WAVERLEY STATE SCHOOL.

Hawera Star, Volume XLVIII, 6 September 1924, Page 5

WAVERLEY STATE SCHOOL.

JUBILEE CELEBRATION

The celebration of the 50th anniversary of the founding of . the school passed off very successfully last evening. At 6 o’clock a large ctowd sat down to tea in the supper room of the Town Hall, and after, full justice was done to the excellent repast, a short toast list was honoured. The gathering was presided over by Mr W. Mac r farlane, chairman of the school committee. In a happy speech he welcomed the old scholars and invited them to turn back the pages of their lives and to re-read that evening some of the earlier ones. Mr F. Johnstone proposed the toast of “Education,” and it was responded to by Mr Hemingway, of Patea, a member of the Wanganui Education Board. Mr T. Davis proposed the toast of the “Past and Present Teachers of the School.” The affection in which Mr James Milne, a master of over 20 years ago, is still held was amply demonstrated when he rose to reply to the toast. Rounds of applause and “For lie’s a jolly good fellow” drowned his voice for some minutes. In a speech noteworthy for precision, justice, and the grave and the gay, he took his hearers back to episodes long forgotten by them. The far-away appreciative looks on the faces of many of Mr Milne’s audience plainly showed that they were again conning old pages in their life histories. Mr D. W. Low, just lately retired from the College Street School, Palmerston North, also replied to the toast in reminiscent mood, and Mr Browning represented the present staff. Mr C. Dickie, in racy fashion, honoured the ladies, and Mr R. Howie replied on their behalf. In intervals in the toast list several well-known choruses were sung by the whole aydience, and after the singing of “Auld Lang Syne” an adjournment was made to the main hall, where ddneing was kept up to an early hour this morning.