DISTRIBUTION OF PRIZES.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XLII, Issue 13050, 15 December 1905, Page 7

DISTRIBUTION OF PRIZES.

AUCKLAND GRAMMAR SCHOOL

SPEECHES BY THE GOVERNOR AND ; SIR G. MAURICE O'RORKE. The annual distribution of prizes in. connection with the Auckland Grammar School took place in the Choral Hall last evening, and was a most successful function. Scholars, ex-scholars, parents and friends were present in numbers large enough to fill the hall. Sir G. Maurice O'Rorko presided, and upon the platform were His Excellency the Governor and Lady Plunket, the Mayor of Auckland (Mr. A. M. Myers), Professors F. D. Brown and A. P. W. Thomas, Dr. E. Roberton, and Messrs. P. M. Mackay and L. ,J. Bagnall (members of the Board of Governors), Dr. Neligan (Anglican Bishop of Auckland), Mr. F. E. Baume, M.H.R., Mr. J. W. Tibbs, M. (headmaster), and his assistants. The majority of the pupils of the Grammar School were also arranged upon the platform.

; THE HEADMASTER'S REPORT. . The headmaster (Mr. J. W. Tibbs, M.A.), in his annual review of the work of the school, said that when the school was closed to the admission of new pupils in March last the number had reached 502. The number fell during the year to 479 in the second, and 450 in the third term. Hitherto the average time spent by: pupils in New Zealand secondary schools had been only 21 years, but it seemed that the new regulations were tending to extend this period. He gave particulars of the examination results and the sciiool work of the year,. and referring to the university scholarship examinations he pointed out some existing inequalities, which he suggested shduld be adjusted by the Senate. Dealing with commercial education. Mr. Tibbs said that after consulting with his colleagues he had to report as follows: — " The true foundation for a sound business education is the wide general syllabus of the secondary school. I would include Latin, which is generally avoided by the boy who is destined for trade. It enters so largely into our own and almost every other European language, that any boy who has the time and ability to take it up, and fails to do so, is missing on© of his opportunities in life. At. any rate, there should be no attempt at premature specialisation in mere office technique and commercial methods, which. I understand, are -as varied as the operations of commerce itself. We aim at producing, not smart book-keepers or -expert typists, but students whose intelligence has been awakened and ambition aroused, whose business training will begin after they have left school, and who look beyond a clerkship to a great commercial career. And in commerce, as in -jvery other profession, the foundation of a great career rests on a sound literary and scientific education. "With this ideal before us we have endeavoured "to make our commercial studies educative rather than technical." The .eport stated that the special prizes for laboratory work had been given by Mr. Mackay, one of the governors of the school. Professor Thomas and Mr. Howell acted as examiners, and. their reports, as well as that of Mr. Morrell on the essay work, was of a very favourable character. The report concluded with tho following reference.to home lessons: — We find our work .seriously hindered, especially during the first term of the year, by the difficulty of getting home-work done at all satisfactorily by a large proportion of the new pupils. It is only fair to say that tho children that come from certain schools stand out year after year as models of careful training in the preparation of home lessons. But the great majority have not learned, even at, fourteen years of age, to do much by themselves. This is the outcome of interference on the part of parents and school committees with the work of the primary schoolmaster, who expects, a reasonable amount of work to be done at home in continuation of the teaching given during the day at school. . The result of this mistaken kindness is very serious: not only is the general standard of education much lower than it would be under stricter conditions, but that spirit of independence and power of initiative, which is so characteristic of the English schoolboy, is not given full play 'n furthering his studies. . ... The longer l teach the more optimistic is my view of the English schoolboy. Notwithstanding all we hear of the German and American, and in spite of his devotion to sports, my faith in his power to hold his own remains unshaken. But I feel that he would be infinitely safer, if he were m less danger of being pampered at home, if his father would only exercise more of German discipline, and exhibit more of German interest in his home-work." PRIZE DISTRIBUTION. ' The reading of the headmaster's report was followed by the distribution by His Excellency of the prizes, the list of whica has already been published in the -.Hekalu.The books presented comprised works by, well-known authors. The ceremony was ac-. companied . with . the. utmost . enthusiasm,, each of this prize-taken being heart'v applauded a* he came forward. Some of the chief priz.es won •at the school athletic sports, held in the Domain on the Bth alt., were- then presented by Lady Plunket, and consisted of a number of very handsome and valuable trophies. The young athletes as they received* their prizes were vociferously applauded.

THE GOVERNOR'S. SPEECH. The Governor, in a happy speech, said that he felt most generous.that evening, as he had never presented so many prizes before. (Laughter.) The Grammar, School to him, as one coming from Home, was really a surprise and a revelation. They found, for instance, in the Old Country only a small proportion of the pupils attending the schools .turning out as scholars, but here, in the Auckland Grammar School, a different order of things prevailed—nearly half of the pupils, were scholars. (Applause.) He congratulated them on the success attained. One thing in connection with the school which he admired very much was the attention given to athletics. It had given him the greatest pleasure to witness their sports the other day, and he might say that he had seldom seen a finer lot of boys in his life than he- had seen running and jumping that day. (Applause.) He was one of the last persons in *h<i world to put athletics before education, but when he saw that half of the pupils of the school were scholars as well he thought that athletics should be encouraged In conclusion, His Excellency said that it afforded himself and Lady Plunket the greatest pleasure- in being present at such a gathering, which they hoped would not be the last at which they would assist. (Prolonged applause.)

SIR MAURICE O'RORKE'S REMARKS. The Chairman, in moving a hearty vote of thanks to Their Excellencies for their attendance, said that when he heard His Excellency referring to athletics ho thought that he was going to allude to the victories which were being achieved by the New Zealand footballers in the Old Country. (Prolonged applause and cheers.) To his mind it was almost incredible that this little colony of New Zealand, with scarcely a million inhabitants, should be able to send to the other side of tho world a team which could beat all the footballers out of the 40,000,000 of people of Great Britain, and he earnestly hoped that when the victorious team returned to New Zealand their fellowcolonists would give them a. hearty reception. Sir Maurice then - went on to refer to the great wave of Liberalism which had swept through the colony last week, and the similar wave in England which had swept away the Tory Administration in England, and said that he was glad to see the newspapers at Home congratulating the new Ministry on the strength of their Cabinet. Tho motion was carried by acclamation, and followed by cheers for His Excellency and the singing of tbo National Anthoin, after which the gathering dispersed.

GREY LYNN COLLEGE. The annual prize distribution of the Grey Lynn College took place in the Church of Christ, Ponsonby Road, last evening. The pupils contributed a short programme of piano solos and duets, after which the Rev. W. E. Lush presented the school prizes, and Mr. S. Adams the music prizes. The following is the prize list: ;-■;.■:- ' Upper school.—Dux: Ida Eise. Spelling: Elsie Crofts and Ida Eise, a tie., French: Ida Eise. Conduct: Mina Eise. Ida Eise. Elsie Crofts, Sylvia Ward, Ethel Baxter, Muriel Watson. Attendance: Ida Eise. Mina Eise. Elsie Crofts, Sylvia Ward. Ethel Baxter, Muriel Watson, Evelyn Lee. Scripture (awarded by Mrs. Burid): Elsie Crofts and Ida Eise, a tie. Scripture (special, awarded by Mrs. Bottrill): Elsie Crofts and Mary Wilson. . ..... Lower school.—Dux: Marjorie Parker. Spelling: Marjorie Parker. Conduct: Marjorie Parker, Gladys Hodgson, Annie England, Mary England, Ellen Lusk, Rita Greenhough, Ray Watson, Maggie Bottrill. Attendance: Marjorie Parker. Annie England, Mary England. Ray Watson, Maggie Bottrill. French: Marjorie Parker. Music— Eise, Ida Eise, Sylvia Ward. Daisy ilaigh. Willa Hin?sion. Ida May, Marie May, Madge Armitage. Elsie Miles. Muriel Watson, Jean Miles. Rose Blomfleld, Ivy Blomfield, and May Priestley. Elementary school.—Dux: Clarice Wood. Spelling: Clarice Wood. Conduct: Clarice Wood, Flossie Watson. Maude Parker. Muriel Read. Dorothy Read, Ruth Thomas. Attend-" ance: Clarice Wood. Louie Tucker, Flossie Watson. Maude Parker, Nellie Watson, HikU Dawson, Doris Wad ham. Scripture: ClarisWood. Scripture (special) for boys, awardra by the Rev. E. C.Budd: Vernon Smith. , Infant prizes.—lvy Pen ton. Lilian, Maxwj,.. Ruby Irwin. Frank "iudd. Lan Keith. Crawford Haultain. Kenneth Robertson, Isabel Irwin. Rita McDeduiott. Georgie Read. David Mitchel. Olive Perkins. Harold Perkins. Lilian Sarnev. Florence Sparling. Rupert Ward. Ray Smith, Gladys Webley. Phyllis Newman, Vivian Menziefc .•'-..'•' ':•'•<