RUGBY AND TEACHING

Taranaki Daily News, 9 August 1930, Page 1 (Supplement)

RUGBY AND TEACHING

' GEOGRAPHY AND FORM

(By

“Michael.”)

As teachers went, James was ft very fine one, beloved, by. parents and pupils alike. He was ft man of character, and well respected by the community wherein he had his home. ' Like* most teachers, however, he had his sliftre of ruling passion, and., his obsessions numbered two. He considered it his privilege to inculcate into the unruly young beggars of every class he taught the primary elements of “good form.” He was a stickler for manners, and woe betide the youth who was caught, seated after a lady had entered the room. As his boys well knew;, it was equally painful to pass James in the street without “lifting your cap.” .• ' /

The other obsession? Oh, yes. Geography. James loved . his geography. His success in that particular subject was mainly due to the resource with which he seized striking happenings of the day from all parts of the world and plied his pupils with vigorous and forceful geography exercises and lectures. He wo.uld use a particular occurrence ot interest to the boys in such and such a country, as a peg on which to hang the lecture. Results showed the success of his plan. He caught the imagination of his pupils and examples drove home’the chief geographical features,

Now James’ school was in an English county, solid, • famous. and with traditions that extended to the days of James I. Moreover it was one of the nurseries of Rugby football, and from it at frequent intervals came young stalwarts who donned the international jerseys of England, Ireland, .Scotland and Wales. Old internationals whose, piay and tactics were handed-down as tradition sent their sons to James’ school that they might receive sound education in the things- that matter—chief amona which ranked Rugby football itself. Hence it was only natural that James too should be a football enthusiast. Carrying all these attributes in mind it will not come as a shock to hear that, early this year, James had a real brainwave. Immediately upon reception he sat down and mapped out h : s geography plan for the whole year. Briefly, this: The British Rugby Union was sending a strongly representative team to- tour New Zealand and Australia. -He would follow with his classes - its progress round the world and attach to each port of call and each game a stirring geography lesson. It was unique. At the conclusion of the tour his boys would have New Zealand and Australia at their fingertips. Moreover, the British team contained several old boys, which fact immediately caught the fancy of his pupils. He . explained his plan to his classes aud it was received with enthusiasm.

He carefully mapped out tlie .route and itinerary [and. the day the boat arrived. at New Zealand, he began: “New Zealand is a British Dominion consisting of a aroup of islands lying in the South Pacific and situated eastward of Tasmania au’d Victoria. Wellington—where the team lands to-day, boys—is the capital and central seaport and is 1201 miles distant from Sydney . . . HoW many miles Jones?” and so on. Yes he was a good teacher was James. From Wellington his classes, piloted by James, followed the British team to Wanganui, New Plymouth, Palmerston North, Masterton and back to Wellington again, where the tourists met their first reverse. James punctuated the day when the .news arrived with a sketch, exceedingly dull, of the formation of the chain of mountains ‘Tunning from close to Wellington—where our boys were beaten yesterday —to the East Cape in an almost unbroken line.” When Canterbury repeated the defeat a few da vs later James was so annoyed that he actually, traced that self-same chain of .mountains across Cook Strait, down the South Island, and, after a pause for breath, across the Tasman to tlie Blue Mountains in New South Wales. The wins at Greymoutii and Dunedin called forth talcs of romance; tales of the hunts for gold along the beautiful forest fringed coast of Westland, of the mad rushes, of that gaunt spectre starvation, which was ever ready for the unwary prospector. Britain’s fine win in the first test called for a holiday but, as can be sqcn, James was a good teacher so dwelt for a few minutes on the products of Otago and then took his boys for a long football practice. Life was good. Following Southland come the game at Timaru ■ which provided James withmuch - food . . . for thought. • There New; Zealanders seemed to be a pretty low lot of fellows if the reports of the “biting” incidents were to be believed. He decided to skip Thnaru as it was not a place .to be impressed on the minds of his boys. AH'his good ground-work in football etiquette might go for nought it the boys remembered the biting habits of their countrymen in far away New Zealand! Why,-young Jones had already."shown a tendency to bite in the loose' practice scrums—if he could be sure . . . but Jones had always been a little inclined towards epilepsy! Anyway, Tnnaru received scant attention ’ which was hardly fair to Caroline Bay. James later regretted the fact for, in an oral test Jones, when asked where Oamarn was, said blithely, “a few miles south of Strang, whore the Timarus bit Prentice.” It took James some time to straighten the tangle. And so the tour went on until, after the third test at Auckland, came the sickcniim cables with news of the dinner episode.’ “Several toasts , . honoured ;•. 1 selector rose to reply., previously. .Baxter, manager .. and Mr. F. D. Prentice,.. congratulated New Zealand on its victory . . paid tribute . spirit . . game .had been played. . .wing-forward criticism . .reply by criticising . .aspects of British team’s play • • • obstruction . . shepherding . . I am speaking, Mr. Aarvold, not you . . —How the refrain rang in Janies’ head. He came to a decision. You see cither geography or good form had to go. James oompromised. * “Boys,” he said next day,” what would you do if you were asked to a card party and then, told you were cheating? Get away? AU right, turn from. Ne.w Zealand to Italy. As you knqw/ltajy is famous for its statesman . . ,ifs etti . , .»