TRIBUTE TO FOUNDERS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXVI, Issue 20402, 2 November 1929, Page 16

TRIBUTE TO FOUNDERS.

DIOCESAN HIGH SCHOOL. COMMEMORATION SERVICE. ADDRESS BY THE ARCHBISHOP. Ono of the most important events of tho yeai for the Diocesan Girls' High School is Founders' Day, which was celebrated at the school yesterday with all the dignity and i 4 evercnce characteristic of it The chairman of the school council, Mr. C. J. Tunks, presided over a large attendance of old girls and friends of tho school, with him on the platform being Archbishop Averill, Mr. 11. J. D. Million, headmaster of the Auckland Grammar School, the Rev. G C. Cruickshank, and the headmistress, Miss E. M. Sand ford

''l am glad of this opportunity to sav u few words to tho old girls and tho older girls of the school," said Archbishop Averill. "Tho real test of education does not lie in the examination room. I do not, under-value the tremendous importance of examinations, but I say without hesitation that the real lest of education is provided in the life that follows after school is left. L feel very strongly that tho ono real purpose of education is to enable us to think clearly and accurately. Very few people do think clearly. Thinking clearly is tho basis of action and also of character'Whatsoevei a man thinketh in his heart, so is he.' But education should also teach us to discriminate. Another thing it should show us is the way to mastery, to overcome and to conauc our difficulties. Traditions and Ideals.

"There are runny other ways in which our echiciition can help us, by giving us many fine qualities we can take away from school with us. Do not think that you can leave your school ideals when you leave. lam certain that those ideals and the things they stand for are the very things you girls want to lake away when you leave. Do try and remember that you will need your ideals when you leave and enter business, society or sport, just as much as you did at school. Remember, also, that the best advertisement a school can possibly have consists of its old scholars. People naturally look to your ideals, to your manners and to your conduct to see whether you are carrying out your school tradition or whether you are leaving it at the school. It is your privilege as well as your duty to carry out tho ideals of the school in your after-life. "That is a matter of very great importance, because it is so easy for ideals, particularly school ideals, to be misunderstood," concluded the archbishop. "The ideals this school has are the things that society needs at the present time.'' In a short address Mr. Tunks referred to the loss the school had experienced by the death of Mr. 11. P. Kissling, a member of the council, and by the death of Miss Ward, who would be remembered by many old girls of (lie school. He then introduced Mr. Mahon. Dot)eloping Leadership. After congratulating the school on the 26th anniversary of its founding, Mr. Mahon referred to the many opportunities offered to girls in the world to-day. They were given the same chances as boys and on leaving school were able to enter the professions, where it was possible for them to rise to the highest and most important posts. Such positions gave rise to greater responsibilities, as the test of leadership was competence. It therefore became necessary to seek in the education of girls the same ideals on which boys' education was founded. In training pupils for the responsibilities of life there was no period so valuable in the school life as that spent in tho sixth forms, concluded Mr. Mahon. He knew from his own experience that the boys who had won the greatest distinction in after-life were those who had spent two years in the upper sixth. That was tho timo that developed the sense of responsibility and leadership and built character. At the conclusion of the memorial service and speeches a garden party was to have been held, but owing to the weather the guests were entertained indoors.