ARAHURA ROAD

Hokitika Guardian, 19 December 1929, Page 5

ARAHURA ROAD

Mr A. Richards (Chairman of the School Committee) presided over a good gathering of parents, committeemen and children at the yearly pnitoe giving, when advantage was taken of the occasion to bid farewell to Mr and Mrs Maloney and family. The chairman opened the proceedings by calling on Mr Maloney to present the prizes. On this occasion extra prizes were given—one for the best boy (W. Dove) and one for the best girl (Ethel Wakelin). Zola Doylo scored the prize for the greatest improvement in the junior division. No special prize was given in the upper school, but here the library was enriched by the presentation of seven, suitable volumes by Scott, Thaokery and McAuley. At the conclusion of the prize-giv-ing and before the sumptuous afternoon tea was served, Master Ted Finch on behalf of the pupils presented the Head Teacher with a beautiful gold mounted fountain pen. Ted, without faltering, spoke his long piece perfectly. Equally clear and at home in her diction was little Zola Doyle, who presented Mrs Maloney with a pair of crystal bowls from the school children for her many acts of kindness, particularly to the wounded.

’Mr and Mrs Maloney who were both visibly affected each returned thanks to the children, the former remarking that he felt that Ted, at the moment, was a much better speaker than he was.

Then followed a varied and pleasing musical programme by the school children, under the able direction of Miss McConnell who was deservedly encored for her own contribution “Mother Machree”. Mr L. George greatly contributed to the musical treat with his Maori solo with guitar accompaniment and his duet, (a pathetic Hawaiian Farewell, set to Maori words), with Miss Malto Tainui who is the possessor of an appealing soprano voice of great sweetness.

Following the musical programme, the chairman read an appreciation from the Canterbury Board, and then called on Mr Maloney to accept from the residents of Arahura a travelling rug and suit case, and for Mrs Maloney a beautiful silver tea and coffee service. Both suitably responded, thanking the residents for their handsome gifts. -

Mr Maloney, inter alia, appealed to parents to give the teachers a chance by sending their children regularly to school and cutting out mid r week trips to Hokitika, and to give as.good a. hearing to' his successor as they had given him. He also thanked the members of the committee individually and collectively for their uniform assitance in anything pertaining to the welfare of the children or the comfort of the teachers. It was due toi the efforts of the Committee that .the grounds^within his time had . been transformed from' a swamp and a sandhill, to level playing fields. s

Mr Maloney wound up by extending to residents, both pakeha and (Maori, n hearty invitation to visit them in their future home in Wellington. On behalf df the residents of Arahura Pah. Air Iliaia Tainui heartily thanked Mr Maloney for what he had done for the Maori children. Air Maloney thanked Air Tainui for his kindly sentiments, so characteristically expressed, and said that what little he had done to give the children a smattering of the beautiful Alaori tongue had been a labour of love. . A pleasant afternoon was brought to a close by the singing of “ They Are Jolly Good Fellows,” three cheers for the school committee and an extra one for the chairman, and then, the National Anthem.