WANGANUI OLD BOYS

Evening Post, Volume CVIII, Issue 42, 17 August 1929, Page 17

WANGANUI OLD BOYS

AN ENGLISH BRANCH

(From "The Post's" Representative.)

LONDON, 28th June.

Some thirty old boys of the Wanganui Collegiate School attended a. dinner at the Trocadero ; Bestaurant oa 15th June, when Mr. C.J.Wray presided.'*"

Mr. /VVray,-in;.proposing the. toast of the school, sketched the past- year's intellectual arid sporting record,. and quoted an extract from a letter from an old boy. who recently paid a-visit to the school after a long absence abroad. "I .went prepared to criticise, but stayed to bless,'' was tho gist of the extract; which was acclaimed highly satisfactory. The chairman also mentioned that the school had.acquired another Rhodes Scholar in W. E. Henley, who had the hearty congratulations and good wishes of all present. Mr. J. E. Qiesen (head prefect, .192.8) . briefly replied to tho toast. ..-..■

In proposing tho toast of the Old Boys' Association (with which was coupled the name:of Dr. A. E. Porritt), Mr. H. Pitts-Brown -suggested the formation of an English branch of the Association. The number of Old Boys in.this country, the increasing number travelling home and wishing to meet other old boys, and the support given to tho last two annual dinners, he said, fully justified the formation of a branch. The proposal was unanimously adopted, and the-following-were constituted a commiitee-to arrange details: The chairman,'T. C\ Thatcher, Dr; W F. ; . Willis, Dr. A. E.. Porritt,'and Grey Russell; W. E. Henley, D.. Allen (in absentia). ' ;' ■' : ' ' ;;- ■

It was decided to send a cable of greetings, to. :the association in. New Zealand and to the school. Mr. Eric Riddiford then paid' a tribute to the work done by Mr. W.. Einpson during liis period as headmaster. "His absence that evening was greatly'regretted. A similar tribute was paid by the chairman to another great headmaster, Dr. Harvey. ."■'■•.■

•Those present were: N. M. Izard, W. R. Duncan, W. D. Barker, E. H. Duncan, R. W. Marshall, W. T. Ritchie, H. Giesen, Blair Whyte, C- H. Bethell, S.1 Wilde, Dr. I. B. E\yart, Captain I. M. M'Donald, D. B: Macgregor, P. A. Pcdersen, R. W. Williams, J. S. Atkinson, A. H. Lewis, W. H. Ward, J. H; Hall, Dr. X M'N, Christiej j"" A. Neaine. Apologies for absence were . received from a number of old boys, including Mr. W. Empson, Rev. J. L. Dove, Sir William Mariis, R. H. Espiner, W. K. Stp_we, and JH, S r g.(}itoes. " ;