Greymouth

New Zealand Tablet, 7 December 1911, Page 2468

Greymouth

(From our own correspondent.) His Excellency the Governor and party visited the Convent .Greymouth, on November 27, and were received by the Very Rev.. Dean Carew, the Mother Superior, and the Sisters. On his Excellency’s entrance the children sang a very pretty song of welcome, and the young voices rang-out clear and true. Miss Higgins, one of the senior pupils, then read the following address: ‘May it please your Excellency to accept a hearty welcome from us, the pupils of the Convent School. We feel highly honored in being favored with a visit from the representative of his Majesty" the King, We cannot recall your Excellency’s appointment as Governor of

our Dominion without being reminded of his late revered Majesty, Edward VII., from whom your Excellency received your appointment to New Zealand. Your Ex-® cellency is therefore a happy link between the reign of our present Sovereign and that of his illustrious predecessor. We sincerely hope that your Excellency will be favorably impressed with your first visit to our town and school, and that during your residence in our Dominion, we shall often have the pleasure of welcoming your Excellency to our midst. Under your Excellency’s guardianship may our Dominion thrive and prosper, and may those over whom your Excellency \is placed prove worthy subjects of the British Crown. With renewed greetings and hearty wishes for a pleasant sojourn on our Coast.’ His Excellency, in reply, said that he had to thank the Dean, the Sisters, and the children of the Convent School, Greymouth, for their very cordial welcome and for the very pretty song so admirably sung in his honor. He had to thank them also for the well expressed address which had been so well read by one of their leading members, and which had embodied sentiments of the deepest loyalty. As had been appropriately remarked, he was a, link between the reign of his Majesty King George and the late illustrious King Edward, from whom he had received his appointment as Governor of New Zealand. He was gratified indeed to hear such loyal sentiments to King and Empire as were expressed by them in their address. He was pleased to see the children in the school looking so well and happy. He always made it his business to visit the schools wherever he could. He fully recognised the benefits of the sound moral, religious, and secular education they were receiving under the direction of their pastor and the good Sisters. They were developing that strength of character which would be of such inestimable value to them in their future lives. If the nation was to prosper, if New Zealand was to advance, it was not on its acres and acres of timber and on its great mineral resources and rich soil that its success depended, but on the moral character and upright lives of the people who occupied the country. His Excellency concluded by asking that a holiday should be granted. The Mayor said that he could assure his Excellency that the pupils of the Convent School were obedient to their teachers, well behaved and diligent. The educational and musical training given to the pupils was second to none in the Dominion. On the call of the Mayor the girls gave three hearty cheers for his Excellency. They then sang* All Hail! Zealandia ’ and two verses of the National Anthem.

The Governor and party were then shown through the church and grounds. Owing to the Marist Brothers' School being closed for the holidays, his Excellency had to omit that portion of his programme.