THE SCHOOL VACATIONS.

Otago Witness, Issue 2391, 28 December 1899, Page 16

THE SCHOOL VACATIONS.

OTAGO BQYS'" 'HIGH SCHOOL. , The. v a-nnual distribution, of pHzefe at the ,oj.?.5 0 Boys' High School, prior to the bVea'lcjng~u]!> for'tho Christmas holidays, took pl^oe in tho largo hall of the school on Thursday, 14th' inst. A fair num. her of parents and friends wero present, and a good deal of interest was, as usual, taken in the proceedings. Amongst those present were:. -r-Bishop Nevill, ftfr Wilson (rector) , Professors Shand arid Gitray, lir Smith, Messrs R. Chishblm (mayor-elect), E. Holland, J. W. Smilfch, W. Ffaser, M.5.1?., James Allen, M.H.R., P. B. Fraser, A. G. Christopher, C. W. Pattray, D. E. White, J. R. Sinclair, T. ]£. Sidey, (i. L. Denniston, C. Mncundrew, J. Goyen, and A. R". Barclay, iLH,R. Dr "W. Brown, tho chairman of tho Otago Boya' and Girls' High School Board of Governors, said before calling upon the Bishop of Dunedin to preside, he had been asked to apologise for the absence of several friends of tho school who were unable to be present — viz. : Messrs G. G. Russell, F. J. Stilling, J. H. Chapman, Keith Ramsay, E. Howlison, J. F. Arnold, M.H.R., C. Haynes, J. Moloney, J. J. Ramsay, Rev. J. J. Lewis, Drs Colquhoun, Barnctt, Stechouse, the Rev. Canon King, the Kon. D. Pinkerton, and Dr Milne. "With reference to the absence of Mr Moloney, he had received a lotter from the secretary of the Chamber of Commerce, of which body Mr Moloney was president, explaining that tho president was unable to attend, apologiaing for his absence, and mentioning that he had appointed Mr C. W. Rattray, a member of tho committee and an ex-High School boy, to present tho medal given by the Chamber of Commerce. Ho (Dr Brown) had much pleasure in asking Bishop Nevill to preside, for he was suro they wo aid all liiten with great respect to tho Bishop of Dunedin.—(Applause t THE CHAIEHAX'S ADDRESS. Bishop Nevill, on taking the chair, said ho was informed by the programme just handed to him by tho rector that that which was first expected of tho chairman was that ho should address himself to tho boys now present. It appeared to him, as ho had had tho pleasure of being present on several occasions of tho kind, that the boys must be apt to regard tho president very much in the light they must imagines Mr Samuel Woller, of whom they must have heard, regarded Mr Pickwick when he went forward to enter into negotiations with that worthy— namely, in tho light of ono who wa3 ready to give advice grati". It was customary for tho president on the3e occasions to givo a great deal of advice to tho boys of the school, who possibly thought that from time to timo they got a good deal of it. Well, he did not think boys raally objected to being addressed even by an old gentleman like himself, if the speaker would only have tho grace to remember that ho was once a boy himself--(applause),—and not fall into what was perhaps a temptation common to old ago of attempting to cram the hearers with a largo assortment of wise sayings and ancient wisdom, which young people wore apt to look upon as something that ought to be treated in the way that housemaids treated well-worn and somewhat soiled linen — put into a bag and hidden away as soon as possible. Ifc was therefore a rather difficult thing to address a body of young fellows acceptably. Certainly it y/as not desirable to fall back upon one's recollection of the wisdom of the ages, or, on tho other hand, to treat young people as being without either common senfo or high and noblo aspirations. Ho was quito sure many boys had both.— (Applause.) Therefore, he had asked himself, in presuming to address them that afternoon, " What sort of an animal ia a boy? " That led to another question, because they would at once say that a boy was a sprig of a man, and therefore they had to ask, '"What is a man?" Some would answer — possibly his friend and theirs, Mr Thomson, would Fay, " a man is a magnified monkey." Wall, if that was a proper definition, then it must follow that a boy was a monkey in process of development. He would not say whether that was correct or not, but if it wero allowed to be so for a moment, it might be regarded as the justification of an explanation mado time after timo both by schoolmasters and parentr — " What ore you after now, you young monkey?" But inasmuch as they could see around them sages and learned men — preceptors and tutors of the High School and the like,— they mint think there was something wrong with that cyllogistio definition, because if boys were only young monkeys, what was the uso of a Higli School, and how came it that there wero learned persons, who had bean boys themselves, ready to teach them. There must bo something wrong with- that conclusion, but ho would deal with the logical part of it later on. — (Applause.) The question was, upon what miiet he address them that afternoon. Ho might say at once that he was not going to give them, a long lecture on any subject whatever, but would put before them a Jew scraps winch those who were wise amongst them might think it worth while to pick up as they were thrown out for their use, and, just aa useful quilts wero mado out of patches of different materials, they might themselves liece these scraps of advice together an<3 make ;hem into something valuable in the up-buikl-ng of character. The first patch, and it was rather a largo one, was "Tho importuice of thoroughness in work." He ivas sure that tho boys who were prizetakers had already appreciated the importance of that. Without thoroughness in ivork there could be neither interest nor sue:e«s in f.tudies. A boy often taid "I hale irithmetio," or "I hate classics," and so on; ;nit perhaps they would not hale cither the )ne or the other so much if they took tho .rouhlo to understand tho rule 3 they had to leal with in arithmetic and mathematics jenerally, or classical expositions. The jrancl thing waa first of all to understand jlearly what they had to do, and that involved 1 certain amount of thoroughness; they must lot be slipshod, and trust merely to memory, nstead of thinking what was the object and r/hy certain methods should l>e followed for ts solution. So in clapsieal translation, a boy night think that lie knew this word and thao void, and try to make a sentence by guessvork, instead of remembering that ho must ook out for the nominative and (hen the verb md then the word governed by the verb. But le must not waste their time with illustrations —they all knew the mistakes that wero made )ecaiiEO of ths want of thoroughness in the rcrk done. Another illustration, however, (ccurrod to him. Sometimes they read leters in the newspapers which made them think t perhaps would be a grand thing if yoling >eople wero trained in the principles of logic, llany boy 3 rather prided themselves upon heir logical faculties, and ho was quito sure , great many men did; but, judging from uch newspaper correspondence as ho had aluded to, one could see that really tho priniples of logic were tmclerstood by but few, rd some people put their arguments into a yllogistic form and deemed that eufjicient to

ms£e them irrelragible. A' syflbgisirj ( n¥usfi h'&ye Jwo premises front which 'to iitxxf aeon.4 clusuJn, and if they did' not understand the(| principles of logic, tfiey might lSs> sigjife. o& the fact tha.fc unless both premiaes"'w.ere truer the cofiolu^iojn. \?olild certainly Ijjij false, \uS the syllogistic form rendered utterly WQrtn l^ less. t He hid suggested tfiajj-there was somes tiling wrong iii tfie conblyiion tfi'at boys w'erer young nioiikeys, and t£ei weaknfsS lay & th'^ minor premise^ The 6rst "premise th'afc a, Doj&l was h, slip of a>man, miglifc be all right, l?ut thw second premise saicj that a ipap. wa^ a fied monkey'; but a. man w^s tlung more than that. Whatever man might, Uef in hjg physical s'tr'udture^-that ffe \vaJ3 not goiS»i to discuss,— hfe certainly hajl oth^e e'lenventa?. 1 superadded whie'i th' 6 rnofipy olitl not 1 p'oj|yJ se^ss, and ep, thoro wa| ( a fault in the minoK 4 premis'o, rfud, of course, tfi^e conclusiQri wa« wrong. He might be, allo"\y'ed t^o detain blieml* by referring to another ebriclusiop of ifie^ s^,me kind that was stated a, lit'tt© tjme, agaffii 1 the publio prints in the form of a syHogismY-" carefully dr?wn up, and which, no doubt', its* author" thpufeht conclusive. It had feferencet' to himself (Bishop Neyill), and he must aslt'to* be excused for ieferring to it. It was aiudj that all High Churchmen were narrow, andf that the Bishop of Dunedin was a Higltf Churchman, and therefore— of course, he_could). not stand against that argument — ho was a r narrow-minded man. He used this syyllogism! as illustrating. how, under the forms of logic,; they could go wrong, unless they possessed a. knowledge of its principles. There was in this ini?t[UT.co, he might point oiit, a fault in both premises. In the firstf place a particular had l been exalted into a universal proposition. If was all very well to say that all High Churchmon wero narrow-minded, but that wa3 a proposition that had not been proved. Some o£ them might be so; and so were some Low^ Chin chmen; and some Broad Churchmen might bo narrow-minded than cither the one or tlio other. So, fir3t o £ all, tho major premise must go, for it made a particular into a universal' proposition. And, secondly, as to the question about himself. It said, "Tho Bishop of Dunedin is a High Churchman..*' Well, that might ba so, or it might not; but ie was a pure assumption on the part of tho' author of the syllogism, and they could not prove anything by a sylloa-ism with: faulty premises, and so the conclusion, m this case was utterly worthless.. He would just like to touch on another subject boforo concluding his address. Ha thought that one of tho most important things in a school of the dignity which they acknowledged belonged to tho High School' of Dunedin was that tho boys should set before them throughout tho principle of honour. — (Applause.) If the boys in a school such aa theirs were deeply imbued with a, sense of? honour, they might hope that society and the generation to come would also bo deeply imbued with that meat important principle. They knew what he moant by that very well', because there was always a senso of honour among boys — almost more than, among men. If there was one thing boys detested it was that character comprised in a word of thrco letters— cad. Ho thought boya generally, hated' a cad : one who used to spy, over his neighbour's shoulder to boo what he had done, and to savo himself the trouble of finding out the problem himself .—(Applause.) A boy of thu'b character was disposed to loaf about tho playground and to circulate all manner of stories about some other boy. He hoped there were no such boyd in tho High School. Thiu clas3 of boy was generally despised by his fellows.. The foundation of a sense of honour should! bo laid in their school life, and it would a3sislv them in "facing tho trials and temptations of life. In their future life, honour would display itself in two or three departments. There* was personal character, which developed itself in society; thcro was tho commercial/ arena, and the national arena. On the personal and social aspect of tho principle, o£ honour, he would just touch on ono point* and that wn,3 m their relation to tho other sex. They would soon bo young men, and] some of them wero young men now. Peoplbhad lost eight of % littlo too much — thochivalry with which tho other sex used to bo treated in daya gono by. That was one reason % why they ought to cultivate to a very, high degree tho senso of honour, because a boy or a young man who looked upon a young, lady as anything other than one whom lm ought to treat in every way as a possible wifa or very dear friend — if ho learned from tho temptations around him to viow her aa a, subject ho might treat with dishonour — theit ho ceased to bo a man and became worso than/ 11 beast; and every princi'plo of honour was trampled under foot. Ho touched on tho principle because it belonged to thorn — the incoming generation — to mako society a moro noblo and a purer thing than it had been ijv tho nast. Then there was such a thing- a* commercial honour. When ho was Home a littlo while ago he dined one day with a prominent gentleman in tho City of London, whe* wa3 a member of tho committee of the Stock Exchange. Talking about New Zealand, he (tha Bishop) was sony to see that' this gentleman did not think much of tho commercial! methods of the colonies, and had the opinioa that we wero not deeply imbued with a sensp of. commercial honour. He said that they could not do their business in London witlt. tho3o who did not make tho first principle to their transactions a senso of honour. Tho Stock Exchange conducted a lot of its business* out of doors, and the member acting as auctioneer todk his bids simply from a nod of tha head. There was no writing or books kept, and "every buyer was expected to come up afterwards and settle, although since tho time haf nodded his head for a bid and the time hff settled up" tho stock had fallen, and he was a loser to tho extent or hundreds or thousands. Now, this could not be done if they did not stand firm and strong in the principle off honour. — (Applause.) As to national honour, he was delighted to see before him that afternoon so many" in the uniform, of the volunteers. — (Applause.) In this colony we had already vindicated our national honour by senct^ ing our own fellow-citizens to do th 9 work: in our name in the war which, unhappily* had to be carried on in" another country. — - (Applause.) Tho detaohment to which wa were looking to uphold the honour of ouc, colony was led by an ex-High School boy-^-(applause), — and ho was quite sure that if it was necessary to send another detachment & little later they would have no difficulty raining it, and perhaps some of tho ex-High School boys would bo ready to volunteer. — (Applamo:) He wa3 suro that he had detained: them long enough. Ho urged them to hold: before them the highest ideals in their futuret life, and to remember that tho knowledge they; obtained in their achool life was something which was not to be used only in mere pe^J. sonal aggrandisement and selfishness, or; ta accumulate riches for themselves. No dots>(i getting on m the world was a. very worthy! object; but they muat have higher views oE the knowledge that they possessed than that!^ It was a trust they had committed to them! for all. Knowledge waa only a part of th# communication to them of Him with whom 1 th.ey. Jiad to da— the L.6 rd &as a (jod of &&&•'

ledge, and by Him all notions are weighed. God was light and knowledge was light and was power; and therefore if they obtained an accurate knowledge in this department they knew they might make use of it in their future life to illustrate not only the advantages of knowledge in whatever department of life they were called upon to work in, but they might hold forth that which really was in its essence a spark from the source of light: it was the scintilla, as it were, the offshining of that source of light. And, indeed, the possession of knowledge, be it in a lesser or greater degree on their part, was a thing that must go on extending all their lives. They must be learners all their lives, increasing their days in knowledge, the principles of which .they had obtained in school, and thus make use of it to set forth the glory of God, and to procure the welfare of their fellow-man. — (Applause.)

ANNUAL BEPORT.

The annual report of the Rector (Mr A. "Wilson, M.A.) was as follows : —

The total number of pupils enrolled during the present year is 217. Of these, 88 have joined. the school for the first time. , The numbers for the three terms have been respectively 206, 200, and 190. There has been a steady drain of boys for various mercantile employments, more particularly during the third term, when the supply hardly equalled the demand. The term enrolments, however, compare favourably •with those of last year, the enrolments for tho second and third terms of 1899 being respectively 15 and 13 in excess of tho numbers for the second and third term of 1898.

Twenty-eight scholars of the Education Board — nine jxmior and 19 senior — have been in attendance, five of whom left for various reasons before the end of the year. The Board of Governors has given 25 scholarships, entitling the holders to free education at the school. •Reports of the education of their scholars were sent at the end of each term to the Education Board and the Board of Governors.

There was a good average attendance the first two terms, but the attendance durinty the third term was seriously affected by the prevailing epidemic of influenza.

Mr Baker reports the health of the boarders to have been, generally speaking, good, though the house, like the school, was affected by influenza during the third term. . Thirty-ono boys attended Mr Sherriff's class ior mechanical drawing — in increase of 14 on last year. I should be glad to see this useful class supplemented by a class for applied mechanics.

It is a serious defect in the school that no arrangements exist for the teaching of drawing from the round. I hope it may be found possible before long to make provision for instruction in this subject.

There has been considerable demand this year for boys from the school to occupy the place of cadets in various offices and mercantile firms. It might be of advantage to those concerned if I knew which of the boys were on the outlook for such business openings ; and would do well to intimate to me more freely than they do their wishes or intentiqns with reference to the future of their sons on leaving school. I cannot, of course, undertake to place boys who are leaving, but it is more possible for me to make a boy's stay in the school profitable if I know how long he is to i-emaiii in the school and what he has in .view on leaving, it. Mr Hanna expresses himself -well satisfied with tho work done in the gymnasium this year. No assault-at-arms was held, but the ibest boys took part in the assault-at-arms of the combined schools held in the Agricultural Hall in August. The total enrolment of the Cadet Corps for the year is 63. In November the corps was inspected by Colonel Pole Penton. More interest than usual has been shown this year in rifle practice. Next year, if, as I hope, we obtain a few rifles of a more modern type than those now in U3e, considerable improvement in the shooting of the school may be expected. The board has granted Mr Watson a wellearned holiday of six months. It is, lam sure, the wish pf tho whole school, staff and pupils, that Mr Watson should enjoy a very happy holiday. Mr A. G. C. Miller, M.A., a former pupil of the school, has been selected to fill the temporary vacancy on the staff.

The Hon. A. Lee Smith, M.L.C, has this year still further shown his interest in the school by offering a scholarship of £15, tenable for three years, at the Otago School of Mines. The conditions under which this kind offer is made are these:— (l) The boy to whom the scholarship is awarded must be a deserving boy, not merely as regards his work, but in all his xelations to the school; (2) the scholarship will be awarded only to a boy to whom it will "be of material assistance. It is not intended for boys whose parents are rich enough to send their sons to tho university without assistance. As matriculation is now a necessary preliminary to entering the School of Mines, the Lee Smith Scholarship cannot bo awarded until tho matriculation' results are known.

I have received from a friend of the late Mr Charles M. Mouat an annual prize, to be called (tho " Mouat Memorial Prize." This prize will jbe awarded under the same conditions as the fcess Smith prize — viz., to some pupil who, Saying failed tQ take any other school prize,

has yet, in the opinion of the rector and staff, distinguished himself by all-round excellence.

As in former years, the school is this year also under obligation to various donors, who have generously contributed to the prize fund — the Chamber of Commerce (two gold medals), Otago Institute, Messrs Sargood, Son, and Ewen, Messrs W. Scoular and Co., the Dux Association, Dr Brown, Dr Marshall Macdonald, Hon. A. Lee Smith, M.L.C., Messrs K. Ramsay, J. R. Sinclair, A. S. Paterson, and Thos. Mill (gold medal). The following is the

SPECIAL PRIZES.

English and Arithmetic— Senior, gold medal, A. C. W. Standage (Chamber of Commerce's prize) ; junior, gold medal, T. P. Bagley (Chamber of Commerce's medal).

Mechanical Drawing. — Division I, A. H. Courtis; division 11, H. J. Hart. Writing. — H." Thomson. Spelling. — R. Feil, E. Finch (decided by viva voce competition).

Notes in Natural History. — E. J. Neale (Mr G. M. Thomson's prize).

Reading. — S. Foster.

Gymnastics.— Senior, R, Ulrich (Messrs Sargood, Son, and Ewen's prize); junior, J. Calder (Messrs Sargood, Son, and Ewen's prize).

Fives. — Junior, F

Kalilenberg,

Rifle Practice. — Corporal R. Crawford (Mr G. M. Thomson's challenge cup), Privates J. Shaw, A. Barron, and W. Carswell (Richardson Trust prizes). •

Cadet Drill, best section (Sergeant Young's section). — Privates T. D. Adams, A. Barron, R. Begg, L. Burnard, F. Campbell, J. G. Paterson, R. Printz, H. Henderson, E. Roberts, A. Standage, and R. Moore. Best Sergeant. — Sergeant Young. " Lee Smith " Prizes. — W. Dunbar and M. Rutherford (Hon. A. Lee Smith's prizes). Mouat Memorial Prize. — J. Strang. •• Mill " Gold Medal.— A. G. Johnson (Mr T. Mill's prize).

FORM PRIZES,

English.— Form VI, G. H. Lang (Mr K. Ramsay's prize) ; V, Upper, H. S. Crawford (Mr A. S. Paterson's prize) ; V Lower, D. L. G. Hodges (Mr A. S. Paterson's prize) ; IV Upper, S. Hawaon and M. Matheson ; IV Lower, E. Farra; Remove, D. Jolly and E. Finch; 111, J. S. Whittaker. Latin.— Form VI, G. H. Lang; V Upper, D. Dunbar and T. D. Adams (Campbell and Hawthorne Trust prizes); V Lower, H. B. Bayley (Dr Marshall Macdonald's prize) ; TV Upper, J. White; IV Lower, H. Collie; Remove, E. Farra; 111, D. Guthrie. French.— Form VI, G. H. Lang; V Upper, J. K. Hartley (Mr J. R. Sinclair's prize) ; V Lower, C. Gilray (Messrs W. Scoular and Co.'s prize); IV, I. S. Wilson; Remove, J. White; 111, H. F. Brown. Mathematics. — Form VI, G. H. Lang (Dux j Association's prize); V Upper, D. Dunbar ' (Dux Association's prize) ; V Lower, A. H. Courtis (Dr Brown's prize) ; IV Upper, H. F. Brown and S. Paterson ; IV Lower, E. Farra; Remove, D. Jolly; 111, J. S. Whittaker. Science. — Form VI, G. H. Lang and J. A. Thomson (Otago Institute's prize) ; V Upper, E. Roberts and A. M'Caw (Dr Brown's prizes) ; V Lower, W. Carswell ; IV Upper, G. Dey. 'Drawing. — Form V Lower, W. Carswell; IV Upper, N. Vanes; IV Lower, J. Dunlop; Re- j move, D. Guthrie; 111, B. Shand. Bookkeeping. — Form IV Lower, D. Standage ; R-emove, J. Herbert ; 111, F. Brent. Shorthand. — Form IV Upper, division 1, I. Spedding; division 2, N. Vanes. IV Lower, division 1, H. Henderson; division 2, E. Farra. Remove, D. Guthrie. 111, R. Woodhouso. Dux of the School (Governors' gold medal). — Arthur C. W. Standage. Former Duxes. 18G3 .. „. „ .. Noel Lee Buchanan 186-1-68 .. .. „ .„ .. Henry Bell, M.A. 1869 .. V 4 Charles Peter Begg 1870 «. .... ..Alexander Thomas Stuart Andrew John Park, B.A. 1871 »„ *._ „. .. Ernest Herbert Wilmot Andrew John Park, B.A. Saul Solomon, B.A. 1872 >.«. ... -,r -.. Andrew John Park, B.A. 1873 , Charles Low, M.8., CM. 1874 „ Frank Stilling 1875 „. William Deans Milne, M.A., LL.D. 1876 „ Herbert Halhwell 1877 Alexander Bruce Todd, B.A. 1878-79 .. Peter A. Lindsay, 8.A., M.M., CM. 1880 Arthur Brownell Drabble 1881 William Alexander Fleming, M.8., CM. 1882 .. Charles Thomas Little, M.A. John Somerville, M.8., CM. 1883 ■*. John Rogerson Montgomery, M.A. 1884 Adam Begg, M.A. 1885 ... Joseph Moss, M.A. John Bell Thomson, M.8., CM. ISB6 „ John Askew Scott, M.A. 1887 Thomas D. Pearce, M.A. 1888 Franz V. Siedeberg, M.A. '18S9 Wm. Marshall Macdonald, M.8., CM. 1890 , t .., John Gibson 1891 ... v „. „. Alex. D. Wilkinson, B.A. 1892 ux A£ ;.c « Thomas Dunn William Newlands 1893 „ w , r „; „. .. .. John. O'Shea 1894 ..'. .. & Leslie Williams 1895 4 -4,- .-;. „ ... Eldred J. D. Herons 1896 „, .., ;. .. „* .. .. John Lang 1897 ••» ,\» i, gj,, ,% .. Alexander Kinder 1898 M tv ■»'.■ •«•.• 1, Arthur R. Andrew 1899 wft vi * l x Arthur 0. W. Standage

Mr Rattray, in presenting the Chamber of Commerce prizes, stated that these prizes had been given over 30 years ago by ;the chamber. He did not know if the committee of the chamber at that time thought that the writing in the/ Boys' High School was - not good enough, but they were given for penmanship. The subjects which they were now given for were very much broader and more necessary. At the same time boys should not overlook the simple thing of handwriting, especially those who proposed to follow commercial pursuits. After emphasising this point, the speaker handed the medals to the successful scholars — namely, A. C. W. Standage (senior Englifih and arithmetic) and T. P. Bagley (junior English and arithmetic).

In calling vipon the dux of tho school, A. C. W. Standage,

The Rector stated that this boy had come to the school about two years ago. He received his public education at the Woodend Public School, North Canterbury, where he remained three years and took a junior scholarship. He went to the Christ church Boys' High School, where he stayed three months. From there he went to Timaru, where he spent four years, and he had been about two years in the Boys' High School. The boy was particularly well deserving of the duxship. He did not come into competition with" last year's dux, but he was first in every subject with the boys he had competed with. His character had been all that could possibly be desired, and the speaker had no doubt that afterwards he would not only do credit to that school, but to all the schools with which he had been connected. — (Loud applause.)

Mr James Allen moved a hearty vote of thanks to the board. Experience had taught him that the board had its times of trouble and anxiety, and he had no doubt they would join with him in an expression of thanks to it. — (Applause.) He had no doubt they would join him also in even, if possible, a still more hearty way, in a vote of thanks to tho staff of the schools. When he was a boy he thought that holidays were only for boys, but he had learned to recognise that the staff appreciated the holidays just as much as the boys. — (Loud applause.)

Mr A. Wilson, M.A., rector of the school, Baid: — On behalf of the staff I thank Mr Allen for his kindly recognition of our services during the year. I consider myself fortunate in being associated wit'i colleagues who have always one and all of them given mo their hearty and cheerful assistance in whatever I have found necessary for the proper administration of the school. I hope they will make the most of their time, arid come back, like giants refreshed, to the labours of another year. As for you, boys, you have come to the day to which you have all no doubt been looking forward with some impatience. Some of you — I hope many of you — will return to us in February. To those I would say, as I have said to the masters, 'make the most of your time. Get into the country if you can. The country is much the best place for boys who have nothing to do, because they can do it so comfortably there, without disturbing anybody. Some of you, in the natural course of things, will not leturn to us. Some will go to the University, some of you into the world to earn your bread and butter. I hope that you will carry with you a kindly feeling for your school wherever you go, and that you will find yourselves all the better fitted for your work for having been here. If you feel that you owe a debt to your school, you can easily repay it long before you have made your fortunes. If you will lay to heart the admirable advice just given you by the Bishop, if you show yourselves honourable men and honest workers, you cannot render your school a better service than that. I am thankful to know from outside testimony that a large number of those who have left us, some even of those who have left us just lately, are doing this kind of service for the school. lam not given to overpraising you myself, as I daresay you have remarked, but there is nothing gives me greater pleasure than to hear you praised •by others. I wish all those who have been associated with me during the year, masters and boys, a very pleasant holiday.

Dr Brown, on behalf of the Board of Governors, thanked the boys for the vote of thanks jiut passed. The work of the board was generally of a hum-drum character, but there were some things they did in the way of brightening up the school. Some of them would notice that when they came back from their last vacation, certain ornamental names and figureD written on the walls had been obliterated. — (Laughter.) That was part of the work of the board, and it was also their intention to attend to warming the classrooms next winter. The board had granted one of their masters — Mr Watson— six months' leave of absence, so that he might have a furlough in the old country. — (Applause and cheers.) He \vae> sure Mr Watson would be pleased if lie were to hear their good opinion of him. He would like them to join in a hearty vote of thanks to the bishop for presiding..

The vote of thanks to his Lordship was carried with cheers, and after cheers for the rector and_staff the proceedings terminated.

PURAKANUI.

The annual concert of the above school took place in the Purakanui Hall on the 15th inst. The hall was crowded, and Mr Tennent presided. _ The most of the items on the programme, which consisted of songs, choruses, and recitations, were performed by the school children, and the way in which they did their work showed the care that had been bestowed on their training by their teachers — Mr Ross and Miss Johnstone. The remainder of the programme was carried out by the following friends of the school, who were very successful with the various numbers: — Mrs Steele, " Mavourneen " ; Miss Mawson, " The toilers " ; Miss Baird, " Rose of Allandale"; Mr Harvey, "Sons of the Empire"; Mr Horn, " Bay of Biscay "; Mr and Miss Mawson, " To the woods " ; Messrs Harvey and Ross, "Polaski's banner." Mrs Ross presided at the piano. The break-up took place on Thursday in the presence of a number of the parents and friends of the school, when the following prizes were distributed by Mrs Ross: —

Standard VII. — Boys, David Skinner and James Thomson (equal) 1; girls, Marion Skinner 1, Sarih J. Bootten 2.

Standard Vl.— Mabel Wix 1, Andrena Bootten 2, Sissie Mawson 3.

Standard V. — Boys, John Hall 1, James Young 2, Herbert Foote 3; girls, Charlotte Wix 1, Charlotte Hall 2, Slaggie Young 3. Standard IV.— Boys, Stephen King 1, William Coutts 2, James Bootten 3 ; girls, Margaret Hodson 1, Gertie Foote 2, Ellen Driver 3. Standard 111. — Boys, George Wix 1, Charles Cassey 2, Arthur Russell 3 ; girls, Edith Green 1, Jane Crawford 2, Alice Coppin 3. Standard II. — Boys, Joseph Mawson 1, Fred M'Kassar and Peter Miller (equal) 2, Andrew Bootten 3; girls, Nellie Brooks 1, Alice Wix 2, Frances Mawson 3.

Standard I. — Boys, David Young 1, John Hodson 2, Alick Crawford 3; girls, Mary Holland 1, Bella Drake 2/

Preparatory. — Class I Ethel Foord and Martin Hoss (equal) 1, Cunningham Williams 2, Clifford Williams 3. Class II : Gracie Bootten 1, 3essie Hoss 2, Winnie Bootten 3. Sewing- Prizes. — Standard VII : Marion Skinner and Sarah J. Bootten. Standard VI : Mabel Wix. Standard V: Maggie Young, Ellen Mawson, and Lottie Wix. Standard IV : Gertie Foote. Standard III: Edith Green. Standard II: Nellie Brooks. Standard I: Mary Holland and Ethel Foord.

After three hearty cheers for the teachers the children dispersed, to reassemble on February 5, 1900.

PORTOBELLO.

The Portobello School broke up on the 20th inst. for the summer . holidays. There was a fair attendance of parents and friends of the pupils. The weather was all that could be deoired. The prizes were presented by the chairman of "the school committee (Mr Dickson). Votes of thanks were passed to the judges of sewing (Mesdames Lewis, Bowles, and Miss Hall), also to the judges of writing (Miss Evans and Mr Jack). The pupils were then dismissed until February 5, 1900. The following is the prize list: —

Standard VI. — Nellie Barton 1, Mary Hughes 2. Arithmetic: Nellie Barton (dux of school) 1, Mary Hughes 2. Writing: Nellie Barton 1, Bella M'Cartney 2.

Standard V.— Frazer B. Barton 1, Robert 7. Nellson 2. Arithmetic : Frazer B. Barton 1, John North 2. Writing: John North 1, Frazer B. Barton 2.

Standard IV. — Jane Hughes 1, John Muirhead 2, Gladys Durham 3. Arithmetic : Jane Hughes 1, May Seaton 2, Thomas Neilson 3. Writing: Gladys Durham 1, Clara North 2, Maggie M'Cartney 3. Standard lll.— William North 1, May Durham 2, William Leslie 3. Arithmetic: William Leslie 1, May Durham % May Allan 3. Writing: May Allan 1, Mary Geary 2, Madelena Pero 3.

Standard II — Jessie Seaton 1, Nellie Hughe* 2, David Leslie 3. Arithmetic: David Lesltt 1, Jessie Seaton 2, Bertie Neilson 3. Writing:, Marion Varley 1, Jessie Seaton 2, Lottie Clearwater 3.

Standard I.— James Seaton 1, Fanny Huuhe* 2. Arithmetic: James Seaton 1-, Fanny Hughes 2. Writing: James Seaton 1, Ethet North 2.

Preparatory Class.— Janet Leslie 1, Fret! MAuley 2, James Seaton 8. Arithmetic:! Jauot Leslie 1, Albert Nelson 2, Fred MAuley 3. Writing : George Durham 1, William J-ieathley 2, James' Seaton 3.

Sewing.— Standard VI: Nellio Barton. Standard V: Lizzie Seaton. Standard IV :l Jane Hughes 1, Gladys Durham 2. Standard HI: May Allan 1, Madelena Pero and May, Durham (equal). 2. Standard II: Jessia Seaton 1, Nellie Hughes 2. Standard I : Fanny Hughes. Class P : Janet Leslie. Infanta :| Nellie Dickson 1, Myrtle North and May Geary (equal) 2. /

Special Prizes.— Messrs Whitcombe and Tombs (most popular pupil of school), John. North, by vote of fellow > scholars. Writing (presented by Captain Moss), Nellia Barton. Mapping .(presented by Mr W. Dougall), Frazer Barton. Best six buttonholes (presented by Mrs Dougall, jim.),~ Bella M'Cartney. Smartest child attending school (presented by Elma'and Wattie Lewis), Doreen Moss. Best attender (presented by Mrs North, sen.), John Dalton. " ,7

•Ono first class and four second-class attend-" ance certificates were presented.

ST. LEONARDS .SCHOOL BREAK-UP

AND PICNIC.

The children of this school and a numbe* of parents met on Wednesday for the annual break-up. , Mr, .Bamfiejd (chairman of th» committee) presented tho following prizes: —

• • Good Conduct (the head master's prizes): Standard V, Charlie Bain ; Standard IV, Ellen Edmonds 1, Maggie Griffen 2; Standard 111, May M'Mullin; Standard 11, Jessie Miller l, s Saidio Broad 2. • '■ Best Exercise Book in School (Mr Broad'i prize): Robert M'Mullin.

Dux of School (Mr Banofield's prize): John Miller.

Three first class and six second class certificates were presented.

After the break-up ceremony the children proceeded to Wain's paddock to take part in the annual picnic, which passed off very successfully, everyone present doing" their utmo?* to entertain the children.

HIGHCLIFF.

The Highcliff School broke up on Friday for the holidays, when a very successful concert was held, the_hall being crowded to ex> cess, several being unable to gain admission. The items consisted of songs, recitations, and dialogues, which were very successfully rendered by the pupils, also a recitation by Misa Milly Bishop and a song by Miss Elizabeth Lochhead. Every item, was warmly applauded. Refreshments, provided by tha , ladies of the district, were handed round, and after justice had been done to the good things tho committee presented each pupil with a book. A handsome book (presented by Messrs Whitcombe and Tombs) was awarded to Jean, Duckworth for tho best attendance. A vote of thanks was proposed by Mr Fairbairn" to> the teachers and pupils, also to others who took part in the entertainment, including Messrs Gilmour Bros, and Harvey for their assistance. A vote of thanks was passed to tho ladies, and a similar vote was passed to the committee, after which the National Anthem was sung, and* the hall was cleared fof dancing, which was kept up with good spirit till an early hour.

Mr O. R. Smith, secretary of the local Cricket Association, has been advised that Harknes3 broke his finger at Hastings, and will be unable to bowl' for a fortnight. Seeing that the team has only 11 men on tour at present, this is unfortunate.