CHRIST'S COLLEGE

Press, Volume LXI, Issue 18365, 24 April 1925, Page 3

CHRIST'S COLLEGE

MEMORIAL HALL OPENED.

After 3-T years as Warden of Christ's College, his Grace Archbishop Julius performed his last official act yesterday in a very fitting manner by opening the beautiful Memorial Dining Hall which has been erected at Christ's Collego by the Old Boys' Association to the memory of those masters and old boys of the College who made the supreme sacrifice in the service of their country. The corerrony took place in (he ha)!, hut quite o:;e third of ilie attendance was unable to find even standing room inside. Mr G. T. Weston, president of the Association, presided,, and in addition to the Archbishop and the headmaster, Rev. E. C. Crosse, many representative citizens occupied seats on the dais.

A Book of Honour. In handing over the buildings to the school, Mr \Ve3ton reviewed the history of the movement to erect tho hall since the undertaking was first proposed in 1910. He mentioned the names of men who had taken a prominent part in the work —among them Messrs G. A. V. Tapper, T. Chapman, A. E. Flower, T. F. Gibson, T. D. narman, N. L. Macbeth, G. E. Reeves, E. E. Webb, and E. IT. S. Hamilton—but added that these were only a few 'of those to whom their thanks were due. It was their intention to publish a book containing the names of old boys who had fought in tho Great War, and a copy engrossed in parchment would be kept in the hall. There were already many fine associations with the hall. The Princo of Wales had signed tho plans and personally approved of them. Earl Jellicoo, tho lato Governor-General of Now Zealand, had laid the foundation stone, and, thanks to tho removal of the restrictions, the Archbishop, without whoso presence half the value of tho ceremony would have been lost, was there that day to perform his last official act. Mr Weston paid u tribute to tho live interest tho Archbishop had taken in the affairs of the College during tho 35 years ho had acted as Warden. During that time he had been held in admiration and affection, and had won the esteem of all with whom lie had como in contact. Tho hall, continued Mr Weston, represented two principles of the College —first, the duty of every man to servo his country, to fight for it, and, if necessary, to die i'oi' it; it was a duty no able-bodied man should avoid; The second was loyalty to tho school; each boy owed that to the school, and his question should be, not "What have I got out of tho school?" but "What have I done for the school". After complimenting tho architect, Mr C. W. Wood, and tho builders, Messrs P. Graham and Sons, Mr Weston concluded by appealing to tho present-day boys to take exumplo by what had been done by the old boys, who in working for nine years to bring the erection of tho hall to a successful issue had done what they rocognised to be a duty to their old school. Ho then handed to his Grace tho doed of gift, asking lain to accept it as Warden and on behalf of the Fellows of Christ's Colloge,

35 Tears Ago, Prolonged applause greeted tlio Archbishop when he rose to speak. His Grace, after thanking the Fellows for all that had been said concerning his 35 years' service as Warden, remarked that it was all beyond his deserts, but ho was glad to havo that opportunity of doing his last work for the College ill taking over the hall. "But I am afraid these gentlemen are all wrong— I am not the Warden of Christ's College!" added the Archbishop. "I am one of those who, having resigned their positions, nro very 'indignant about it —(laughter)—and I am not Warden by a day or so, but I shall act as such and accept this deed on behalf of the Board of Governors of Christ's Colloge." (Applause.) Moving into a reminiscent vein, his Grace recalled the days when he becamo Wardon, 35 years ago. The College was in "very low water" in those days,_ he stated, mainly due to the depression that existed throughout tho Province of Canterbury. The College roll numbered below 100, and in many ways power and interest —and almost the loyalty of those connected with the College—were lost. To-day the roll was almost as high as it had ever been, the buildings had increased, and he doubted whether at any time the College had been so strong and vigorous, and in possession of a higher tone than at the present moment. Ho claimed credit for none of it. His only business as Warden had been merely to keep a few Fellows in order. (Laugh* ter.) Such a state of affairs could not be brought about by any outside influence, but by tho spirit witliin the College itself. (Applause.) It was bocause that spirit was not dead, but had grown and strengthened, that the College had gathered around it its old boys, and they had done very nobly. Beferring again to the early days of his Wardenship, the Archbishop stated that some very good old gentlemen had given way to better—perhaps he should say younger—(laughter)—men, and the College had made progress. At one time it was £IO,OOO in debt, and it looked like increasing to £20,000, but that was overcome, thanks largely to the efforts of Mr Godby. (Applause.) He had suggested a policy of retrenchment, and had everyone down upon him, but he "stuck to his guns," with fortunate results. Eemarking that the College was now in a healthy position, his Grace said that it afforded him deep gratification, as he said farewell to the College, to find it surrounded with so many good Fellows and old boys, and with such a great headmaster and capable staff he was sure the College was going to do well. (

The College a Tjflpe. What he admired moat about the College, continued the Archbishop, was that it was a type. It was a type of the school that had done weir in tho Old Land, and he believed was essential here. He did not think that every school should be of the same type, nor did he believe in looking down on other schools. They should look down on no school. But he did object to seeing every school in the same mould. There was an infinite* variety in human nature, and it merited an infinite variety of treatment. Christ's College represented the old spirit of culture. It had its sports, and other institutions, and in some respects perhaps- failed. But he felt that in the essential spirit there was no other college in tho Dominion like it. His Grace\added that he felt the College had not yet laid hold of its full endowment. He did not mean that in the financial sense —but the great schools of England were the foundation of England's greatness. Prom them came the legislators and other, great men who had served their King and countrv. Christ's College had arisen—thank "God for it—and that hall stood for those of its sons who had fought and died. (Applause.) There were ways suited to times of peace to develop the endowment to which he had referred. Ho would never be at rest until he found the boys from Christ's College taking a leading part in. the work of the State, the city, and the country. They should lay their touch on the life of the country. There was no room for the pessimist. Some people had said to him, ""What will the College be 20 years hence! The Labour Government will

put an end to the College! " (Laughter.) Others cried out that there were me less scholars at the school this year than last! The future depended on t,ICD . I : selves. Xo one could hurt the College if it did good service, and if it performed those things for which it was rounded. So long as the Board of Governors, the masters, and the school did their best it would last through the long year?, but it all depended upon themselves. His Grace appealed to all to follow the principles of lovahy. faith, and scivicc; iovaltv to King and lovaitv to the College, to the stair, anu to* crieh other; faith in God-remember-ing that it was a Church college, and that if its religious principle-! were lost, it might as '.veil "'sell ont"; and service, ovorv t>hM;, man rendering J to Ilie'.-o: !n ;,-'vv,:.!, :!,..r; !; :e >oi.dl ..Mhe.r brothers wii" :!:;.' :>■■:?■'.■ • •>•'' 'j

end up." lie I'.cpr-d fast ' l '" v ,v '", ! .' r! "° iiotliin- {hat v-o,il«l bring d..-rr.-I'V on their College that tW would :i:: '/" . :: '" its honour iind diu-niiy. aad keep ''f'.';: 1 ' them the ideal-' •:■!' p-.-.-rrvernm-o. lauafuln«., and nvu<\::c-*. and on the benefits that thev had reeved. The An-hbisho,, .•..iiTliwo'iic-l 'he architect and the' l.nibie-. and outlined a programme for tin: old boys to follow in future—first the eV>;>»l. whicn he thought should be rq.ia.ed by an edmce that would tower over other bmhliug?, next the "j'tehouso ai:d a row of necossarv offices, and lastly a tower, with room for a da- high up. "Tlien, he said, "vou will li.v.e a school like the schools'of Old Knylni.d: " Hu Grace concluded by paying a tribute to his vpneraliV prerleeessor. who hod greeted him wilh everv courlesy, and in that lie hoped to emulate Bishop Harper when he himself met his successor v.ftor Jus return from England.

Not a "Class School." The headmaster (hlov. E. C. Crosse) said that the presence of the Archbishop, apart from the personal aspect, had enother significance. It was part, of Ihe constitution of the College that Ihe Warden must be the Bishop of the iMoccse. and he believed thai Cie_ College owed its prosperity >o that link---tb" Church was not human, but divine, and under the guiduncu of. the Bishop they had their foundation on the Rock. He contradicted the Archbishop's statement that this work was confined to his services on the Board ol Governors. He had done great work in th* Chapel, and once held a Confirmation service Iheri fit grave risk to his health. The s,dciross his Grace gave on that occasion would never be forgotten. Mr Crosse remarked that the schools of England wcrs almost necessarily class institutions, but the. same could not be said c.f Cnrist's College. It was not exclusive. His answer to' those critics was that the boys to whose memory that hall was oracled had fought for their country, not for Christ's College alone.

"Hanging the Warden!"' Dr. W. Irving drew attention to Mr NicoU's portrait of his Grace, which', like the portraits of the lato Bishop Harper and Mr George Helmore, had been presented to the College. The hays of the hall would be the resting places for portraits of the Warden, and he thought that an excellent beginning had been made. His Grace Voso then and handed the deed of gift to the sub-Warden, Mr G. Harper. Eeferring to the portrait, ho remarked with charactetistie humour that ho regrcttod that Nature had not enabled the painter to produce a portrait that would be an adornment to the hall, but lie agreed that it was a good ending for any Warden that he should bo "hung." Bousing cheers from the boys were accorded his Grace and other visitors, and the function concluded with the singing of tho Collego song. Subsequently afternoon tea was _ served,_. ;