WAITAKI SCHOOL

Greymouth Evening Star, 16 April 1934, Page 5

WAITAKI SCHOOL

PRESENTATION OF FLAGS. [PEB PBESS ASSOCIATION.] OAMARU, April 14. ' This afternoon the Prime Minister, Mr. G. W. Forbes, and Mrs. Forbes, paid a visit to. Waitaki Boys’ High School, the object of Mr. Forbes visiting it being to present to the school a Canadian flag which had been hung on the centotaph at Toronto by the actingMayor of that city, to be placed in the Waitaki Hall of Memories. A welcome was extended to the visitors by Dr. A. Douglas, Chairman of the Waitaki Board of Governors, who called on the Prime Minister also to present other historic flags recently given to the school, namely a South African flag, sent by General Smuts; a Union Jack that had flown over the Government House at Canberra, sent by Sir Hugh Denison, through the British Empire Society;, the pennant of Sir Aylmer Hunter-Weston (Commandof the 29th Division at Gallipoli), who wrote that the pennant was a symbol of the spirit of the whole Division, a spirit lie hoped would pass to the boys of Waitaki.

11l fulfilling the task entrusted him by the acting-Mayor of Toronto, Mr. Forbes said that when receiving the flag he regarded it as a very fine gesture from Canada in taking the flag from the cenotaph, which was looked upon with deep reverence. It had been his privilege to accompany the Prime Ministers of other Dominions at a ceremony at the Whitehall Cenotaph in 1930, similar ceremonies being observed in New Zealand on Anzac Day, also in other Dominions, which was emblematic of the feeling of the whole Empire. Mr. Forbes paid a tribute to the work carried out by the Rector of Waitaki (Mr. Frank Milner) in gatheroing these mementoes from various points of ; the Empire, adding that Mr. Milner had a reputation for scholarship, leadership, and character, and boys coming under his control had every chance of making good in life. Mr. Forbes handed over Che Canadian and other flags mentioned, which were accepted by Dr. Douglas, who said they would be treasured always. He hopbd they would help to teach ideals if Imperial citizenship.