MEMORIAL TABLET.

Sun (Christchurch), Volume VII, Issue 1913, 1 April 1920, Page 8

MEMORIAL TABLET.

TO LATE MR T. S. FOSTER. UNVEILING CEREMONY. : A brass memorial tablet was yesterday afternoon unveiled at the Canterbury College Hall to the late Mr Thomas Scholfield Foster, who for many years played a very distinguished part in Canterbury educational matters. The late Mr Foster died in 1918. There was a large attendance of members of the Professorial Board, the Board of Governors, fellows and staff of Christ's College, members and officers of the Canterbury Education Board, the vestry of St. .Michael's Church, and the family of the late Mr Foster. Professor J. P. Oabbatt occupied the chair, and with him on the platform were Messrs H. D. Acland (chairman of the Board of ■Governors of Canterbury College), J. C. Adams, and Pr ('. Chilton. The chairman stated that he had been asked to take the chair by virtue of his position as chairman of the Professorial Board of Canterbury College, but there were many present who could claim tho privilege of longer and more intimate acquaintance with Mr Foster than he. The late Mr Foster, he said, was one of the most distinguished of the early graduates of Canterbury College; he was a member of the Board of Governors of the College for two periods; and at the time of his death was a muchbeloved member of tho Professorial Board, which had approached the Board of Governors to obtain permission to erect a tablet in his memory. Permission was, of course, readily given, and as a result the memorial was to bo unveiled that day. The occasion was necessarily a solemn one, but it need not be a sad one, especially in the case of Mr Foster, who was convinced that this life was but a prelude to an infinitely greater existence beyond. Mr Adams said that he first met tho late Mr Foster many years ago, when he, with others, was appointed to inaugurate the New Zealand Educational Institute. The acquaintance ripened into comparative friendship and, later, he might claim that he and Mr Foster became intimate friends. For this reason he wished to pay his tribute to a man whom he admired and revered so much'. He was first associated with Mr Poster as a fellow teacher, and then on the Board of Governors of Canterbury College, and also in connection with the institution of church schools in the diocese. He wished to say—and he thought that his remarks would be echoed by all who had come into contact with Mr Foster —that, whatever the deceased gentleman set out to do, he did with earnest and thoroughness, setting an example to those associated with him. He was liked and loved by his pupils and those who afterwards met him as pupit teachers. He seemed to inspire any of the young people with whom he had to deal with the high ideals held by himself. The inspiration he had received at Canterbury College was a moving spirit in giving him that thoroughness which he showed later in life, and no one who had com? into contact with him could fail to be inspired by the attitude taken up by him. Dr Chilton stated that he esteemed it a great privilege to be able to take part in the proceedings. The gathering, for him, was not altogether free from difficulty and sadness. The late Mr Foster had been one of his most intimate friends for many years. They had j first met when he, Dr Chilton, was a pupil at the West Christchurch School. Later they were associated as fellowstudents at Canterbury College, shortly after the arrival of the three first professors, and before the erection of tho present college buildings. Mr Foster had had considerable difficulty in taking his course at the college, as he was teaching the whole of the time. lie attended lectures in the early morning and late at night, however, and succeeded in gaining his 8.A., and later bjs M.A.. with first-class honours in classics. Mr Foster was present at the first graduation" eerejsflhy at the present Canterbury College Hall, when he received aja M.A. degree. He was one of the founders of the Dialectic Society, and in 1884, when the General Convocation of Graduates of the University of New Zealand was called, he became its first chairman, by common consent; and remained in that position for three years. He became chairman of the Graduates' Association of Canterbury College, formed for a similar purpose to the Court of Convocation, and was chairman for the whole of its existence. Nominally, he was its chairman at the time of his death, as the association was uever disbanded. Finally, he became a lecturer in education. His greatest work, in the speaker's opinion, was that in connection with the West Christchurch School, of which he held tho headmastership for a period of 30 years. This was in the days of his vigorous youth, and great work was done, both from scholastic and other aspects, in furthering the school, which was a large one in those days, with nn attendance of 1500 pupils, and a staff of 2:5 pupil-teachers. Many of the latter, he stated, had', on the advice of Mr Foster, attended Canterbury College, and had reason to look back with gratification to having taken that advice. Mr Foster had a veneer of cheery goodhumour, and at all times saw the bright side of a difficult situation. Behind it all, however, he was a man of extreme earnestness and great conscientiousness. The best memorial he could have was the. one he had built for himself in the hearts of the pupils and teachers who had been associated with him. It was only right, however, that some, visible record should be placed in the College Hall of Memories, so that future generations should know his worth. The chairman then asked Mr Acland to unveil the memorial, which carried the following inscription: — In memory of Thomas Scholfield Foster. Bom 1850. Died 1918. Graduated At.A. from this College ISS2, with first-class honours in Greek and Latin. Headmaster of the West Christchurch School, 1882-190-1. Member of the Board of Governors 189:5-1894 and 1899-1912. Inspector of Schools for the district of North Canterbury, 390-1-1012. Lecturer in Education in this College, and Principal of the Training College, 1912-1914. "His life was devoted with untiring zeal and perfect singleness of aim to the cause of education.'' This tablet was erected by his colleagues in token [ of nffei donate regard. j In unveiling the tablet, Mr Acland 'stated that Mr foster was essentially a product of the educational system ' as | established in Christchurch. He was ' not only connected with Canterbury i College, bid was a!so a verv distinguished pupil of Christ - s College, and I was for some years a fellow of that ! institution.