Royal Humane Society of Australasia.

Hawera & Normanby Star, Volume X, Issue 1935, 21 May 1888, Page 2

Royal Humane Society of Australasia.

« DISTRIBUTION OF PRIZES AT MANAIA.

(from a correspondent).

A very interesting ceremony, which, in these days of efforts to save and prolong life, deserves the fullest publicity afforded in your columns, took place in Manaia on Friday, May 18th. The scholars, with a few of their parents and friends, met in the schoolhouse. A letter from the chairman of the committee was read, regretting his unavoidable absence. The good nature and discipline of the scholars was most successfully tested while waiting for fully half an hour for another gentleman who had promised to preside. As he failed to appear, Mr. Wilks read the following letters, which will explain the object of tbe meeting : —

" The Royal Humane Society of Australasia. Melbourne, 26th April, 1888. — Sir, — I do myself the honor to inform you that I received your two letters of the sth and 6th insts., together with a copy of the Hawsra and Normanby Star of tbe 10th inst, containing reports of the swimming competition and examination in the theoretical knowledge of saving life, etc., at the Manaia school, which I laid before the general court of directors of this society at its last meeting, and on your certificate that the regulations have been fully carried out the bronze medallion was awarded to John Hair and the certificate to Mary McGovern. Your school is the second to which the medallion has been awarded, tbe Launceston High School being the first. lam requested to ask you to present the medallion and certificate to the recipients in as public a manner as you deem desirable to encourage others to follow your good example. — I am, &c, C. B. Payne, Sec— The Rev Geo. Wilkß."

" Office of Minister of Education, Wellington, 26th April, 1888.— Dear Sir,— l have read with very great pleasure the report of the examination of your pupils in life saving knowledge. I have in the past had some little connection with the proceedings of the Royal Humane Society of Australasia, and am personally acquainted with Mr. Wilks, the first president oi tne society, and I think its founder, to whom I was introduced at his t chambers in Melbourne. I wish there' were in the country more enthusiasts such as yourself to take up the work of saving life upon the plan proposed by the Royal Humane Society of Australasia. — Believe me, &c, Geo. Fisher.— The Rev. Geo. Wilks."

Mr. Wilks then presented these, the one being a handsome bronze medallion, fully two inches in diameter, and the other a beautifully illuminated certificate, both bearing suitable inscriptions. He tben refdrred to the high honor that had been to-day conferred, it being the first time the medal had been won in New Zealand. It was not a medal for having saving life, but for proficiency in the theory of resuscitating the apparently downed and suffocated, the treatment of snake bites, and other accidents of which we daily read. As it was awarded to a person only once, it was now open to the others to emulate John Hair's example, and as one boy had run a good second, and others shown satisfactory progress, he was sure it would not be the last time such honors would come to Manaia school. Referring to the work done there, he said, he had heard it said, that the present education system tended to make children conceited. He was Bure that was not the case there. He had endeavored to teach them that every standard passed was but passing throngh a gate into a larger field of knowledge, and that the greatest increase of knowledge was to know how little we know. Men of the highest attainments had confessed that what they knew was but a grain of sand on the shores of knowledge. He hoped they would not rest contented with theoretical knowledge, and if they were never called upon to put it into practice, they would at least try to impart their knowledge to others, and that before long they would not only have competitions among themselves, but with other school, and even with other countries, and come out champions. He then called for three hearty cheers for their honored schoolmates, which was given most heartily.