BOYS' HIGH SCHOOL.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 9503, 29 March 1909, Page 4

BOYS' HIGH SCHOOL.

4 PRESENTATION TO MR SPEIGHT. A large gathering of scholars and old boys of the Christchurch Boj-s' High School was held in the new gymnasium at the school on Saturday evening to bid farewell to Mr R. Speight, who has left the staff to take up the position of assistant curator of the Christchurch Museum and lecturer in geology at Canterbury College. The headmaster, Mr C. E. Bevan-Brown, pi-esided. '. Mr Speight has been connected, with / the Boys' High School since its inception in 1881, having been one of the first 1 scholars. He gained a Junior University Scholarship in 1884 and left the school for Canterbury CollegeThere he gained a Senior Scholarship in 1887, his JB.A. degree in 1888, M.A. (first-class honours) in 1889 and B.Sc. - in 1891. In 1889 he returned to his old school as part-time master, and two years later was appointed to a position on the permanent staff. He has thus been on the school staff for twenty years, and in token of the esteem in which he is held the gathering on Saturday evening presented him with a prismatic compass and gave him an enthusiastic farewell. The presentation was made by the headmaster, who spoke in terms of the highest praise of the services Mr Speight had rendered to the school during the tenure oi' his position. Both in the school and on the football field, he said, Mr Speight had proved himself an excellent coach for the boys, and it was mainly due to his efforts that the school teams had done so well and had made such a name for themselves. During all the time that he had been headmaster at the school he had always got on excellently with Mr Speight, and in losing him he felt that he was not only losing a very valuable assistant but a great personal friend. He asked Mr Speight to accept their present^as a token of their appreciation of his worth and of their best wishes for his success > in his new position. Mr Speight^ who on rising to reply was received with enthusiastic cheers, expressed his thanks for the gift. He said that he had been at the school for over nineteen years and he could not- 1 readily tear up the roots of his con- j ! nection with his old school and transplant them to another institution with- ! out a feeling of regret. It was a wrench to leave, and he felt it keenly, • but he would always be willing to- help the school in any way) as long as his time allowed. He hoped that his successor would get on as well with the boys as he had done, and he attributed the successes of the school to the loyal way in which the boys had supported the masters. Mr W. Walton and Mr T. Bain eulogised Mr Speight's services. Mr Walton said that some of those present, that evening knew and some of them did not know how much Mr Speight had done for the school. For nineteen years Mr Speight had given his time, labour and patience for the benefit of the boys on the football field, working gratuitously for the love of the sport. He was very sorry indeed to lose Mr Speight, and he was sure that he would succeed in his n»w position. Speaking for the Rugby Union, he said that the members thoroughly recognised tho good work done by Mr Speight in connection with sport and that he had contributed, greatly towards the success of Canterbury football. He wished Mr Speight every success in his new position. *The health of Mr Speight was drunk enthusiastically, and other toasts were honoured, the singing of " Auld Lang Syne" concluding the gathering.