CENTRAL SCHOOL PICNIC.

Taranaki Herald, Volume LIV, Issue 13650, 7 March 1908, Page 3

CENTRAL SCHOOL PICNIC.

JOTTINGS BY A FRIEND.

The Clerk of tho Weather was in a variable mood on -Thursday, but, after keeping the youngsters on pin® and needles all morning, he manifested his goodwill by arranging an" ideal afternoon for the function in the Park. Fathers and mothers showod their iritoresfc by turning- out .in force and everybody seemed to have a good time. The terraces are admirably adapted for a children's picnic, the fatnhtipS* for seating.and'serving tjeia^axcqittoai. . TJh* fnu, was kept 'getjng .fto&W>m>commencement? at 1.3(7 until just *m dusk and a number o£; goocj <jtem& on' the programme h,ad' then 'to be carried forward to next year. The members /of the committee wore greatly assisted .by kindly disposed sportsmen, "Messrs fL Sfctcker, E. Humphries, Evans f Geo. Griffiths, P. Hopkins, anß Stones being Especially useful in providing for the games. Mr Eust. Griffiths brought his fine new motor car to the Park with the object of Riving the , children rides around the Oval, but tho ground proved to be too wet in plncrs aiid this much longed-for pleasure had to bo foregone. Captain -Jimmy Read had a busy time all afternoon with the lifeboat; a good many hundreds of picnickers, big I and little, enjoying tho trip up and 'down the large lake. ■ / ' The wildfowl -on. the lake did not quite seem to understand wlfet was gomg on and bowildored birds clustered together and tried to* get out of the way of the &wimmoi's. Many of the boys have attained \ good form in the water end no one who saw them could fail "to bo impressed with the thoroughness of their training. Councillor Browne was the sole representative of the Borough £ouneil, although the Mayor and Council formally accented the cordial invitation sent by the School Committee. Councillor Mills was of course , present in another capacity, as . secretary of the committee, and much of the success" of tho affair Was due to his energy and resourcefulness. '

• Of the cormnittoomea Mps^rs tyc,Galioy, A vary, and Kobbell weicv conspicuous in "connection with the fairies and the commissariat- arran^omcntw, while thei chairman, llcv. S. ft. Osbornc and Mr Grant - were more in eridenc^ among the parents and friends. Mcnsrs Court and Griffiths wore uiiavoidably out of town and Mr Catran was laid aside b.v .sickness. Two Inr^o tins of lollies, from Mr and Mrs Cock, of Ovordalo. and vthotber from Mr Qoo. • Griffiths.' helppd to koop the littlo ones The laxly who sent Aunt Sarah out for the afternoon must be complimented on the getup of the nitnl relative. "The cloth" was well represented by the miui-stcrs of nearly all the churches. Quite a liotabio event was tho presentation of watches to the two boys who have never been late or absent dfering seven years and the plaudits of | tho large gathering .showed that the' action of the committee in recognising perseverance was cordially endorsed. The lads —Willie, Webber and Bertie Taylor — are cousins, being grandsons of Mji's Webber, St. Miohael's Square. It is to be regretted that lack of time necessitated the curtailment of speeches, as Colonel Okey had Homething to say abont shooting and drill and the Chairman intended making a few 'observations to parents on school matters. Probably tho boys and girls wore quite satisfied with the scanty oratory that they had to ondure. Colonel Okey referred to tho creditable performance of the squad who won the cup in competition with four other teams,, some including youths who, wero practically on Ihe verjjo of manhood. The surceus of the squad in largely d«o to the shooting at tno miniature range nnd to tho snappiug practice which they have had with the larger weapon. Mr Lcgg's" catering for the youngstots was on a y;enerous scale and everything provided was good. Some of the adults did not fare quite so woll. but that wasi unavoidable in view of fact that the attendance of grown-ups was so much grciiter than anyone had anticipated. , Our member, 'Mr Okry, declined the invitation to the Mountain picnic so ,as to bo present in the Park, thus showing "continued interest in the school work with which he has been for so many years identified.

Those notes would bo incomplete without a reference to the enthusiastic | work of Mr Dempsey- and his .stiff, of toaehers. The headmaster was here, there, and everywhere, and Messrs ,McIlroy and. Davidson were- no ''less zealous. The lady teachers were, in their element when tea-time came and many a little one found things tirade pleasant b£ sympathetic attentions jugt at the right moment. . '*"''-, After .some experience of school picnics to distant places the general verdict will probably be "No place like home," so long as Pukekura Park is available.- '