SCOTT MEMORIAL PRIZES.

Oamaru Mail, Volume XLIV, Issue 14041, 26 April 1920, Page 8

SCOTT MEMORIAL PRIZES.

PRIMSNTATION jjy SIR JAMES " '..:' : ..allen.v..'■■•;.:■■'-•' ---■ the Opera House was Avellfilka for 1 the premutation of.,the Scott .Memorial ! Essav pries by Sir Jasl Allen on Saturday afternoon; The' three primary town .schools were present, "and. the pupils of the Waitaki Boys' and Girls' High, Schools were also present, besides* a number of -parents and townspeople. The Waitaki-Boys' High School Orchestra' was present, and played selections!; '•On tluu Hike!" 'and ."Evening Breezes," that aroused well-merited phtuse. Mr F. Milner, M.A-, Rector of the "Waitaki Boys' High School/ presided, and had on his right hand Sir Jus. Allen aha on his left his "Worship the Mayor. There were. also on the platform members of the County and tfurouoh Councils, members of the Y\«itaki High Schools Board,. and others. The Chairman apologised for the unavoidable absence of ~Dr Douglas and Messrs J. M: Forrester, A, Fraser, and J, M. Brown). ■'■'•, 'v. • The Chairman recapitulated the ipr auguration of the essay cpmnetitions in 1912. the subjects chosen being "deeds which ha\-e made or are making the British Empire great and good.' -Tnatv.as thought the boat way of perpetuating the names and deeds of the 'great ami brave, men whose illustrious lives were gems in the. diadem of the Em-, pire. The -gallant Story of Scott had shed an undving lustre •on the race, and it was a good thing forthe Empire that the stary should be told and retold. There was no subject more pro--duetive cf educational realisation or citizenship thaii British history. As a teacher ho knew boys and girls- in. their teens were capable of more -genevous appreciation of noble instincts" and feelings than at any other time in their lives, and could give ~ their imagination very free play m response to .such emotions. Only by agStudy o%\ historv could the young be brought, to j a resolution to see that in'their own ! Dominion such ideals were put into practice." From such ideals sprang the noble conception of a great Commonwealth of free nations united by ties of affection, trust and common devotion to the cause of humanity. \\ c wanted our schoolboys to remember men such as Scott so that they might not be bound down by fetish worship of local, parochial, or narrow ideas, but trow up citizens of. a wide spread Empire, the constitution of which was an "aid to that end. ' Their mental horizon would be widened by making them remember the lives of .Captain R. F. Scott, R.N., Dr. E. A. Wilson, Captain L .E. G. Oats. Lieut. H R. Bowers. R.J.M., and Petty-Officer Ei Evans. R.N., who dieu on their return from the South Pole, 1912.'unci their motto, "To .strive, to seek, to find, and not to yield" He read. t'neiast message of Captain Scott, thrilling in its brave' simplicity and faith of outlook. This was the seventh occasion on which 'prizes had been distributed. The previous winning competitors were as follows; hm— Miss Ciara Grey (Oamaru North), Maxwell ' Douglas (North). Subject: "Captain Scott's Last Expedition.'' Twentv-two 'competitors. 1914—Miss *Mvra Barley (North). Albert Edward King (Smith). Subject: "That Britain jn the presentcrisis is fighting for the principle* which she championed at Waterloo and Trafalgar." Twentv competitors. 1015 Miss Margaret Mackav (North). Lyall H. Sumpter (South;.. Subject: "What we as British subjects owe to-day to the great struggle for civil liberty in the Stuart period, with sp-.c-ia-l reference to the parts play-vd by Hampden and Cromwell.'- Seventeen competitors." WlG—Miss Mavis Walker (North). Thomas Sbaldcrs (Middle). Subject."The lessons of dutyi discipline, and service to be-drawn from irfird Kitchener's life." Fortv-six c-ompetiiors. 1917—Miss Janet "Mackay (North), Frank Jones and Dennis Sumpter (North), e:;iial. Subject: General idea. "British Rule in South Africa"' : special idea. "British Policy in South Africa at the close of the last ' Boer W,;r. and its results as seen to-day." Nineteen competitors. 1918—Miss Elizabeth Todd (North), Walter N. Senrln (South). Subject: General idea, "Life of David Livingstone'"; sp.-cial, "The .Character and Work of David Livingstone and his influence on the present standing of British, rule in Africa." Thirty-one competitors. 1919—Miss "Ada Catherine Tempero (North), John Ncwimd Biidd (North;. Subject: General idea. "The Storv of the Indian Mutiny"; .special, "The Part Played by Sir John Lawrence in the Indian Mutiny." 'Twenty-seven competitors. The examiners of last year's essays were Messrs T. TC. Fleming ant] Lynskey, of .the Otaco Education Board's Inspectorial Staff. They report that the essays, on the whole, show a good knowledge of the Indi-m Mutiny, anil in addition to the prize-winners they single out for special mention the following competitors:—Nancy Heron. Alan Deem, Henry George, and Keith Sumpter. Oamaru was exceptionally fortunate in having .secured Sir. James Allen to' present the prizes for this year. Sir James was greatly interested in this educational work, and the idea was to combine a valedictory vote in appreciation of his long services to the Dominion with the distribution ceremony. Sir James Allen then presented the prizes, amidst acclamation. He said it was a great pleasure to again, after the lapse, of three years, be present at the distribution of these prizes. He had realised then how wise was the spirit prompting the contests, and was satisfied that the entrants derived great benefit from them. He congratulated the winning boy and girl, those, who had received mention, and also all who had competed, for he felt that they had been, privileged in deriving benefits fiom the contest. He was glad the girl came up first, as women were apt to be overlooked in the world, though some of them had done the greatest deeds in historv. Many of them liad added to our traditions by their lives, aud he thought that some woman might form, the subject of a future essay. The loving part played by a wife was always touching, and in the case of Mrs Scott, who had carved her husband's statue herself, bad thus beautifully perpetuated the loving care, bravery and sympathy sne' had expended on. her brave husband in his lifetime. The Story of Scott arid those who went with him must influence all young minds. Take for in--stirnce, Captain Oats, .who went deliberately to his death, saying merely 'Tm going for a walk. Nothing could be more simplv noble-. A study of history? ho agreed with Mr Milnor, was essential to the function r-r character, and the ability-to resist temptation came only from a knowedge of oneself. Knowledge that one's life was not spent altogether for oneself alone, and it was te,lni worlc Uno could not play any game for oneself alone, and it was team work that that . made any game, public mGve'ueiit, or business a success. Iliose who had given their lives lor this Dominion's peace and prosperity and the happiness of the world gave them gladly. When the. time came to go beyond no greater happiness could he looked back upon than to have lived tor others. He read an extract from the manuscript of the third volume.of the- New Zealand History of the War, which would soon bo published, showing now a faranaki citizen of-6-1 hii'd giveri his lite at the front while attending to a wounded comrade, after endless difficulties in enlisting, ~'nd a cheerful example to .-ill in Ins regimentover a long course of service. He urged ail his young hearers to emulate the qualities - of such-men. to zealously seize hold in life only upon the things worth having, and to "hang on to theiri for all they' were worth." The war had made man'v traditions for this new country and itwas for the schools 'Zealand, inwhich ho would always take the keenest interest, to mould, bv the future of their boys and girls, the prosoect of addiiiK yet more glorious traditions to i\ew Zealand's store.

His Worship the Mayor referred to Sir James Allen's forthcoming departure for England to wke over the Hii?h Conmiissionershirj. were grateful to him for presiding that day. Any subject which had as its basis the herbihin of the Antarctic party wjs, certain ot Sir James Allen's "warm approval. Jt wos'only liis modestv which prevented Sir Jamas from bringing foruard his own'services as an example of devotion to duty, for'noire had. workod harder or horno-'bravjer jenpansibjli-,./

lies. Itrwas interesting to hear frotii< Ui* own lips that he was in better heaUb atter all his bard work than be--lore - Be wished to oonvey- to hn& the. appreciation of the audience of'those; s«rai'"ttnd trusted that-Sir Jom« would enjoy good-health and in his new - home and worK \AV, -uTil.lMilligan seconded tlbe Major's ,c&r£/ Sir James Allen -had £«i * eo.ibpicwus ligurt- m the political lite - tlio' Dominion for many%yeart>, but he would be best known to' P£*£4 I through the eminent services-ho. had irndored the country and Empire in the mot critical days *t_ history 4-hc ■ volume o* work done- by him m* enormous as Jt was. important, wjd was, only wnialkd by. appkcation awl devotion to ha dutj. U£ Boaaacntiousnces wa* tc be .greatlj ad 'Wd. What he bought right he did h-arlesblv. On the eve ot hi* dcpaituie thorn to acclaim him a. j* public servant whose services. had been ot the greatest benefit to hj» country.{A tS?ilv Sir James Allen w,re folby th" National Anthem, and hen the W Port and the Rcveulo wcie sounded by Waitaki buglers in honor of the Antarctic heroes, thus closing «" impressive ceremony.