DISTRICT NEWS.

Franklin Times, Volume 9, Issue 625, 19 April 1921, Page 5

DISTRICT NEWS.

PAPAKURA. The village school was en fete on Wednesday afternoon, the occasion being the holding of a sale of gifts as a wind-up to a Queen Carnival, organised by the teachers, to assist the funds for the erection of a soldiers memorial, and to give the children a personal interest in the movement. Rival queens representing the eastern and western portions of the v/istrict had been chosen by vote of the scholars and so keen was the enthusiasm, that in six days the sum of £26 was raised each penny repreone vote —victory resting with the eastern side by the narrow margin of 89 votes. Energetic committees of boys and girls made active canvass of the whole district and during Wednesday morning vehicles of all kinds were commandered to bring up the fruits of the toil, consisting mostly of vegetables, fruit, fowls, lambs, pigs, and useful articles of house-craft. Stalls were erected in the shelter sheds, one large classroom was requisitioned for a concert chamber, another was tastefully arranged for an afternoon tea room, and arrangements for carrying out competitions and side shows were all made before noon. The generosity of the farmers and fruit growers may be judged by the fact that nearly half a ton of fine pumpkins and several cases of apples were among the donations, At 2 p.m., Rev. W. C. Wood, chairman of the committee, opened the proceedings by a few remarks to the scholars and parents about the object of the function, and then presented the good attendance cc-rtitficates (32) won last year. The headmaster directed the attention of the assembly to the various functions and then Mrs R. J. Willis performed the ceremony of crowning the Queen (Miss Alma Stehr) and presented her and her rival (Miss Connie Howard) with beautiful shower bouquets. Decorated vehicles were then judged, Miss Richardson gaining first for bicycles and Miss Mavis Clarke first for a beautifully-executed floral decoration on a small perambulator. Owing to the limited space in the concert room, the programme was divided, each part containing 18 items, which were all well rendered and receieved the applause of the packed audience. Each concert lasted an hour, and the tea room, with tables loaded with a pleasing /ariety of all kinds of cookery, was liberally patronised by all. The stalls were kept busy during the whole afternoon and did a roaring trade, and the varous competitions were well contested. In the late afternoon the poultry were sold at a “Dutch auction, the amateur auctioneer carying out his duties very well and getting rid of the whole stock at good prices in record time. The total amount raised by the effort is not yet available, but it is confidently stated to be well over £6O, a very satisfactory result when it is remembered that the whole district had previously been V* sited by collectors for cash donations to supply the necessary funds.