RAVENSBOURNE SCHOOL

Otago Daily Times, Issue 20023, 14 February 1927, Page 15

RAVENSBOURNE SCHOOL

JUBILEE CELEBRATIONS. The jubilee celebrations of the Eavensbourne School were continued on Saturday. In the afternoon a picnic was held on the Eecreation Ground, and it proved a most successful affair. Every one of the older generation was moved, as it were, by the spirit of reminiscence, and the most common phrases were, “Do you remember?’ and “1 remember.” Eaces for young and old were decided, and altogether a very happy time was spent. SOCIAL AND DANCE. The Coronation Hall proved altogether too small for the social and dance held on Saturday night—it was, indeed, literally packed to suffocation. This celebration was more for the entertainment of the young pepole who have left school, and who are now entering on early manhood and womanhood, but some of the very oldest pupils were also present. The Mayor (Mr H. E. Moller), presided. Among the visitors were Mr Smellic (Mayor of Green Island), who remarked, in response to a welcome by Mr Moller, that they had celebrated the seventy-fourth anniversary of the Green Island School the previous evening. Another visitor was Mr Crosby Smith, who had come to Dunedin as a young man, and who had been welcomed on his arrival here by a then very well-known Eavensbourne resident, Mr S- J. Jackman, and had been invited to stay with him. Mr Smith stated that Mr Jackman did not like the then teacher of the Eavensbourne School, and ho had built the hall they wore in that night for the purpose of starting a school, which Mr Smith was to conduct. It was to be a free school in opposition to that conducted by Mr Kirby, the first school master of the Eavensbourne i’ublie School. The hall, however, was never used as a school, and it was later purchased by the West Harbour Borough Council. Mr Jackman was never backward in inviting immigrants from the Old Land to stay with him until such time as they .could secure accommodation of their own. He, however, never permitted his personal kindnesses to interfere with his everyday duties. He went to Port Chalmers on one occasion to meet a clergyman who had just arrived with a largo family, and who was to take over the Congregational Church at Uaveuabourne. The clergyman, not aware of customs duties and such like, casually remarked that he had brought out a few cheap watches for friends who had already made their home in New Zealand. These wafehos, as a customs ;fficer, Mr Jackman promptly confiscated, and he then conducted the family to his home, and made them welcome to his hospitality till they could secure a house of their own. it may be added that Mr Jackman was a persistent speculator in land in West Harbour. His buoyant ideas, however, of the boom which was going to take place in land values in Eavensbourne and Eothesay never materialised. Mr Jackman was nevertheless more fortunate than Mr Cr.lman Burke, who bought up half Burkes, and then had to look on while* values instead of rising, slumped badly. Everybody in Eavensbourne and Bothesay knew' Mr Jackman 40 tears ago. . SUNDAY SERVICE. The concluding parts of the celebrations took place yesterday, and they were again marked with a very tine spirit of old comradeship. At 2 o’clock a procession set out from the school for tho' soldiers’ memorial. About o(W ex-pupils took part, and they were led by the West Harbour Band, under Mr. G. Davie. The band was followed by Messrs John Drake, H. E. Moller, Yens Christensen. and W. Winton. the four oldest pupils present. Then followed the other pupils who had been taught by the first teachers, and Mr J. Reid (the oldest head teacher present( came next with his old pupils, Mr G. W. C. Macdonald with his pupils, and so on up to the present-day pupils. At the memorial Mr Felix Mitchell placed a wreath to the memory of the Eavensbourne boys who are sleeping their long sleep in many distant fields. It was a most impressive ceremony, and the thoughts of all went back over the years to the boys who had been brought up in the pretty seaside township, and had left their homes and their loved ones to give their lives for their country. Bandsman Rawlins sounded the “Last Post.” A return was then made to the Coronation Hall, where a service was held. The hall was again packed to the doors. The hand played a selection, and the Eev. J. J. Cairncy (Eavensbourne Presbyterian minister, and an ox-pupil) read a Scripture lesson and offered up prayer. Mr C. M. Sullivan (another ex-pupil) read Psalm 145, and the Rev. Cairney gave a short address to the boys and girls. The sermon was delivered by the Rev. G. P. Mitchell (another ex-pupil). He based his discourse on the motto of the Eavensbourne School “Kia kaha. Kaha Kia Maia, Kia Manawa-nui.” Briefly, he said, the Maori motto meant a call for the exercise of courage, strength, and patient endurance. Mr Mitchell went on to refer to the call for_ the exercise of these attributes mentioned in many parts of the gospel, and said they were most strikingly exemplified in tho life of their Saviour, whoso life had been without a single blemish. He exhorted them to base their lives on these beautiful qualities, and concluded a striking and most appropriate address by quoting the first verse of the well-known hymn—- “ All hail the power of Jesu’s name.” The National Anthem concluded tho jubilee celebrations of the Ravensbourne School. Many of the visitors who had not been in Ravensbourne for long years then made a point of visiting some of the scenes of their boyhood days. LAST WORDS. Before the commencement of the service Mr H. E. Moller remarked that he would like to say a few last words. Ho said that the celebrations had been carried out with a success never previously achieved at any function in West Harbour. It had been a red letter day in the history of the borough, and those who could have attended, and had not done so. had certainly missed something. Mr Moller then said that the boys of 40 years or so ago had settled all their differences and their squabbles on the fighting arena in Pearson’s Gully. That property had passed into the hands of Mr Thos. Ross many years ago, and he had kindly given them permission to visit tho famous gully again. Mr Miller then failed to express what he intended to say, but he made a most amusing, and to an extent a true, reference to these incidents. Ho said that they would thus be able to visit th* “sins of past victories.” The parents no doubt often considered these incidents wore “sins,” as in many instances, if a bov gained a victory, or even suffered a defeat, it was considered a sin, and he had to engage in another “battle” —quite a. onesided affair —after he got home and his delinquency had been discovered.