GORE DISTRICT HIGH SCHOOL.

Mataura Ensign, 18 December 1907, Page 2

GORE DISTRICT HIGH SCHOOL.

PRESENTATION OF PRIZES. There was a fair gathering of parents uiul others interested in tho proceedings at tlie distribution of prizes to the infant division of the Gore District High School at 1.30 this morning. The infants were put through a number of exercises and evolution* and contributed some lullabies under tho baton of Miss Howes, and after a short ad- , dress had been given by Mr A. Mar- > tin (chairman of the school committee), who referred to the paucity of tho accommodation and the proposed future '> enlargements, and the yeoman service tendered by the teachers, tbe prises ; were presented. The infants were then : dismissed, their eyes bright at the pro>,|it'ct of the lollies awaiting them at the door and some six weeks' emancipation < irom the trials and troubles of school life. Following is the prize-list:— PREPARATORY CLASSES.

I'-I.—Girls: Eva Stevenson, Rita Wallis, Miriam Hogg, Annie Craig, Edith Ratusay, Jessie McNoe, Gladys Smith, Winifred Edwards, Hazel ilranii, Olive bteel, Mabel Baldey, Rita McGruer, Grace Wadsworth, Myra Rodger. Boys: Douglas Reed, iseil I'ryue, Sum .Nicholson, Frank Von .Stunner, John McCorkindale, Arnold Richardson, Alan Ferguson, Charles Sligo, Roy Tutty, Andrew Buchanan, J times Donaldson, Arthur Brownlie, Frank lladinau, William Davies, Leslie Robertson, William Ueattie, Frank Pratloy. X'iS. —Girls: Hilda Boraman, Veda l'ryde, Frances Todd, Nessie Duncan, .May i'unuel, Annie Gorinski. Boys: Douglas Wallis, Frank Humphreys, John Willis, Robert Craig, Leslie Bowmar, Alexander Sligo, Ernest Wilkins, Christopher Smith, William Gray, William Boraman.

P2.—Girls: Isla Brennan, Eva McKinuon, Alma May, Nellie Hellier, Ella lialdey, Isabella bcott, Kathleen Graham, Ooriii Smythe, Ivy Allott, Llila Low, Olive Drew. Hoys: Arthur Wilkins, Hoy Cullen, Albert Smythe, Albert Smythe, John Klukosky, Lance Martin, Gordon Stevenson, Douglas Low, James Mcintosh, Arthur Morton. Pi.—Girls: Elsie Thomson, Ida Trus-A ler, Vera Walker, Lily Duncan, lreiun%l McKinna, Ethel Duncan, Boys: Jack' Steans, lhomas Cameron, Harry Adams PRIMARY DEPARTMENT. Standard I.—Girls: Brenda Garrick 1, Nellie Thomson 2; boys: Albert Staples i, Harrison Kemp 2. Sewing: Olive Ferguson. Special prizes: Sylvia lnder (reading), George Cullen (general excellence 1, Kita Wingham (brushwork), KUIO Taylor (politeness). Standard ll.—Special prizes: Lailla Cross, IJessie Wilson , Tui 'l'urnbull, Kato Mitchell, David Donaldson, Ralph Stone, George Smith. Standard ill.— Boys—Leslie Collctt 1, Archie McCorkindale 2; girls—Madge lirand 1, Minnie i'aine 2. Special prizes: Diligence—(Hoys) Tom Stevenson 1, Alex. Donaldson '2.; (girls) May Christie 1, Kathie Stevenson; mental arithmetic: j (lioys) Campbell Steel; (girls) Elsie ■ Young. Sewing—Elsie Young. | Standard IV.—Class prizes (Boys) | Desmond Wallis 1, Norman Sligo 2; | (girls) Uladys l'aterson 1, Elsie W'ingj ham and Evelyn Shave (equal) 2. 1 Special prizes: Joseph Smith (politeI ness and good conduct), Walter Joyce .(proficiency and politeness), Stanley Thomson (progress and diligence), John Terry (progress and good conduct), ! Leonard Collett (diligence), Eva Rob- ! (rtson (writing) 1, Enio Low (writing) i.', Lestar Walkar (writing), Eva Mcl'herson (diligence), Nellie i'aine (pro- ! gress), Douglas Paine (progress). Sew)mg: tiannau Willis.

Standard V.—Dux boy and English prize (presented by Mr E. C. Smith): Gordon Reed; dux girl: Ivy Stevenson. Second prizes: Stanley Baldwin, Hughina McLeo l. Arithmetic (special prize presented by Mrs Lovell): Percy Rose, Eltio 'l'ait. Mapping (special prize presented by .Mrs Lovell): Blanche Badii'an. Carpentery • Alister Ramsay. Cooking: .Amy Anderson, Pearl Hicki, Blanche Badman, Elsie Terry. Sewing: Kate McDonnell 1, Muriel Joyce 2* Writing. Bell Young. Standard Vl. Dux boy and English prize (presented by Mr E. C. Smith): Lindsay Bennet; dux girl: lsa Mason. Second prizes: Lyall Christie, Mary France. Special prize—Drawing (presented ly Mr Bennet): Frank Kroning; arithmetic (special prize presented by Mr Ballintine): Amy Garrick, James Robertson: mapping: David Partington; woodwork: Andrew Fleming, Lyall Christie; cookory: Mollie France; sewing: lsa Mason. SECONDARY DEPARTMENT.

Upper Form.—Dux medals: William Crawford, Vy vienuo Gowdy; mat hem atics: Gerald Bcattie; French: Winnie Wright; Latin: Arthur Martin; English: Myrtle Taylor; science: Catherine McLeod; geography: Eric Scott; history: .Minnie Kobert&on; cookery: Mary Shepherd; diligence: Ada Barber, "Annie J'ullar, Elsie Winning, James Wallace, Spencer Allott, Robt. Archibald; special essay ("A Trip to the Exhibition' ): Eric Scott; school essays: Winnie Wright, Violet Hamilton; progress: Maude Mncdonald.

Lower Form.—First prize: Arthur | Slocombe, George Mackay, Violet Mackenzie; second prize: Joseph Mcßride, Alexander Robert, Irene Taylor; Latin: Ada Russell; English: Herbert Lyttle; algebra: D'Arcy Dun; geometry: Enes Macdonald ; neatness: Constance Golding; progress : John Cockburn; diligence: John Molfatt; arithmetic, Alex. Craig: diligence: George Valentine; special class prize: Gladys Maher; woodwork: Herbert Lyttle; cookery: Vallio Henderson, Ada Russell, Miriam Macgregor, Cora Macdonald; science: Vm Logan, Willie Stevenson, l'he school committee wishes to acknowledge gilis of prizes from Mrs A. A. Mac Gibbon, Mrs Bowler, Mrs G. J. Anderson, Miss Sinclair, Messrs Murdoch, W. J. Johnston, Ballintine, Bowler, C. Bennct, Hon. Mr McNab (2 vols.), Messrs Lovell (2), Golding, Brunton, John Ma'Cibbon, Geo. Robertson (2), A. A. Mac(iibbon, Thomas Green, and Mrs Buchanan. The following gave donations in cash: Mesdames R, Bos#. ■ roa< J> Robins, A. Wallis, Messrs J Taylor (2), Rout, Wright, McKinna, " Joyce, Youi.g, Gowuy, Ferguson, Smyth, Robinson, Tracey King, Kemp, Sligo, McCorkindale, Scott and Brownhe. •

| ATTENDANCE CERTIFICATES. .First Class: Gerald Beattie, William . Crawford, Winifred Wright, Blair Cullen, Harold C owdy, John King, Frank K roiling, Mernyn Kirk, Harry Stewart, Jas. Cullen, Jolin Ross, Jessie McCorkmdale, Jane Stevenson, Ella Baldwin, James Adams, John Craig, Walter Scott, Cliarlo.i Sim, Charles Wallis, Harold Prattloy. Wni. Robertson, Wesley Kingdan, J)orothy Rodger, Mar. garet Kirk, Dora Sopp, Olive Sim. isorah Graham, Margaret Broad, Rachel Burgess, Nellie McCorkihdale, Jlar.v Ross, \ ena Kroning, Edward Robertson, Stanley Sim, Herbert \\ right. Colin King, Win, O'Neill, Edward King, Maxwell Wright., Stanley Maude, David Ross, Raymond Adams, May rerguson, Christina McKinna George Kirk, Bertie Burgess, Ivy Pollock ,l\in Beattie, Mvra Rodger, Rita VUllis, Douglas Wallis, Alexander ollgO. i Second Class: Enes McDonald. Harold Wallis. \\ ilfred Kirk, R«na 6rowii, Francis Stevenson, Arthur McEwan, Will. Mason, Madge Brand, Marv Wilhs, brie Tutty, Dudley Shanks, James Staples, Madge Smith, Kitty Duncan, i ~I Albert Staples, Leonard YYalhsj .Gladys Smith, Charles Sligo, ljeslie Robertson, Frank Prattley, Arthur Brovynhe, John Willis, William Boraman. • NAVY LEAGUE COMPETITION. Navy Lea guy Essay Prizes The Navy League prizes for 1907 have been awarded as follow Junior Divisiou: Kathleen Sullivan (Croydon Bchool), 1 ; k Agnes Dickson (Croydon school), 2; John Nicholson (Croydon school), 3. beiiior Division.— Lindsay Bonnet

(Gore), 1; Gordon Reid (Gore), 2; Martha Petersen (Croydon), 3. High School Division: Minnie Richardson 1, Violet Hamilton 2, Violet Mackenzie 3. The annual break-up of the above school took place to-day. The children attending the primary department were dismissed at the schoolhouse this morning and those in the higher divisions at the Town Hall this afternoon. The building was full, a large number of parents being present. Mr Andrew Martin (chairman of the committee) presided, and there were also present oil the platform the Mayor (Itir A. A. . AlacGibbon), Mr Fisher (chairman of Education Board), Mr D. Gilchrist (member of the Education Board), and Mr E. R. Bowler (vice-president of the Navy League). The Chairman, in referring to the new departure this year of dismissing the younger children and then assembling the higher divisions in the Town Hall, said this had been necessary owing to the crowded state of the District High School. There was now a roll number in that institution ot 500, with an average attendance of 470. He hoped that next year they would have an up-to-date High School on the site recently acquired. He read the list of those who had earned special distinction during the year in examinations (this is published below). He read a number of apologies, among them being thoae of the Jion. R. McNab, Messrs I. \V. Raymond, C. Robertson, J. Neill, anil others. District High Schools were merely a kind of halfway house, and j when their new High School was equip-1 ped he expected it would attract schol-! ars from all parts of the district. It ! was the intention of the school com-! mittee to approach the Education i Board at its next meetiug to take the ' initial steps towards the establishment i the medal to the dux boy, referred to of prizes, who had been very liberal l this year. * j His Worship the Mayor, in presenting i of the school. He thanked tne donors I the essay competition on "Courtesy." I He would like to say that he had to j thank the teachers for the way in which it had been taken up and to congrani- j late them and the essayists upon the l admirable essays which had been writ-: ten. It gave him very great pleasure to present the medal given by the Gore Retailers' Association to the dux boy ••(Master Crawford). To gain the top the tree should be the aim of everyand he trusted that Master Craw.ford would in his future life continue to excel in whatever calling it was his lot to follow. Mr Fisher (chairman of the Education Board), after referring to the pleasure he experienced in being present at the break-up that day, mentioned that the boys and girls at the various schools in the colony were laying up something in their school lile ' which age could not whither nor fire. destroy. They were building up so mo-! thing which would bear fruit in the •' time to come. They had the possibili- I ties of life to face, while the grown-up! people could look back upon the lost I opportunities of their life. Girls and I boys had the whole field open to them: ■ everything was in front them. They j should not bo content to confine them-' selves to the beaten track, but should i launch out into the field of research. Men and women could use the words of, the late Mr Cecil Rhodes, on review-; ing his life: "How much to do: how ! little done." Success depended in a! great measure upon taking advantage of the opportunities offered them. They ; should not he content to run in double harness with any one, but reach out for themselves. It had been said that the majority ruled, but that was not quite, correct, for it was the leader who ruled and the majority followed him. It was not always those who were successful in taking prizes at school who succeed-: oi in after life. Genius did not appear in school days, but there was a latent power or force which developed in later years and made men of mark. Boys > and girls should not therefore be dis- j couraged but go on working, so that if! they were not successful on this occa-! sion they might bo later on. The Edu- j cation Board would give the commit- . tee's application for a High School every consideration. Education did not end with a child's school life: it con-1 tinned throughout the whole course of. their existence. He then presented the • dux medal to Miss Gowdy. I Mr D. Gilchrist presented the Mayors prize for an essay on "Cour- j tesy," and in doing so referred to the importance of education. There was a danger that it might be thought the ! importance of education had only recently been recognised, but this was not so. Education had only been extended : and brought within the reach of everv-' one. Parents at all times had been ail- ! xious to give their children the best j education possible to their means. There I was a great deal of work to be done in ' the world by educated people. Until' comparatively recently the opportuni-1 ties for girls had been very narrow, but ' their sphere was now extending and < they found women doing a great deal of I work that had previously been done j by men. There were female clerks, | lawyers, doptors, teachers, and either I callings were being entered by their I sisters, These were in addition to the usual domestic work, which he considered just as important as any he had mentioned. They should not take a narrow view of education, which should be as wide as possible and not solely devoted to the means of gaining a livelihood. .They could not live on bread alone, and they wanted to make their livfs as full and happy and useful as possible. They had heard of great things being done by uneducated people, but all had to gain their education some time. There were not so many opportunities for selfculture as formerly, but they should continue to study after tliev left school. They should attend the technical classes and take advantage of the opportunities offered them in training not only their minds but their manual dexterity. He recommended them to • read good books and to study the sciences of botany and geology, from which they would gain a great deal of pleasure. He strongly advised them to write to the children's columns in the newspapers, which would benefit their literary style. Success in life was gained by courage, industry, determination and character more than by great individual ability, and if thev used the Ments with which they had' been bless--01), they would increase. He then cou--1 gratulated Miss Gowdv on her success and presented her with the prize. ? Mr Boiler, in presenting the Navv League prizes, regretted tthe absence of Mr A. A. Scott (president of the League) on account of illness. In times ot peace it was not usual to lay great stress on patriotism, which developed more strongly in times of war: Gut it was their duty to prepare for war during peace, and the navy was the forefront of their defence. Thtre were special reasons why the Navy League should be encouraged in an inland town like Gore, in which there were not many opportunities of having its advantages brought before the people. He referred to the action of the Australian Government m commencing the foundation of an auxiliary navy. The colonies should build up a navy, not necessarily to run ? B j n ' tut to be used in assisting the Old Land. It would thus assist in forming a taste for the sea amongst the people. It was with the object of encouraging the boys of the country i districts in a study of the nav.il history of their country that the League were I presenting these prizes. He then handed the prizes to the winners. The Chairman then distributed the general prizes.