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work in science alone for a highly qualified teacher. At present I have myself to take a large portion of the science work, the result being that the laboratories cannot be maintained as they should be, and the necessity of squeezing in the requisite amount of practical instruction among other multifarious duties is certainly very disheartening to any one dissatisfied with merely second-rate work. I think we are moving forward a step in the direction of founding a boarding establishment. At the time of writing consideration is being given to securing an option over a piece of land in the vicinity of our College grounds. I feel sure that if twenty influential citizens could be got to take the matter up the residential portion of the College would shortly be an accomplished fact. I firmly believe that such an establishment would be the very life of the engineering, agricultural, and other technical courses, and as now the Board has the right of deciding on the place of residence of scholarship-holders who require board, these, too, could be housed and supervised under the very best conditions. It is with feelings of much gratification that I was enabled to proceed this year with the publication of the first number of our College magazine, tlie Index. I hope that it will secure extensive circulation and intensive reading. As it is obtainable for the small sum of Is., I hope parents will see that there is at least one copyin every home. I desire to thank the editors and all others who in any way contributed towards the production of the magazine. During this year there have been few changes on the staff. Miss M. Steven, 8.A., B.Sc, entered the school in February in succession to Miss Gordon, as assistant in the High School department, and she has fully justified the wisdom of the Board in appointing her to the position. Mr. A. Morrison, assistant to the engineering department, left in September, and was succeeded by Mr. Frank. Jackson, who came to us with very high credentials. Miss A. Aramburu entered on her duties as Registrar at the beginning of the year. I can touch only briefly upon tlie athletic side of our school life, though in my opinion it is of exceedingly great importance, since every kind of strength and success in life has a physical basis. The Index will supply full details to those seeking them. Our tennis-courts were ready for play before the end of March, and ever since have afforded much pleasure to the girls and boys of the school. Though not yet adepts in the game, we expect our girls soon to be carrying off laurels in competitions with other schools. Ihe football season was very successful, and though our boys did not win the coveted victory in the match again Palmerston High School, still they showed their mettle, and proved themselves quite worthy of their promotion to the rank of third-grade players. In cricket and hockey our boys and girls had successful seasons, as the reports in our magazine fully testify. The swimming tournament held in April was a thorough success, and our first athletic meeting, held in Cook's Gardens on tlie 16th April, proved to the public the rapid strides our school organizations have made. Our Cadet Corps received a supply of uniforms early in the year, and now we are waiting for rifles to complete the equipment. The high standard of efficiency by the corps was evidenced in the Senior Cadet competitions recently held in Wanganui, in which our teams won two of the principal events. In this connexion my hearty thanks are due to Captain C. A. Stewart and Acting-Lieutenant G. J. McNaught. The camera and field club has been a most welcome addition this year to our school organization. The suggestion of the editors of our magazine re the formation of a reading circle and debating club, to meet either in the school or at the residence of the masters on Friday or Saturday evenings, is an excellent one, and I hope it will come into operation next }'ear. This scheme is adopted at the Sydney Grammar School among pupils resident in the suburbs. The success attending our school social indicates the importance of developing friendly intercourse among our pupils. The school had a very successful initial scholastic year. One boy passed the Senior Public Service Examination, two boys matriculated, six pupils passed the Junior Public Service Examination, five boys passed Technological Examinations in connexion with the City and Guilds of London Institute, twenty-four pupils passed in the Education Board's Bookkeeping Examinations, and twenty-two obtained certificates in Pitman's Shorthand Examinations. This year 127 pupils have sat or are sitting for outside examinations. Already six successes are announced in the Technological Examinations of the City and Guilds of London Institute, the subjects taken being mine-surveying, mechanical engineering, and electrical engineering. We trust that when all the results are announced our pupils will have done even better than last year. I must not omit to mention two very important additions to the ordinary school curriculum. Mr. Sydney Butler, L.R.A.M., A.R.C.0., gave instruction to the girls in vocal music for one hour a week during the year, with the result that, in addition to the training thereby gained, we were enabled to arrange several entertainments from time to time, some achieving great success. During the winter term also the Board kindly allowed me to arrange with Dr. Elizabeth Guiyi for a series of ten lectures to be delivered to the girls in sex physiologj r . We were extremely fortunate in securing the services of Dr. Gunn, and nothing but good can result from her admirable lectures. I desire here to express my thanks to the members of the staff for their cordial assistance in the work of the school. Mr. Stewart deserves a special word of praise for the whole-hearted manner in which he has supervised the field sports of the boys. We are under a deep obligation to all donors towards our prize fund. I would also tender my thanks to the members of the Board, to Mr. Braik, to the office staff, and to the Technical Committee for the encouragement and support during many occasions of anxiety and difficulty during the year. And now, let my last word be to the parents. As their sons and daughters will tell them, we have a school motto which may be thus interpreted—" Patience and perseverance will overcome all difficulties." Many parents, by their sympathy and encouragement, have been a real source of inspiration to us all; and I would here say that we desire to see the parents of our pupils oftener, and get into personal touch with them. I am sure many points of disagreement might be cleared away were there more direct intercourse than at present. For. instance, I might convince some fathers why a boy belonging to the engineering or agricultural course should keep up his literary and scientific studies, and not be kept merely at purely