MR I. B. HUBBARD RETIRES AFTER 40 YEARS’ TEACHING

Bay of Plenty Beacon, Volume 14, Issue 76, 14 December 1949, Page 5

MR I. B. HUBBARD RETIRES AFTER 40 YEARS’ TEACHING

The school had come to the end of a very' important year but was now beginning' 1 a very important period in its history, declared the headmaster of the Whakatane District High School, Mr I. B. Hubbard, at a farewell function on the eve of his retirement at the school yesterday. Mr Hubbard, who retires after 40 years’ active teaching at the end of this term, was farewelled by the school and members of the public when several speakers paid tribute to hus teaching ability and to the way he had managed the combined primary and high schools. The separation of the two schools was a big adjustment for both the staff and pupils to face, Mr Hubbard added, but it was also an important change for the public. While he welcomed this change he would have preferred to see two primary l schools, 'but this was not possible yet because of the building difficulties. i

The time he j had spent at Whakatane had been a very pleasant period, Mr Hubbard said. It had been a pleasure to work with the staff, amongst whom there had always been a very happy atmosphere. He thanked the various people of the district who had assisted him while he was headmaster and wished the school well for the future. A tribute to Mr Hubbard as one of the most important men of the community was paid by the Mayor, Mr B. S. Barry. A headmaster had a most important task as he had the responsibility of moulding and forming the character of the children who were the people of tomorrow. Eventually he moulded and formed the character of the nation.

Mr Barry said that Mr Hubbard had been at Whakatane for eight difficult years during and after a war. He h&d seen the school roll grow rapidly and had had- to contend with accommodation difficulties. But the school had progressed under his care and today had reached a very important stage in its life.

Similar references were made by a -former chairman of the school committee, Mr J. W. Wilson, who mentioned that. Mr Hubbard had, during the past eight years, administered one of the largest district high schools in New Zealand. Other speakers were Mr R. H. Haeusler, -headmaster of the Paroa School, speaking on behalf of the country schools, the Rev. R. T. Dodds, on behalf of the Ministers’ Association, and the present' chairman of the school committee, Mr L. D. Lovelock. He traced the history of the school briefly and mentioned the fact that the high school had already produced two Rhodes Scholars.