"FACING FACTS"

Otago Daily Times, Issue 23685, 17 December 1938, Page 7

"FACING FACTS"

IS EDUCATION RESPONSIBLE? RIVALS WHO SHOULD BE ALLIES ADDRESS TO HIGH SCHOOL BOYS •' Seventv years ago the nation? of Western Europe decided it was time some elementary education was Riven to the masses. After three generations it would seem that this education has been no great success. The world has to face the fact that these people now look like ' gadarene swine slidin? down the slope into a nit of high exDlosive.'" said Archdeacon Whitehead •n his address at the Otago Boys' High School break-up in the school hall yesterday afternoon. " I do not say that this education has been responsible' for the troubles of to-day. but it can be said that it has not nrevented them." It had to be recognised that there were two serious rivals to schools. It was a pity thev were rivals They should be allies. " I refer to the home and the picture show." he said. " These rival institutions do not always do as much for boys as their school might do. If their homes would awaken more intellectual curiosity, just think of the benefit that could accrue from the 40-hour week. But I have not noticed any development along these lines. I have noticed that this nart of the world seems to have more new hotels than it used to have." Only yesterday morning, he added, the editor of the Otago Daily Times attempted to draw public attention to the work of the Workers' Educational Association. That association had been operating for 25 years, and apparently people still knew very little about it. Instruments of Knowledge The Otago Boys' High School was a very fine institution, no doubt without superior in New Zealand; but, like every other school, it could not on its own turn out finished articles. A school could do no more than provide the instruments of knowledge. "It depends on you boys yourselves whether or not those instruments are of any use to you;" he said. "It is a good thing for boys and men to make up their minds to know something about everything, even though .much of your knowledge might not appear to be a great deal of use to you. Such knowledge can be a great help and a great consolation." There was no more hopeful creature in the world than the boy, he went on, but it was a mistake to take up the attitude that life owed us something. There was a great tendency among people to think that life owed them union wages. "That is wrong," he said. "I suggest that everything that life gives us Is in the nature of a bonus, and that it should be enjoyed as such. If you go about thinking you can demand rights of life, you have to come to a realisation that you have no such thing. • "It is a different thing, though, to have unlimited optimism regarding another life," he concluded. Nobody knew absolutely everything about everything, and how much less likely was it that everything was known about man? For many reasons death could be faced with the same optimism with which boys faced life.

School's Sevefaty-flfth Year The break-up ceremony was presided over by the chairman of the Board of Governors (Mr W. R. Brugh), who had associated with him the rector of the school (Mr H. P. Kidson). After the singing of the school song, Mr Brugh read a Christmas message from the Minister of Education (Mr P. Fraser) and several apologies. This is the end of the seventy-fifth year of the school's life," he said, "and the anniversary was worthily celebrated. Unfortunately the roll had dropped considerably in the past year or two, and it had been necessary to restrict the King's High School area. The traditions of the school were being well maintained, and the inspectors report for the year was very satisfactory. Mr Brugh advised parents always to be guided by the advice of the rector and teachers in the matter of examinations. The sporting activities of the school had gone ahead. Staff alterations were mentioned by Mr Brugh, and he made particular reference to the retirement of Mr John Williams, a teacher whose name would live in the school for generations.— (Applause). He spoke also of the deaths of men formerly prominently connected with the- school-Mr D. T. Fleming, Mr J. A. Haggitt. and Mr Alexander Kilgour. . A vote of thanks to the board, the rector and the school staff was proposed by Mr L. M. Satterthwaite. and acknowledged by the rector. The presentation of special prizes (by Archdeacon Whitehead), Chamber of Commerce prizes (by the president of the chamber, Mr P. Q. Smellie). the Board of Governor's gold medals to the duxes, and other prizes was interspersed with items by the school choir under the baton of Mr C. R. Spackmart. The prize list was as follows: Duces of School Douglas lan Chisholm and John Beresford Owen (Board of Governors gold medal, Dux Association's book prize, and Brown Memorial prize). Aggregate C!as9 Marks Form Modern lII—L. N. Collins 1, B. Overton 2 (W. Scoular and Co. s prizes). . . . Form 111 C—M. G. Collins 1. I. A. Henderson 2, D. U. Halligan 3. Form 111 B— P. J. Dowsett 1. D. E-. Richardson 2, R. Adamson 3. Form 111 A—R. A. Norman i, C. R. Edmond 2, A. H. Foster 3, R. G. Bishop 4 (Dux Association's prizes). Form Modern IV.—V. A. C. McArley 1, A. McK. Reid 2 (George H. Stewart prizes). _ , Form IV C—F. R. Bond I. J. J. Dagg 2, M. J. Kerr 3. Form IV B.~T. C. Timpany 1, J. Robb 2, E. T. H Munro 3, P. U. McLay 4. Form Iv A.—W. K. Sinclair 1, P. C. Grayson 2, S. Goodman 3, R. B. Seddon 4 (Dux Association's prizes). Form Modern V.—E. T. Collins 1, C. I. Overton 2, J. N. Macdonald 3 (George H. Stewart prizes). Form V D.—L. G, Elmes I. R. P Hogg 2. Form V C—L. G. Young 1. A. A. Jelly 2, M. W. D. Anderson 3. Form V B—J. Murray 1, P. J. Duncan 2, A. G. Hay 3, E. M. Fraser 4 (Dux Association's prizes), Form V A.—l. C. Cowie l, J. N. Dodd 2, L. T. Bradshaw 3 (Jubilee memorial prize). Form L Vl English: B. E. Pierard (Dux Association's prize). Latin: E. R. G. Scott (Campbell and Hawthorne prize). French: J. W. Neilson (Sir John Sinclair's prize). Mathematics: B. E. Pierard and A. F. Coxon (Brent Memorial prizes). Science: B. fi. Pierard (Fulton Memorial prize). Form Vl.—English: D. I. Chisholm, J. B. Owen. L. P. J Chapman (Fergus Memorial prizes). Latin: D. I. Chisholm, F. K. Rennie (Alexander Wilson prizes). French: J. B, Owen, D. I. Chisholm, G. A. Tait (Dunedin French Club's prizes). Mathematics: J. B. Owen, D. I. Chisholm, J. K Laing (Brent Memorial prizes). Science and Proxime Accessit to Dux: J. K. Laing (Gold Medal Dr. Thos Mill, C.M.G.). Special School Prizes.—Head Boys' Prize: M. J. L. Phelan (The Rector*. Best All-round Boy: J. B. Owen (Alexander Wilson Memorial). Prizes for Good Work: Seniors—B. B. Hall (L. VI) (Mr F. B Adams); fifths— G. P. Churchman (V A). (Mr F. B. Adams); D. Simpson (V B), H. W. Sandle (V C) Statham Memorial prizes); second year—H. R. McCoy (IV A), F. G. McLean (IV A), W. M. Hoggan (IV C) (Statham Memorial prizes); first year—K. J. Douglas (111 A), J. A. Dick (111 B), N. F. Cleveland (111 B), J. Edgar (111 C) (Lee Smith prizes). Drawing: Senior, H. R. Leith (V A) (Otago Art Society); second, D. J. McGregor (M V); junior, W. B. Johnson (IV C). Writing: Senior. L. L. Griffiths (L. VI) (Mr J. E. Hamilton); junior, E. McCoy (111 A). Shakespeare reading: F. Still (L. VI) (Dunedin Shakespeare

Club); second, J. C. Parr (L. VI) (Mr H. Chapman). Oratory: Senior Cup, F. Still (L. VI) (Moller Cup); junior, J. M. Calder (M. IV). English essay: J. B. Owen (VI) (Morrow Memorial prize). Bursary for commercial work: C. I. Overton (M. V) (David Baxter Memorial). Athenaeum Prizes (donor, Dunedin Athenaaum).—Seniors: M. S. Jones (L. VI), J. E. Goodyear (V A), J. Carruthers (V B); juniors—H. W. Clifford (IV B;» G. D. McLennan (111 A), A. F. MacDonell (111 B). I. B Knewstubb (111 C). Chamber of Commerce Prizes.Senior: B. E. Pierard (L. VI). Midd.e School: J. N. Dodd (V A). Junior: C. B. Chettleburgh (IV A). Cricket—Challenge Cup (1937), G. W. F. Overton (Mr W. J. Morrell); bat for highest average (1937), R. G. Cotton (the late Sir Thos. Sidey); bat for most improved player (1937), F. K. Rennie (Mr W. R. Brinsley); intermediate bat. K. M. Lindsay (Mr Walter Strang); junior bat C. M Garden (Mr Walter Strang).

Football—Challenge Cup and prize, M. J. L. Phelan (the Messrs Morris) Association Football.—Challenge Cup and medal, A. C. Munro (Old Boys' Association Football Club) Hockey.—Most deserving player, (i. M. Gray (Old Boys' Hockey Club). Fives.—Open singles J. H. Randle (Ladies' Challenge Cup); open doubles, C. I. Overton, T. A. Freeman; junior singles, T. A. Freeman (Mr J. N. Owen Challenge Cup); junior doubles, T. A. Freeman, H. W. Hanna.