JOHN M'GLASHAN COLLEGE.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 20899, 13 December 1929, Page 9

JOHN M'GLASHAN COLLEGE.

PRIZE-GIVING CEREMONY. GOVERNOR-GENERAL’S ADDRESS. The Governor-General (Sir Charles Fergusson) a nd Lady Alice Fergusson were the guests o£ honour at the annual prize distribution ceremony of the John M’Glaahan College yesterday afternoon. School cadets acted as a guard of honour for their Excellencies, who, prior to the ceremony, inspected the school buildings and grounds. The chair of the Board of Governors (Mr T. C. Ross) expressed appreciation of the honour 'which had been done the school by the presence of their Excellencies. The feelings of those present, he said, were, however, tinged with regret on account of the fact.that their Excellencies would soon be leaving the country, discount Jcllicoo during his term of Governor-General had found time to visit the school, and the photograph which he had presented to it was one of its most valued possessions. _ The chairman then gavo their Excellencies an account of the history of the school. HEADMASTER'S REPORT. After the Harrow School song had been given by the boys, Mr C. M. Gilray reported as follows on the work of the year:— The school year opened on February 5 with 124 names on the roll, of whom 54 were boarders and 70 day boys. There ')[®re 00 boys in the upper school, 41 in the lower school, and 14 in the preparatory department. During the year five new <lay boys and three new boarders were enrolled and three day boys and four boarders left. The ‘roll now stands at 120 (upper school 68, lower 42 preparatory la). The medical and dental reports show that the boarders have a high standard of physical well-being, The general health of the pupils throughout the year has been very good indeed. We had an epidemic , of mild influenza in Juno, but none of the cases developed seriously. . Mr J. A. Dunning, M.Sc., B.A. (Oxon), joined the staff again at the beginning of the year and took charge of the instruction of mathematics and science. Mr A. C. Logan, M.A., with first class honours in French and Latin, joined the staff in February and Mr A. H. Williams, M.A.. with first class honours in English and ,Latin, then became a part-time assistant in the upper school. Mr C. C. Robinson, M.A., who had been on the staff for over eight years, left us at the end of the first term to take a position in the State service in Auckland. He served us faithfully and well in all snheres. in the class room, in the house, and on the field. We were sorry to say good-bye to him I was fortunate to be able to arrange for Mr Williams to give us more of his time, so that he took over the bulk of Mr Robinson's work, and Mr N. S. Woods was appointed to a part-time post on the staff to teach history in the upper forms and French in the lower school. Mr Dunning took over Mr Robinson’s duties as games master, and with his wide experience has ably directed the outdoor life of the college. We had this year a very good Sixth horm of 12 boys, and some of them have shown considerable promise. More advanced work was done with this form than it has usually been possible to do. I am satisfied that very good work has been done in all departments this year, and that the boys have had every opportunity that an exceptionally well-qualified and hard-working staff could give them. Arrangements have now' been made to provide instruction in biology for those boys in the upper school who do not take two languages. The instructor will be Mr A. D. G. Blanc, who is recommended by Dr Benham. This will be of great use to those boys who intend to take up farming. The board has also engaged Mr G. W. Johnstone to give instruction jn voice production and speech training in both the lower and the upper school. The usual classes in woodwork (Mr Slemint). wool classing (Mr M'Gregor), boxing (Mr Oxley), and dancing (Miss Wallace) have been held. Miss CWs has given instruction in piano pla> ng ns usual, and Miss Flavell has held a class m aural training for the juniors. The results in the public examinations of December last are the best we have yet had. Mr H. D. Prichard inspected the lower school and preparatory department on June 4. He reported; “This department is well organised; classes are suitably grouped; al the senior pupils are appropriately introduced to secondary subjects (Latin. French, and science) by teachers from the secondary department. Modem methods of teaching are in use, and sound progress is made. Discipline, tone, and order are very good. Accommodation is ample. Due attention is paid to heating and ventilation, and the classrooms are well kept.” Mr Mawson visited the upper school on April 17. In his report he stated: “The tone and discipline are very good, and an excellent spirit of work prevails, A sound all-round training is being given, and the college appears to be rendering a very necessary and valuable service to the community.” The Margaret Ann M'Gloshan Scholarship has been awarded to ■ J. P. Cook, and the General Assembly bursary has been awarded to J. H. Thomson. GOVERNOR-GENERAL’S ADDRESS. After Lady Alice Fergusson had presented the prizes the gathering was addressed by the Governor-General, who stated that during the last quarter of an hour he had been looking back to his old school _ days, _ and he had been reminded that his merits had never been recognised. When he had seen some fellows going away with half a dozen prizes he felt resentful regarding his teachers.— (Laughter.) He had been one of those who did not win prizes, but he had cheered those who did and had thereby inspired them.—(Laughter.) They could not all wm, but the great thing was to be a good loser—not only one who took his losses philosophically, but one who learnt from failure. Everyone had a second chance. He was grateful for the welcome he had received, and he was only too delighted to have an opportunity of visiting the college. There was nothing which their Excellencies liked better than visiting the schools and colleges in New Zealand, and they would have been sorry to have gone away without ranking'this visit. One of the things which had interested him in the report of Mr Gilray had been the innovation in the syllabus. He had been delighted to hear that biology was to receive attention, because it had always seemed to him that a great deal of pleasure was being lost in New Zealand through lack of interest in this subject. Her Excellency and himself had been astonished to find how few of the boys and girls whom they had met took any particular interest in the bush and the names of the trees which composed u He had often listened to her Excellency telling New Zealand boys and girls far more than they knew themselves about the trees, although she had been in the country only a short time. In England and Scotland wild flowers grew in profusion, and it was a great incentive to family life if a family took an interest in the country and in botany. Her Excellency had always interested her family in these things, and he thought that ail parents should send their children for rambles in the country. He was glad to hear that the subject was to be taken up, and he hoped that the innovation would be successful. He had been made to feel very uncomfortable when, shortly before his speech, he had heard Mr Gilray’s remarks regarding voice production.— (Laughter). It had made him very care ful. He would like to say something before he went which might be of help to all. To some of the boys this would be a sad day. When he looked back to the day when he left school he well remembered what a pang it had given him. One had to give up all that one was used to and fond of and pull up one’s roots and go elsewhere. To the majority it would be a delightful day, though the passion for work seemed to be very deeply rooted 1 in the school.— (Laughter.) He would give the same talk to them which he had given to several other schools in the Dominion, What one owed to one’s school was not realised until many years after leaving. One could then look back and most of one’s success in life could be traced back to the old school. He remembered attending a gathering in London of 355 old hoys of his school (Eton) at a dinner called by the Lord Mayor of London. There had been replies to the toast of “ Prosperity to the School ” by the Lord Chancellor, Lord Byng. now chief of the London Metropolitan Police, the Speaker of the House of Commons, and finally the Lord Mayor himself. Each had made a speech in which he had con-

fessed how much he owed to the oid school. He wished to refer particularly to a statement by the Lord Mayor that after all what they had learned from the school had been the lesson of " the side, the spirit, and the second innings.” The lesson of “ the side ” they could all apply to themselves. They learnt at school that, as individuals, they did not matter much and that they must think of themselves as a big band of brothers. Everything they did they were stirred to do because they knew it was to the credit of the school. They all knew how useless was the selfish player and that they must play for the good of the side. It was the lesson of team work, which had been exemplified better than anywhere else in the late war. It had helped men to hold on to hopeless positions which they could have left without anyone knowing who was to blame. It was the spirit of the side and never letting one’s pals down. The lesson of “ the spirit ” concerned the sense of duty, and it was something they could not learn. It grew up in the tone and character of the school. There were certain things which were not done because they were not cricket. This lesson of “ the spirit ” was the lesson of honour and duty. The lesson of ” the second innings ” was that, luckily, one generally had a second chance and that it was never too late to mend. If one made a mess of things at the start one could always make up for it. It was a message of hope, of endurance, grit, pluck, and sticking it out to the end. Until the game was won there was always a chance. This, too, was shown best in the late war. In March of 1918 the position had seemed so hopeless and so difficult that everybody had been played out, but by October everything had changed. If ever there had been an excuse for losing heart it had been then, and it had been a fine example of the lesson of “ the second innings.” If thesg three things were held on to in the school and regarded as precious it would build up traditions and unwritten rules which «<>uld stamp every boy who went from it with an indelible brand. Finally ho wanted to say that those who were leaving would find life very hard and difficult and sometimes very disnppointiug and very lonely. The only thing which would help them on these occasions was their religious faith, and they should realise that they had been brought up on_ a firm foundation of belief and trust in _ God. It would bring sunshine into their work and lives and into the lives of others. 'He wished the boys success and prosperity in the future. VOTE OP THANKS. r- mov .i n S a vote of thanks to their Excellencies Mr James Bcgg assured them that when they left, not only the respect out also the affection of all would go with them. PRIZE LIST. PREPARATORY DEPARTMENT. Primer Classes.—Arithmetic and spellIn ?’. ■ §• R- Moore; reading, spelling, writing, C. A. Arthur; arithmetic, reactlnß> writing, C. H. Baigcnt; arithmetic, writing, R. Mills, Certificates, C. A. Arthur, 73 per cent.; C. H. Baigent. 73 per cent.; R. Mills, 72 per cent.; F. H. K. Moore, 71 per cent. Standard I.—l. J. Rotting 1, p. T. H. M'Kellar 2. Progress, A. M. Scobie. Certificate, P. S. Watt, 73 per cent. Standard ll,—Dux of Preparatory School (bronze medal), J. A. Bcgg; second prize, J. p, Robertson; progress, J. M. Macdonald; drawing, E. C. Napier. Certificates, A. R. Armstrong, 70 per cent.; E. C. Napier, 70 per cent. LOWER SCHOOL. Standard lII.—P. W. Pels 1, D. E. Matherson 2. Progress, W. C. Perkins Standard IV.—L. C. Napier 1 G. H. Gnmsdale 2. Progress prize, R. T. Newlands. Standard V.—M, G. O’Callaghan 1: G. W. Lilly 2. Scripture, M. G. O Callaghan; Latin, L. G. W. Lilly; special, English, N. Adams; progress, I. S. Douglas. Standard Vl.—Dux of lower school (silver medal), J. P. Cook; Margaret Ann M’Glashan Scholarship, J. P Cook; history prize (Dr Malcolm), J. P. Cook 1- P- N. Holloway 2. Dunedin Athenrcum Prize, P. N. Holloway. Proficiency Certificates.—A. W Barnett, S. 0. Campbell, J. P. Cook D Dodgshun L. 0. M. Edie, C. C. Guthrie, S. I. Mathewson, M, Moore, H. P. Ramsay, R. O. M. Stewart, N. H. Webb. P. H. Holloway. Competency, A. H. H. Burnside, A. C. Spiers. UPPER SCHOOL. Form lll,—Form prize, S. R. Young; mathematics (Mr S. Solomon), S. R. Young; language prize (Rev. J. J. Cairncy), 0. W. Greenslade; English, J. H. Thomson; general assembly bursary, J. H. Thomson; history, D. S. Malcolm. Form IV.—Form prize, A, W. Sutherland; mathematics (Mr S. Solomon), A. W. Sutherland; proximo accessit,’ J. Borne; drawing, J. Borrie; bookkeening (Mr Crosby Morris), G. A. Rutter Russell; best kept laboratory notebook, E. A. Pannett; Scripture and general merit, B. H. Guthrie. Form V.—Form prize, W. M. W. Brookfield; mathematics (Mr S. Solomon), W. M. W. Brookfield: Dunedin Athemnum Prize, W. M. W. Brookfield; language prize, R. V, Trathen; science, I. J. M’D. Stevenson; gcenral merit, J. L. Malcolm. I'orm VI. —Dunedin Athenceum prize. W. S. Gilkison; mathematics (Mr S. Solomon), W. S. Gilkison; old collegians’ essay prize, J. M. S. Ross and E. M. o r; T. Dr E,der ’ s language prize, J. M. o. Ross; science prizes, C. S. Hutton r- nC r>V Euse °ll; general excellence, C. G. Riley; higher leaving certificates—R. T. C. Armstrong. A. C. Begg, G. B. Boyes, E- M. Elder, W. S. Gilkison, C, 0. HutH. N, Merrington, C* G. Rilev, J M. fe. Ross, R. S. Russell; dux of school, E. M. Elder. Special Prizes.—Music (Miss Closs), S. K. Young and R. Thomson; carpentry (Mr Siemint)—senior, H. C. Leary; junior, D. fa. iiodgshun; woolclassing (Mr M’Gregor) II J Dodgshun; dancing (Miss Wallace) , K. L. Anderson and A. W. Baxter. League Essay Prizes.—Form 0. E. ■p‘ ■ Elder; form 5, J. L. Malcolm; form q *„• ?i lr ! ne J't and P- G. Ballard; form 3, D. S. Malcolm and S. R. Young; Standa£d VI - J - Cook; Standard V, M. G. 0 Callaghan* Gardening Prize.—B. H. Guthrie. ( Ar; P ° r^vr<Si^ lz p s -~G°llege shooting shield (Miss MGlashan), C. G. Bcgg; Lady God ey Cup—senior). J. C. White; Lady Godley Cup—junior, P. G. Ballard; crosscountry nm (Greenslade cup and miniature), I. J. M D. Stevenson; cross-country run trophy A. W. Sutherland; lawn tenM (Mr A. G. Harraway), J, C. ” ! 'V tc V, Ifnvn tennis handicap trophv, S. U Mathewson: lawn tennis doubles, A. M. H. Burnside and S. I. Mathewson; fives championship cup and medal (Dr S. Moore), C. F. M Kenzie; fives senior handlca P- W. W. Thomson; fives senior doubles, C. F. M’Kenzie and P. Hawkswortli; fives junior championship, A W Sutherland; fives junior handicap, A w’ Sutherland; swimming (Mac Lean cup), lorm 3, boxing (Pearson cup), W W ihomson; boxing, most scientific display (Fraser medal). A. M. H. Burnside: boxmfdal) ba A ta W B ei ? ht Macdonald »• Baxtcr : boxing, fly-weight w!s Giiki. R „. YRl,ne ' : hGad prefect