MARSDEN COLLEGIATE SCHOOL

Evening Post, Volume CVI, Issue 106, 1 November 1923, Page 11

MARSDEN COLLEGIATE SCHOOL

LAYING THE FOUNDATIONSTONE

&PPRESS BY THE- GOVERNOR- •.. GENERAL.

The foundation-stone of., the Samuel Marsden Cullegiate School, at Karori, was laid by His Excellency the Gover-nor-General; yesterday. Ten acres of land for ,the purpose of the school grounds and site of the building were Secured through the generosity of Messrs. E., D., and V. Riddiford, and, In addition, Mr. Eric Riddiford has guaranteed half, the cost of the building. The. site, which is on the southern side bt the Main Karori road, is a superb jne. The. outlook from the building will he particularly fine. 'The school, which tvill be of brick, will provide accommodation for 54 boarders and. upwards of J. 50 day. pupils. The architects and builders are Messrs. S. and A. Luttrell. The foundation etone, which is of Corornandel granite, was prepared, and the foundation for it was set, by Messrs. Hansford and Mills, and bears the following inscription:—"To the glory of God and in pious memory of Samuel Marsden, apostle to New Zealand, this stone was laid by His Excellency Admiral of the Fleet Viscount Jellicoe of Scapa, G.C.8., 0.M., G.C.V.O.—'Ad Summa' (the motto of the school).—3lst October, 1923." The religious service connected with the ceremony wbb conducted by the Bishop of Wellington, Dr. Sprott, assisted by a number of the local clergy. Those present on the platform included the school governors and the principal, Miss^Baber. There was a large attendance of ■■Karori residents, and the girl pupils of the school came out from town in special cars and assisted in the singing. v His Excellency was presented" by the School governors with a silver trowel , suitably inscribed. In declaring the stone well and truly laid, Lord Jellicoe said:—"ln the faith of Je3us Christ, we place this foundation, stone to the glory of God and in memory of His servant, Samuel Marsden, the first missioned to New Zealand. In the name of the Father, "of the- Son, -and of the Holy Ghost.—Amen." His Excellency the Governor-Gen-eral then addressed the assemblage. He feaid it was always a great pleasure to take part in any ceremony such as the present one—a ceremony which marked progress, and particularly the progress of education in the Dominion. There were some significant features, and some ■very important features, connected with the laying of this foundation-stone. The foundation-stone was that of a building which would commemorate the life and work of a-great and good man—the head of the first mission to New Zealand: one of those great men who in the early days of this country came here with liis life in .his hand, and who with courage and determination and self-sac-rifice- set himself with others to preach tlie Gospel of Christ. It was a matter of history what great success attended the efforts of those early missionaries. That marked the present occasion as one of great solemnity and importance. There were other matters, too, that made that afternoon's ceremony one of special significance. The school which this building would replace was, he believed, one of the first of its kind in the Dominion. Another reason why he looked upon this- ceremony as being of great importance was that the school, which by the munificence of the people of the diocese, and of the college clergy, had been erected'as one of a •series of diocesan schools in which the pupils would have the benefit of religious education, under the most favourable auspices. The children who would be educated in this building would have gr,eat traditions to reflect upon. The present school had worthy traditions. The number of ex-students who attended the ceremorty was a sign that they realised' the traditions of those who were educated in the school which .perpetuated the memory of the Rev. Samuel Marsden; and the students no doubt would endeavour to emulate Marsden's example of courage and self-sacrifice. •Gratitude was due to many people for : the erection of this building. First, it was due to the Messrs. Riddiford, 'through' whose generosity and interest the site was secured. It was also due to the efforts of those who were providing finance to beautify the school grounds. Future generations of children who attended this school would be told to remember those who had made it possible for the school to be there. His Excellency concluded by wishing the school all possible success, and by expressing the hope that the children who lived there would benefit very much indeed by the teaching they received. THE IDEAL AIMED AT. On behalf of the trustees, the governors, the headmistress, the staff and children of the Marsden School, Bishop Bprott tendered to His Excellency their sincere gratitude for his presence that afternoon. It tyas the desire of all those connected with the school that the name of Jord Jellicoe should he associated with the ceremony that day, and that His^Excellency should lay the foun-dation-stone. In undertaking the erection of the building, the trustees had assumed a considerable financial liability, and it was hoped that the many friends of the school would help in the work. During the fifty odd years that the school.had existed there must be many people in the Dominion who had either been pupils themselves or had near relatives who were former pupils. It was hoped that they would remember their old school. '■ The school belonged to that class of institution which must'be firstclass, or else it had better not exist at all. A second or third-rate school was worse than none. Their friends had provided them with one of the most ideal sites in New Zealand. Those present had only to look around and see what a healthy and beautiful position the school .would occupy. Those interested must strive to ensure that the school was not only in the first class of such schools, but that it would be the first of the first class.

At the conclusion of the ceremony afternoon tea, was served. in the church schoolroom.