LOBURN SCHOOL

Star (Christchurch), Issue 12571, 7 March 1919, Page 5

LOBURN SCHOOL

JUBILEE CELEBRATION. The celebration of, the, jubilee 6f the I/O hum District, School, wlyclrW took place yesterday afternoon, must be recorded as ono of the most:, notable events in the history of they district. Dio fact (.hat several of those connected with the school in its infancy aro now leaders in educational affairs was a'strong incentive to,,.the School Commit-. tc° to hold tlie celebration.. Amongst these are Mr IV, A. Banks,'chairman of the Board of Education;, AirW. Brock, Chief Inspector, both .of' whom wre amongst the first scholars' and tlw. latter at one time a teacher, in, the senool; M r c. 8. Howard, a member oi the board, who was the first master of the school; and Air E. Banks, chairman of the Auckland Board of Educaturn and a member of the Council or Education. The arrangements for tha • celebration devolved upon the chairman ei! ~, enn t>) and members of the' bchool Committee, and Air A. 'Cobber, master ol the school, who were assifetei': by four other residents"of' the district-' intimately connected with the school},,. I mre wa S a very largo attqndadoe, ; Practically every household in the' distnct being represented, Amongst the invited guests were members 'of the ' Boa rd ol Education, those ~; prcseivt, icing Alcssrs AV. A. Banks (chairman)* Hon J. Gnmmond, Messrs,G. AV. Arniitage, c. S. Howard, T. Hughes, ,!..' Pevenll and E. H. Andrews, Air AV’,. Brock, Messrs A. H Ragg, Pavitt, L Austin and F. H. S. AVarner, former . master of the school, Airs AV.' Thoiijpson of Scfton, who was fi pupil and the first lady teacher in tho school, 1 and Airs who was also a pupil and is now mistress of the school; also Air It. Ball, chairmail of tho Board of °f the Rangiora High The proceedings were opened at tha school at 3 p.m., when the scholars, assembled m the open air, were address- 7 ed by Alessrs Banks, Howard -and;Brock, who recalled interesting incirh dents of tho early days of tile sclmo& wdien tho district was in its native staid? ot swamp and manuka. One interests, mg romimscenco of Air Banks’s was the;-' fact of a portion of the school ground' having been ploughed for levelling by the hoys dragging tho plough aftd Air Howard at the handles guiding it: After three ringing cheers had been given tor tho old scholars and first master of tho school, an adjournment was made to tho Coronation Hally whore lunch was laid for about 150, hut the' seating was considerably overtaxed. Air . G. Geering presided. After the toast of “The King” had been loyally honoured, Air G. S. Howard proposed that of “ The School and Old Scholars.” He said that when he was appointed master of the school oMfc of thirteen applicants for ihe position the committee took a great risk.-as he then had had no experience of teaching whatever. Tho school wnk. opened on March 1, 1869, and he left off farm work on Saturday night and commenced ■ his duties ns a teacher on , Monday morning. AVhen he opened the door of the schoolroom, the first scholar to step s> - into the room was Annie Patrick,' Airs Robinson ,v of AAtellingtftn.-,-, There.'j were, as far as he -.toouldri re-** collect, fourteen, scholars • "present at the opening; Sorhc : 'of - 'the scholars of the early days jmd to walk six miles to school across'tlje. Grey River, and they very ;■ seldpju ' missed attending, wet days giving ho,a, rest to the teacher. Air Howard produced two inspectors’ reports, and referring , to tho subjects then taught he remarked that he believed that under the. old system scholars were turned out at proficient if not more so than those prOj« : duced under the present system.' The teacher now had to teach so iiiaiif' subjects that sufficient time,.was not available to give the scholars a good grounding. In the early days There were fewer subjects taught,, and it was possible to teach them more thoroughly. Referring to'the inspectors’ reports dha', first was dated August, 18? I, two years , after the school was opened. It showed - that AV. A. Banks was top of ,the first class with 94 per cent of marks and AV. Brock second with 93 per cent, Alargaret Brock and Catherine Hodgson, the latter of whom was present at tho gathering, being The most successful scholars amongst the girls,- '.The.;; next year a Iso showed AV. Banks and AV:.-; Brock to be amongst the top boys, and/' Ada Hodgson (now Airs Dnwsoiv, the * present mistress of the school)/ amongst the girls. Air Howard bon-' eluded with a reference to those of the former scholars who were with- them thattday, and to those who had passed away, and witli an expression of Ids deep pleasure at the fact that frieftd-■ ships lie formed with tho parents and;scholars were as warm to-aajl“as‘ they,, were when ho was connected with the ; school. W The toast was responded tojby. Air ," Banks, Air Brock and Air- Henry Barker, who was one of the, early pupils. • 1 '/• The toast of "Head teachers of the,: school, past and present,” was given by Air Banks, who took advantage of tlie opportunity to present Mr Howard: witli a tobacco pouch from some of his', early pupils in earnest of tho they still had for him. Air Banks men-,”; tioiied incidentally that the salary of ■ the first master was £lo3' per annum, . £75 of which was provided by the Educational authorities and the. remainder ‘ was made up with a fee of Is per week paid by cadi scholar, Tlie toast was responded to by Alessrs Howard, Brock, Pavitt, AVarner and. Cooper and Airs Dawson. t The chairman proposed the toast-,, Of* “ The Education Board,” and the Hon’ J. Grimmond and other members present responded. The toast of “ Tlje'.’. Rangiora High School Board and. flip , Lohum School Committee ” was proposed by Air Peverill and responded; to by Air R. Ball, chairman of 'the : High School Board, and Air J. Brady.' The proceedings which were of a very happy character, concluded with “ Auld Lang Sync.” . , . , During an interval, Agntha'Bcilfy, one of the pupils of the school, sang “Caller Horrm’” very nicely indeed. 1