CHRIST'S COLLEGE.

Press, Volume L, Issue 14982, 1 June 1914, Page 9

CHRIST'S COLLEGE.

MR BELCHER'S FAREWELL SERMON. Mr E. A. Belcher, who is retiring from the headmastership of Christ's College, preached a farewell sermon in the College Chapel last night. -no dealt with tho matter cf permanence of institutions, and referred especially to tho permanence of public schools. Tho fir_t condition of a Dig school's permanence, ho said, was a High Christian, standard, and it was within the walls of tho chapel that ono must look for tho gieatest inspiration. The second conaition of perraanenco which every great school must possess was diligence irom. its scholars. A country like Now Zealand would not bo willing to tolerate an idle school, nor ono which trained its pupils for a lifo of idleness. It seemed to him that a school liko Christ's College, from its particular circumstances, possessed very special conditions for producing men competent to work out with wisdom and vigour tho remedies which the times demanded. 11' such men could bo made tho characteristic product of the school, then they might daro to associate the school with tho august thought of permanence. "I naturally desiro," said Mr Belcher in conclusion, "to refrain from saying in tho scrmou which may havo any personal application. 1 could not do it. and I havo no desiro that tho memory of my last service hero should be 6poilt by it. I havo two things to say: If there is anybody hero who dosires to remember mo. "I shall best like to bo remembered by th© things which very imperfootly ■ I tried to ,say in this chapel.. If there is anybody here who wants to servo mo he can best serve. n"d only serve, mo oy serving tho school." .