STATE SCHOOLS biBLE TEACHERS' ASSOCIATION.

Colonist, Volume III, Issue 12723, 15 December 1909, Page 4 (Supplement)

STATE SCHOOLS biBLE TEACHERS' ASSOCIATION.

ANNUAL DISTRIBUTION OF

PRIZES,

(From "The Colonist," Dec. 14

There was a large attendance last night at the School of Alusic to witness the annual distribution of prizes in connection with the above named Association. Air. Justice Denniston presided, and on the platform were, the Bishop of Nelson, Air. Evans, S.M., Air. Harkness, Chief Inspector of Nelson schools, the Revs. J. H. MacKenzie (secretary), J. Crump (treasurer), Stan'ey Jenkin, J. J. Lewis, AY. S. Lucas,*- Air. Jones, Captain Atkinson (Salvation Army), Mosdames .C. H. Brown, -Mules, AlacKenzic, Crump and .1. &. -Uvans.

" The hymn "Stand up for Jesus," was sung, after which the Bishop of Nelson offered prayer. ' The Chairman .(who was greeted -with rounds of applause.) said, he had been asked to .preside, and he had very heartily "consented to do so in order to show his sympathy with the objects of the Association (Applause). The success of the system inaugurated through the efforts of the Association was evident by the large gathering present that- evening.- The Association had succeeded in providing a medium course satisfactory to those .who were opposed to the Bible bein» Introduced as part of the school ' curricidum, and those who considered tho'Bible should actually be. part of 1 such curriculum. Thus a practical solution had been found by the medium course tlie Association had adopted. (Applause). That the system met With public approval was indicated by the united sympathy displayed .by the clergymen of all the denominations in Nelson, aiu. most important of all that unity had led to the children being taught Bible truths (Applause). The speaker said he did not expect to see such a large gathering of children present. Speaking to the children, he' said, they could not all get prizes, and they should remember that those who had done their best sometimes did hotter '-than those who got the prize. He hoped that they x would all show in their lives the benefit they had receivecl'from the Biblical instruction given them. The Bible was tlie greatest and only authority to teach them as to their conduct. He hoped they Would always do their duty, and show at school, in tlieir homes, m the playground, and in their behaviour towards their elders that they had learned practical lessons, and the good teach ing they had received had been of service to them. It was for them to show by their behaviour the value of that teaching. (Applause). They were about to have their holidays, and he wished them a pleasant timo. He was sure that there was no place whero they could enjoy a holiday better than in Nelson, which was a f harming place. (Applause). He remembered a good many years ago meeting with NcJsonians'onthe AVest Coast, and they always spoke fondly of Nelson, and told of how they enjoyed bathing in the Maitai river during tlieir holidays. (Applause). The Rev. J. H. AlacKenzic. (tho secretary) said before reading the annual report that he had received apologies from Air. A. T. Maginnity (chairman of the Nelson Education Board), the Revs. J. P. Kennpthorne, and B. L. Thomas, who all regretted that they c :u!d not attend that evening. Air. MacKenzie then read-the report as follows : — "After twelve years' experience of the system of Bible teaching in the State' schools, with which the name of Nelson has become honourably connected, the. Association lias plea-sure in reporting that the work js still ef--1 fectively carried out and may be re- ! garded as an established institution. "During the past year the different standards have been taken through a syl.abus of lessons selected from the lives of Abraham, Joseph. David, and Peter, and the examination just held gives evidence that the 1G ter.chers of our Association have done good and earnest work. This year the test questions were set by the Rev. Stanley Jenkm and the Bible teachers oi tho Boys.' School examined the papers from the Girls' School and the teachers of the girls' the returns from the Boys'. The results show decided improvemcait on former years. The oral examination of standards 1 and 2 was conducted in tho respective schools by Revs. J. P. Kempthornc, J.- J. Lewis, AA'. S. Lucas and B. L. Thomas. Through the generous support of friends we arc able to givo. a considerable number of books as rewards. These will be distributed b,\ Airs. Hunter-Brown iv the unfortunate absence of Airs Dr Alackay. The latter from the -inception of our scheme has been an enthusiastic teacher, and Airs. Hunter-Brown has also been always much interested in our work. The children of the infant classes have received to-day floral scripture cards to the number of 420. Aliss Paisley and | Aliss Hunter-Browm, members of the Bible, teachers' staff, have kindly collected subscriptions. "The Association again expresses its thanks to tho Education Board and local Schools Committee for the open door which admits of this work being carried on ; also to the State teachers for their sympathy and voluntary help. Our gratitude is due to those who are on, the platform to-night, especially to His Honour, Air. Justice Denniston, for-presiding. f, As our system is winning attention from the Dominion it is suitabo to make a quotation from a report given, for usci elsewhere, by Air. Gibbs, headteacher of our Boys' school: "In response to your request for an expression', of opinion upon what is known as the 'Nelson System' of Bible instruction in the public schools. I wish to state that in the form and manner in which it is being carried on in NcJson at the present time, it appears to me to be well worthy of ' support. 1 regard it as furnishing a reasonable compromise between tho claims advanced by tho Bible in Schools Party on' the one hand, and by the extreme secularists on the other. The system has for a long time-past been working smoothly in Nelson, and it has given rise to no practical ditticu'lticd whatever. The large majority of the children 1 attend- the classes as a matter of course, and tho school-teachers, who are generally present during the lesson, devote the time to the preparation of school work. There has never yet been any trouble in the matter of maintaining discipline.' AA r e can thus, with confidence, recommend our J'felsoii' arrangement to "other centres, as w.a&. done by His Honour Judge Cooper about 18 months ago, at Wanganui... "As regards the children and their happy holidays wo express the hope that oven if the dust should gather on thVarithmetic and the geography, the Bible, the text book of the Association, / "will -be -iiv -daily use that the children' may become wise unto salvation."

The Chairman said the real business of the "meeting was the distribution cf theiprizes. He.worild in "the unavoidable absence of- Airs'. Alackay, ask Mrs. C. Hunter-Brown to distribute the prizes. At this juncture, A£.ss Joyce iliempthorne cameto the platlorih.and presented Mrs. Hunter-Brown with a beautiful bouquet of flowers. (Applause). ..-- The':prizes wero then distributed, the recipients being accorded much apIplause, particularly by their schoolchums. Subjoined is the list:— ':'■;' ORAL EXAMJ-NATION/ .■^ BROOK STREET SCHOOL. " Standard I. Albert Eades 1; Leslie Sharland 2; Robin Smith 3; Oliver Brewerton 4; Olive Newport 5. . .. . -■ Standard 11. Elizabeth Blincoe 1 : Kenneth' Cook 2; Charles Kingsley .3 ; George Sadler 4. ■ ! ',/: HAMPDEN STREET SCHOOL. "' '} i/Standaird I. Violet Smith 1; David /AlcKee Wright 2; Howard Jeffreys 3,; Arthur Bruce 4. a / . " Standard 11. Stanley Savage 1 ; Elder Jeffreys 2 ; . Leslie Guinness 3 : Aloe Harkness 4. -„ HAVEN ROAD SCHOOL. -^SLaridard I. William Bastin 1 : Magfrie Moore 2 ; Florence AnceUS ; Elizabeth Vosper 4. ./'-.- ----.. r .-. Lan Phin 1 ; Margaret 'Ma<!Naß2r Thomas-Weir 3 ; Josephine Taylor arid Melinia Lukins, equal, 4. j

TASAIAN STREET SCHOOL. Standard I. Cyril Soringall 1; Harry Millar 2 ; Fred Gardner 3 ; Ruby Mills '1. , ~" Standard 11. AY ilia id Rankin .1 ; Ala rjorie Chcel 2 ; Eric- Snow 3 ; Helen Griffin 4.