GIRLS’ HIGH SCHOOL

Otago Daily Times, Issue 21828, 15 December 1932, Page 13

GIRLS’ HIGH SCHOOL

BREAK-UP CEREMONY ADDRESS BY LORD BLEDISLOE ’ HUMOROUS AND INSTRUCTIVE The Governor-General (Lord Bledisloe) and Lady Bledisloe were the guests ot honour at the break-up"ceremony of the Girls’ High School in His Majesty’s Theatre yesterday afternoon. The proceedings were opened by an entertainment by the pupils of the school. On arrival of their Excellencies in the dress , circle the school orchestra (under Mr Roy Spademan) played the National Anthem and the orchestra contributed a number of items. The school choir and the competition choir sang and a display of physical drill was given _ by a number of pupils under the direction ot Miss Garrett. '• • , On the appearance of the vice-regal partv on the stage a little girl presented her with g bouquet, and was rewarded with a kiss, and a bouquet was also presented to the principal, Miss M. H. M. King. ‘ Dr G. E. Thompson welcomed their Excellencies on behalf of the Otago High Schools’ Board of Governors, the stafty the pupils, and the parents and friends. He said they felt honoured by their presence—for two reasons. The first was that, his Excellency was the official representative in this little far-flung Dominion of his Majesty the King. The second reason was the personal qualities , of their Excellencies, who in so short -a. time had achieved a high distinction—that of identifying themselves so closely with the thoughts and aspirations of the people of this land, They hoped that on the present occasion they would feel as much ■ at home with them as they did with them.—Applause.) . Dr Thompson said that the year just closing had been a .gloomy one for the people of New Zealand and for no section of it more than for those that had to do with education. The speaker referred to the threatened abolition of high school boards, and said that his board, in conjunction with the other secondary school boards of the Dominion, had done its utmost, and so far with some success, to prolong their lease of life. What the future had in store for them they did not know. More important than the existence of secondary school boards was the effect the economy proposals might have on secondary education in New Zealand. New Zealand must cut its coat according to its cloth, but it was a source of grave misgiving that the cutting should be done in the wardrobe of boys and girls who were the hope of the future. All they could do fn the meantime was to follow the advice of the British Minister of Education (Lord Urwin) and make the available money go further and shoulder a greater share of the burden. (Applause.) * ' ' .• , His Excellency, was was received with loud applause, said he had stated on previous similar occasions that he was not the right person to address these particular functions. The task should have rested with one better equipped than himself and more fitted by her sex to do it; He referred to her Excellency. She, however, had given him to understand a long time ago that until her skirts were somewhat shortened and her hair was more in accord with the modern fashion of bobbing she preferred the old-fashioned rule of women, namely, to think a great deal, but in public to say as little as . possible.-(Laughter.) In the course of some humorous remarks hisi. Excellency said that his predecessor, Sir Charles Fergusson, was a Scotsman, and was, therefore, in a happy ground when he came to Dunedin.—(Laughter.) His own father was an Englishman, his mother was a Scotswoman, and his wife was a Welsh woman. If that did not constitute Britain he did not know what did.— “^The*speaker said he had described the school as a school, of old traditions, and he thought the sentiment of these old traditions ought to permeate the whole school —pupils and teachers alike, ihe school was able to boast of a record tendance this year of 573 pupils, something like 67 more than it had ever had in a single year before. Incidentally, be ventured to hope that the quality would be kept up to the quantity. Their school was also the first girls’ school to be estab- . lished in New. Zealand and one of the very first in the whole of the British Empire. Theirs was, moreover, the only girls’ school to be established during the time of Provinvial Governments in the Dominion. Their school was also able to boast of being the first New Zealand girls school to prepare women for the professions of law and medicine. — (Applause.) That was a record of which their school might well be proud. Tradition, said his Excellency, brought in its train a sense of responsibility. The greater and more honourable the tradition, the greater should be the sense of responsibility. His Excellency made some humorous remarks concerning the rapidity of the changes of climate in Dunedin, and said that while he had been in the dress circle he had | found himself in the torrid heat of summer, but. that on the stage he found the climate almost autumnal. He had been very pleased with the musical items given by the girls’ choir,, and he would like to mention one song particularly— Where the Bee Sucks, There Lurk I.’ It had made him feel thoroughly at home because he had sung that song as a tiny schoolboy, eight years old, at ffiis first school concert—(Applause.) Thank you very much,” said his Excellency. b lhat exactly what happened after my singing it, although I broke down.”—(Laughter.) It showed, at any rate, said his Excellency, a sense of sympathy and enconrajgement on the part of a warm-hearted audience. He desired to congratulate the performers on their excellent entertainment, and also the conductor and the instructress of the physical drill. He had also to congratulate those who were to receive prizes that afternoon. He did not intend to follow Dr Thompson in his remarks on the education policy, as he might be treading on dangerous ground, but he would go so far as to say that it had been bis own hie experience that the foundations and the most valuable equipment which any child could receive for the battle of life was a sound education— (Applause.) It Was far more valuable than a gift of £SOOO or £IO,OOO to a young person, as such a gift might easily prove to be his or her undoing. Might he venture to say that they in New Zealand were entitled to congratulate themselves on having on the average ——he-might stress the word avet* age ” —the best-educated community in the whole of the British Empire, including the Old Country itself—(Applause.) He hoped they would do all in their power to maintain, that average. They were apt to emphasise the difficulties with which they were faced, and to forget the many blessings which they enjoyed—blessings m the matter fif education as in other things. Certainly the pioneers had never had such blessings. He noticed in the admirable report. of their principal, who had presided over the school for 10 years, that slie said the school was maintaining its traditional high standard and that all they wanted was for their girls to live full, healthy, and helpful fives —(Applause.) Even in bad times there was plenty of opportunity open to everyone of them to lead healthy and helpful lives. This depended a good deal more upon the individual character than upon outside conditions, and he would like to impress this point on those pupils who were leav- . school and who had no paid occupation to go to. Do not allow themselves to drift into a state of idleness and retardin'* their own future progress and making it more difficult to grasn the opportunity that would present itself later on. His Excellency went on to say that be noticed the girls at the school played cricket, and played it extraordinary well He was not the least shocked to know this, and he only hoped that they would learn from cricket to play with a straight bat and they would, be abble to carry out other activities in their fives in a satisfactory way. (Applause.) His Excellency said fie noticed that the motto of the school was Recti Cultus Pectora Robornnt —the cultivation of integrity strengthens our hearts and he could not imagine a more perfect motto for young people belonging to a great —(Applause.) It was that love of integrity, that love of truth,.that adherence to’ absolute sincerity in al they did or thought, that had been largely responsible for building up the greatness of the British race There were many changes in their mode of fife and their customs to-day and they must change with them, but there were certain

stable foundations, certain, fundamental principles upon which their reputation -and their success must be based. They must not drift from the old anchorages of truth and sincerity and take up a gospel of ethics which was contrary to the old British principles. Put truth in the forefront of all their actions, play with a straight bat, and he was perfectly certain that success would be theirs. He had heard during the past six months that some of the young people in the Dominion had developed the idea that because no paid employment was available for those leaving school their country did not want them. That was far from the truth. The young people were the chief assets of the country.—(Applause.) The future of the British Empire rested on the shoulders of the vouii" people, and they had to justify their citizenship of the greatest nation the sun had ever risen or set on. They might say they were only women, but women claimed to occupy, and to a large extent should occupy, an equal position, in the commonwealth with men. they had to justify that position. His Excellency stressed the need of women, no matter what their vocation might be, to realise that it was they who. made the home, and in the home he said the greatness of the British race had been founded. He was going to confess to them and he hoped he would not disappoint those who were engaged in the particular profession to which he referred that he had had a nightmare as the result of entering a classroom m one of the largest girls’ schools m this country and finding no fewer than 110 typewriters all clicking at the same time. He had said to the teacher, “Do these girls expect to secure paid employment as typists? ” and she had replied that they would be bitterly disappointed if they did not. Well, he sincerely hoped they would. He said he assumed that these young ladies had learned the ordinary domestic tasks, such as sewing, cooking, knitting and so on and the teacher had replied that while they had learnt a certain amount of these domestic tasks they still, wanted to be typists. He had been delighted to learn that of their four compulsory subjects home science was one, and he would’ suggest to those who learnt cooking that in studying dietetics they should learn the relative values of different foods. This relative value was one, and he would suggest to those in feedim* their stock than they did m relation to their own families.—(Laughter.) Just as the home was dependent on the woman, so also the woman was largely responsible for the character and the destiny of the man. The speaker referred to the need for cheerfulness in these days of depression They could rot keep a cheerful outlook unless their surroundings were cheerful and it wasup to their woman kind, and particularly their young people, to see that everything possible was done to brighten their surroundings. “ Good luck to you, girls ; keep your peckers up, and keep cheerful, concluded his Excellency amidst apPl The* prizes were then handed out by her Excellency. The prize fist is as f °S%f school: Alison Jean Marshall (Board of Governors’ gold medal). Form VII Upper.—A. Marshall: First English (ex-girls’ prize), first Latin (Miss Allan’s prize), first mathematics (Messrs Brown, Ewing and Co.’s medal), first science. I. Allan: Second efficiency, first French (Dunedin French Club’s prize), first botany. R. Wither: Third efficiency. E. M'Stay: Fourth efficiency. P. Benzoni: First physical training.

Form VII Lower. —I. Herrick: First efficiency, first mathematics and botany (ex-pupils’ prize), E. Rawlinson: Second efficiency, first English (ex-girls’ prize), European history, Roman history, ana French, (equal). F, Alexander: Third efficiency. E. Lungley: Fourth efficiency, first Latin. M. Gilbert: Fifth efficiency. D. Cole: First French (equal). E. Richards: First physical training. . Form Vln. —J. Gardiner: First efficiency, first English history and mathematics (equal). L. Ball: Second efficiency, first English (ex-girls’ prize), and geography. M. Cumberbeach: Third efficiency, first drawing. B. Juriss: First physical training and mathematics (equal). M,‘ Anderson: First European history E. Braithwaite; First French (equal). K. Campbell: First French (equal). G. Miles: First science. . Form Vs.—M. Wood; First efficiency, first Latin (VI), French, home science, mathematics, and physical training (equal). P. Marshall: Second efficiency. L. Thorn: Third efficiency. M. Craig: Fourth efficiency. N. Souness; Fifth efficiency, first Latin (V2). E. Marshall: First chemistry, mathematics (equal). Miss Downes’s prize). E. Ross: First history. P. Power: First English. J. Copland: First physical training (equal). Form Val. —M. Broadbent: First efficiency, first French. J. Archbold: Second efficiency. L. Sinclair: Third efficiency, first mathematics (V2). M. Grant: Fourth efficiency. M. Ryalls: Fifth ethfciency, first English. M. hastier: Sixth efficiency, first history. M. Duckworth: Seventh efficiency, first physical training. T. Minehan: First home science. N. Lawrenson: First mathematics (V 3). M. Bolwell: First drawing. Form Vnl.—E. Naylor: First efficiency, first mathematics (VI) and home science, J. Blakeley: Second efficiency, first history (equal), arithmetic, geography; and dietetics. M. Johnston: Third efficiency, j G. Ryan: First English. P. Wilson: First I French. G. Clarke: First history (equal). I A. Hamblett: First drawing. I. Hanna: I First physical training. 1 . Form Vn2. —L. Lister: First efficiency, I first English and history. B. Kirkwood: ; Second efficiency. E. Cooper: Third elh- ! ciency. L. Pritchard: Fourth efficiency, ■ first science. H. Miller: First French. M. Allan: First mathematics (equal, V 4). M. Reid: First physical training. . Form Vm. —J. Johnston: hirst cfficlj enev, first Latin, history, home science. P Imrie: Second efficiency, first commer--1 cial M. Canton: Third efficiency, first I English. N. Alcock: Fourth efficiency, first geography, typewriting. J. Titchener: I First French. D. Lusk: I ret drawing. E. Faigan: First physical training. , 1 Form Vr. —H. Westwood: First efficiency, first English. E. Gawn: Second efficiency, first science. M. M'Lachlan: Third efficiency, first history, first physical training T. Scott: First mathematics. G. Batchelor: First French. , Form IVs.—N. Smith: First efficiency (Dalrymple prize), first Latin and French B. Black: Second efficiency, first English (equal). B. M'Cahon: Third efficiency, first English (equal). J. Wi - son: Fourth efficiency. At. Smith: Fifth efficiency, llvst history. R. Smiths Sixth efficiency, first-mathematics. D. Jenkins: First drawing. O. Davis: First physical tl Form IVal. —M. Catherwood: First efficiency (Dalrymple prize); first Latin. M. Jolly: Second efficiency, first French, history‘(equal), and physical training. J. Manson: Third efficiency. E. Woodward: Fourth Efficiency. D. Rush: Fifth efficiency. L. Walker: Sixth efficiency. .i• Roberts: First English and mathematics. L Adam: First botany, borne science, and cookery (Mrs Park’s prize) H Judge: Firdt history (equal). V. Valentine. First drawing. -p- t irm Form IVac. —J. Eastgate: First Efficiency (Dalrymple prize), first English, mathematics, French, home science and cookery (equal, Mrs^ Parks p«). J. Lindsay: Second efficiency. M. howlauds: Third efficiency, first shorthand, home science, and cookery (equal. Mrs Park’s prize). W. Lyon; First history. N. Keen: First ’ typewriting. f. Thomson :■ First drawing. >■ Martin: First booidveeping. E. Davis: lurst physical tr< Fom' IVb. —6. Thompson; First efficiency (Dalrymple prize) first history. M. Patterson: Second efficiency, first mathematics. B. Allan: First English.

E. Findon: First home science and cookery. M. Steven: First arithmetic, geography, botany. I. Rogers: First drawing. N. Bardwell: First French second division. N. White: First French (equal), second division. Form IVc. —N. Brown: First efficiency (Dalrymple prize), first history, botany, home science, and cookery. M. Miller: Second efficiency, first French (equal). N. Sinclair: Third efficiency, first English, physical training, shorthand, and typewriting. P. Miles; First drawing. Form Ills. —J. Manson: First efficiency (Dalrymple prize). M. Oaten: Second efficiency, first Latin, French, and history. ~ U. Martin: Third efficiency, first sewing (Douglas prize). L. Begg: Fourth efficiency, first home science. J. Robertson: Fifth efficiency. D. Wimpenny: Sixth efficiency, first English. L. Garbutt: First Mathematics. E. M’Murray: First drawing. M. Field: First physical training. Form Ilia!.—M. Baker: First efficiency (Dalrymple prize), sewing (Douglas prize), and drawing (equal). A. Pybus: Second efficiency, first mathematics. N. M'Hugh: Third efficiency, first physiology. D. Baxter: Fourth efficiency, V. Collie: Fifth efficiency. L, Wilson: First French and home science. R. Fairburu: First history and drawing (equal). P. Jenkm: First English. B. Archbold: First Latin. M. Cleary: First history (equal). J. Hoggans: First physical training. Form Iliac.—rl. Marshall: First efficiency (equal, Dalrymple prize), first history, French, and mathematics (equal). J. Ridley: First efficiency (equal, Dalrymple prize), first mathematics (equal). P. Clarkson: Third efficiency, first English, geography (equal), and sewing (Douglas prize). K. Miller: Fourth efficiency, first commercial and home science (equal). J. Thompson: Fifth efficiency, first home science (equal), and arithmetic. M. Richardson; Sixth efficiency. M. Kaylor- First drawing and physical training. Form Illbl. —R. Lansley: First efficiency (Dalrymple Prize), first mathematics. E. Lyon: Second efficiency. M. Marshall: Third efficiency, first French (equal). J. Hope: First home science and history. N. Gould: First English. I. Brundell: First Latin. S. Farquharson: First French (equal). D. Cameron: hirst physical training. M. Smith J First sewing (Douglas Prize). Form Illbc. —J. Nicolson: First efficiency (Dalrymple Prize), first home science. J. Chapman: Second efficiency, first English. R. Attewell: First French. F. Sutherland: First history. M. M ° od ? e = First physical training (equal), r. Atkinson: First physical training (equal). I. Burt: First drawing. N. Crerar: hirst sewing (Douglas Prize). R. Kjtt: First geography (equal). V. Woods. First commercial. „ , , Form lIIc.—G. Johnson: First efficiency (Dalrymple Prize), first history, home science and mathematics. E. M'Lachlan; Second efficiency. K. Clark: Third efficiency. D. Greenall: First Latin and French. J. Rennie: First English (equal) and drawing. C. Dreaver: First English (equal). F. M'Swain: First sewing’ (Douglas, Prize). D. Lowes: First physical training. . p Special Prizes.—A. Marshall: Anna P. Logan Stout Challenge Cup- M. Cumberbeach: First reading (Dunedin Shakespeare Club’s prize). J. Lister; Second reading (Dunedin Shakespeare Clubs prize). 8 M. Wood: Sidey Medal for physical training. P. Benzoni: Walkerr and Hall Cup for games. D. Lusk. Otago Art prize. * K. Kerr: Oia.l French, fir It in Otago (French Government’s prize). D. Cole, A. Marsha , and E. Rawlinson: Alexander Wilson Be .quest Prizes for Shakespearian Scho ay ship. D. Cole, I. Herrick, K. Campbell, M 1 Anderson, P. Cameron, B. M Cahon, D.’ Wimpenny, and A. Fache: Dunedm Athenanim Committee’s prizes for English and history. B. Gunn, David Baxter Memorial Bursary for home science. Rnorts Trophies.—Tennis: Championship Singles —senior M. Bolwell, junior M. P Jo!ly: Championship Doubles—senior M Bolwell and D. O’Gorman, junior M, Jolly and J. Manson; interform cups—senior Val, junior IVal. Cricket: Challenge Cup, Vs. Swimming: School Chamniouship O. Ferguson; interform cups senior Vlli, middle IVbl, junior. Illbl, Vn2 Drill- Physical training shields—senior VII Upper, middle IVal junior Ills. Athletic sports: Championship cups -senior VII Upper, junior IVs; Mallard Guns (relay races)—senior Vr, junior lilac. Netball: Interform cups—senior Val, middle IVbl, junior Illbl. _ Hockey. Interform cups—senior. Vs; junior IVs Higher Leaving Certificates.—l 932. I ■ Alexander, D. Cole H. Denford, N. Gain, M. Garbutt, M. Gilbert, I. Herrick. E. Lungley, E. Rawlinson, E. Richards, M. Anderson, L. Ball R. Borrie, E. Bimithwaite, M. Brown, K. Campbell, M. Cumberbeach, J. Dodd. N. Fastier. J. Gardiner, E. Hawkes, R. Hunt, F. Joseph, C. Juriss, G. Miles, A. Pearce. J._ Rae, J. Reid. M. Robinson, M. Sinclair A. Smellie, A. Woodward. 1931;. I. Allan, P. Benzoni, K. Kerr. M. Kmg, A. Marshall, E. M'Stay, N. Rutherford, K. Wither.