OLD BOYS' MEMORIAL

Dominion, Volume 10, Issue 2914, 28 October 1916, Page 6

OLD BOYS' MEMORIAL

PROPOSED FOR THE WELLINGTON COLLEGE NEW ASSEMBLY HALL Next year—l9l7—mil be the jubilee year of the opening of the Welluigton College. As many "old boys" of the college havo offered their sen-ices to their country, and many unfortunately havo paid tho full toll, the Old Boys' Association is desirous of.showing its respect to those men, and also to mark the jubilee (fifty years) of the establishment of the institution in some tangible form. To that end Mr. W. W. Cook, the secretary of tho association, has addressed the following letter to tho secretary of the Board of Governors:—"l am directed by the committee of the Wellington College Old 1 Boys' Association to'request you to bring the following; project that the association has in view beforo the Board of Governors, in order that it may receive their consideration and approval. "Tho association proposes witbfn tho next month to issuo_ an appeal to Old Boys and others interested in tho college for subscriptions to defray the cost of tho erection of an Assembly Hall in tho college grounds, as a memorial to the Old Boys who have gono ! forth to servo their King and country in the war. Tho hall is intended to bo utilised to the full extent for tho purposes of tho school, and thp idea is to lino its walls with tablets to the memory of those who have fallen, and with photographs of all those who joined the forces for active service, if they can possibly be obtained. ' "My committee recognises the difficulty thoro may be in collecting sufficient money to provide for the erection of a building such as it would like to see erected-'-that is, oho of a, permanent character, of a suitable size, and of a design calculated to make it a credit to tho institution and the Old Boys, but it is determined to make an j effort to do so. •- •

"Tho scheme has already been informally discussed with your chairman, the Hon. Mr. Aitken, at an interview ho recently granted our president, Mr. Barnctt, and ox-presidentj Mr. Bethune,, and it was very gratifying to thorn to find that the idea, of the Old Boys erecting a Memorial Hall commended itself so heartily to Mr. Aitken personally.

"Boforo launching the soheme, or making it public in any way, my committee realise that it is necessary to have the sanction of the Board of Governors. I should, therefore, be glad if you will kindly ask the board to give; this, as a prelimary step. Later on, if we meet with the response from Old Boys that we hope for, we would again approach the board with something more definito in the way oT plans for the erection of the hall, so that the exact wishes of the board in the matter can be followed."

The above letter was submitted to the Board of Governors at yesterday's meeting, when the soheme received tho board's hearty approbation. Tho chairman (the Hon. J. G. W. Aitken) and Professor EasterSeld were appointed a sub-committee to confer with the Old Boys' Association should the occasion arise to do so.

Mr. .Cook states that there will be an opportunity for sympathisers with the movement to contribute to the fund to be established on November 30, on< which day (in each year) the association's members make a practice of holding 'a field day en the college ground. It is the association's desire to mark the jubilee of the college by laying the foundation stone of tho proposed Assembly Hall on a date to bo fixed next year.