RHODES SCHOLARS

Dominion, Volume 10, Issue 2938, 25 November 1916, Page 8

RHODES SCHOLARS

\ " TWO SOLDIERS CHOSEN. The New Zealand Rhodes Scholarship Committee met at Government House, yesterday t morning, v, -and selected-, the-, Dominion's - Rhodes Scholars. for 1917. /The choice.'fell upon : -fc- > * • Arthur- Osborne^Ponder,: • • (Canterbury College),.. 1 .And : Alexander Francis Meldrum ■ . (Victoria College). • . Both the men are 6erving with the New Zealand Expeditionary Force' at the front. -- . " ■• _ ■ " Rifleman A. 0..-Ponder was born itf Christchurch twenty years : ■ ago, and after winning junior and senior scholar, ships at the Norman School he went tothe Boys' High School. He was highly successful there, both as a-scholar and an athlete. Later, he. was the male candidate scoring the highest number of mark's -in the examination for the first University Scholarship, and he had! a' distinguished, career - at Canterbury. College up to the time of his enlistment in June, 1915. - ..He went-to the front -with the Rifle' Brigade, and was reported- a few weeks ago to be in hospital at -Boulogne" suffering from . a. strain.ed cartilage in the knee..'. Sergeant A. F.-Mcldrum, a son of Lieut.-Colonel Meldrum, commanding the New Zealand Mounted ' Rifles 'in Egypt, was horn 21 years ago. He left New Zealand with the ThirteenthReinforcements; and is at present in England,' suffering from injuries to the hands. He was educated- at the Wanganui Collegiate School, -..where lie gained a Senior National Scholarship when only 17 years of age. ,He enr tered Victoria College,- and had a liichly : successful scholastic career until-lie left for -Samoa with the: first body of : the ■ Expeditionary Force; _He -was at college 'again for some time after -hisreturn from Samoa, and then enlisted with the Thirteenth: Reinforcements. He proved himself ?n athlete bf.unusual prowess at football, rowing, '.shooting, boxing, swimming, tennis, and cricket.