SCHOOL SPORTS.

Manawatu Herald, Volume XLIX, Issue 3885, 18 December 1928, Page 3

SCHOOL SPORTS.

* THOMPSON SHIELD WON BY FOXTON. On Saturday representatives of the Marton and Levin High Schools met at Foxton to compete with the local District High School on the field of sport for the Thompson Shield. Tennis occupied the whole of the morning, which was beautifully fine. Foxton emerged the winners by a. small margin, after some very fine play had been witnessed, Frank' Cowley and A. Martin deserve a large measure of praiso for the success of the local team. They played very good tennis. The final results were: Foxton 19, Marton 17, Levin 12. In the afternoon rain somewhat marred the sports but interesting swimming was witnessed in the baths and athletic events on Easton Park. The results are as follows : ATHLETICS. Boys 100 yards: Levin 1, Foxton 2, Marton 3. Time, 11 l-ssees. Girls 75 yards: Foxton 1, Levin 2, Foxton 3. Time, 9 4-ssecs. Boys Belay: Marton 1, Foxton 2, Levin 3. Time, 46secs. Girls Relay: Foxton 1, Levin 2, Marton 3. Time, 49 4-ssecs. Boys 880 yards: Marton 1, Marton 2, Marton' 3. Girls Hurdles 100 yards: Ist heat, Foxton 1; 2nd heat, Foxton 1; 3rd heat, Levin 1. Final: Foxton 1, Foxton 2, Levin 3. Boys Obstacle Race: Marton 1, Marton 2, Foxton 3. Girls High Jump: Levin 1, Levin 2, Levin 3. IBoys High Jump: Marton and Levin 1 (tie), Foxton 3. Pointsj Foxton 56, Levin 455, Marton 425. SWIMMING. Boys 50 yards: Foxton 1, Foxton 2, Levin 3. Time, 23secs. Girls 25 yards: Breast Stroke: Levin 1, Levin 2, Foxton 3. Boys Relay: Foxton 1, Levin 2, Marton 3. Time, lmin. lOsecs. Girls Relay: Levin 1, Foxton 2, Marton 3. Time lmin. 20secs. Boys 100 yards, free style: Foxton 1, Marton 2, Levin 3. Time 1 min. 14 4-ssecs. Girls 50 yards, free style: Levin 1, Levin 2, Marton 3. Boys Medley: Foxton 1, Foxton 2, Marton 3. Time, 26 3-ssecs. points: Foxton 19, Levin 16, Marton 7. In connection with the sports, the arrangements could not have been better and reflected the greatest credit upon those concerned. Foxton was represented by the following:— Swimming.—J. Hirini, A. Stevenson, Wl Adams, K. Alexander, M. Barron, E. Rout, M. Mason, M. Stevenson. Running. —M. Barron, G. Coley, H. Thynne, G. Reader, A. Murphy, K. Alexander, L: Davey, W. Adams, D. Chrystall, M. Mason, D. Yorke, R. Rickerby. At the conclusion of the sports the visitors were entertained to afternoon tea in the High School building by the local pupils. Mr. F. A. Mason extended a welcome to the visitors and said that the local teachers and pupils had been looking forward for a long time to meeting Marton and Levin on the field of sport as they had that day. The chairman of the School Committee (Mr. J. K. Hornblow) was then formally handed the Shield which had been donated by Mr. R. J. Thompson, of Foxton, by the Mayor (Mr. M. E. Perreau), who said that he had been entrusted with the presentation of the shield to the committee by the donor. Mr. Hornblow in thanking the donor through Mr. Perreau, said that Cr. Thompson’s sons and daughters had all been educated at the local school and had made names for themselves on the athletic field. One son, a member of the Foxton Football iClub, promised to be an All Black. He congratulated the school on their win. He congratulated Mr. Mason on his initiative in organising the sports, which had been made possble by the donation of the shield by Mr. Thompson. In his opinion the (Board should contribute towards any contest which brought the schools of the district together in such a manner. He would bring the matter up at the next Board meeting. Such annual fixtures did much to bring the teachers and pupils into closer touch with each other. Marton and Levin had both done well jn the contest and he hoped that Foxton would not monopolise the shield and that each school would have its measure of success in the future. He again thanked Mr. Thompson and said that the pupils present that day would remember the occasion as the years went on and that it would be the means of cementing many friendships in the future. Mr. Perreau then presented the shield to Mr. F- A. Mason and congratulated the school on its win. Cheers were then given for Foxton.

In returning thanks, Mr. Mason referred to the generosity of Mr. Thompson and to the great amount of benefit that would be derived from the shield. The day had been a strenuous one and suggestions had been made to ease the strain imposed on those competing in all events. These would be given consideration before the next competition for the shield, which might be held earlier next year in order not to clash with the end of year functions. It had been said that he had taken the initiative in the matter of arranging the competition but had he not been so ably backed up by the teachers he would

never have been able to carry the idea through. In this respect, he had to thank Messrs Doel, Burdes, C. Procter and T. Chipper who had spent a tremendous amount of time in organising the sports. The pupils and parents he wished to thank also for their whole-heai't-ed co-operation. Under such circumstances it was not difficult to extend hospitality to the visitors. He extended his heartiest thanks to his fellow teachers and appreciated to the full what they had done. He was fortunate indeed in having such men associated with him on the staff. He was very pleased that Foxton had won but was sorry that the shield was not going farther afield. He could not but comment on the very fine spirit the visitors showed both in victory and defeat. The team spirit was what, all should' cultivate and it was very marked in the competitors present that day. Mr. Mason then called for three cheers for the donor of the shield, for the visitors and for the teachers, all of which were lustily responded to.

Mr. Wilson (headmaster of the Marton School) returned thanks on behalf of the visitors for the hospitality extended to them and congratulated those concerned on the .excellent manner in which the sports had been conducted. He heartily congratulated the local school on its win but expressed the hope that the shield would travel. It was particularly fitting on this occasion, however, he said, that it should remain in Foxton. It was a good thing to encourage sport and to engender the team spirit, but they must be careful not to overlook the more definite purpose of school life. Parents made a sacrifice to send their children to school and the Government was put to considerable expense to see that they were educated so it behoved every pupil not to forget the main end of school life. Sport made for manliness and was a tradition maker. At the end of the year a number of pupils would be leaving the old school for good to make a start in life. Wihile at school they had the opportunity of making that school the finest recommendation they could ever obtain in after life, or they could make it the very opposite. It was for each individual pupil to do his or her utmost for the school to which they belonged, to set a mark that followers would try to overstep, to set a standard that others in years to come would have to work hard to beat. That day had witnessed a mark in the history of the threo schools concerned. It would be a red letter day for Marton and he hoped that it would prove the beginning of some far greater movement. Who knew what the next fifty years held in store and that day might prove to be the foundation of something big. It was not beyond tlie bounds of possibility that within the next fifty years that great educational institutions might grow up in our midst and then that day would be a great point in the lives of the pupils present on this the first competition for the Thompson Shield. The afternoon concluded with the singing of the National Anthem. SCHOOL RECORDS. Messrs O. Doel, Burdes and C. Procter are at present engaged in obtaining sports records for the school. Last evening several events were got off on Easton Park and the best times noted. Margaret Barron, the local girl champion runner is recorded as having done the 100 yards in 12 sec., and the 50 in 6 4-5 sec. A. Murphy’s times were as follows: —100 yards 31 3-5 sec., 50 yards 6 1-5 sec., 220 yards 29 2-5 see. M. Mason did the 440 yards in 66 sec., and threw the cricket ball a distance of 77 yards 10 inches. In the above athletic events, Mr. O. Doel paced the various competitors and at the conclusion covered the 100 yards in 10 4-5 sec. In the baths last evening J. Hirini covered the 25 yards in 14 sec., the 50 yards in 31 2-5 sec., and the 25 yards breast stroke in 18 3-5 sec.