COLUMBA COLLEGE

Otago Daily Times, Issue 22369, 17 September 1934, Page 2

COLUMBA COLLEGE

DEDICATION OF SCHOOL BELL On Saturday afternoon an interesting function took place at Columba College. There were present members of the Austral Girton Club, of the School Hoard, of the Columba Old Girls' Association and of the present staff and pupils, to witness the dedication by Miss P. J. Eoss, M.A., of the school bell. This bell has an historic interest. It was east in 1879, and first used as a school bell at Girton College, Dowling street, in 1880. In the beginning of 1915, when Miss Eoss accepted the

principalsliip of Columba, it was brought up the hill and hung under the porch of the school entrance. There it continued its career of usefulness, the most thrilling period of its life being from 1914 to 1918, when it was enthusiastically rung whenever an Allied victory was, announced. In 1934, Mrs Ewing, a member of the Columba Board and an ex-Girton pupil, thought that such an old friend of Columba deserved to be better housed. She approaohed the Austral Girton Club on the matter, and the members of this club generously decided to have the bell inscribed, and to provide for it a belfry, which has been erected in front of the main entrance to the school. Mrs Gregory, a member of the club, was responsible for

the engraving of the bell, which now bears the inscription: " Girton, 1879." On Saturday, Miss Ross, as president of the Austral Girton Club, formally presented the bell to the school. Miss Ross, in addressing the gathering, emphasised the importance of this opportunity of uniting in an unique way all ex-pupils of Girton and all past and present pupils of Columba, all of whom knew well the sound of the bell, which but spoke in the same tone of affection and appeal to them all. Miss Ross gave briefly the history of the bell and continued: " Thus in handing on the bell from school to school, we are making history, and building up the traditions of the college. This isour school bell, and we members of the Austral Girton Club all voice by it our

united good ■wishes that, under the wise and kindly guidance of principal and board, Columba College may continue to flourish. When the bell rings out its call of duty to pupils past and present, may we all be .ready to answer in the well-known school response: 'Adsumj I am here. I am ready to obey the call of service.'" Miss Ashworth, principal of the college, thanked Miss Ross and the club for the gift. >'■'." At the conclusion of the cererabny Mf Cairney, president of the board, thanked Miss Ross and the Austral Girton Association for their many '■ gifts to the college, and for their continued interest in it. An inspection of the school house concluded an enjoyable afternoon.