HEADMASTERS RETIRE.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXV, Issue 20131, 17 December 1928, Page 13

HEADMASTERS RETIRE.

FIVE AT END OF YEAR.

CITY AND COUNTRY SCHOOLS.

LONG RECORDS OF SERVICE

The retirement on .superannuation at the end of the year of three headmasters of large schools »n the city and province is announced, these being Mr. George Wilson, or Richmond West School. Mr B. Bagley, of Hamilton East School, and Mr. D. R. F. Campbell, of Morrinsville Distr-ct High School. Notice has already been given ol the retirement ijt the samp time of Mr. G. Wooller, of Newton West School, and Mr. A. Douglas, of Mount Eden School.

Mr George Wilson was the son of a teacher, Mr. T. W. Wilson, who hid charge of the Paparoa School for many years. He entered the service in 1888, when in his early twenties, serving a term as a probationer in the city. He then had sole charge of the Matakohe School for 12 years and was later at the Totara North School for five years. His next appointment was closer to the city, in charge of lha Glenfield School, near Birkenhead. After six years in that position Mr. .Wilson became headmaster of the Stanley Bay School. During 10 years' service there, the school attendance grew from about 100 to 250. For the past eight years he has been headmaster at Richmond West School, which has grown considerably, the roll now numbering about 500, as compared with 250 when he took over. Throughout practically the whole of his service, Mr Wilson has had charge of schools, not having served under anyone. For'.y-two Years' Service. Mr. Wilson has been a member of the Educational Institute for many years and has been closely associated with the Headmasters' Association, having been president in 1920. He has taken an active interest in cricket and hockey. For three years he was president and for 10 years a member of the executive of the Primary Schools' Cricket Association. He is also a past-president of the Auckland Hockey Association.

The headmaster of the Hamilton East School, Mr. Benjamin Bagley, who is retiring after 42 years' service, is a New Zealander. He was educated in Dunedin, and after serving for a period as a pupil teacher at Clinton, Otago, he entered the Otago Training College and Otago University. For a time he was employed in several Dunedin schools and was then appointed to take temporary charge of the Waihopai School, Invercargill. In 1893 Mr. Bagley was appointed first assistant at Woodville, where he remained for 12 years. He then became headmaster of the Kumeroa School, Hawke's Bay. He was later successively headmaster of the Norsewood and Dannevirke North schools and the Woodville District High School. Mr. Bagley was appointed headmaster of the Hamilton East School in 1922, a post he still holds. The school is one of the largest in the Waikato, the roll number ranging from 600 to 640, while Mr. Bagley has been in charge. Wort in City and Country. In his younger days Mr. Bagley was an all-round athlete, having played football, tennis and cricket. He has also been a swimmer, a rower, an angler and a runner. In later years he had become an enthusiastic bowler and is a prominent member of the Claudelands Bowling Club. Mr. Bagley has always taken Jfeen interest in the Teachers' Institute, and has been president of two branches in Hawke's Ba.y. He is vice-president of the Waikato branch.

A record of 40 years' service to education is held by Mr. D. R. F. Campbell, headmaster of the Morrinsville District High School. Mr:- Campbell was educated at North River, Waipu, his first teaching appointment being at Onehunga, where he served as a pupil teacher for some years before moving to the Otakeo School, Coromandel. After four years there he returned to Auckland as second-assistant at the Beresford Street School. Mr. Campbell's next appointment was at Morrinsville, where he has taught continuously for the past 29 years. Mr. Campbell lias seen the roll of the Morrinsville School grow from 50 to 470 in the primary department, and the establishment of a secondary school at Morrinsville, in addition to the building of eight or ten country schools in and around Morrinsville. Mr. Campbell has been prominent in teachers' organisations, acting as secretary of the Waikato branch of the Educational Institute for 20 years, while for the last two years he has beon president of the branch.