SEVENTY YEARS

Southland Times, Issue 22490, 26 January 1935, Page 9

SEVENTY YEARS

SCHOOLS HOLD JUBILEE GUMMIES, GROPERS AND WILD BUSH MEMORABLE BANQUET The, jubilee celebrations of the Gummies Bush, Gropers Bush and Wild Bush schools opened auspiciously yesterday. The morning Was occupied. With registration, roll call and the taking of photographs. Then followed a most enjoyable and successful banquet at which many interesting reminiscences were given by early pupils. The first day’s proceedings concluded with a jubilee ball which was well attended and which gave pleasure to .both old and young. . ' . Gummies Bush was the locale of the combined celebrations, the,roll call taking place at the school arid the other functions in the hall. HeaVy showers of rain and a howling gale aid not dampen the spirits of the celebrants. It is to be hoped, however, that sunshine will be experienced to-day♦ wnen a picnic will be - held commencing at 10 a.m. A concert this.evening and a church service to-morrow will bring the celebrations to a conclusion. The organization for the celebrations is .excellent, credit for which is due to the president,. MrW. Ford, the vicepresident, Mr. J. Cormack, the secretary, Mr W. Anderson, Messrs B. Cormack and M-' Hopcroft, and the, treasurer, Mr J.'.Brpwnridge.’ ' ‘ - ' Ron cau.' ' " , There were close on 300 ex-pupils assembled ;ht the school when the roll was called yesterday -morning by Messrs A. McDonald and A.-Farrant, former teachers. f Those/who registered in the first decade were:'.;v.,<i ?. V - -

Gummies and Wild’ Bush (1871-1880) —John A.-Marshall, Sydney ■ Stevens, Charles S. - Stevens, Margaret Allison, Christina Murchison, Thomas Molloy, Catherine Watson, Annie Carmichael, Emily- Guise, William Molloy, Farquhar McKay, Sarah Hopcroft, Emily Willis, Henry Garden;" Louis. Garden, Sarah A. James, Jane James, John K. D. Allison, James R. Allison, Henrietta Hall, Arthur Allison, Jessie Saunders, John Saunders, Barbara Prentice, Mabel Stevens, Alfred Cpuchman, James Cannichael, Neil McNaughton, Emma James,• Helen McKay. Gropers Bush (1872-1881)— Margaret Johnston, Eliza ■ Cumming, James Borland, Donald McFarlane, Jane Younger, George .Brown, Lizzie McFarlane, Margaret i Officer, j, - Elizabeth ; Carmichael, James, Valli, Albert E. Willett, John Stenhouse, John McFarlane, Agnes Reidie, Agnes Johnston, William Calder, Margaret Clifford,. Francis. Ford, Eliza r beth. Stenhouse. Alec McKinnon, Jane. McFarlane, Isabella Carmichael, Betsy McKinnon, D, F. . Clark,. John Reidie, Williaih Ford, Jessie Reidie, Robert Cuppies, Laura Willett, Harry Ward, Isabella McFarlane, Mary Calder, Mary E. Johnston, Martha Clark, Alfred H, Calder, Harold Hodgkinson, Patrick Hanley. . ■ /While photographs were being taken of the various' decades those not required for, a particular group spent their time renewing schoolday friendships and indulging in reminiscences. There were many happy meetings and many amusing anecdotes. Not for a moment did the gathering allow the unwelcome weather to interfere with the proceedings. The Banquet In a hall most artistically decorated about 250 ex-pupils and ex-teachers sat down to dine. .The president of the Jubilee Committee, Mr W. Ford, 'presided and among the guests were the Hon. T. O’Byrne, M.L.C., Mr S. Rice, chairman of the Southland Education Board, and Mr W. Bell, a member of the board. The toastmaster was Mr J. Cormack. . When the tables were cleared after the repast, the. three-tiered birthday cake was played in by Pipers M. Watson and R. Elder. Mrs W. Armstrong, Mrs S. Watson, Mrs W, Brownridge and Mrs R. Miller then lit the candles surrounding the cake which was cut by Mrs A. Gilchrist? - / . ‘ A hearty welcome to all visitors and ex-pupils .was'extended by Mr Ford, who asked all to cast'their minds back to a period sixty or seventy years ago when the pioneer settlers laid the foundation of Southland’s prosperity. All New Zealanders, said Mr. Ford, should be proud of their inheritance and on an occasion such as the present if was fitting that tribute should be paid to the pioneers, not forgetting the women who at such'great sacrifice helped so nobly to found the race. After the Royal Toast had been honoured all present stood in silence while Mr D. McFarlane called the roll of honour' confirming the names of expupils who had paid the supreme sacrifice in the Great. War. , Mr McFarlane also proposed the toast of “Absent Ex-pupils arid Teachers.” He deplored the death of many ex-teachers - - and ex-pupils . and requested a minute’s . silence in their memory.. Proceeding, he spoke of the many others in various , parts of New Zealand 'who were .unable to attend the jubilee, .hiit whose thoughts would be with those ■ who were celebrating that day at Gummies Bush. ; “The Gld Schoolk” , , To the-chairman was entrusted the task of proposing the toast of “The Old Schools;- Mr Ford said that when the pioneers landed, in New Zealand they had to. buffd their homes and sow, reap and thresh their own com. Then the time had come when they had to pro-

vide for the education of their children who had reached school age. There were no State schools In those days and settlers had r to make the best arrangements they coffid for their children. Mr Ford: spoke! of the cottage schools hj had attended in the district before the introduction of free, ' secular and compulsory education. He contrasted the opportunities presented’ to every child to-day’ lot secondary as .well ;as primary education-with the conditions obtaining in his day. Discipline was very strict when h r attended school and he could recall ■ many\dark days. In fact the only happy 1 recollections he had of his school days were the breaks from Friday to Monday.: The “dominie” in his day was particularly severe on those at the bottom of the class and If the' strap and cane were missing other articles of punishment were employed. - Mr Ford contrasted the curriculum of his .day, with the prominence given to reading, writing and arithmetic, with the wider curriculum of to-day. He would venture the opinion that . the writing of pupils in his day Compared more than', favourably with that of the pupils of to-day. The first* speaker to reply to the toast was Mr a. l Borland, -who referred to the long, long thoughts of youth, when the future was envisaged, and Jo the long, long thoughts of age when the mind was cast back through the'years. Mr' Borland. • spoke • of. the headmasters of ■ his school days, one of • whom had almost introduced himself by knocking 'him down.' This master had, however, been perspicacious enough to prophesy that he (Mr Borland) would excel- at English composition. When 4 he' mentibned that he had 'won- many medals and at least £25 in cash through his love, of .English' composition it. would be realized that the master had judged well. ‘ .■’’ . Mr C.. Stevens, who attended Gummies Bush. school in the late ’sixties, -referred to the penchant for gymnastics

of Mr Henri, an early master of French nationality, and to characteristics of other masters. He contrasted the unformed roads and tracks of his day with the highways of to-day. Mr H. Garden, the last to reply to the toast, referred to the high place in life taken by many of the pupils of the Gummies, Gropers and Wild Bush schools. He gave some amusing anecdotes of his days at the Wild Bush school. On behalf of Mrs E. Stevens (nee Miss McNaughton), a former early teacher, Mr W. B. Hopcroft took the opportunity to convey a message of greeting to all. “Our Teachers.” Mr A. Officer, in proposing the toast of “Our Teachers,” spoke of the marked change in methods of teaching since the pioneer days. In Mr Ford’s day discipline had been enforced by punishment; but better methods obtained today. There was no doubt that teachers had a very important place to fill and that they were imbued with a desire to mould, their pupils into good citizens. 1 ; ■ "■' Mr George Griffiths, who first replied to the toast, paid tribute to the spirit of the pioneers. They showed what could be achieved by work and discipline. Teachers were also grateful to the pioneers for their generosity and hospitality. At such a jubilee occasion as the present, it was wise to employ two of nature’s gifts, forgetfulness and remembrance, by forgetting anything that was unpleasant, and remembering everything that was pleasant. It was in this spirit that he acknowledged the toast which had been so warmly honoured. - ' ' Mr J. Lopdell spoke of the responsibilities devolving on teachers and on the high qualifications expected of them. It was imperative that the children of New Zealand should'be given every chance to make good in life, and in this respect the teacher played an important part. He hoped and believed the teachers of New Zealand were worthy of their trust. Mr A. McDonald said that he could say with sincerity that the days he spent teaching at the Wild Bush School were the happiest of his life. That the people of Wild Bush were very attractive was evident from the fact that at least two male teachers had returned to take .wives from • the district. At one time Wild Bush was regarded as a poor locality, but conditions were very different to-day. The present generaation should be proud of its inheritance. “The Education Board.” Proposing the toast of “The Southland . Education ‘ Board,” Mr G. Carmichael said that education boards were, an indispensable part of the educational framework. The Southland Board had worked steadfastly in the cause of education in the large district it controlled. Mr S. Rice, in reply, said that the Board was very pleased with the manner in which the schools in Southland were assisted by the men and women of each particular district. It was this co-operation of parents which materially assisted the work of teachers. “l am sure,” continued Mr Rice, “that the pupils of the schools which are today celebrating their jubilee, have had a happy time renewing friendship and recalling old school days. We know there have been moments of sadness when some dear comrade who has answered a great Roll Call has been missed; but tears of sadness will disappear before smiles of joy as others give hearty greeting and bring back memories of happy childhood Fifty or sixty years is a big slice out of a man’s life, but it is only a breathing space as time is measured. To-day ex-pupils will look back through the years and think of their old school and the influence it has had on their lives. It is ■no't the building, it is not the teachers, but it is the general environment, the associations formed, the atmosphere of the school which has been absorbed until it has become part of themselves. The . moral influence of a good school is far-reaching; it lives and impresses .itself upon the character of its pupils, decade after decade, and like the ripples made by a stone cast into a placid lake, it spreads in ever-widening circles.” ~ .. ' Other Toasts. “Ex-pupils and Ex-teachers Before 1900” was the toast proposed by Mr D. Hopcroft. Mr D. Clark, Mr J. Allison and Mr F. McKay responded to the toast, and told entertaining stories of school days and early masters. Mr A. T. Heydon was entrusted with the toast of “Ex-pupils and Ex-teachers After 1900,” to which Miss M. Porter, Mr A. Farrant and Mr C. Pankhurst replied. The proposer mentioned that his enrolment at Groper’s Bush was due to his having gone on strike, along with three other boys, at the Thombury School owing to the teacher there. Mr Heydon paid tribute to Mr P. Fletcher, the “Grand Old Man of Wallace.”

In proposing the toast of “Parliament,” Mr W, B. Hopcroft deprecated party government, but spoke of the honest endeavour of members of the Ifow Zealand Parliament to restore prosperity. The Hori. Thomas O’Byme did not talk politics in reply, except to say that if people wanted a better Parliament for the next term they would have to think much harder before they went to the ballot box than they had in the past. ■ ’ In replying to the toast of “The Press,” Mr G. Bemdston paid tribute to Mr J. Borland and Mr A. McDonald, for the articles they had supplied to the Southland newspapers. The final toast was that of “The President,” which was proposed by Mr C. Molloy and responded to Mr Mr W. Ford, the proposer referring to the big part Mr Ford had played in the success of the celebrations.

Mr Ford said that in all his experience he had never been associated with committees who worked together so hannoni.oUsly. It was the ladies on the committee who deserved most credit. The function concluded with cheers for Mrs Campbell for the excellence of her catering, and with the singing of “Auld Lang Syne.” During the afternoon Mrs J. Pankhurst gave a vocal solo and Mr J. Lopdell a recitation.