VICTORIA LEAGUE

Otago Witness, Volume 06, Issue 2899, 6 October 1909, Page 15

VICTORIA LEAGUE

ESSAY COMPETITION. i The > Victoria L-e-aguo cf New T^alani proposes to offer a gold and a silver meciul for the best essays on the subject of • "Patriotism: what dees it mean, and how 1 aro wo bos-c to tlo our duty towards ths i Stats and tba E:npiro in times c* ix;aoo ' and of war?' 1 The competition is open 1 to the bo3S and girU of Otaijo and Fouthland, who are between the sgos of 11 and 16. All essays must be the original and unaided work of each competitor and each essay must be accompanied by a written voucher from parents Oo 1 teachers to that effect. The medals will be awardsd "to the essays which contain the best ideEs on tho subject, even though th^y be nor the best from a literary point of view. All essay* must be sent to Mrs Hccken, the secretary of the Victoria League, Dune-Jin, not later than. May 1, 1910. It is at present nroposed to read tie successful cs?avs and to prescat the modals at a special meeting of the Victoria £,eaeuc, called for the purpose, on Empire Day, May 24. Miss Evelino Price, of tho tasman ian Victoria League, has writfon the' subjoined patriotic ,anpeal in connection 'with tho subject and addressed to our youths. . It is of 50 admirable a character that the committee of the New Zealand Victoria League lias dofcarminod to distribute it ps far as practicable, jind to that end it will bo extremely jrralsfu! if the press will jrive 1 v a wid-3 publication :—: — " Tho greatest and wisest and most farsighted of cur statesmen, admirals, and generals are giving us solemn warning that within the next few years our great Empire will almost certainly have to face grave dangers— even, perhaps, to Tight for its existence any longer as an Empire — and they aro urging- us to awaka to our duties and responsibilities as citizens of the state and members of this greatest Empire the world has ever known, and to prepare ourselves, lesfc the enemy should come upon us unawares, and our" freedom and one greatness as a nation should be taken from- us 1 " You, who are 003-5 and prirls to-day, may then be called urxm to share in the responsibility of guarding the honour and the freedom of your country. How will you prepare yourselves for this great duty? > Patriotism means ' love of the courafcry which gave us birth.' Many patriots have died for then- country; we can- all remember noble osamoles in history, and in scjwr, t wiwro mer and women, too. have gladly ■ and cheerfully given their lives in it 3 , cause. But it is possible to help our coun- | try even more, in most cases by living for 'her; by makins; our lives a clean, straight strong, truo thread in the great rope ov , bond of union which binds our great Emj pire together. There is a very true old ; saying that ' a rope is no sh-onger than its weakest part,' for this i 3 the soot I where it will go to pieces whpn the timeof strain comes, as come it surely will. !We don't want the weaksst part "in our , rope to be fcund in our country, and not one of U3 _ would like to bo the weakest strand, whicn should first give way For each one of us U responsible to God and jto the Ernpiro and to one another for our own thread cf that rope; and we shall I surely have to answer some day for the : us© we have made of it. There is an old fable of a bundle cf sticks, tied closely .together which the strongest man tried in rain to break; but all his effort* were [unavailing until the cord that bound ~the atick3 together was loosened, when with , the greatest ease he broke one stick after • another separately, although when bound | •?8*"? 8 *"£ nr , the £*f ad . successfully resisted all ms efforts. This is what we must a l v .- avJJ remember in regard to our Em D ire, for «ktu w<3 stantI > divided we fall.' What sort of men and women do yon , think we nerd to face the dancers ahead ■cf us.' For you will ba among >hos~ men i and women ; and it is tim<* ro-.v to prppa/e ' for the future, which is already on its way to meet us. Tf you. are training for a race, or preparing for a musical or other c-taminaticn, you know how carefully \ou i hnve to practise for if beforehand. Hn Tvzlh this great thine, j.-itriotisin. Ifc c»o9s.n t com? to us all in a moment nt the , time of need, i>n!e»s we have trained cursives in th* thoughts ond qualities tha* ?o to make up true oatriorism. Ilistcrv shows us that every nation which has ghvn ; way to lazineso, selfishnos*. jrrcligion ovorJuxunousness cruelty, and unreliability '+w ?? r€ undor - We Trni^i each sco to it , tnat these poisonous weeds p-et r.o hold in ■ our part of this great heritage of Empire If we are to be of any real i;se to our beloved country when &he nerds us v.* must always be ready to undertake rcsrvmeibilifcy, to do our duty, to show sympathy to the weak and suffering and po'cr arK 1 when necessary, j- o crive u» our own in'tereshs so as to further whatever may te for the- greater good of the community or tne Mate, or the Empire -io n-ive it cheerily, h^irhly, on.--'i very lost for one's 00-mtrv. with no whining or sp-f-pitv or soU-rf^htecusr:^ over the sacrifice. \ true pafcnot has no in lnV. or ho;- | composition, but counts it a privilege to do so or to <!ore or to suffer if his country may fconeftt thereby. Honour and glory aiv» grand things to attain to; aid if with Gcd's help you <!o your duty conscientiously, rightly, day in, day out, when it is ■dull nrtd uninteresting ar<l disityreeable, i 3 just the time wlwn, if you <3o it cheerily, it is strengthening your characters n:ost for the future. You iray find Borne day that you have attained to these heights : thit you never cfeeamed were within your reach, for 'the path of duty is ever the way to glory.' "Lord Meath (the leader of the great Empire movament of to-day) is a patriot. The rallying cry of the movement is 'For God, Duty, anct Empire.' Its motto is. 'One king, one flag, -one fleef, one Empire ' ; its watchwords are 'Responsibility, duty, sympathy, self -sacrifice ' ; and as British, subjects it lays down these 15 rules for ue to -observe in orcfer, to uphold the honour and ppreatness of the Empire:— (l) Love .and fear. God. , (2) - Qonour .the King. (3) Obey the tl&wa. (4) to adduce .the ,hjg?hes^ interests , of. .the Empire,, in ( peace an 6 .war.. (5) . CHfiffish. patiriotiam^ A&-He- , g»W the; righto; of ..other nations, {% Learn. rciti^njrfup. , M Eollow .dtttf- (9) .Ckm^er , Arfi^a ? he4cwk, wihU. aO) .A^axe^Jmtmle^Uce. (11) Tfeittk broadly. (12) Pr»«ti)» discipline, m Subdw »lf.v (1« Work for

others. (15) Consider the poor and suffering.' These aro xules to train by, boys and girls. Got your parents and -teachers and friends to help yon to learn and to practice them; ask them to tell you all they can of patriotism and^ its meaning, and where to find stories arid poems about tbe patriots' and their heroic deeds in history and song ; read all you can about the subject, antl discuss it among yourselves for months if you like ; a-nd then, wihen you feel that you understand what it means, write your essay out of your own bead and send it in. Don't be afraid that you are not clevetr erfc-ugh; we can't all be clever or brilliant, but' we can all be, wiiih God's help, what is after all of far greater importance to out country — straight add reliable arid horjest atxl true. — and every one of you have some fresh idea, which will perlicps be of a distance to others in trying to cultivate that true patriotism which our country demands of us. And, whether at l&st ih& prize you win, Or- whstber y-cu lore ths day, Yc-u'll ba tba tetter fes- v?£iß.t you've done— The bsiter for pegging away. Life will be brighter in every part. And the world be a happl-er placs; And, t-icngb. you've an ache deep down* in your heart, Ycu ca>a still keep a smiling faoo.. Stick to it, l*d! Never look sad> Whaievar you have to do; Don't be afraid, sw&et little maid— i You can stick to it, too! Pc? av/jy lsss! Peg away, ted! > ' • A-<J than in youx ihearts you',ll f«v. "YN'ha.'tever , lias worth in this blecsecl old earth, 'Ti3 woa by psggin.g away!" That is the spirit you want to bring to this essay competition as well as to your work in your home, at school, and in your after life. For you can eexvo your country every day now if j f ou help to keep up her- character by just keeping your own character right; for the character and the oestiny of n nation can only be • built up of the characters of the individuals of w-AOiu it is conq>osad."