VICTORY PLAQUES.

Wanganui Chronicle, Issue 12856, 23 October 1912, Page 5

VICTORY PLAQUES.

SUCCESSFUL WAXGAXUI

ESSAYISTS

(Cnited Press Association.—Copyright.) LONDON, October 21. Tho British and Foreign Sailors' Society has awarded Victory plaques for an essay on "Britain's Dominions" to Chrig McLean and Auflrey BetheJ, of Wanganui; Victoria Curtis and Lancelot Bell, of Southland; and essie Nichollfi and Richard Vine, of Ouyen, Viotoria.

(Miss Audrey Bethel is a Standard VI. pupil of the Queen's Park School, and has a very creditable scholastic record. Tho other successful North Island competitor is evidently in attendance at one of tho schools in this education district, but we were unable last night to ascertain the school to which tho honour belongs. This competition is an important one, and it is satisfactory to know that New Zealand scholars aro able to nloro than hold their own in competition with scholars in other parts of the Empire. That this is so is evidenced not only by this year's results — which are particularly gratifying to the educationists of this district —but by the following extract from the report of the examiners on last year's competition:— '"'Again New Zealand has come to the front. Tho largest number of competitors hail from schools in the North Island, and the quality of their work shows a decided advance. The standard attained by all the essayists is unusually high, and the adjudicator has had considerable difficulty in making his awards." The subject'of this year's essay was, "How Britain's Dominions Beyond tho Seas Depend Upon Britain's Dominion of the Sea, especially a 1: exemplified by the India of 1811, contrasted with the India of 1911 when visited by King George V." Four plaques wero allocated to iSew Zealand, one- to bo awarded to a boy and one to a girl in each Island. Competitors had to be under sixteen years of age (Audrey Bethel is fourteen), the essayvS had to ho written in school without notes, textbook 3, or assistance from the teacher, and each essay had to bo' accompanied 1 tho head teacher's certificate that the conditions imposed had been fully complied with. 5 The plaaues are of copper taken from Lord Nelson's flagships, and all contain eoprver from tho "Victory.") ' ■