CELEBRATIONS BEGIN

Taranaki Daily News, 4 March 1935, Page 11

CELEBRATIONS BEGIN

PROCESSION AND SERVICE WREATH ON MISS SHAW’S GRAVE. ADDRESS BY ARCHDEACON EVANS. Pleasures enriched by' time and punishments with stings softened by age were subjects of many eagerly told reminiscences when old pupils of the West End school assembled outside the chief post office yesterday afternoon. When marshalled behind decade banners by Mr. J. H. H. Holm and his assistants they numbered 250, including more than 20 representatives of the 1884-95 period. Others of the old ex-pupils were conveyed in cars when the long procession, headed by the Salvation Army Band and brought up by the pupils of the three senior standards, marched to the school along Devon Street and Belt Road. In the meantime a large number of people had arrived at the grounds, so that when the interdenominational service began on the girls’ flat there was an attendance of probably 1000. The weather was favourable to a simple but inspiring ceremony in which a combined choir of 200 adult and children’s voices participated, accompanied by an orchestra of 12 instruments led by Miss Evelyn Dowling. Mr. A. K. Aked was conductor and Miss Grice pianist. After the service a visit was paid to Te Henui cemetery where a wreath was laid by Miss Mynott on the grave of Miss Lydia Shaw. Miss Mynott was accompanied by the Hon. S. G. Smith, Minister of Education, Mr. C. O. Berg, chairman of the school committee, Mr. W. H. Jones, deputy chairman, Miss, Taylor and three pupils of Miss Shaw, Mesdames Brokenshire, Pitt and Hunter. Mr. Smith expressed appreciation of Miss Shaw’s work, work that had left its influence on the community, he said. DEATH OF OLD PUPIL. During the service at the school, the Mayor, Mr. E. R. C. Gilmour, who presided, referred to the death that morning of Mrs. F. Jull, an old pupil and a member of the jubilee committee. The gathering stood in silence to express sympathy with the relatives. Present on the platform during the service were the Hon. S. G. Smith and Mrs. Smith, Mr. Hector Dempsey, headmaster of Central when West End was subsidiary to that school, Mr. Berg, Mrs. F. G. Evans and the ministers who took part in the proceedings. The headmaster, Mr. W. A. Brown, who met with an accident recently, was sufficiently recovered to attend in a motor-car. The address was given by Archdeacon Evans, who congratulated the school and those associated with it on the attainment of the jubilee. Taking as his text, “For we are labourers with God” (1 Cor. 3,9), the archdeacon said there was something very wonderful in the life of a large school. So many young lives passed through it. What hopes and fears, what dreams and resolutions, there must have been! School life was the preparation of young people for the difficult battle of life, and the early years had a profound effect upon the later years. All education must be given with an eye on the future and it is essential that a good foundation should be laid. The formation of a fine character was of the utmost importance as the basis of that foundation.

To his mind teaching was a most difficult matter, because the teacher had to deal with so many different minds and natures. Teaching must begin at home! Then comes the opportunity of the good teacher to present lessons in the most attractive manner to those splendidly receptive minds. It was exactly the same wife the teacher of religion. In these days a great power had grown up in the experience of prominent men and women. It was the power of suggestion. It was indeed a wonderful power for good, as well as a baleful power for evil. Many people have been drawn to the religious life by the loving suggestions and pious lives of believers and many have been driven away by evil suggestions and bad examples. In the came way thousands of young people through the happy suggestions of their excellent instructors had learned the real joy of learning and caught the enthusiasm that came from the acquisition of knowledge. They had left schools and colleges crowned with honour. Every teacher and every preacher would do welt to cultivate the powers of suggestion. A PROPER ATMOSPHERE. Another thing that was of great assistance in a school was a proper atmosphere—the mysterious influence that encouraged learning. Many churches had a sweet influence upon all who entered them, producing a desire to pray. In the same way many schools had a direct influence upbn the minds of young people, encouraging a longing to excel in knowledge. Honours boards assisted materially in this. Sentiment played a great part in most lives—love of country, the stirring chapters in British history, sacred places in the land, the splendid kings to whom they were all so devoted. Great was the part that sentiment played in their lives. If he had his way, he would have pictures of many noble men and women, with short biographies, placed upon the walls of schools, such as King Alfred, Cromwell, Queen Victoria, Lord Shaftesbury, .Wilberforce, Abraham Lincoln, Elizabeth Fry, Florence Nightingale, General Gordon, all of whom had such tremendous . influence for good upon their day and generation and whose names could never die. Surely the pictures of these great people would develop in the scholars feelings of loyalty to their country, veneration for what was noble and good and obedience to law, in school and out in the world. In this way scholars would carry the splendid principles developed in the school into their lives, making them good citizens, good parents and friends, and honourable business men and women. The adult choir sang Handel’s “And the Glory” and “Hallelujah Chorus” and the children’s choir “God Defend New Zealand” and “Song of the Pilgrims.” The hymns were “Praise to Our God,” “Thou Gavest All” and “Abide With Me.” The lesson was read by Adjutant Canty, the Rev. J. D. McL. Wilson and the Ven. Archdeacon G. H. Gavin said prayers and .Mr, T. W. Featherstone gave the. benediction. At the conclusion of the service the old pupils were photographed by decades.