WELLINGTON COLLEGE.

New Zealand Mail, Issue 1190, 21 December 1894, Page 37

WELLINGTON COLLEGE.

DISTRIBUTION OF PRIZES.

The annual distribution of prizes to the students of Wellington College took place on Friday afternoon in the large schoolroom. Mr J. R. Blair (chairman of the College Governors and Education Board) presided, and there were also present HisExcellency the Governor, Sir James Hector, Mr H. D. Bell, M.H.R., the Mayor (Mr A. de B. Brandon), Rev J. Paterson,, the College staff,,&c. The room had been very tastefully decorated with flowers and ferns placed in graceful designs round the walls and at the back of the stage, and presented a. very pretty appearance. As usual on such occasions the attendance was large, including a great many ladies. Mr C. P. PowlbS (secretary to the CollegeGovernors) read the reports of the examiners on the work of the College during" the past year. Professor Haslam, in his report, stated that out of a possible total of 34 boys there were nine firsts and nine credit, passes. Of the remainder not more than three boys failed to get 40 per cent. Thus the fact remained that more than half of. those boys had passed with credit, and more than a quarter of them had got into-

the first class on the work taken as a whole. A school that could keep such an average certainly deserved all confidence on the part of the public.. Mr A. R. Meek, M.A., who had examined all forms from lII.A upwards in mathematics and English, and forms lII. a and IV.b, and. the shell in Latin, said the results exceeded his expectations. He would say of the school generally that the boys were well classified, that they appeared to have worked hard, that they had been certainly well taught, and that on the whole he did not think the College- need fear comparison with any other school in the Colony. Mr C. Harling, examiner in French, testified to the thorough work done in this subject during the past year. Mr C. Hulke, examiner in science, reported that the work was an improvement upon that of last year. Mr A. D. Riley, director of the Technical School, reported that satisfactory progress had been made in second grade freehand, model, geometry and perspective by the majority of the drawing class. Mr W. H. Warren, teacher of shorthand,

reported favourably of the work done during the year. He also stated that Mr J. R. Blair had cheerfully given the prize for the class this year.

The Principal (Mr J. P. Firth), in his annual report, .said the results of the examinations showed that, as had been the case "before, they had done their work in such a way as to satisfy thoroughly their highly qualified outside examiners. They could not expect complete success in the higher examinations, however, until the upper boys stayed longer at the College. It was really distressing to have so many of their very best boys leave after only two

years’ stay—indeed, in not a few cases at the end of one year. In every department their work showed decided

improvement. He expressed his gratitude ,to the old boys for the interest they had taken in the school, and tendered his heartiest thanks to the givers of prizes, to his colleagues and others. The number on the roll had increased from 140 to over 170, and they had more than 40 boarders.

The Chairman said the reports showed that their primary education was on a very sound basis, as shown by the success of the boys coming from those schools. (Applause.) He was glad to say that for the future the College Governors would be in a position to do better for the schools from a financial point of view than in the past, unless of course, as had been suggested, their tsecondary schools were made free. Introducing His Excellency the Governor, he said he had always taken a great interest in education.

His Excellency, who was received with applause, said from his position he naturally took an interest in everything that concerned the Colony, and therefore he had great pleasure in being present on such an occasion. There was nothing more evident than that New Zealanders as a rule took great interest in education, and. judging from the reports the College was making great' progress, and besoming one of the greatest educational establishments in the Colony. That success must be very gratifying to Wellington, and must be attributed to the way in which the College had been conducted by Mr Firth during the last few years. (Applause.) Lord Glasgow then distributed the prizes, the winners being loudly applauded as they advanced to receive their awards.

The following is the list of the prizewinners*:—/ .

'Scholarship List. —Rhodes, £2O (Cook), J. Prendeville; Rhodes, £ls (Izard), W. W. Cook; Moore, .£2O (Lewis), C. N. Haslam ; Moore, £ls (Renn'er), Lewis; Turnbull, =£ls (general), T. Jordan ; Turnbull, £lO (mathematics and science), U- C. Boulcott; Turnbull, £5 (general), A. C. McKellar ; Turnbull, £5 (general), H. J. Fairchild; Turnbull, £5 (general), E. Reade; Levin, £lO (languages), C. Collins; Levin, ,£lO (science), C. T. Richardson ; Governors’ free tuition (general), G.. McFarland ; Governors’ free tuition (general), H., Buddie; Barnicoat prize (English), C. N. Haslam (books to the value of .£5); head of school, J. Prendeville (books to the value of £4). Owing to Prendeville and Haslam leaving, the scholarships falls to Izard and Renner. Prize List. V. —Latin, Kirkcaldie i; Feltham. IV.a—Mathematics, Dallaston; English, Bennett ; science, Mowat. Shell—Latin, Reeve; mathematics, Frethey;-English, Burnley; French, Jacobs; science, Salmon. IV.b Latin, Cocks; mathematics, Hales i; English, Wilson ii; French, Manning; science, Duthie i. lII.a ——Latin, Reeves ; mathematics, Eastwood ; English, Bell iii; science. Hector. 111.b —Latin, Sladden i ; mathematics, Hay; English, Bannister; science, Atkinson ii. lII.b lower Mathematics, Cameron ii. ll.—Latin, Caselberg ; mathematics, Bell i; English, Alexander ; French, Ward. I.—Latin, Tripe ii, 1; Pym, 2; mathematics, Buck; French, Bell ii. Drawing, first year —H, Buddie; second year, F. Wills. Shorthand—E. W. Payton, 1; Elliot ii, 2. Book-keeping—D. J. Drummond, 1 ; H. Blundell i, 2.

Special prizes.—New Zealand history -(Mr Izard’s prizes)—C. Collins, 1; Cameron .and Izard (equal), 2. Reading and elocution (the Rev Mr Paterson’s prizes)—J.W. Carr and F. Read equal. - Spelling—F. D. Bell (Mr W. C. Fitz Gerald’s medal), I; Freyberg ii, 2 ; Alexander, 3. Mr Page’s for most deserving boy in forms I. •abd ll.—Williams. M. Naverne’s special prizes in French—Haslam, 1; Feltham, 2. The following obtained certificates for having passed the examinations with «redit;—J. Prendeville, C. N. Haslam, W. W Cook, F. .Renner, E. Feltham, J. L. Palethorpe,. W. A. Izard, H. G. Lewis, N. Kirkcaldie, Richardson ii., W. McAra, Cameron i., Waite, Holt, Mowat, Collins, Jordan, Macfarland, Bennett, Dallaston, Von Dadelszen, Gale i., Mackay i., Bouloott, Frethey, Underwood, Hazelwood, FruBauf, Hansen, Daniell, Loudon, Burns, Blackwood, Palethorpe ii., Buddie, Salmon,

Reeve, Burnley, Jacobs, Rothenberg, SladdeU, Nicholls, Read, McKenzie i., Duthie 1.. Reeves, Elliott ii., Wilson ii., Manning, Hales i., Gilmer ii., Hay, Reade, Freyberg 1., Hector, Wall, Sladden i., Whittem, Gavin, McTavish, McKellar, Atkinson ii., Gale ii., Eastwood, Cook ii., Tustin, Bell i., Glover, Elliott i., Harland, Bell iii., Irons, Fairchild, Tabor, McKenzie ii., Downes, Simon i., Pym, Chinch eh, Exley, Blundell 1., Blundell ii., Harris, Duthie ii., Kember 11., Gear, Bannister, Felton, Dickson, Caselberg, Neill, Taylor i., Alexander, Williams, Bramley, James, Barber, Freyberg ii., Tripe ii., Bell ii., Orr i., Buck. Mrs Firth distributed the prizes won at the annual sports of the College, the winners of which have already been announced. In addition there were the following —Shooting prizes—Munro, 1 and cup; Richardson ii., 2 ; Blundell ii., 3; Payton, 4. Tennis prizes ■— Edwards i., Edwards ii., West.

At the call of the Mayor, a vote of thanks and three cheers were given to the Governor.

The Rev J. Paterson, on behalf of the Governors, moved a vote of thanks to Mr Firth and the teaching staff for their services, and said the College was never in a more prosperous and efficient condition than at present. (Aplause.) The vote of thanks was carried by acclamation, and three cheers were given for His Excellency, for Mr and Mrs Firth and the masters.

Mr Firth having acknowledged the vote, the proceedings closed with more cheering, including three cheers for the old boys.