SELWYN COLLEGIATE SCHOOL

Otago Daily Times, Issue 14393, 10 December 1908, Page 4

SELWYN COLLEGIATE SCHOOL

The breaking-up' function in connection . with the Sclwyn Collegiate- School took J place yesterday afternoon in- tho College ] Library, there being prc'spnt quite a num- ( bor of people. Tho Primate presidod, and ] there were also present "Dean Fitchctt and ; Dr Benhani and the Rev. Messrs Parata ] and Donaldson.'.' ,'Apologies for absence' i were received from Mr Justico Williams, ; Mr Morrell (rector-of the Boys' High 1 School), Canon Curzon-Siggers, Rev. \ Fyncs-Clinton, Mr F. 0. Bridgeman, and i Mr C. H. S'tatham. . • The report presented by the Warden of Selwyn College, the Rev. Canon R. A. Woodthorpe, M.A., was as follows:— i "I am thankful to record that tho past 1 year has. been marked by a decided in- 1 crease in the number, of students in Sclwyn College, and by the erection of a, now * dining hall, which has' been rendered i necessary by the increase of,our numbers. < At tho college I have accepted, applications for the next year from 26 students, ' 10 of whom arc students in theology, 10 ' in medicine, two' in, law, and four in arte, and I have had to refuse others through lack of If wo had the ' rooms wc could easily double our numbers for the coming year.' The Collegiate School has done excellent work during tho year tinder tho. care of the head master, ' Mr ,J. S.' Lomas, 8.A., and his able assistant, Sir E. K. Lomas, M.A., M.Sc,, f and the results of lire term examinations are decidedly encouraging. Three boys entered "for tho > recent University examinations—two for medical preliminary and one for matriculation,—and we lopk forward to the resnlts-vwith.-.interest...:. The health of tho hoarders in/the''"warden's lodge has been excellent,'and the boys have done fairly well in their 6ports under the care of the house master, Mr 15, K. Lomas. The head master tolls., me that ho has' received a. number of applications for the : next year,, and'l trust that tho school, under his careful and skilful management, , will grow and prospor.- As warden of the, college, I dfisivo to express .my deep gratitude to .the tadics and gentlemen who have so kindly responded to my appeal for'the new'dining hall. I'.havo. been greatly encouraged by their kind appreciation and ready response. The dining hall will /cost £250, for which I am personally responsible, and I hiive been able to collect £180., The balance'l hone to obtain as soon as I can claim leisure." The Trimate, in 'addressing' those present, said it afforded him great pleasure to see so many friends of their pupils present. It augured Well for the intorest that was ' taken. in the school and tho ' progress of the boys. The undertaking of a boys' school was a matter of very' considerable responsibility. .As to the hoys themselves, while their school days we£.c not- only some of tho happiest, in their lives, thov. were a.lso among the most. serious for the reason that the knowledge then acquired was .to be of tho_ utmost value to them when they assumed tho responsibilities of advanced ago. Therefore they must make tho best use-.of their 'opportunities, and, wliile thoir excellent masters and warden had-often placed this.before them, he deemed it to bo within his province to &ay'something about it that day. The boys to-day were tho men .of tomorrow, and accordingly they should look forward to being useful in their day and generation. Ages differed matcHally as time wont on. No one ago was exactly like tho one before it, and if changes so occurred they must be prepared to moot them and to accept the conditions under which they were called upon lo live, At •tho present timo they were > thinking Anxiously of what the Eastern nations wore going to do, and they viewed this question with a .certain amount of apprehension. Tlicy might say they were-brave and eo on. To-day they hoard a good deal of talk about the Navy League, 1 and in the navy thcro was something for the boys of New Zealand to consider'as to what'they should do in their future life, ' There were plenty of opportunities for good boys, in the navy. . The very contour of our own country, seemed to point it out as-likely to bo, a great maritime'country,, not'only; for commerce, but also for naval forces to bo developed by young fellows who grew up in tho country. In tho moral and religious .sphere of things they had also to look forward to a change as compared with what existed, 'tofday. ; There ■ would- always bo a time when tho young people of tup country would ibo called upon to study tho higher moral/and religious elements. Thoy talked about the prophets of the old generation.'. Well, prophets wero required in every generation— meat who dedicated their ability, and learning in unravelling the problems' of the age. It was for the young men. of to-day to put forward their best effort and: do ail they could when they grew'older for the benefit of their fellow creatures. What ho had said to them was for reflection and thought, and ■he hoped it would remain in their minds., ' Dean Fitchett said he desired' to place before those present a motion for the recognition of the services of the working staff of the school. Ho referred'to their masters -Mr J, S. .Lomas, 8.A., awl Mr 15. K. Lomas, M.A., M.Sc.,' the Rev. Canon Woodthorpe (warden)-; also Mi's Woodthorpe, who, ho was sure, ' was a most popular housemistress. They also had to thank their Advisory .Committee;' and in this connection he would.'specially-mention the names of Professors Benham and Marshall. No school, ho thought, could have more intelligent or more fit governing bodies than Selwyn College. The school was a small ono, but in that there wore advantages. One of tho very obvious advantages that lay therein was that, tho masters had a more closo and intimate knowledge of the lxiys than was the case in a large school. That was a. very important consideration. It was' not to he supposed that because it was a small. school it was inefficient. They possewed piasters of very high academical; attainments. In their school as it at present stood they had ■the nucleus of an institution that would be in existence when many of tliem had passed away, Captain Easther seconded the motion, which was carried by acclamation; Canon Woodthorpe returned thanks for tlie compliment paid the staff.- The great difficulty, he said, which was experienced in a small school, was that of classification, and it was only those who had anything to a school such as theirs was could appreciate the difficulties. But there were big compensating advantages ,in- tho personal touch which tho teacher, was able to acquire with his pupils. He was certain that, given the co-oporation of the parents, the masters they h»,d now would do a splendid work, not only for the school itself, but for (ho community. It was ■universally agreed that where there was a State system of education it was of great benefit to have some'school in the country which stood for a certain amount of experimenting with regard to education, because it was only by this means that they > could have anything like progress in the highest sense of the term, and with a small school like theirs, combined with the other . schools that were in existence, thore was ; the possibility of attaining a very high ; ideal of education and one more adapted ■ to the community. Ho recognised that there was every possibility of making Dunedin a great educational centre. There ; was their own school, where, notwithstanding lack of resources, they aimed at the , very highest ideals, and then there was the , college which their Presbyterian friends | were establishing. The movement for the reunion of the Christian Churches referred [ to by the Primate, and the feeling thera \ was batween all religious hien, betokened ~ that the time was coming when all mis- , understandings -between men would bo ' banished, and the ideals they sought after \ would bo attained. Ho made a final appeal [ to tho boys to look to. the man Selwyn, after whom their college was .named, as ' thoir ideal, and dovote themselves to what ! was true and good. ■ Thanks were returned to Mrs De Beer, ! tlie warden (ltov. Canon Woodthorpe), Mr i Star-ham, and Mr F.- T. Little for dona--5 tions of prizes. Subsequently the now dining hall, a commodious building recently completed, was • declared open, and dedicated by the Pri- ), mate, and afternoon tea. dispensed to all l and sundry. 1 The prize-list of the school is as follows: Senior Department. Forrii V.—CMvo Statham (dux modal). r Form IV.—First prize, Esmond De Boer i (Hcincfliann medal): second prize, Keith R, Park. Latin and French.--First prize, Stewart , Peters; second prize, Esmond De Beer. |: Mathematics—First prize, Olive Statham; second prize, Guy Bridgeman. ' General Progress.—Lloyd Brown, Alick ; Donaldson, Charles H. Morrell, Walter L. » Goldsmith. ' Junior Department. f Form lll.—First prize, Jclin M'Gowan'; 1 second prize, Ncill Rattray. 3 Form ll.—Frank Clapperton. Form 1.-Olive M. Moody. ! French.—John M'Gowan. : Science.—John Hcskin?. 5 Drawing.—Warwick Brnifhwaite. - Progress.—William Patorson.