NAVY LEAGUE

Evening Post, Volume CXXX, Issue 93, 16 October 1940, Page 10

NAVY LEAGUE

TALKS IN SCHOOLS

NOW TO BE ALLOWED

DECISION REVERSED

The decision of the Wellington Education Board not to allow representatives of the Navy League to address schoolchildren during school hours was reversed at a meeting of the board today, a condition being that there should be no canvassing for subscriptions or membership fees on school premises at any time.

The matter was introduced by a letter from the Wellington School Committees' and Educational Federation, asking for immediate reconsideration, and another from Carterton suggesting the broadcasting of addresses during the school radio period.

Colonel T. W. McDonald moved that Navy League representatives should be admitted to the schools under the jurisdiction of the Wellington Education Board for one half-hour per annum on condition that there was no canvassing for subscriptions or membership fees on school premises at any time. Colonel McDonald said he had been instructed by the president of the Returned Soldiers* Association that the association still urged upon the board the desirability of allowing the Navy League to enter the schools within school hours.

Mr. T. K. Moody, in seconding the motion, said that they had only just heard the glorious news of the second success of H.M.S. Ajax against the enemy. The whole Empire was dependent on the Navy, and they should do everything possible to encourage interest in it. COMMERCIAL ASPECT. Mr. S. C. Hyndman said that he had objected to the commercial aspect of the question. One child would be able to afford a shilling to join the league, and that would give a sense of inferiority to those who could not. As that aspect was to be removed, he had no objection. Mr. W. R. Nicol said that at Masterton £59 had been collected. Of that £15 had gone to pay the secretary, and he objected to the membership fees of 300 children being used in that way. He was not opposed to the league if the commercial aspect were removed. Mr. L. J. McDonald moved as an amendment that the board should ask the Department to give effect to the , Carterton suggestion, but at the request !of Colonel McDonald he agreed to put this as a later motion. The chairman (Mr. W. V. Dyer) said he thought there had been a good deal of misapprehension about the whole matter. The Navy League appeared to have a good deal of support in the schools, although it could not enter them during school hours. The principal objection to such entry was the invidious position created when one child could pay the membership fee and others could not. He was quite prepared to support the motion, sb long as it was definite that there should be no conditions about the children being members of the league. The motion was carried without dissent