SCHOOL YEAR ENDS.

Taranaki Daily News, 17 December 1924, Page 5

SCHOOL YEAR ENDS.

THE TECHNICAL COLLEGE. I'RIZE-GIVING CEREMONY. YEAR’S WORK REVIEWED. Leaving behind them a year with a £roud record of good work accomplished and knowledge acquired, the students of the New Plymouth Technical College last night entered on their summer vacation, celebrating the occasion with another successful breakingup ceremony. A departure was made thia year in holding the ceremony at night in the Workers’ Social Hall, and the large attendance of parents and friends showed that the college occupies a prominent place in the interest >f the public. Mr. P. J. H. (chairman of the Board of Managers) presided, and on the platform with him Were Mrs. White, the Mayor (Mr. F. E Wilson, and the Mayoress. Colonel - Commandant C. G. Powles (officer eomiCianding the Central Command), Mr. F. *volenian, Mr. A. L. Moore (director of the college) and the members of the college staff. Pretty bouquets of sweet peas were presented to the Mayoress and Mrs. White. THE PRINCIPAL’S REPORT. -n his annual report the principal {Mr. A. L. Moore) stated: The day

school opened on February 5 with the .satisfactory enrolment of 188, including 74 new pupils. These were distributed among the various courses as follows: 'Commercial 73, engineering 44, general 25, domestic 10, agriculture and industrial 16, science 20; total 188. This number has been maintained throughout the year. Third and fourth year pupils have left to fill positions, and these have been balanced by new entrants during the year. An improved condition, which I hope is due to the increased vision of parents, is that very few first year pupils have been withdrawn. In two cases first year pupils were offered and accepted positions in industries when the employers could have obtained third or fourth year pupils. External examinations. —The results obtained by the pupils have been satisfactory; 2 P.P. matriculation, 3 public service entrance, 33 senior free places. City and Guilds of London Institute: 7 passes for division 1. mechanical engineering; 4 passes grade 1. motor-car engineering; 2 passes carpentry and joinery, grade 1; 2 passes electrical engineering. grade 1; 1 pas> electrical engineering, alternate current, grade 2. leachers’ certificates: 1 partial pass D icrtificate; 1 first group D certificate: •. pass in two groups D certificate. Pubic service shorthand typiste examinaaon (senior exam.): Shorthand 110 vends per minute and typing 40 words ■pei minute). —Two passes. Junior examination: Shorthand 80 words per minute and typing 30 words per minute Four passes. One. student obtained his third marine engineering certificate. I am pleased to report that the staff changes, have been few. Mr. McKeon was appointed commercial master during the second term in place of Mr. Bellvinger, who was relieving. He has entered upon his duties with energy, and infused a good spirit into his class work and outdoor sports. If I have not mentioned names of the staff specifically in connection with all school work and outdoor sports, it is because all the members of the staff have realised their responsibilities and have cheerfully and ungrudgingly given their best for the good of the pupils. For this and their loyalty I thank them very sincerely. The Old Pupils’ Association is a strong txxiy now and is beginning to make its influence felt in the school. The presentation of swimming trophies was a very happy thought, and will encourage this branch of sport, which is most necessary. The Old Girls’ Hockey Club were again the runners-up for the Catran Cup and winners of the northern division of the Taranaki ladies’ hockey competition. They were runners-up in Xhe championship final.

HOW SCHOOL IS JUDGED. Again I must mention the practice of employers who take pupils on their own recommendation, and lose no time in broadcasting a wholesale condemnation of the school if they turn out failures. If they would take the trouble to ring their telephones I could have to Id them that before. More often than not these self-recommended applicants who use the name of the school have not been attending the school a year, and posaibly have left because they were too lazy, or otherwise unable to make any progress. I should like all parents to clearly understand that we •do not cater specially for examinations —they are incidental. Our courses cover the work for them, and given the Tight conditions. attention to instruction, steady work throughout the year, with physical health and the nervous system in good tone at the time of examination, pupils should be able to pass. It is not on scholastic or sports achievements that a school should be judged. Are the pupils, when they leave the school, adding to the economic production more efficiently than if they had not attended school, and are they carrying out their civic duties with a sense of responsibility? A good healthy tone will help towards this, and if we have achieved this we have carried out our function. I have to thank all those kind friends of the school who have so liberally donated prizes and trophies. The report also detailed at length various sports and other activities of the school, all of which were fully reported in the press at the time. Appreciative reference to the large attendance wa« voiced by Mr. White, who later said that all who had listened to the report of the director would realise the good work that was being lone at the college and the progressive note that obtained. After referring to the proposed amalgamation of the college and the high schools. Mr. hite congratulated the boys and girls on their work of the past year, making special reference to the boys who had won the Jellicoe bowl for shooting. He trusted that their prowess a= marksmen would not be called on in active operations, but. if it was. he was sure the boys would acquit themselves as pell as their brothers had in the past. A HEALTHY MIND. rhe Mayor expressed, his regret that fce had been unable to attend the presentation ceremony of the Jellicoe bowl it the school that afternoon. As a citizen he felt proud of the renown the boys had brought on the town in being

bo high up in the competition last year and in winning it this year. The qualities which had contributed to their success were the qualities they wanted to carry with them through their school years and their later life. In a few years they would complete their college careers, and he wanted to impress on them that the enthusiasm Mr. Moore had credited them with having was essential in their life to come. If they; were not prepared to carry that enthusiasm through life they might a=? well get out of the college now. Mr. Wilson urged that it was essential to have a clean mind before one could have a clean and healthy body. The mind was the most valuable possession they had, and therefore they should keep it clean and healthy and make it work. It was on the boys and girls of to-day that the burden of the years to come would rest, and for that task they should endeavour to fit themselves. Mr. Wilson closed his remarks by wishing the students a merry Christmas and a happy New Year. If they commenced 1925 with the determination to work hard and to do always the right thing, then, he said, it would be a happy New Year indeed. THE PRIZI-Z LIST. The college prizes were then presented by the Mayoress as follows: —• Cl.—Nora Armstrong, first English, civics, typing, book-keeping, arithmetic, hygiene, shorthand, needlework; Albert Lander, first history, second typing, shorthand, arithmetic, hygiene; Herbert Cavaney, special progress; Florence McKenzie, special progress. C2.—Winnie James, first English, geography, civics, needlework, hygiene, second book-keeping; Gwen Gibson, first book-keeping, arithmetic, shorthand. C3.—Phyllis Walton, first English, commercial, correspondence, second typing, shorthand: Vera Mountford, first shorthand, typing. C4.—Erena Holden, first book-keeping, shorthand, needlework, typing. Gl.—Laurence Darby.' first English, French, mathematics, drawing, arithmetic, second music; Hazel Phillips, first history, civics, music, drawing, hygiene, needlework, second English, mathematics.

G2.—Kathleen Ogier, second science, second equal English; Claudia Larking, first science, second equal English. G3.—Frank Bagley, agriculture and dairy* science; Arthur Stevens, first French, mathematics, geography; Dorothea Hodges, first history and civics, needlework; Varley Hellyar, first English. second French; Phyllis Haylock, special progress. DI. —Nina Inch, first hygiene, cookery. laundry, second millinery, dressmaking. D2.—Freda McDonald, ■first dressmaking, cookery, science, second millinery. D3.—lrene Wilkins, first needlework. Ag. 1 and 1.1. —Henry Kendrick, first drawing. English, book-keeping, arithmetic. building, woodwork construction, metal work, magnetism and electricity, second civics; Roy Sole, second metal work building construction, arithmetic, book-keeping.

El.—Edward Meredith, first arithmetic, engineering subjects, home work (special prize); Leslie Thompson, second engineering subjects; Leonard Valentine, general progress. E2.—Cecil Smith. first French, mathematics, engineering subjects, home work (special prize); Trayton Darby, second engineering subjects; Archie Carmichael, general progress. Eng. (prelim.).—Willie Dickson, first electrical engineering. steam. applied mechanics, second workshop practice, mechanical drawing: Leonard Skelton, fiist mechanical drawing, workshop practice, second electrical engineering, steam. applied mechanics. E 4 Knapman. first engineering subjects. SPORTS PRIZES AND TROPHIES. Swimming.—Senior championship. M. Insull: runner-up, M. Hunt. Highest handicap points. L. Hammond; runnerup. M. Hunt. Athletic Sports. —Senior championship. Vera Mountford; runner-up, 1-etty McKenzie. Junior championship, Elwyn Riley; runner-up. Marie Fairley. Highest handicap points. M. Insull; runnerup. E. Way. Old girls’ race. Olive Corner. Walking race, Patricia Milne.

ANNUAL SPORTS. (Boys’ Sports Medals, Trophies, etc.) Cup and medal for senior championship.— F. Bagley and J. Wilkins tie. Cup and medal for junior championship.—E. Harris. Medal for runner-up.—lT. Cavaney and E. Spencer tie. Medal for highest handicap pointy over 16.—8. Morgan. Medal for runner-up.—R. Coles. Medal for highest handicap points under 16 (presented bv Mr. Dalgleish).— H. Boswell. Medal for runner-up.—H. Kendrick. Medal for steeplechase, senior.—R.

Jury. Medal for steeplechase, junior.—C. Boswell. Medal for fastest time. —B. Morgan. Trophy for invitation race.—C. Gilmour (High School). Trophy for old boys’ race.—Mr. H. Julian. SWIMMING SPORTS. Cup and medal for junior championship.—A. White. Medal for runner-up (presented by Mr. Ferry i. —V. Hjorring. Medal for highest handicap points.— V. Hellyar - and R: -Coles tie. SHOOTING. Cup and medal for highest points in annual ladies’ classification practice.— F. Jensen. Mr. Lobb's medal for highest aggregate in Imperial shooting practices.—T. Robertson. CERTIFICATES. Full five years’ course.—General: Varley Hellyar.

Full four years’ course—General: Robert Dovett, Isabella Harvey, Dorothea Hodges, Ivan Pepperell, Frank Bagley. Commercial: Annie Bullock. Full three years’ course.—General: Vernon Devereux?. Cedric Drake, Phyllis Haylock, Arthur Stevens. Commercial: Erena Holden, Boris Morgan, Vera Mountford, Lettie McKenzie. Domestic: Muriel Body. Irene Wilkins. Engineering: Richard Coles, William Dickson, Thomas Knapman, Leonard Skelton, Wallace Wickham. Agriculture and Industrial: Joseph Glentwortli. Full two years’ course.—General: Bertha Adams,* Claudia Larking, Kathleen Ogier, Evesta Oliver, Hector McLean. Ellerie Gibson, Eric Neilson. Commercial: Christine Barnden, Catherine Clarke, Norma Eva, Marie Fairley, Gwen Gibson. Jean Harvey, Marjorie Insull, Winifred James. Kathleen Main, Marguerite Randall, Gweneth Walton, Elwyn Riley. Jean Rattenbury. Domestic: Freda MacDonald. Elsie Chapman,

Madge Hurlestone. Engineering: Vinson Aroa, Archie Carmichael, Victor Croker, Trayton Darby, Noel Gilmor, Robert Knott, Ewen Macßae, Fred Meads, Cecil Smith, William Thomson, Stanley Watson, John Wilkins. Agriculture and Industrial: Stanley Sampson. THE TEAM SPIRIT. The great value the Defence Department placed on the Imperial Challenge Shield competitions and the Jellicoe bowl, which went to the highest scoring team in the competition in New Zealand, was stressed by Colonel Powles before presenting the sports trophies won during the. year. Colonel Powles emphasised the fact that to win Lord ■Tellicoe’s trophy team work was necessary. The bowl did not go to the highest individual scorer, but to the highest scoring team, and that being so it was patent that the team spirit must be developed and must be present before the bowl could be won by the school.

Colonel Powles then presented the Mayor that the prowess of New Plymouth boys in annexing the trophy on three occasions had brought renown to the town. It was a very great honour indeed that in the four years in which the trophy had been available for competition the New Plymouth Boys’ High School should have won it twice and now their fellows of the Technical College had been successful in retaining it in the town. Their record would build up traditions in the school, and public traditions created an atmosphere that brought out the best that a boy could give.

Colonel Powles then presented the trophies, following which the pupils contributed a concert programme of exceptional merit. The programme was opened with the trial scene from ‘The Merchant of Venice,” in which the cast was: Duke of Venice, Winnie James; Antonio, Norma Eva; Gratiano, Gwen Walton; Bassanio, Marie Fairley; Nerissa, Kath Main; Salanio, Marguerite Randall: Tubat, Marjorie Insull; Portia, Ellerie Gibson; Shylock, Elwyn Riley; Clerk, Catherine Clarke.

The musical part of the programme was: Chorus. “Now is the Month of Maving”; recitation, “The Platform,” E.sme McKinney; solo. “Laugh and Sing,” Ella Thompson; chorus, “I Know a Bank”; violin solo, Russian Mazurka, Marjorie Ladner: dance. “Spider Dance,” Elwyn Riley; chorus, “Hearts of Oak,” and “Minstrel Boys.”