NORTH SCHOOL’S JUBILEE

Southland Times, Issue 23599, 29 August 1938, Page 9

NORTH SCHOOL’S JUBILEE

BIG GATHERING OF OLD PUPILS SIXTIETH ANNIVERSARY CELEBRATED Celebrating the sixtieth anniversary of their old school the former pupils of the North Invercargill school assembled in big numbers outside the school building on Saturday afternoon, when addresses of welcome were delivered, the roll was called and photographs were taken. Those present were segregated into decades at the head of each. of which was a standard bearer carrying a standard on which was inscribed the years of that decade. After Miss M. Hardie, the oldest living teacher, had cut the ribbon across the main gates the assembly entered the grounds and drew up in front of the main doors, from which the addresses were delivered. Mr J. Pickard, chairman of the school committee, extended a welcome to those present arid expressed his gratification at seeing such a big assembly. The Mayor (Mr John Miller), in declaring the celebrations open, spoke of the important part played by the North Invercargill school in the development of the district, and said that the school was now one of the best district schools in the Dominion. He paid a tribute to those head masters and teachers, male and female, who had directed the education of the children in the district. A great event in the history of the school, Mr Miller said, had been the amalgamation of North Invercargill with the city. He concluded by wishing the jubilee every success, and expressed the hope that those who had come from a distance would have a pleasant sojourn. Mr S. Rice (chairman of the Southland Education Board) extended the congratulations of the board on the attainment of the jubilee, and also congratulated those who bad helped to make North Invercargill one of the finest schools in the Dominion. These were, the only speeches and after the roll had been called and the photographs had been taken the gathering dispersed until the evening function. BIG GATHERING AT BANQUET The banquet held in Smith’s Country Club was attended by about 500 guests, Mr J. Pickard presiding. The jubilee cake occupied a prominent position on the dais, and was cut by Mrs Clark, the oldest pupil present, and divided among the assembly at the end of the banquet. The toast of “The School” was proposed by Mr W. Excell, a member of the Southland Education Board, who said that no school could be a success without the co-operation of the various educational interests —the education board, the committee, the parents and the teachers. Mr Excell concluded by narrating several reminiscences and stories of early school days. The toast was replied to by Mr J.-A. Cushen (head master of the school) who spoke of the modem trend of school life, which he compared advantageously with the old-time methods. Education, he said, was not a static thing, and in a few years the present day methods would seem out of date. Two present pupils, Joyce Mortimer and Owen Brass, also replied to the toast. , . _ The toast of “The Education Department and the Southland Education Board” was proposed by Mr W. A. Sproat, a former head master. He said that the Education Department was one of the most important departments of the State. Since the Education Act had come into force in 1878 the country had been extremely fortunate in its Ministers of Education. The present Minister, the Hon. P. Fraser, was one who took a deep interest in education, and it was his great desire that the. education system should be steadily improved. The speaker discussed modem developments in education, remarking that there was a great deal more happiness in school life today than there was 50 years ago. Many people said the education vote was too heavy—it was at present £4,ooo,ooo—but he did not think that this sum was too great to expend on education today. The money was weH spent in the variety of channels in which it was used at present. Mr Sproat praised the work of the Southland Education Board and described the activities of the board in its early days. He also referred to the great building progress which had taken place in the North school. It was gratifying to know, he said, that Southland was in the van of educational progress.

NATIONAL EDUCATION My W. M. C. Denham, M.P., in reply, congratulated the school on reaching its sixtieth year. It was 100 years, he said, since the major nations of Europe decided to organize a system of national education. It was education _ that determined the standard of citizenship. The narrow conception of education was a thing of the past. There was a different outlook today, and a knowledge of the psychology of the child was regarded as important, along with the bodily health of the child. Mr W. Grieve (Education Board) also replied to the toast, and suggested that they should renew their associations more frequently. Annual functions of this kind would do a great deal to refresh their memories. The Education Board, he said, was the connecting link between the department and the schools. There were 200 schools, and the tug on the chain was as a result a very strong one, with the department often exercising a restraining influence. The institution of intermediate schools, he thought, was all to the good, and it certainly added to the responsibilities of the board. Mr Grieve also referred to the increasing scope of rural education, and went on to say that the school committees did a great deal of valuable work, and their services were keenly appreciated by the board. He reminded them that the board was there only to spend the money provided by the deI partment, and it distributed that as equally as possible. Other toasts honoured were: Old Pupils” (proposed by Mr A. W. Rowe and replied to by Messrs J. Fraser, T. Gilbertson and A. Pedlar); “Teachers Past and Present” (the Rev. H. A. Mitchell—MiSs C. Garmson); “Committees Past and Present” (Miss J. Watson—Mr A. W. Anderson); “Absent Friends” (Mr R. A. Cox). Items were contributed by Mesdames C. Jones and N. R. Henderson and Mr L. R. Robertson. Miss M. Blue played the accompaniments CHURCH PARADE The celebrations were continued yesterday when a church parade was held, those taking part marching in formation, headed by the Battalion Boys’ Band, from the comer of Tay and Jed streets to the Civic Theatre. The service was conducted by the Rev. H. A. Mitchell, of Roslyn, Dunedin, a former pupil of the school. Hymns were sung and Messrs W. A. Sproat and V. J. Harris read passages from the Scriptures. Two Standard 6 girls laid a wreath on the school memorial, and this ceremony was followed by the observanace of a short period of silence,