BANKS' COLLEGE

Dominion, Volume 10, Issue 2953, 16 December 1916, Page 10

BANKS' COLLEGE

PRIZE GIVING

it ■nll ' ' p 3,1,1 Pi'iM-giving at Banks X.ollego was held yesterdav. Mr. II Amos, Director of tho College, welcomed those present. Ho said that tnero was an impression abroad that the 6chool was purely a commercial institution, but, ns a fact, students could obtain there a broad general education, lrom the primary stage upward. Further, it was not a school for bovs oulv. the syllabus was not crowded with merely fancy subjects; tl.ey realised the need for putting first things first. Mr. Amos thanked tlio teaching staff for its work during the year. ~T he Principal (Mr. W. T. Foster) said the school was fortunate in its teachers. 1 J)e lower echooMiad been inspected recently by tbo Cbief Inspector of Schools, who bad expressed satisfaction with tho work done and the methods employed. Our endeavours to give the best possible scholastic education to our pupils have not been allowed to interfere "with the athletic life of the school. Although we are somewhat handicapped in the matter of grounds, I think that the facilities afforded by the -use of Anderson Park, together with the regular exercises indulged' in daily by the boys during school hours, make ample provifor the physical well-being of our pupils. Football and cricket are the principal games of the school. This year we have been very unfortunate in that, owing to seven weeks of practically continuous rain, no football was possible during the latter ball' of the second term, while cricket was very late in starting this term, also owing to the inclemency of the weather. During the first term of the year swimming is regularly practised by the boys, under,, strict supervision and with proper instruction by qualified experts. In this department o'f activity, our .boys have this year been conspicuously successful. . . . Before leaving the subject of athletics I should like to make an appeal to parents to co-operate with us in endeavouring to bring about a healthier outlook on the part of tho boys towards the outdoor life of the school. I do not think that all parents realise the value of physical fitness and athletic prowess to their boys. The strain of preparation for modern examinations renders a healthy body an absolute necessity. It is impossible for a teacher to guarantee the success of his pupils in examinations unless he is given a free hand in the development of their physical qualities; no teacher who has any lespect for the most important claims of his profession is satisfied with the mere intellectual cramming of his pupils. The human mind is not simply a receptacle for stowing away facts or figures. It is creative as well as receptive, and oan perform neither of these functions unless it is kept healthy with ample physical exercise. .... Every tyednesthiy morning the Rev. JTr. A. M. J<>\nson has been good enough, to come and give the boys instruction in Bible history. Throughout the year Mr. Johnson has dealt in a most interesting manner with the lives of 3t. Peter and St. Paul, and the college is much indebted) to him for his painstaking efforts in a branch'of education nowadays too much neglected." . The prizes were presented by His Lordship the Bishop of Wellington (the Rev. Dr. Sprott). Ho congratulated tho school on the good report which had been made. It seemed that great proficiency had been attained in all departments of an institution of great scope. He agreed with the observations of the principal as to the need of physical efficiency. Tho war had shown how necessary strong men were to a nation. The war would provide the boys and the girls of to-day with great chances. Their task was to build in the yenrs ahead 11 truer, better world. At tho end of the war there would be tho old people, then a very thin line • of young,, vigorous men, and then tho boys and the'girls. On these boy.s aJi<T girls the task of fashioning something hotter than their parents had left would fail. There were plenty of great examples, and it was a fine thing for the school that some of its teachers had been men capable of making the supreme sacri-. fice.

The prizes wero then presented as follow :— Upper School. Matriculation Form.—English: J. Yaldwyn. Xangunge9, Trevor Skey. Mathematics, R, Comrie, History and geography, E. Fowler. General proficiency, A. Mucandrey. Form ll—English, G. Clnlee. Mathematics, J. AVynne. History and geography, AY. Montgomery. Form I.—English, J. Martin. Languages, H; Ward. Mathematics, I'. MncMillaii. History and geography, J, Martin. ■ Latin prize (Mr. Atkinson), H. Failoon. Special Prizes for Essay.—Matriculation form, E. Parry. Forms I and IT, T. liowse. Mr. Russell's Boom, 0. Bennc-tt. Miss Dixon's 'Room, Joliu Shand. Drill.—N. Nauphton. Swimming Medallions.—A. Macandrew, AV. Montgomery, A. AVatts, F. Chalmers, C. Athya. Lower School (Mr. Russell). English.—Standard VI, D. Barle. Standard A r , G. Hansford. Standards 111 and 1 A", G. M'lnlqsh. Arit'nluetic.—Standard A r l, S. Powell. Standard V, D. Robertson. Slaudard 111 and IV, R. Tripe. History and Geograpliy.—Standards A r and VI, J. Kel'sey. Standards 111 and IV, It. Tripe (specially praised by Chief Inspector). . Drawing.—S. Powell and J. Gavin. Physical Drill.—Upper School, C. Gibbs, 2. Lower School, R. Barton, 1. Lower School (Miss Dixon). Arithmetic.—Standard 11. John Hislop. Standard I, Graham Crossley. English—Standard 11, John Sliand. Slaudard I, Noel ScJiofield. History and Geography—Standard 11, James Liddle. Mapping.—John Hislop. 1; Peter Field, 2. Best boy in Standard 11, Tony Tripe. Best boy in Lower ltegindd Larkm.