DUKE AND THE CHILDREN

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXI, Issue 21925, 8 October 1934, Page 8

DUKE AND THE CHILDREN

A children's demonstration, organised by the schools, is not possible on the occasion of the visit of the Duke of Gloucester to Auckland, seeing that many teachers and children will then be absent on holiday. But a children's rally certainly should be arranged, and it is the wise purpose of the Mayor that an organisation of people qualified to take charge of it should now be built up. Thousands of children will be in Auckland on December 27 and most of them, in any case, will make their best endeavours to see the third son of His Majesty the King to come to the Dominion. It would be most regrettable if they were not given special facilities for greeting His Royal Highness, It is the children above all who are most receptive of the emotions aroused on such an occasion. It is they who in due time pass on to posterity the most vivid impressions of Royal tours, tours which are not mere pageantry, but real binding links of Empire and buttresses of the Constitution. It is on such occasions that they grasp the full meaning of the British monarchy and its stabilising influence. They see more than a Prince, more than an emissary of the King. They learn in a moment what passages of history do not tell them. When the Prince of Wales and the Duke of York visited Auckland the schools were able to marshal great parades with living flags and other devices as outstanding features. But to the individual child the precision of parade arrangement was not so important as the fact of seeing the Prince. The most memorable part of the parade for the Prince of Wales was that which was unrehearsed--the breaking up of the ranks when he was reviewing them. This occurred after the "show," and nothing was marred by it. For the visit of the Diike of Gloucester the Mayor may rely upon obtaining the services of a band of men and women, many teachers and exteachers among them, who will be quite capable of controlling a vast number of children even if assembly strictly according to the order of schools is impossible. There will be no need to bother about spelling out words of welcome by the colour of clothing or anything of the sort. Ail that matters is making it possible for the little people to see and hear the Duke, who doubtless will appreciate a demonstration marshalled more or less on the spot.