THE CASTLE PLEDGE.

Hawera Star, Volume XLVII, 26 May 1928, Page 18

THE CASTLE PLEDGE.

I promise to smile every time I can, and to chase all the frowns into the dark cave, where the Smile Giant will kill them with his Magic Sword Happiness.

My Dear Smiles, — -. I hope you all enjoyed the fortnight away from your school books. I was very pleased to receive so many letters during the time that you were absent from school, as quite a number of you were no doubt away from home during that time. You Smiles are very fortunate in having so many holidays, but people are only young once in this life so let’s hope yon’ll have many more! You must now settle down to work in earnest to do your best for yourselves and vour teachers. . Many of you will have noticed that Empire Day is to be observed this year in conjunction with the King’s Birthday and that as the monarch’s birthday, June 3rd, this year falls on a Sunday, the holiday will be observed on the following Monday—that is the Monday after next. Now I know all the Smiles like holidays and that they will be looking forward with pleasure, to the King s J3iithday. May you enjoy yourselves Smiles, but keep a little place in vour thoughts for the significance of the day. The Empire’s aim has always been to see that justice is meted out t 0 a n—not only to- her own subjects, for she has on many occasions gone to the aid of smaller nations when attacked by stronger ones. Empire Day has for many yeais been observed as a day set. apart as a reminder of the fact that we are all linked together by the desire that peace and freedom shall prevail wherever the British Flag flies. Sor many years Empire Day was observed on May 24th, the birthday of the late Queen ■ Victoria, grandmothei of oui present King. During her record reign of sixty-four years the British Empire made wonderful strides in settlement overseas. Queen Victoria was a peace-loving monarch and when she died her son, King Edward VII, closely followed in his mother’s footsteps in this respect, earning the title of Edward the Peacemaker. When liis son, King George V. came to the throne he also carried on the tradition and it is fitting that the day should now be observed on the anniversary of his birthday. No empire the world has ever seen can' compare with our own. One can hardly, imagine its magnitude. It is five times as large as America, and even in that great continent there is more British territory than the United States possesses. People of every race and* colour, speaking every language live under its protection. No other flag flies over so big a family or so strangely mixed a population as the Union Jack. Therefore we in New Zealand, though only a small portion of it, should all be proud to belong 10 this great Empire. Your affectionate . SMILE QUEEN.

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