PRIZE-GIVING CEREMONIES

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXIV, Issue 22900, 1 December 1937, Page 12

PRIZE-GIVING CEREMONIES

December brings an end to the school year, an occasion of frank joy to scholars—and to teachers, although it would be bad form on their part to be boisterously hilarious over relief from sacred duty. "Breaking up" is naturally and rightly as happy an exjDerience as it can .be made. <■ To receivers of prizes it gives a gratifying sense of righteous reward for due application of talents—in itself a salutary spur to future effort, no matter where it may *be made. Those prone to decry prize-giving—"virtue its own reward," and all that pious sort of thing—should remember this service of the ceremony. And for the unillustrious, denied a share in the spoils of personal victory, is the gain, quite as deep, of selflessly cheering the winners—a line exercise of the saving grace of sportsmanship. There are splashes of speech-making, too, no small contribution to the festal rite, albeit some apparent listeners, expected to hear although they cannot be compelled to heed, may wish them smaller. Thrice welcome is the purveyor of brief, bright words. Unconscious humour-is, perhaps, the best of all : as when an "old boy"—the phrase "old girl" is scarcely to be suffered —obviously invited to speak because of an eminence attained in public regard, follows his congratulations to prizewinners by a confession that he never was thus favoured but has since done not so badly in life. Consolatory to the losers, no doubt; but how it misfits the business of the hour, provoking youthful chuckles while teachers bravely suppress an inclination to frown! But, quite seemly or not, the whole custom has its uses, and to dispense with it would rob the year of its crown.