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Star (Christchurch), Volume XLIV, Issue 257, 29 October 1931, Page 4

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Social to Mark Conclusion of Activities. EXHIBITION OF WORK. (Contributed.) The “ wind-up ” social which marks the termination of our public activities for 1931 will take place in the Masonic Hall to-morrow evening. It has been arranged that the competition exhibits shall be displayed on the same evening, and it is hoped that every exhibit will be on view. Will competitors kindly note that all exhibits must be brought to the hall between 11 a.m. and 2 p.m. to-morrow. Members are particularly requested ..to mark each exhibit with their name and address, and to take them away at the conclusion of the evening’s entertainment. The trophy and prizes in connection with the competitions will be presented to-morrow evening. Since the wool and mutton industries may almost be said to be the backbone of our country, it is hoped that the exhibition of woollen clothing, bedding and upholstery will be another interesting feature to-morrow evening. A special prize is to be given for the most original and useful article in this section. The following correspondents are thanked for their contributions:— Keep on Smiling.—l read with interest your advice about picnics, and hope you will allow me to add to it a wrinkle of my own. For many years, during my career as a school teacher, I took about a dozen of my pupils for monthly picnics whenever the weather was at all suitable, and at these functions we always had a competition. If the picnic were in the bush, a small prize was given to the child who made the best collection of leaves of New Zealand plants, which had to be pressed, mounted 'and correctly named before they were eligible; or, again, we tried who could give the best description of the various native trees and shrubs, extra marks being given for illustrative sketches; or names and descriptions of the birds seen or heard in the course of the ramble might be asked for. I was both astonished and delighted at the keen interest the children took in these excursions; and two of these young people became so interested in the flora of their homeland that they took botany as a degree subject and both obtained first-class honours in it. If the picnic is to the sea-shore, shells and seaweeds and descriptions of the sea and its various activities form equally attractive subjects for the children’s observation. [