A NOVEL SCHOLARSHIP.

Evening Post, Volume LXXIX, Issue 112, 13 May 1910, Page 3

A NOVEL SCHOLARSHIP.

MEMORIAL TO A FOOTBALLER. GRANT BY NEW ZEALAND RUGBY UNION. A novel proposal in the shape of a memorial scholarship to a great footballer was laid before the annual meeting of the New Zealand Rugby Union yesterday afternoon. Mr. W. C. Cargill (Taranaki) moved that £100 be set aside fTom the funds of the union for the establishment of a memorial to the late Mr. Alf. Bayly, a pioneer of Rugby football in the back-blocks. The proposal was that the memorial should take the form of a scholarship, open to competition by boys in the primary schools of the TaTanaki Provincial District. The age limit suggested was 15 yeaTs. It was hoped that the scholarship would enable the holder to attend a secondary school, and subsequently proceed to the university. One of the provisions was that there should be an examination in athletics, so fas' as football was concerned, emphasis being laid on skill in punting, and drop-kicking. The present state of the fund in Taranaki was £125. It was proposed to raise £400. The scope of the scholarship was confined to Taranaki, and the term was limited to two years. Mr. M. J. Crombie (Taranaki) seconded the motion, urging that they had a precedent in the Robert Deans memorial. ' Mr. Perry opposed the motion on the ground of principle. The funds of the union could be applied to better purposes than furnishing memorials to deceased footballers. Many unions in New Zealand were hard up for playing grounds. It would be better to give £200 towards the encouragement of school football. Mi. Pirani supported the motion. Mr Mason- also gave his support, speaking from his experience as a trustee of the Deans Memorial Fund. Other speakers, while supporting the principle, deprecated the amount requested. Mr. Oargill asked permission to withdraw the specification of the amount. This was granted. It was then decided by a large majority that a grant be made to the Alf. Bayly Memorial Fund. On the question of the amount there was further discussion. The final decision was that the union should donate £50 to the memorial fund, subject to .the conditions published beingcarried out. - The full text of the suggested conditions is as follows: — Extent of Competition. — All boys resident in the Taranaki provincial district, under the age of fifteen years, on the Ist December in the year in which the examination is held. The candidate must have spent the whole year in which he competes in the Taranaki province, and must have attended some public or private school therein. Scholarship. — The examination shall be that 6et out for the junior national scholarship For this examination various centres are fixed, and the whole is controlled by the Education Department, Wellington. The subjects are as follows: — English 300, arithmetic 200, geography 100, drawing 100, general knowledge 100, total 800. Character. — Good temper, behaviour, language, popularity, personal character, etc., 200. These to Le awarded by the headmaster of the school and the inspector in conjunction. Every candidate must present a certificate of good character, signed by headmaster and chief inspector. Athletics. — A competition consisting of the following events, open to all boys, who have been nominated for the Bayly scholarship, will be held at a place and time appointed by the Taranaki Rugby Union, and governed by officials appointed by them : — Events • Standard Mks. Ist 2nd 3Td 100 Yards. 12 2-ssec. 75 16 6 2 440 Yards . ... 66sec. 75 17 6 2 High Jump 4ft. 50 14 4 1 Long Jump ... 12ft. 50 14 4 1 Drop-kick ... 45yds. 75 20 8 2 Punt ...' ... 40yds, 50 15 6 2 '* 300 95 35 10 Total marks, 500. The candidate securing the highest aggregate number of marks shall be chosen as the Bayly scholar. This scholarship shall be tenable for two years at any High school or District High school in the Taranaki province. The suggested conditions are subject to amendments, one of which already suggested is the inclusion of place-kicking.