SCHOOL GOLDEN JUBILEE

Bay of Plenty Beacon, Volume 11, Issue 72, 27 August 1947, Page 5

SCHOOL GOLDEN JUBILEE

OPOURIAO AND TANEATUA XARGE MUSTER OF EX-PUPILS INTERESTING PROGRAMME * OBSERVED Broken weather failed in any ' way to deflect from the success of the Taneatua School Golden Jubilee; which attracted some 700 ex-pupils and visitors to the school last Monday and l which was marked by a unique pro- < gramme of items and activities which served to make the occasion a happy and memorable one. It is estimated that some 400 old pupils attended, coming from as far as the South Island, Wellington and Auckland. The day was spent in renewing x old friendships and in happy reminiscences of earlier days of the settlement.

Taneatua which is now linked with Opouriao traces its actual history back to the opening of the 'Opouriao school in *1897, with Mr Pocock as sole teacher. This headmaster faced up to the necessity of spending three days at Opouriao and three at Taneatua, and the unsatisfactory state of affairs persisted until Mr G. A. Somerville took over as fulltime teacher and the Taneatua school was constructed. Many of those present last Monday dated their association with the school back to those ‘good old days,’ and the three earliest to be registered, Mesd'ames A. Duckworth and J. Palmer and Mr J. Mitchell, were presented with shoulder sprays and a buttonhole respectively by some of the youngest pupils of the present school.

Unique Occasion

The' day was probably the greatest day the school will ever know in that so many of its foundation scholars were there together with their teachers, and the greatest interest was evinced in an array of early district and school photographs which were displayed on the blackboards in the main rooms. It was pleasing to note the happy discussions which took place on all corners of the ground, as school mates recognised each other after a lapse of, in many cases amounted to nearly half a century. The Roll Call was in itself of the greatest interest. Not the least in the formidable list of old pupils (which incidentally numbers nearly 2000) were a brace of sons of Rua (the Maori Prophet of the Urewera) who created such a stir over 30 years ago. The programme concluded with a bountiful afternoon tea which was served by the hardworking committee of ladies who had rallied to assist forward the finest school programme the township has seen. Modern Pupils Entertain

Proceedings were opened at 11 a.m., when the present headmaster (Mr G. Oliver) welcomed those present, and handed over to his assistants who controlled groups of the present pupils in entertaining the large muster. i Details were: Songs by the juniors (Miss J. Sisam); items by Maori pupils (Miss B. Wilson); Primer Polk Dances (Miss J. Sisam); Physical Culture (Miss D.. O’Brien); Folk Dances, Senior (Miss B. O’Brien); Songs, Seniors (Miss J. Sisam). All items were particularly well done and reflected the greatest •credit on teachers and pupils alike.

Speakers Remarks

Mr H. C. McCready as chairman of the Jubilee Committee, extended a warm welcome to the visitors. It was he said a gala day in the school’s history and he trusted many old friendships would be renewed and' new ones made and cemented.

Mr R. Bell, ward representative on the Auckland Education Board, said that he had spent nearly a lifetime in connection with schools and :School children and realised just what it meant for so many old pupils to gather together once again. Many, he was sure had not met since they left school and he counted it a privilege to be present. Mr C. Brown, chairman of the local school committee, spoke of the excellent teachers which Taneatua had been fortunate in securing for the training of the children. He paid a warm tribute to the Board for the manner in which it had always co-operated with the committee and thanked the ladies commit-* tee in particular for their part in the day’s programme.

Headmaster’s Reminiscences

Mr J T. Teasdale, ex-headmaster and now a member of the Education Board, expressed his delight at being present. When he left Taneatua he did not think for a moment that the day would come .when he would meet again so many of his old pupils —some might say he was afraid to meet them (laughter). It was in-

deed pleasing for him to note the

splendid men and women who had passed through the school. He personally had enjoyed every minute he had spent in Taneatua, and was proud to reflect that not one of them in scholarship or field had let him down. He paid special tribute to the three Withy brothers, each of whom he declared stood out in his mind as having achieved remarkable success, in that all had secured their Junior and Senior Free Places before reaching the age of 14 years. This he considered outstanding. (Applause). Mrs Woods (Iris Bryenton) spoke for the old pupils generally and Mr J. Moody for the old residents.

The Roll Call

Mr Teasdale then called the roll of the first hundred pupils to be registered. Of these only twenty-five responded. The greatest interest centred round the twenty-six names of those enrolled on the first day school was opened fifty years ago. Those who responded were:— John Mitchell' Annie Brown Mitchell John Addison Thomas Garlick Helen Mary Capper Roy Wilfred Haylock Judith Ball.

The others called were: Martyn Sydney Semmens, Arthur Bernard Semmens, Thomas Mitchell, Susan Elizabeth Lilian Philips, Gordon Moore Philips, Sarah Evelyn Minnie Philips, Joseph Addison, Edward Addison, William Garlick, Thomas Moorcock, William Moorcock, Mabel Capper, Caroline Ada Capper, Alice Maud Haylock, Charles. Horace Haylock, Grace Haylock, Mary Gertrude Haylock, Ernest Paylock and George Ball.

Old Pupils Parade

The most spectacular event of the day was the parade of past and present pupils in front of the school. All groups mustered behind their respective ten-ryear placards, and the procession moved off in imposing array headed by the -grey-heads and brought up with the tiny tots of the present day. It was a pleasing and appealing picture and one which can never be repeated. Each group wore identification discs of varying colour and the manner in which the parade was planned reflected the greatest credit on its organisers.

Fashions—Ancient and Modern

A novelty touch well in keeping with the proceedings was a parade in costume of fashions belonging to tne past and to the present. This event Caused the greatest merriment and depicted first, a’ : sedat'd"'school rna-am of fifty years ago with black skirt trailing the ground and followed by a bevy of severely dressed pupils in rigs of the same date. There followed a typical gent, bowl-er-hatted, a moustachioed and spatted with his lady and a cold-looking bathing beauty of the nineties. The bracket of early tennis players were followed by a lady in evening dress and another in side-saddle riding habit. This group was met by modern counterparts and the procession received a great hearing as it passed in front of the crowd. Apologies In a telegram conveying his regrets at not being present Mr W. Sullivan, M.P., extended his good wishes to young and old. Other apologies were received from A. G. C. Cottrell, Arthur Delaney, N. S. Fox, Beatrice Coleman, George Ball, Miss Cussin, E. A. Boyd,. Walter Sernmens, Maude Haylock, D. L. Haylock, Hilda Ray, Elsie Dilicar, Essie Porter, Gordon Phillips! and George Martin. A BROADER CURRICULUM MODERN SCHOOLING COMPARED / In his remarks at the Taneatua School Jubilee celebrations last Monday, Mr R. Bell, Education Board representative, had some interesting remarks to make with regard to the training of modem school children as compared with the piethods employed fifty years ago.

The word ‘Education’ he said had a La'tin meaning ‘I lead out.’ That was what modern education sought to do. Most of the earlier pupils would recall that their training was done at the end of a usually, substantial stick. He did not think .they were any the worse for that today, but modern training sought to cultivate those natural gifts which.were latent in all children. Every effort was made to give the. children self expression and to cultivate their talents sympathetically and academically. i

It was often said that the child of today was deteriorating, * but from

his own personal observations over fifty years close association with schools he could say that that was not so. He asked all the adults' present to look back on their school days and to honestly see if they could deny that the modern child was better iri mind and body, as a result of living a freer and better life at school!