PRESENTATIONS

Hokitika Guardian, 20 December 1917, Page 3

PRESENTATIONS

Yesterday afternoon the whole of the High School scholars assembled in on o of"" the High School rooms to make a presentation to Miss Casey on the eve of her departure for Hawera. -nr. do lljorry presided ancl in mentioning the cause of their meeting eulogised Miss j Casey for the excellent work she had done while here. As headmaster he had especial cause for regret, for he well knew the difficulty of replacing a teachei: who had proved her worth ; still being an optimist he sWll hoped that- another good teacher would be. lortlicomiug. He wished Miss Capey would he as happy in her new position as she had been in Hokitika. Mr. H. Williams spoke of the special difficulties that- Miss Casey had been confronted with. Last yea'r she was given a class that was the despair of the teachers of the school. That class | U id in the course of time come under his care. He had htid classes of far more gifted children, but never had a class proved itself to consist oi more trustworthy scholars than this t one. Here Miss Casey had done work in forming characters that the scholars themselves could in the future find them

selves most thankful for. Miss Casey had not- sought the easy road, but always took the road of right no matter how hard it was. On behalf of the • scholars, he wished Miss Casey happiness in her future sphere. Misses Marjory Wilson and Isabella Forsyth made the presentation of a silver jewel case, an ink stand, and a ,greenstone pen-handle. " Miss Casey in reply thanked the scholars for their beautiful presents and the teachers for their kind remarks. She hrmllv knew herself as she had been portrayed ; but. as her name had been

mentioned so frequently, she must perforce consider it was really she of whom the kind statements had been made. She would leave the scholars «■ motto which she hoped they would bear in mind; if they did, nothing else would really matter, and that motto was: “Love Truth.” She felt that they would live up to it. and she could safely leave them, as they were being left

in the hands of the Rector and Mr. Williams. She wished them all the happiness of the coming festive season. Afterwards good-bve was said-to each individual scholar. Later in the afternoon, all the, assistant teachers met for the purpose of saving good-bye and making a prosenation of their own to Miss Casey. Mr. Williams presided and briefly explained the purpose of their meeting. They had all valued Miss Casey’s work and they sincerely regretted that she wa s leaving Hokitika, hut they noped she would have as happy a future in Haweraf as the past- had been in Hokitika. Miss Ward in making a presentation of a fine, manicure sot, expressed how highly they had esteemed Mis s Casey. They felt sorry that there must he a break in their friendship ; hut, one naturally liked to be as near home as possible, and in this Miss Casey was to be commended. She wished Miss Casey every happiness in the future, and hoped that her new friends in Hawera Would have some of the “West Cor _ friendliness in their character.

Mss Casey in reply returned her thanks for tile present, hut more especially for the many acts of kindness bestowed on her during her stay. The West Coast friendliness she lin'd valued, as never did she expect it to be so warm. If her new friends to bo in.Hawera proved as good and warm-hearted as the old ones in Hokitika she would be fortunate indeed. She wished all every happiness and prosperity.