FIRE PREVENTION

Southland Times, Issue 21729, 15 June 1932, Page 11

FIRE PREVENTION

ESSAY COMPETITION. FUNCTION AT GORE SCHOOL. A very pleasing and interesting function was held at the Gore School yesterday afternoon when Messrs Hugh Smith and S. Rice, representing _ the Southland Education Board briefly addressed the assembled pupils and made a presentation to Miss Beryl Douglas, winner of the recent essay competition promoted by the United Fire Brigades Association on the subject of “How to prevent the destruction of homes by fire.” Prior to the function fire drill was carried out under the supervision of Captain F. Wallis and the Board members were greatly impressed by the particularly prompt and orderly manner in which the class-rooms were vacated by the children. The headmaster of the school, Mr L. McKenzie, extended a very cordial welcome to the Board’s representatives and to Captain F. Wallis. He also apologized for the absence of the chairman of the school committee, Mr D. A. Dunn. Mr Hugh Smith, in presenting Miss Beryl Douglas, with several beautifully bound volumes of the works of Charles Dickens and Alexander Dumas, said that he was delighted to be present and to have the opportunity of congratulating the school and one of its pupils, Miss Douglas, upon its success in connection with the recent essay competition for which the prizes had been donated by the United Fire Brigades’ Association. The loss incurred annually in the Dominion through fire was an enormous one and the instruction now being given to school children, not only in the way of fire drill, but also in regard to the means of preventing fires, was of great importance. It was particularly pleasing to him that one of the schools in his own district should have gained the honour of winning the competition and on behalf of the United Fire Brigades’ Association and the Southland Education Board, he desired to extend to Miss Douglas and to the school, the heartiest congratulations. Mr S. Rice also stressed the importance of instruction in fire prevention and said he had been greatly impressed by the manner in which the fire drill had been carried out that afternoon. He was pleased that a scholar of the Gore School had been successful in winning the competition and he hoped her success would act as an incentive to the other pupils. Captain Wallis added his congratulations to the school and to Miss Douglas and remarked that it was apparent from the manner in which the fire drill had been carried out that instruction had not been in vain. At the close of the function the visitors were the guests of the teaching staff at afternoon tea.