UNFURLING OF ROYAL STANDARD.

Dominion, 24 February 1913, Page 6

UNFURLING OF ROYAL STANDARD.

AT ROSENEATH.

1 DUCHESS OF ARGYLE'S LETTER. LORD LIVERPOOL'S SPEECH. Beneath clear blue skies and in bright warm sunshine Lady Liverpool unfurled the Royal Standard of Scotland at the Roseneath School to the strains of the National Anthem, on Saturday afternoon. It was a rather impressive ceremony, and the picturowas a pretty one. In front of the raised platform were grouped tho children of the school dressed in white, and behind tliem were tho crowd of spectators. Further up on the hill a detachment of boy scouts were to bo seen. These formed the guard of honour. . His Excellency the Governor,, the Countess of Liverpool, and party arrived punctually at 3.30 p.m. After havins been met by Mr. S. H. Jenkinsoil, ohairman of the Roseneath School Committee, his Excellency rose and said:■—' "In coming to-day among you at the 6pecial request of Her Royal Highness the Duchess of Argyle, I wish first to communicate to you tno words of her letter:— y "The Hosneath' School in Scotland, near Glasgow, sends this flag to the Roseneath' School, near Wellington, in Now Zealand, with feelings of deep interest. and friendship, rejoicing in their affection and 'loyalty for their King and the Old Country. We join . With the Roseneath School in praying that you may prosper, and for God's ' blessing on you all. ' '(Signed) LOUISE.' "Both Lady Liverpool and myself," his Excellency continued, "are pleased to perform this ceremony, firstly because we are desirous to carry out the wishes of' her Royal Highness on the first available opportunity, and secondly because this ceremony,is symbolical of the feeling that 6uould,,and does,' exist between the Mother Country and her children.-7'ln olden days the colours were always carried into battle—they were ,the rallying points and the'emblems of their country's honour. You may recollect with'what veneration the ' Romans treated • their eagles) and tho same spirit,.is displayed in our own country's history from the earliest'times. First, you-find in feudal times tho Barons bringing their retainers for the King's service and mustering together and carrying their own pennons as rallying spots. Some .of you may have read a book called 'The Lances of Lynwood,' w-hich so admirably. illustrates these facts..- Then as a new era evolved from feudal times, you find numbers of standards and. colours reduced as the army, as we know it to-day, became the "regular army composed of permanent ; regiments of horse and foot— the'colours of. the cavalry being called guidons as distinctive to those of the infantry—artillery engineers and rifle, regiments not carrying any flags, but carrying their battle honours on their accoutrements. Colours continued to be carried," said his-Excellency, "by our troops in a European war right down to tho Crimea, but, with' the advent and conditions of modern weapons, -it became apparent that the colours could no longer be carried into the fight. They remain, howovcr, as'tlie symbols of their country's honour, i)nd' though.no longer permitted to play their part. in - actual strife, they are -still held in the deepest veneration, as typical of nil that is highest and best in the annals of our race. ''-■.-..'

"The flag which, her Royal Highness has asked us to present to you 'to-day is the flagof a country which has sent many of her sons to fight, the battles of the Eriipire—whether exemplified in the charge of 'The Grays' at Waterloo or during the difficult days of the war in South Africa —thaisamet undaunted .valour has,. been the'characteristic of her,,soldiers.; ':'-"'•'

"On your part," said his Excellency, in conclusion; "keep and value this flag! as a bond of union between ins two Rosoneaths, typical as;it is of a great united race.. Who', can tell that those who send you, this flag from Scotland' to-day may not be your fellow subjects in some remote portion of tho Empiro; both of you proud to.be doing something which will maintain unity and uprightness, and be able to. say When yqur time comes to go into the Great "Unseen—'l have loved righteousness and hated iniquity'—righteousness that you have- worked well; iniquity that yon.have,abhorred everything which was not right, and .fitting for the Empiro to which both of you belong." At the conclusion of his .Excellency's speech, the Hon. H. D. Brtl; Acting-Min-ister-for. Education, Mr. D. M'T.irer, Mavor of Wellington, Mr. T. W. Ward, chairman of the Roseneath 'Ratepayers' Association, Mr. D. Robertson, chairman Clyde Ouay -School Committee, and Mr. R. Lee.'chaiTninu' of the Wellington Education .Board, addressed those present. At the conclusion of the. cer»monv afternoon tea. was served. The City BnH was in attendance, and there w?re exhibitions of Scotch dancing and singing by the school children. ,