A NOTABLE CAREER.

Pahiatua Herald, Volume XLIII, Issue 13169, 30 January 1936, Page 2

A NOTABLE CAREER.

EX-PAHIATUA VICAR.

APPOINTMENT TO AUCKLAND. .Local residents will read with interest of the appointment of Rev. G. V. Gerrrd, vicar of St. Augustine’s parish, Pctone, and formerly of St. Peter’s Pahiatua, to the charge of St. Matthew’s parish, Auckland city. Since the death of Canon C. H. Grant Cowen in 1934, the parish of St. Matthew’s has beeA. in the charge of an acting vicar. Mr Gerard intends to leave Petone at the* end of April and will assume the vicarship of St. Matthew’s in May.

A distinguished record in letters, military service and sport marks the Rev. G. V. Gerard, who is 37 years of age. He, is the eldest son of Mr and Mrs George Gerard, of “Snowdon,” Canterbury. He attended the Waihi School, Winchester, and from 1913 to 1916 attended Christ’s College, Christchurch, where he was captain of the rowing IV. in 1915 and 19113, and in the same years was in the first filteen, playing in the collegiate tournaments at Wanganui and Wellington. He was also athletic champion in 1916. In the Great War Mr Gerard was a second-lieutenant in “The Ruffs,” Hast Kent Regiment and in 1918 was awarded the Military Cross. During his war service he played Rugby for the Eighteenth Division team, and was also in the Eightteenth Division harrier team. Attending Drasenose College, Oxford, Mr Gerard took honours in juris jifrudence. He played Rugby in tlie Hraseno.se first fifteen, the university fifteen, and played in the senior trials in 1920. He was also picked for the Brasenose rowing eight, but had to give up on account of an injury in a motor accident. In 1921 lie graduated 13*.A., and in 1925 took his M. A. degree. For theological training he attended College House (Christ’s College, Upper Department). He was ordained by Arclfbisliop Julius, of Christchurch, as deacon in 1922, and priest in 1923, when he accepted a curacy at St. Mary’s, Timaru, until 1926. Going to England he was assistant curate under Canon (now Bishop) E. S. Woods, Parish Church, Croydon : the Rev. C. T. T. Wood, St. Saviours Church, Croydon; and Archdeacon L. S. Hunter, St. Margaret’s, Barking, London. During his stay in England he played football for Blackheath Football Club in its first fifteen. His work in England brought him into contact with the life of the slums at Barking Creek, East London. On his return to New Zealand he was for two years and a half vicar of St. Peter’s, Pahiatua, where, besides being a popular clergyman, he took an active part in local sport as a member of tlie Athletic Football Club, and earned representative honours in the Bush district team. He was also selected to play in the All Black trials for the South African tour. In 1922, when a member of the Christchurch Football Club, he played with the Canterbury representatives in a game against Wellington. He was a member of the Timaru Old Boys’ Football Club, and was selected for the South Canterbury representatives and for the South Island in 1925 The Boy Scout movement has also claimed his attention. He first, entered the movement as scoutmaster, Highfield, Timaru, in 1924, and held warrants as scoutmaster in the Ninth Barking Troop, London, and at Pahiatua. He was in the Headquarters Training Camp, Gilwell Park, Essex, in 1928, and attended the World Jamboree, Arrowhead Park, Birkenhead, in 1929, Air Gerard took over his present charge in April. 1932. His wife was formerly Miss Elizabeth Buckley, of Christchurch, and he has a family of two.