OLD QUEEN'S COLLEGE.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXIV, Issue 19720, 20 August 1927, Page 12

OLD QUEEN'S COLLEGE.

HONOURING THE FOUNDER. PUPILS OF DR. A. McARTHUR. FORMATION OF ASSOCIATION. Nearly 40 years ago the late Dr. A. McArthur founded a boys' school that flourished as Queen's College at the top of Queen Street for five years. Afterwards it was housed for three ypars in Ponsonby Road. Many men now occupying prominent positions in the community received their secondary education there, and last evening a group of old boys met to consider tho formation of a Queen's College Old Boys Association. There are no bonds quite like the bonds of schooldays, and it was a genial cheery gathering that unanimously decided to form an association. Dr. McArthur, founder of the college, came from Melbourne University where j he had taken the degree of M.A. and J LL.D. He was principal of the Normal j Traiuing College in Auckland before he started his own school in the building known as Wesley College. It was later taken over for use by the Methodist Church as Prince Albert College, and it is now the People's Palace of the Salvation Army. When the building was taken over from him Dr. McArthur car lied on the college in premises in Ponsonby PiOad between Pieton Street and Three Lamps, fie then entered into practice as a solicitor in Auckland, and was eventually appointed a magistrate in Wellington. Tributes to Old " Head." A certain amount of haze shrouds the history of the college owing to the fact that no one knows what has become of its records, which appear to have been irretrievably lost. His old pupils speak of Dr. McArthur as a remarkable man of great efficiency. One well-remembered fact of interest at present is that he was a believer in Bible-reading in school. He had the Bible read before school every morning, and there was a special reading on one afternoon each week. At one time there were about 150 boys attending the college. A whole-hearted tribute to the late Dr. McArthur was paid by Mr. John Alexander, who was voted to the chair. He said .the first reason they had met was out of respect to the dear old man whose photograph he held in his hand. "His kindly nature endeared him to us all. He was very much more of a pal to all of us than an ordinary schoolmaster. This dear old fellow always wanted you to play the game. He was a man first and a schoolmaster to go on with." Mr. Alexander moved that the Queen's College Old Boys' Association be formed. Election of Officers. Mr. A. Farmer, who seconded, said lie had had to meet a good deal of opposition over the formation of the association. He was sure it would serve the purpose of bringing together many old boys who had not met for many years. The motion was carried unanimously and a subcommittee was appointed to frame a set of rules. It was estimated there were about 150 old boys in the Dominion, of whom 80 were within reasonable range of Auckland. The following officers were appointed:— President, Mr. John Alexander; vice-presi-dents, Sir Donald McGavin, Messrs. C. T. Major, W. J. Gatenby, C- Motion, and A. E. Bollard; committee, Messrs. J. Donald. 11. Goldie, G. Graham, E. W. Alison, jun., F. Warren, G. Waymouth, D. Mason and S Leyland; honorary sec retary and treasurer, Mr. A. Farmer. On the motion of Mr. Farmer, the com mittee was recommended to arrange a dinner or some similar function in October to bring the members together.