EMPIRE DAY.

Timaru Herald, Volume XC, Issue 13294, 24 May 1907, Page 6

EMPIRE DAY.

AT THE SCHOOLS: The three borough schools' determined to hold their little ceremony in connection with Empire Day yesterday afternoon, and to allow the pupils a full holiday to-day. The weather was dull and the ground damp for out-door parades, but the threatened showers held off. TIMARU MAIN. The Infants and Standard I. were left in the school, and their elders were mustered on the playground in front of the school where a New Zealand Ensign new from the gable flagstaff. The boys turned out as cadets in .two conrpaniES, the first with arms and in their jersey uniforms, which looked even gay with its red facings and white haversacks; the second merely as schoolboys under drill. The girls were massed on the grass outside the asphalt, and the boys, after some marching on the ground were, ferine! up in their companies. The Rev. A. E. Hunt, chairman of the School Committee addressed the childrren. After some remarks on the privileges they possessed as citizens of the British Empire, .and the responsibilities that attached to their privileges, and allusions to the great literature, and the unequalled commerce of the Empire, Mr Hunt took as his text the three colours of the flag that floated above them. The white represented purity and honour, and he urged them never to tarnish their honour by a lie, a mean or contemptible' trick, a foul word, or a foul thought; to be good citizens of

the great empire to which they belonged they must be pure in their .own lives and in their actions towards their fellows. The greater part of the flag was blue, and that stood for loyalty. They were loyal to their own homes, and in the .same way they should be loyal to their and to the Empire. The red in the iiag was all in the shape of crosses—St. George's, St. Patrick's, and St. - Andrews'—and the crosses and the colour stood for royalty and passion, and especially for self-'saeri-fice. The true Briton must be prepared to sacrifice himself for his country. The British nation had become great, not because its people were cleverer than others, but because their forefathers had been ready to sacrifice themselves for their country. Sacrifice did not mean only a willingness to die on the battlefield. It had a more important meaning in willingness to live for their*, country, by doing all they could do for others. The greatest English women he impressed upon the girls ,were such as Florence Nightingale, Elizabeth Fry, and the late Queen Victoria, who wais great not because of her cleverness, or her wisdom, or her power, b-.it because of her goodness. And the boys need not be clever to be good citizens; so long 'as they did their best with the talents they possessed. They could not all be heroes, the talk of the world, but they could fill their life with useful eii'ortr- for their fellowmen. In conclusion Mr Hunt quoted a verso of Kipling : "Land of our birth, we pledge to-thee, Our life and toil, in the years to be; When we are gone to take our- place, . As men and women of the race. Land of our birth, our faith, our pride. For whose dear sake our fathers died, O Motherland, we pledge to thee. Head, heart, and hand, through the years to be."

The cadets then marched past and saluted the flag, and three buglers blew Ih■• salute. Ail the children joined in singing a verse of " God Save the King," and gave three cheers for the flag. The headmaster announced a full holiday next day, and the little ceremony .closed.

from a little girl " Frozen meat" —a pause. " What else?" came replies from the boys "Wheat and wool." Mr Valentine ako elicited replies showing why England Look our exports, the ocean carrying trade, and the tar'ety of ships under all red routes. Finally, he dwelt on tha " Flag of England," the chief object of the le-sson of the day we celebrate. The pupils were well up in this subject, and Mr Valentino impressed upon them that no matter where or when the nag was flying, in home or foreign lands, it was an absolute protection to all who dwelt under it-

Recitations were then capitally given by J. Valentine, " The Flag Goes By," and A. Hughes "The Union Jack," whilst H. Falla gave a capital reading—" True to Our Trust" (from the "Canadian Teacher"). Before reading a short extract from " Studies in> English History," Mr Valentine reminded the girls and boys that their school life, would soon '/=" over—what of the future? Were they determined to be true men and women, to live upright lives, to be true members of the Empire? The unanimous reply was" " Yes." Mr Valentine sincerely hoped so, and read to the class Kipling's "Lest we Forget." The schoolroom ceremony closed with a vtrtv-i of " God Save the King," sweetly and sincertiy rendered. The. girls marched out, and the boys followed, grouping in the school ground opposite "The Flag," while the cadets fell in in sections. The march past was in single file, and the saluting was well done, though most of -the boys seemed to be so impressed with the occasion that they kept their eyes on the earth, rather than on the Union Jack, which the breeze so pruudly threw out aloft.

WAIIMATAITAI. The children -were drawn up in front of the .school, the cadets in uniiorm forming three sides of a hollow square, with the other pupils in ranks behind them. Mr J. Wood, headmaster, was present with Ids teaching staff, and. Mr G. P. Wood, chairman of the school committee, was ako present. Mr J. Wood briefly addressed the children on the subject of Empire Day. He pointed out on a large map of the world the wide extent of the British dominions, over which -the Union Jack was flying. The next day was to be a holiday throughout the British Empire, in order to preserve the memory of the late Queen Victoria ever fresh hi the minds of the British people, and also to celebrate the progress of the nation during her long reign. .During Queen Victoria's sovereignty the world had seen the introduction of the railway and the electric telegraph, and the conquest of many countries, by the British people, and all these things had contributed towards making the Empire what it now was. The Queen was a truly noble and good woman, and during' her life was looked upon as an example for all her subjects, and he wished to impress upon them the value of endeavouring to live lives such as hers. They could commence while at school by striving to be unselfish, morally courageous, and not to be discouraged by defeat in their games and lessons, lihey should remember that they were the future rulers of the Empire, for when they attained to man and womanhood they would have their right to vote and to "return men to Parliament, and would thus exercise an influence over the making, of the laws of their country. The Union Jack was then run up, the cadets saluted, and all present sang a verse of the National Anthem, after which three cheers were given for King Edward. Mr Gordon Wood said a few words to the children, advising them to endeavour to follow out what their master had ; said to them, and moreover, when beaten in any iray to try, try again. He wished them, a pleasant holiday and then call«d for three cheers for the teachers, and these were very heartily, given, the children being then dismissed.-

TIMARU SOUTH SCHOOL. The proceedings at Timaru South were bri-.f, but highly interesting. Ih?. infants were dismissed shortly after 2 o'clock, and the elder pupils were assembled in the big room, the cadets being in the centre, with the girls on the right and left front, while ths other boys acted as supports. Proceedings opened with -the school song, patriotic of young- Xew Zealanders, " The Fern Leaf Green." Then followed a " short talk" by the headmaster, Mr J. A. Valentine, B.A. With the aid of Howard Vincent's map of the: British Empire, Mr Valentine took iii.s large class for a record run around the | Empire. The talk was made general by Mr Valentine speaking in the interrogative form. The answers by pupils were quick, ana at times the questions were so familiar that ail hands were, held up. In the map the Empire was " all red," and making a start from the British Isles, the pupil:; were taken across India, through Africa, looked in at Canada, stepped over Australia, and landed in Xew Zealand. Mr Valentine did not weary the class with statistics. " Oi>r Empire is of enonnou:. extent," led him to remark that the area was 13,000,000 square miles (three tiimi; the sizr ; of Europe), and the population was about 415.C00.C00. In ret'eiring to the peoples, he told them that all did no; spdak "our tongue." There were Zuluy in Africa, Bed Indians in Canada, Hindus in India, ail of whom still belong to th: British Empire. "What flag is this?" said Mr Valentine, and the unanimous ''The Union Jack," led the pupils home to Xew Zealand shores, and then followed replies as to the islands' discovery, the landing at various poinii-, and the ocean routes to the Homeland, the close connection (12.000 2niles away) being strongly impressed on the class. Mr Valentine then referred to contrast?, social and industrial, in life in the Old Land, and life in the Xew, dwelling on 11 in advantages both people and children had in their homes, in business, in outdoor and life generally. Commercial relations were then touched upon, and to the question " What does Timaru send away to London ?" came the quick answer