HOUSE-WARMING.

Press, Volume LXI, Issue 18417, 25 June 1925, Page 8

HOUSE-WARMING.

CLIB ROOMS FOR OLD COLLEGIANS.

CHRIST'S COLLEGE OLD BOYS

On the to,-, tfo,- T of the Centra! Chambers, on the corner of High and Ca-hel streets, is located ilie rooms of the latest sports club—the Old Collegians' Sports Club —which has been formed to keep together the old boys of Christ's College taking part iu sports or being interested in sports. In the presence of a large gathering of old and young old boys, the rooms were formally opened last night. The. rooms have been very pleasingly furnished. There are two billiard tables, and 11 lounge, suitably and comfortably appointed: and there is a kitchenette for it is intended to provide members with morning and afternoon teas and a light luncheon. The rooms are brilliantly lighted, and though the newness of things has not yet worn oil. there is quite a comfortable and homelike air about the club's quarter--. As the memhershio increases, as there- is every indication that it will, it _is hoped to utilise the whole of the top floor of the building. Mr T. do Renzv Harman, tho actingpresident, was in the chair, and seated alongside him were Mr George Harper, sub-warden of tho College Mr Henrv Cotterill, a member of tho Board of Governors, and tho Bey E. C Crosse, headmaster of tho College. The chairman said that they were, gathered to celebrate a momentous event in the history of the the inauguration of an old boys' social club. It seemed strange- that the school had been in existence tor oyer seventy years, and tho necessity for 'the benefit of such a, cluo had not been realised Its main object was to keep the old "ooys of the school in touch with one another. Some time ago, a cricket club, and, later, a fotball club had been formed amongst the old boys, and a great amount of enthusiasm had been created. Teams from tlio College, he predicted, would soon bo able to hold their own with any team in Canterbury. (Applause.) H.o outlined _ the steps taken to form the Old Collegians' Sports Club. They did not want the club, he said, to be simply a useful and pleasant place .of resort, but a real source of help and strength to Christ s College. With a united body, tho influence of the College could be very strongly felt in the city. Surely they, as old liovs of a school with such splendid traditions, would bo willing to do something for their country—render some service to it. and take an active part tu the life and affairs of the city. (Applause.) He formally declared the club rooms open "for the enjoyment and use of the old boys of Christ s College." (Applausfff) The Sub-Warden's Speech.

Mr George Harper, who was received witii applause-, said that ho could not express his pleasure at seeing such a splendid attendance: he had not anticipated to see such a number, and he was particularly pleased to see so many younger men present. This was about the best sign" they could have—it showed that they had not deserted tho College, but still took a great interest in it. Mr Harper gavo some historical facts lo'ating to the Old Boys' Association, which was started in 1877. Very few of the members who joined then, lie said, were still living—Mr Ton* Gordon was one; he was not sure if Mr George Morton was another. As they knew, the Association had done tremendous work for the College, but its members met practically only once a vcai-j and it was necessary and quite right that the Old Collegians' Club should be started in order that day by day, and week by week, the members should have tho convenience «f the club rooms to renew their friendships and comradeships, and keep in touch with the school. Tho club could do an immense deal of good to the school — first, by setting'an example of loyalty and attachment to tho school. He quito endorsed Mr Harmaiy's remarks as to tho younger men taking part in publio and" civic matters —he did not say politics altogether—but in. civic matters there was scope for the younger men to rise up and become powers in the City and in tho Dominion. Ho-was glad that there were a few of tho older members of tho College present—Mr 0. J. Thomson was one, and Mr G. H. Merton. was another. Mr Merton: No; my brother.

Mr Harper: "Well, there's only Mr Thomson and myself who were thero in the year 1862. (Laughter.)

Mr Henry Cotterill's Speech,

Mr Henry Cottcrill, who was received with applause, said that Mt Harper was wrong—ho (the speaker) had been associated with Christ) s College even longer than Mr Harper. lit> had beer, invited to j»tter.u as a, representative of the governing; body, but. he would ranch rather speak as an old boy—as one ot themselves. His father was one of the iir.st members of tiio governing body, and when ho became house mubtet he (tho speaker) was livo years old—-two years before the date mentioned by Mr Harper. (Laughter.) And ho had gone to College in a bullock dray. That was what no one. else in tho room could say. (Laughter.) Nothing that he had done in the past — great oi small—and nothing lit eon Id possibly do in the futiice could repay the debt of gratitude ho owed to tlio old school. lApplause.y He desired thetii to know what the old boys had done for the College. Did they know, for instance, that during tlio past eighteen years—a short period in the history of the College—the old boys had given to tlio school £-10,000, the vast proportion of which had been used for buildings and other improvements. In the samo period the Board of Governors, by various shifts, some of them of a, rather desperate character, had raised a sum considerably over £40,000 for tho erection of buildings and other improvements. In the past eighteen years tho tremendous sum of £BO,OOO had been spent,- and in respect of tho future os large a. sum was required for imediatc and pressing and highly important needs of the Coiici.ro. ' Mr Cottcrill enumerated some of these. needs—a new chapel, new class rooms, and a new gymnasium, being amongst them, in his concluding remarks Mr Cottcrill emphasised the desirablenes--of the old boyr, of the College rendering service to the community. Mr Geo. T. "Weston, president of the Old Boys' Association, spoke briefly, and conveyed the best wishes of the Association for the success of the club.

The Headmaster's Remarks. Mr Crosse, who was received with applause, said that the new club premises were Jitocally the nearest lie had been to Heaven since his arrival in Christchurch. (Laughter.) Itceently. Dr. Kendall, late headmaster of Winchester College, had visited (.'hrislehnrch, and had given a. lecture at the College on the ideals of the English public, school. He told then.', what some in tho room probably knew, that "Winchester Col lege was not only the oldest public Echool in England, but that it had been,

in a certain sense, tho parent o£ all the other public schools. Eton College, for instance, was merely a colony of 'Winchester College. . In the same way h-i (the speaker; hoped that Christ's" Collego would not merely bo the oldest school in New Zealand, but that it would spreud its ideals far and wida. He did not consider that it was the function of Christ's College merelv to transplant Engjish ideas into .New Zealand. The problem that lay before the College was one which the English public schools had not attempted to solve —namely, the interpretation of its ideals in the terms of democracy. He looked to the club to help him to solve this problem. In origin the club was a sports one, and he hoped that it would keep alive the good old English tradition that games were played for their own sake, rather than for tho sake of tho spectators, and that provided one played the game it really mattered very littlo whether the sido won or lost. Ho certainly believed that n schoolboy would learn, mpre from fighting an uphill battle against a better side' than from a runaway victory over inferior opponents. (Applause.) lie thanked them for listening to his remarks, and if he had sermonised he hoped the.\ would forgive him—he was a parsoii, but he did not wear a collar. (Laughter ami applause.) Other Spoakers. Mr 0. A. 17. Tapper placed before tha gathering the financial position of the club, and said that of the 700 debentures it had been decided to issue 450 had been taken up by 3.1 members. There were IG3 Old Boys who had promised to join tho club.

Mr H. M. Crystal!, who -was greeted with the singing 0 f " Hc\ s a .Jolly Good Fellow," gave .some particulars regard ing the origin and aims of the 'dub, and said that, thcro was no idea of making the ejnb a rival organisation to tne Association.

Officers Elected. The following officers were elected:--President, Mr T. de ltcnxy Jiarman; vice-presidents. Messrs George Harper, Henry Cotterill, and (}. A. U. Tapper; secretary, Mr E. Edridge; treasurer, Mi Stewart Godfrey; committee, Messrs jr. M. CrystalL G. T*. Chapman, \V. J. Harris, AV. T. Tothill. R. C. Blunt, L. E. Cooke, find S. (;. Lester. The billiard table was then formally opened by Mr Cotterill. Afterwards light, refreshments were served, and the gathering concluded with the singing of the College song and a verse' of II, ° National Anthem.