SPORTS MEETING

Otago Daily Times, Issue 23341, 5 November 1937, Page 12

SPORTS MEETING

SECONDARY SCHOOLS' CHAMPIONSHIPS To-morrow the annual athletic championships of the secondary schools of Otago and Southland will be held at the Show Grounds, Oamaru. This meeting, which is allotted to the North Otago Amateur Athletic Association once in four years, is arousing considerable interest. Ten secondary schools have entered teams, and there are three grades, namely: Senior, under 19 years; intermediate, under 16J; and junior, under 15. Each school is allowed to enter two competitors for each event. There are 155 competitors, drawn from the following schools:— Southland Boys' High School, Southland Technical, Christian Brothers, King's College, Otago Boys' High School, John "M'Glashan College, Dunedin Technical College, South Otago High School. St. Kevin's College, and the Waitaki Boys' High School. Some preliminary heats will be held in the morning from 10 o'clock to 11 o'clock, but the main programme will commence at 1.45 p.m. with a grand parade led by the band of the Waitaki Boys' High School. With the entries narrowed down to two from each school for each event, the standard of performance should be definitely high. Among the competitors in the sprint section is J. Sutherland, who in some quarters is suggested as a prospect for inclusion in the Empire Games team. Some very fine milers are entered from the south, and the one-mile senior championship should be a thrilling event. A shield will be competed for in each event, and gold medals will be awarded to the competitors gaining most points in each section. The North Otago Amateur Athletic Association has spared no pains to make the meeting a success. The Otago Centre of the New Zealand Amateur Athletic Association will be officially represented by Mr C. W. Clark, and Mr E. C. Isaacs will act as referee. VALEDICTORY There was a large gathering of residents present at the Waianakarua School on Friday evening to bid farewell to Mr and Mrs P. R. Willberg on the eve of their departure for Benhar, where Mr Willberg has been appointed headmaster of the school. The chairman (Mr J. R. McKerrow) eulogised the good qualities of the guests, emphasising the loss to the district their departure would mean. Mr Willberg, besides being an efficient and conscientious teacher, had taken a keen interest in local activities generally. Mrs Willberg had also been most helpful, and the School Committee was most appreciative of her assistance in producing school concerts. Mr McKerrow then asked Mr and Mrs Willberg to accept a chiming clock, which was given to them with the best wishes of parents and residents. Miss Diana Willberg was presented with a copy of "The Perfume Vendor," by Gloria Rawlinson. ~ Mr A. P. McKerrow, president of the Waianakarua Tennis Club, praised Mr Willberg's assistance as a member, and thanked him for his good work as club coach. He asked Mr Willberg to accept a copy of Lawrence's " Seven Pillars of Wisdom." Master Arthur Gibson, a senior pupil of the school, in a happy and humorous speech, expressed the good wishes of the pupils to their teacher and to Mrs Willberg, and asked them each to accept a book from the school children In his reply Mr Willberg stated that it was with keen regret that he was leaving the district, and were it not for the fact that in order to gain promotion in his profession it was necessary to shift frequently, he would have been happy to remain in Waianakarua indefinitely. He returned thanks on behalf of Mrs Willberg and himself. , . , . ... During the evening, which took the form of a dance, vocal items were given by Mrs Stark and Mr R. Hutton, and several items were provided by the school children. . Mrs A. P. McKerrow entertained members of the Women's Institute, when opportunity was taken to bid farewell to Mrs Willberg, who was presented with a pair of brass bookends. CRICKET Team for to-morrow:— Union Juniors v. Albion, at Takaro Park.—Brook, Brown, Park, Forbes, Parker, Maddigan, Cutriss, Turvey, Smith, Wheeler, Watson. Oamaru juniors win from St. Kevin s by default. GENERAL NEWS Entries are now due for the North Otago Agricultural and Pastoral Association's annual show, to be held on November 19 and 20.