MEMORIAL SERVICE

Dominion, Volume 10, Issue 2945, 4 December 1916, Page 9

MEMORIAL SERVICE

■• _ 4 • 1 ■- ■ a WELLINGTON COLLEGE BOYS "WHO HAVE FALLEN. Since tho war began 1268 old boys of. Wellington. College have volunteered for active service, and already about 100 of them have made the supreme sacrifice. The record of tho college in this respect is a proud one, • and the Old Boys' Association have definitely : embarked upon a scheme for tho proper recognition of the self-sacrifice of their heroic dead. Their proposal is to raise £6000 wherewith to erect an assembly hall for tho school. On Saturday afternoon, Divine, servico was held in the college ground in memory of those ex-pupils of the school who have fallen in this war. I There was a large attendance of members of tho Old Boys' Association and i of friends of tho college, and the Col- i lege Cadets paraded. The service, which was conducted by tho Rev. J. G. e Castle, himself an old boy of the d school, was a very simple but impres- I sive ceremony—a few selected pas- 5 sages of Scripture, -three well-known ( and beautiful hymns to suit the occa- [ sion, and special prayers of thanksgiv- j ing for the spirit which inspired our * men to servo their country unto dcalh, ' and of appeal for blessing upon our 1 Empire. Last of all, a bugler played . the "Last Post," and tho National Anthem was sung. ' ' After the servico addresses Were delivered bearing upon tho scheme tho ; old boys have undertaken. Tho speak- * ers were tho Hon. J. G. Y7. Aitken ( (chairman of tho College Board of , Governors), Mr. J. P. Eirth (Rector), ) and Mr. W. E. Bethuno (who spoke on i behalf of the president of tho Old j Boys' Association, Mr. M: C. Barnett, 1 unavoidably absent), and Lieutenant- : Colonel A. M. Myers (Minister of Mu- . miitions and Supplies, and also an old c boy of tho school). All the speeches ( were patriotic in tone, commending } the gallantry of the old hoys of the ] collego, and expressing the highest ap- - proval of the project for honouring < their memory by building a school as- ' sombly hall. Mr. Eirth made an an- j nouncement which showed that tho fires . of patriotism aro not burning low in j the school. Every Monday a collection is taken among; the hoys, and tho ' boarders have regularly given half of . their poc¥et-money for patriotic pur- 1 poses. In all, the school has subscribed in this way £1500. This announce- \ ment was received with applause. F Last of all, the cadets, under Captain Benner, went through certain j parade-ground drill movements, and ' did it all very well indeed. The salute was taken by the Commandant (Briga- ( dier-General Sir A. \\'., llobin). \ ■ r