MEDALS PRESENTED

Grey River Argus, 19 December 1941, Page 9

MEDALS PRESENTED

GREY MAIN SCHOOL CEREMONY The presentation of the Seddon Memorial Medals for 1941 and the Watkins Medals for 1940 and 1941, was made at the Grey Main School on Wednesday afternoon. The pupils of the school assembled with the teachers and headmaster (Mr J. Graham) at the entrance to the school. Mr J. W. Greenslade (chairman of the School Committee), presided and with him on the platform were Rev. P. Kirkham, Messrs P. C. Heaphy, G. E. Perkins (trustees of the Watkins Medals Fund), JO’Brien, M.P., F. A. Kitchnigham (Mayor of Greymouth) and W. Kane (trustees of the Seddon Medals Fund), Mr and M'rs W. M. Stewart, Mr and Mrs N. Thompson, Mr and Mrs J. Williamson and Mrs F. Bird. Mr Perkins presented the Watkins Medals to the winners (1940, Jack Thompson. Dux, son of Mr and Mrs N. Thompson, and Melva Osmers, daughter of Mr and Mrs J. Osmers. 1941: Jocelyn Bird, Dux, daughter of Mr and Mrs F. Bird, and Duncan Stewart, son of Mr and Mrs W. M. Stewart), and Mr O’Brien presented the Seddon Medals to the winners (Betty Williamson, daughter of Mr and Mrs’ J. Williamson, and Duncan Stewart, son of Mr and Mrs W. M. Stewart). The chairman said that the school was proud to have achieved such success in the past two years in winhine both the Seddon Medals. The achievements reflected the greatest credit on the successful students, the headmaster and the staff. He congratulated the winners on behalf of the committee and also the staff. Mr Perkins, in presenting the Watkins Medals, said it was 62 years ago that he was presented with the first Watkins Medal. This medal wai struck to mark the memory of one of the finest Christian gentlemen he had known, the late Rev. G. T. N. Watkins. The funds for the medal originated in a sum of money raised to send the late Mr Watkins on a health trip to the Old Country. However, when the money had been raised, death prevented Mr _ Watkins from making the trip, and it was decided that the money could be used as a fund from which a gold medal could be presented to the Dux of the Main School. The fund had increased and the trustees were now able to present two medals, one to the Dux and the other to the pupil of the sex opposite to the winner gaming the highest marks. He _ then presented the medals to the winners for the two years and wished the recipients every success. He particularly congratulated Duncan Stewart, who is only 11 years old. Cheers were given for the successful pupils. Mr O’Brien traced the history of the late Richard John Seddon, in whose memory the Seddon Medals were given, pointing out the reasons for the high esteem in which he was held and for the institution of many memorials to his name in all narts of New Zealand. He emphasised the advantages with which school children to-day started their careers as compared, with the late Mr Seddon, and urged them to make the most of the wonderful opportunities they had. He presented the medals to the winners, and trusted that they would go on to further successes in their education at school, and in them later life. The Seddon Medal winners were also accorded three cheers.

Mr Kitchingham, stat'ng that he was a former pupil of the school, emphasised that all could not be winners of the Watkins or Seddon Medals, but urged them not to be satisfied with mediocritv. Hard work won for the late Mr Seddon the highest honours. He counseled th n children not f° be mere drifters, but to have an object in v : ew, and to work hard for its achievement. The saluting of the flag and the singing of the National Anthem concluded the ceremony. COBDEN SCHOOL The annual concert and presentation of awards at the Cobden School was held on Wednesday evening. The awards were made as follows: — Primers (every child a picturebook). Attendance certificates: Edward Port, Graham Kelly, Pauline Crosssy. —■ Standard I—Passed with honours: Wesley Alexander, Allan Lindbom, Graeme Mollison, Fay Bonney, Margaret Harris, Jean Wotton, Mae Hill, Noeline Hitchcock, Norma Johnston, Althea Mackie, Margaret Mitchell, Daphne Skeats, Lorraine Williams. Passed with credit: Barrie Alford, Desmond filing, Kevin Leitch, William Skelton, Margaret Hicks, Marjorie Lyall, Carole McNeill, Margaret Scalmer. Attendance certificates: Margaret Harris, Don Willetts, Marion Beardsley, Marjorie Lyall, Shirley Preece, Graham Wotton. Standard ll—Passed with honours: Neil Brailsford, Robert McLean, Ivan Port, O’Brien Leitch, Pete r Davenport, Dulcie Creighton, Pauleen Higgins, Pat O’Donoghue. Passed with credit: Gordon Robinson, James Williams. lan Ford. Evelyn Murray, Shirley Sexton. Attendance certificates: Graham 'Richards, Ivan Port. Shirley Sexton.

Standard lll—Passed with honours: Helen McMillan, Shirley Mitchell, Shirley Lochore, Evelyn Scorgie, James Alexander. Passed with credit: Ngaire Cressey, Janet Inglis, Ken Frizzell, James Hayden, Alex. King, George Ilton. Attendance certificates: Ngaire Cressey, Janet Inglis, Norma Herrick, James Alexander, Trevor Port. Standard IV—Passed with honours: Ray Bellamy, Peter Frankpitt, lan Hay. John McKenzie, William Munn, Douglas Stanton, Alexander Sommerville, Dorothy Dtivy, Iris Hayes, Elaine Harris. Beverley McArthur, Dorothy McArthur. Nola Wotton, Ronald Haddock. Passed with credit: Lindsay Frizzell, Ray Skeats, Daphne Goodall., Carmen Illing. Helen Mead. Judith Ramage. Gladys Rawcliffe, Elsa Turley. Attendance certificates: Ronald Haddock, Jack Dichards, William Munn, Daphne Goodall, Dorothy McArthur, Elsa Turley, Helen Mead, Doris Hitchcock. Form I —Passed with honours: John Hall, Roy Walker, Flora Hay. Passed with credit: Graham Herrick, Geoffrey Scalmer, Sylvia Hicks, Grace Inglis’. Attendance certificate: Roy Walker. Form ll—Passed with honours: Gordon Coom, John Gardner, James Hall, Edward McNeill, Robert McNeill, Frederick Stanton, John Vaughan. Passed with credit: Pat Schultze,, Pat Hannam. Attendance certificates: Gordon Coom, Marcia Lindsay, John Vaughan, Pat Hannam. , _ , ', . “Joseph P. Firth’’ Scholarship: Frederick Stanton. Dux Medal’ Frederick Stanton.