Valedictory Social at Weston

Oamaru Mail, Volume XXXIV, Issue 9590, 24 July 1907, Page 4

Valedictory Social at Weston

Tho residents of Weston arnd the surrounding district assembled in the Weston. Hall last night for the purpose of publicly bidding farowcM to -Mr and Mrs W. h. Bastings. Mr Bastings, who has boon headmaster of the Weston School for over 12 vcars, ihas been appointed to take charge of The Waikouaiti School, and lea vis Weston shortly to assume the duties of hi; new position: during 'his long residence 111 tho district .ho has, besides carrying out lis duties as headmaster of tho Weston School iii a manner that has placed him in the front rank of Otngo's State schoo teachers, taken tiro keenest interest m nil public matters affecting the general uite.rrst of the community. Anything of a puhUc nature requiring individual effort and initiative alhvsivs' received the hearty support of the headmaster and his popular wife and the residents of Weston, district are Largely 'indebted to them for the successful termination of innumerable functions inaugurated for the public 'Rood. Realising this, the iieople; of that locality felt that they could not allow Mr and Mrs Bastings to depart from their midst, without some tangible expression of their goodwill and esteem : a number of. prominent residents bestirred themselves in the direction of arranging the popular function th.it took place last night, and subscription lists put into circulation were so well supported that tho promoters of tho event were enabled to .hand to their guests a number of handsome and valuablo presents. Mr Joseph Mitchell preside over a Rntherine that numbered considerably over ZOO. The Chairman, in his opening remarks, said that the School Committee had received Mr Bastings' resignation of the ]tos-.-tion of headmaster with very great regret. They had resolved' that they could not let him go without showing their appreciation of his services to tho distract, the Hal Committee .and the Library..Committee had also taken the matter up, and that n-ght s function was tho result of their muted efforts. As secretary, Mr Hastings bad done good work on the Hall Committee, and' it was largely duo to his untiring efforts that they now had a free public hall in the township. Ho a)x>logised for tho absence of the Rev. Mr Burgess. Mr W. Milne said' tho purpose of their meet in" there that evening • was to say good-bye to Mr and Mis Bastings. Lvery one in the district would be sorry to part with thorn, for Mr Bastings had been 16 or 17 years in charge of the Weston Sohcdl, all of which time he had carried out <his duties in a careful and thoroughly efficient manner, and to the entire satisfaction of the people of Weston. As a teacher Mr Bastings was popular .with, his scholars; he had .always won the hearts of the children. They were very sorry indeed to lose the services of so valuable' a member of their community, but as the Board had' seen fit .to promote him to a more, responsible position they could not expect him to stay there with them, and could onlv wisb him Godspeed. Ikwas goinc to a place 'giving lum greater responsibility, and an increased »alar.v. The absurd way in which teachers' salaries were fixed was to a certain extent resjxmsible for his removal from amongst them. Why, even an epidemic visiting the district for a few weeks and decreasing the attendance would affect the teacher's sahry at the end of the year. Mr Bastings was jmrfeetly justified in seeking a place where the attendance was la-rger and his scope of work greater than at present. Other small school districts, on the lxjundary of the Weston School district. were slowly on.Toach'ing, and this .tended to lessen the attendance at W<«ton School. If the -lio-venin-.ouit officers in other department."were paid on a basis similar to that of the State, school teacher they would so.' the absurdity of the system. However, he could not give o long .s]>ecch, or dilate u]>on the grievances of the leaching pro fession. lie would ask Mr Hastings to ir> copt a purse of sovereigns which had been .subscribed by the penile of the du-tri< t: he. hoped that Mr and Mrs Bastings won'.d enjoy health and happiness in their new sphere of labor, and that they would belong spared to carry on their good work. In "i\irt.iiig with Mrs Bastings they were partim: with a personal friend, as well as a useful mcmlicr of the community. She was always one who was readily to the fere in any work of a public nature required in the district. , . Mr Bastings said he had received nothing but the greatest, kindness from the ix-ople of Weston since he hSd come among them, lie had applied for another position nmvlv from a. sense of duty, and had been very greatly surprised when lie had received the appointment as head teacher at W.'iikouaiti. He had to keep moving, -and if possible better his ]x:sition; had he not done so he would never have come to Weston, lie was now going to a larger school where his sphere of action would be larger, lie was pleased to see so many of his old pupils .present in the hall; he took this OS a great compliment, for he lx-Mcvod tint the best judigcs of a teacher's capability wore his old pupils—l.lloso who had left school some ten wars before, and hod reached an age when one eou'ld expect matured judgment. lie had U-en keenly conscious of lr's shortcomings during his service, as a teacher amongst them, but he could conscientiously say that he had never spared any possible effort in teaching. As for his labors on lx-half of the community, those had been a lal>or of love so far as they were for the general good. He was now going away from the district, and he felt the parting very much. Bui, after all. Waikouaiti was on the main lino n.nd not far away, and he could assure all Weston friends tint they would be very welcome there. He did not care to say" a groat deal in his official capacity regarding the methods of the Education Department, but, referring to the matter of small schools being built on the outskirts of a district wherein was a school of a higher grade, he thought that it would prove more advantageous, both to the childen and the Department, were tho former driven in to the central school, where the work was properly divided out and specialised. In the smaller schools, on the other hand, the children only received a smattering of the various suhieclß. and none wore adequately taught. As regards the lia-Went of teachers on an ,-ittondanee, he thought it was a hard tlmg for any teacher who had taught satisfactorily for a number of years, ami had received good reports from tho inspectors of schools, to find his salary dwindling away as a result of decreased nUendnnee at his school. It | was only reasonable' that teachers when they had obtained increased knowledge and experience should receive a correspondin.g increase in salary and he removed to a -place where their greate 1 * skill would lse of service. He again thanked them for their present; as long as he lived he would never forget their kindness towards him.

Jf.rs Mitchell then, on behalf of the same subscribers, presented Mrs Hastings with a. silver tea and coffee service, and in a few appropriate words expressed regret at her departure from the district, and h-r hope that Mrs Bastings would enjoy health and happiness hi the district in which her husband had. been called. Master Charles Bca'ttic, with a few appropriate remarks, and on behalf of the expupils of the school, presented Mr Hastings with a handsome .dressing case. Mr (icorge Craig, also on behalf of the school's ex-pupils, presented Mrs Hastings with a set of silver salt cellars.

Mr Bastings briefly acknowledged tluw presentations, saying that, if anything cou'kl make him feel his parting from the district more keenly it was a presentation from his old pupils. Mr John Ij-dalo boro testimony J'), the good work . <teno hy Mr Hastings as a teacher'and.as a public-spirited citizen. In matters social he and his wife had always been Teady to assist "them i.n any practical way, and w.here they assisted, one. could always rely on a 'total alusenee of discord. In church matters Mr Hastings had token a .keen interest, and in hall and library matterj his influence had lxx-n felt—in fact, lie 'had been associakyl for the.'pa.sf 12 years in everything [K>rta.hniii:: to the' good of the community. Rvery person bad some influence on the dailv lita of those with whom lie associated, and thai of Mr Hastings had always lxwn for good. He was a "white' num"—every inch of him—and although he would Ire much missed ,th*»y were -glad lie had obtained his well-merited promotion. -M> Joseph Williams paid a similar compliment to their guest. The speaker had been a school committee member for many years,-and'he knew,that since Mr Bastings had'taken charge of their school hc.lnd never had a bad.renort. , He was n man who would,come to the front in his profession,' and the time would come' when he would bo seen at the head of one of .the Oamnru schoo!s> ' " " ■'■•••■

During the evening a concert programme was carried, out,."and this wa3 followed by the usual dance, which was well att'endied. An excellent, supper was provided -by tb<i ladies of the township. The programme was as follows:—Pianoforte selection, Miss Jackson; snnjr,.-Miss Farijuh.ireon ; .snug. Mr '.JackMitchell: pail .'g-ms,- Mr .Woodward ; song, Mr Joe Mitchell; song, Mrs Turfis; song. Mr Crombie; part song, " Good-night."- ; • ■ ' [