PERSONAL

Evening Star, Issue 20876, 20 August 1931, Page 9

PERSONAL

Prifessor John Malcolm _ left this morning to attend a meeting of the Research Council at Wellington. Sir Reynolds Driver, called to Wellington on business, was a passenger by the mail train to-day. _ Captain Hilton, marine superintendent of the Canadian National Steamship Line, left this morning tor Auckland. , ~ . Mr W. H M'Cormack, representing the Melbourne firm of Sappclt, went to-day by train from Dunedin to Christchurch. , . Mr Robert Conn lias been in Dunedin for a few days, and is now on Jus way back to Wellington. Mr J. W. Smeaton was a passenger for Wellington by this mornings train. . , . . , Mr Charles F. Kunkel, a&istewfe American trade commissioner, started to-day on his return from Dunedin to Wellington. Mr G. F. Griffiths, head master of the Midland School at Invercargill, passed through Dunedin this morning bound for Wellington to attend a conference. . _ .... At the Wellington Competition Society’s festival, which was opened last night, Miss Dorothy Clark, of Dunedin, gained second place in the women’s recitation and first place .m the Shakespearean recitation under twenty-one years of age. _. The death has occurred at Wellington of Mrs Prouse, relict of Mr John Prouse, the well-known singer. She herself had been intimately associated with musical affairs in Wellington for many years. She sponsored the tour of the Christchurch Exhibition Orchestra, and arranged for the appearance at three centres of the Royal Marines Band from the Ophir at the time of the visit of the Duke and Duchess of York (now King and Queen) to New Zealand. Until recently she was closely connected with many musical activities in Wellington, being particularly interested m the development of young talent. She was instrumental in having,George Ellwood, of Christchurch, sent to study the ’cello at the Liege Conservatoire. On Sunday last one of the early pioneers of the district, Mrs Thomas M'Connell, died at Waitati. When a girl she arrived in Otago with hep parents, the late Mr and Mrs Alexander Pullar, in the ship Piadda m 1860 from Dunkeld, in Perthshire. They settled in the Blueskin district, where Mrs M'Connell resided all her. life. It was in 1869 that she married Mr Thomas M'Conneli, who pissed away ten years ago. Of a kindly and sociable nature, she naturally assisted in promoting and carrying on everything that had for its obect the welfare of the district. She was a staunen supporter of the Presbyterian Church. Her many friends and visitors to tlio district will miss the generous hospitality which she cheerfully extended.Three sons and two daughters remaun to mourn her loss. Mr R. K. Rowe, representing the B. K. Norton Proprietary Ltd., of Melbourne, is at present in Dunedin, Ho will_ be here for eight or nine days. Appointments were made as follows by the Otago Education Board to-day; —Jas. M‘K. Miller, head master, N.E. Valley; Donald A. MTherson, head master. Oamaru South; Janies head master, Tapanui D.H.; John M‘Y. Wilson, head master. Wakan; Arthur P. Palmer, head master, Naseby; Ada A. Fryer, sole teacher, Arthurton; Murray Geddes, sole teacher, Otekura; llobt. W. Connor, sole teacher, Ida Valley; Margt. A. Rowe, sole teacher, Waitahuna West; R. Winifred Low, assistant, Hampden; Margt. O. T. Ford, infant mistress, Normal School. . The Otago Education Board to-day accepted the following resignations:— William Hunter, head teacher, Kelso; Jean Selby, head teacher, Ardgowan; Margt. L. Govanj sole teacher, .Chaslauds; Margt. O. T. Ford, infant mistress, Albany Street Ass.; John M »»• Wilson, first assistant, George Street;’ John Matheson, first assistant, Khikorai; John E. Ryan, attendance offieor. The resignations of two old servants of the Otago Education Board—Mr. John Matheson, first assistant at Kaikorai, and John E. Ryan, the attendance officer—were referred to by Mr James Wallace (chairman) at to-day s meeting of the board. Mr Matheson had been a faithful servant, said Mr Wallace, and had occupied responsible positions under the board. For many years ho was head master at Middlemarch and for many more years first assistant at Kaikorai. Mr Ryan had been in the board’s sendee for thirty years. Otago held the reputation of the best average attendance in New Zealand, and a great deal of th© credit was due to the faithful and energetic manner in which Mr Ryan had carped out his duties. The board decided, to extend to both servants congratulations on the work they had done and to wish them many years of enjoyment of wellearned rest. , . _. - The guest list at the Excelsior Motel includes Mr E. Matthews (Wellington), Messrs E. A. Adams and A. Midgley (Christchurch), Mr W. M. Cooper (Oamaru), and the Hon. D. T. Fleming (Balclutha).