IN TOWN AND OUT

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume LXXII, 26 November 1938, Page 10

IN TOWN AND OUT

* * * * GARDEN PARTY HELD IN BRILLIANT SUNSHINE Nelson Girls' College After a period of inclement and uncertain weather, the sun shone to-day in all its brilliance for the Annual Garden Party held at the Nelson Girls’ College this afternoon. This is an important event, in the social calendar, and with cinerarias making a vivid splash of colour along the drive and smart frocks everywhere on the lawns, the scene was a very bright and joy-' ous one indeed. The guests were received by Miss Stewart, Principal of the College, who looked charming in a long frock of; floral ninon with a black background! and coatee to match, and a black hat with swathing in the floral tones of j the gown. DRILL DISPLAY A most enjoyable and entertaining programme was arranged by Miss Mitchell, the gymnasium mistress, and commenced with bench drill by members of the lower preparatory classes. This was held on the small lawn at the side of the main building, and the small girls made an attractive group in their white blouses and alternately red and blue shorts. They showed both vigour and enthusiasm for their display which was very well done, and were rewarded with enthusiastic applause from their audience. The Honours Drill Class comprising those pupils who had maintained the i highest standard of work throughout j the year, gave a fine exhibition of ball! drill which excited comments of ad-! miration on all sides. They wore white sports suits with vivid sashes of red. green and blue, repeating the colours

of their large beach balls which they handled with so much grace. On the tennis courts in front of the new building the third forms and upper preparatories were divided into three groups for a maypole dance and made a colourful scene with their bright maypole ribbon.; and wearing white blouses with alternate bright and dark blue skirts banded with red and yellow. Their dance was very graceful and intricate and it was rather amazing to see the skilful way they interwove with one another, interlacing their ribbons round the poles as they went. This item was also obviously popular with everyone. Finally there was a massed drill display by the senior girls who looked neat and fresh in their gym tunics and j white blouses. They marched on to the ! courts from three sides, keeping perfect step and making a perfect picture of i healthy young girlhood. Their exercises, based on Danish fundamental gymnastics, were extremely interesting j to watch and were carried out with 1 marvellous precision. The whole programme was a splendid example of the work done by Miss; Mitchell and her pupils, and inciden-1 tally, it should be mentioned that most of these exercises are the arrangement and invention of Miss Mitchell herself, whose enthusiasm for her work shows itself in such excellent results.

EXHIBITION OF WORK The exhibition of arts and crafts held in the western wing attracted considerable attention, showing as it did the fine work being done by the various forms under the capable supervision of Miss M. Stewart. It would be difficult to pick out any one section as being better than another. The work was all of a very high standard and showed that the girls are genuinely interested in what they do. The art work was cleverly arranged to show the various stages each class must pass through, from the early division of colour into tones and shades to the finished studies of such skilled pupils as Lois Levien and Pat Moore. One could have spent : considerable time in studying the art ; work alone, following its progress from ' form to form. Two groups of work by Lois Levien arrested one’s attention. Several water colours showed clearly her artistic ability in that direction while her unconventional treatment of such subjects as measles and a Maori mask, and a bold design of arum lilies made it obvious that her talent will not go unrecognised. Another outstanding piece of work by the same pupil was a sampler; which she designed and worked herself, portraying the College from its I inception to 1940. This sampler is a ! centenary piece and is to be forwarded i to the Centennial Exhibition. The Verse Anthology Competition for which Mr F. V. Knapp donates a prize annually, was won this year by Phyllis Smith, whose entry was entire-! ly her own work to the binding of the j book and a box to hold it. She called j it an anthology of nature poems, and j those she had chosen for it were most 1 artistically illustrated. A special prize was also awarded by Mr F. V. Knapp to Alison Beattie, whose anthology was also a charming piece of work, though her treatment of the illustrations was in a more modern style. The prize donated each year by Mrs C. R. Fell, wife of the Chairman of the Board of Governors, for the best handworked slip and knickers by a senior pupil, was awarded on this occasion to Molly Furness, whose set was of pink crepe-de-chine with georgette applique most exquisitely embroidered. Second place was won by Alison Beattie, and Molly Houlker’s work was highly commended. In the junior competition for the same work, Betty Jarrett came first with a white crepe-de-chine set embroidered with fine Richelieu work, while Joyce Lockyer was very highly commended for her entry. Also on view was a shield presented by Clark and Company, Limited, to the College for annual competition. The shield ie presented for general excellence in sewing work through the year. ; and the honour of having her name first to be engraved on the shield goes

| to Betty Jarrett, whose exhibits certainly justify her selection. It would take many columns to describe in detail all the work so well | displayed. The pewter work, for which I Miss Ruddell is instructor, the dainty ! smocking, the unusual and attractive ! candlewick embroidery, the quilted ; cushions and handkerchief sachets, the darling little Christmas cards so i carefully made by the lower preparatory classes, the potato work on linen and paper—a particularly interesting exhibition—the compendiums entirely made by pupils in Miss Cockburn’s bookbinding class, the history books so tastefully bound by the girls themselves, also under Miss Cockburn’s instruction, the beaten brass fire screen, the patent leather bathing bags with their amusing applique decorations, the gingham aprons so prettily smocked in checked designs, the tooled-leather purses. These college girls aie being taught arts and crafts that will be an asset to them all their lives, work which is both useful and fascinating, and which is evidently a pleasure to them, judging by their attention to detail. It must have been very gratifying to the teachers to be able to make such an impressive display, and a great encouragement to the pupils to do even better work next year. i The glorious sunshine made afternoon tea a very welcome diversion, ' and those in charge spent an extremely i busy afternoon in the gymnasium where refreshments were served.