characten of the bill of 'fare to' be provided 'on that occasion.- To satisfy-this perhaps pardonable curiosity, it may be stated that the boys are to be given sandwiches (meat and ham), bread and butterj cakes, scones, buns, and tea. ; This ought to satisfy-everybody . ljut one or two' blase epicureans. - The com-' " missariat is being arranged in'anticipation of 1200 hungry boys, so there should be no fear of a famine in the Garrison Hall on Saturday. . The boys, from Weraroa School (Levin),' two hundred in number, will come through to Wellington by Friday evening's train,', and \ will' be comfortably billeted in the 1 parade ground at the Garrison Hall. They : ' will bo in charge of Major Burlinson, commanding No. 3 Battalion,' 'Wellington Public School • Cadets, and will'bo accompanied by their brass and pipe bands.' The boys wiil • leave on their return journey by tho 4 o'clock train, on Saturday. From the Krimo Minister's': office we learn that-the arrangements ate proceed- ' ing apace in connection with' the celebration . of Dominion I)a}?. To ensure the attendance of scholars from the outlying _ schools'; arrangoments have been made, for special tram cars to bring in the scholars from'- tho Sea. toun, Kilbirnie, Island Bay,'and Karori Schools. These cars will leave the"'"different•: ■ suburbs mentioned at 10 a.m., and will run ■'* tho boys to the Basin Reserve, leaving again as soon as possible after tho 1 ceremony. That great interest is being takeii -by the ■ cadets in Saturday's parade is evideriood by the fact that BSO boys (of the -two city battalions) attended a'practice .parade held at Newtown Park yesterday.- This, constitutes a record for any parade of .the'kind , held in Wellington. Tho practice parade, which was a very successful one, was'superintended by. Captain H. A. l'a»kinson (Volunteer 'Forces—Act-ivo list), as BrigadeMajor, and Majors Hemplcman arid M'Kenr.ie, commanding Nci> I aid No. 2 Battalions' respectively. The. Dominion medals to bo presented to the school children are made of magnoliutn, an alloy of aluminium and magnesium, which is lighter than- aluminium, itself, and 1 mora elastic. The-metal • does not tarnish. On ■ the obverso side of tho modal (that bearing . the head), there appears tho head in profila of the King, surmounted by'a crown,-'and : encircled by £he folds of the Union Jack on tho one side, and the New Zealand flagon tlio ■ other; witlv the inscriptbn : "Edward of the British Dominions King." On tho' reverse side appears tho inscription (encircled by two fern leaves)! "Presented to the children attending the schools of the Dominion," and also tho ' commemorative inscription:'

" Now Zealand Proclaimed a Dominion, Sep. tcmbcr 26j 1907.''" .

'Nowadays modern''nations are remarkabty tender with eacli other, even when nt war, and when it is all over they shako hands like pugilists in tho- ring. '• No nation is any longer -a destroying angel to another. And if wo did not read so nuieh depressing Socialist literature wo would-'inohably think our world a tolerably decent place to live in.— "Liberty and Progress." Melbourne.

The' secret 01' keeping a house cool is simple. 'By day, when nothing' is stirring but hot air, keep tho houso closed savo for such ventilation as is absolutely ni'i'nssary. And koep it dark, too. Darkness in a foe to heat ami a friend to coolness. At night, when. the air hps freshened,-open lip tho house throughout and give., it', a thorough airing.—'"Herald," Bostoa! V •v .