CALL OF CHIVALRY

Manawatu Standard, Volume LX, Issue 130, 2 May 1940, Page 4

CALL OF CHIVALRY

THE PART OF YOUTH. ADDRESS TO SCHOOL PUPILS. At a gathering of pupils, past and. present, of the Feilding Agricultural High School at their Commemoration Day reunion, yesterday, Mr J. Murray, rector of the Palmerston North Boys’ High School, chose as the subject of his address the topic “Memories of and Reflections on Some Schools Visited in England.” While stationed near Salisbury _ with the Now Zealanders in training during the Great War the speaker had been able oil occasions of leave to visit a number of the great public schools, including such famous ones as Marlborough, Cheltenham, Clifton, Winchester and Eton Colleges and Rugby School. Details of the history of these schools and descriptions of their buildings, including their beautiful chapels and spacious playing fields, were given by Mr Murray, as well as . interesting features ill the every-day life of their scholars. The story of the founding of Winchester College, the oldest of the public school foundations, was a particularly interesting one, and Mr Murray traced the part that William of Wykeham had played when, having entered the service of Edward 111 and become surveyor of the works of Windsor Castle, then building, lie had later become a priest and afterwards Bishop of Winchester, founding for the benefit of young students hampered by poverty tho college which is still so famous among England’s great schools. Eton College had been founded by Henry VI, of whom it had been said that to him it had been granted to achieve little, to do few things triumphantly well, and to be remembered for nothing much, save for two things most remarkable and worthy of honour, namely, the founding of Eton College and King’s College, Cambridge. A visit to Rugby had been of particular interest to a New Zealander, said the speaker, in making reference to such well-known names as those of Tom Brown and of tho eminent Victorian, Dr Arnold, whose great work in education had received so many wed-de-served tributes. Judged by tho qualities of the men these and other public schools had turned out, they had made through tho years a wonderful contribution to the national life, both in times of peace and war, and they were continuing so to do. HIGH IDEALS. In connection with his visit to Windsor, Mr Murray made reference to the famous St. George’s Chapel, wherein the oldest order of chivalry in the British Empire, the Knights of the Garter, had its centre. The main principles which this ancient order enforced were: “First, Service in peace and war, in love and religion; second, brotherhood and equality in this great obligation to service.; third, the element of rightful pride, not in our own achievements hut in the order to which we belong. Those who speak our common tongue and obey our common Lord and King have their special obligation to service and to brotherhood ; fourth, the consecration of love which is still necessary in word, in books, in art, in literature, in life and in religion to keep love pure and Christlike; fifth, to help to defend the weak and tho suffering and the oppressed in every condition and state of life.’ These were the laws, said Mr Murray, that St. George’s Chapel proclaimed, and these, he believed were the ideals that in part or in whole were immanent in the hearts of our own men who to-day were offering themselves for service in the sacred cause of justice and the freedom of the world. The speaker commended to his young audience the saying of the great Athenian Pericles, that countries will demand of their citizens not. merely the laying down of their lives—which some have called tlie supreme sacrifice —but a sacrifice far more difficult, that they should at all costs to themselves develop the individual within them and make the most of themselves, training every instinct, every innate faculty' until they could make to their State and their fellowmen the contribution of the best and soundest judgment and the best and greatest achievement. These were days, said the speaker, challenging all to co-operate in crushing the spirit of evil within and without, and in enthroning the highest spiritual values. It was for all schools to become a chivalry, knights-errant, in so grand and joyous a quest; and in so doing each could not do better than join in tlie oath taken bv the youth of ancient Greece: “I will not disgrace my sacred weapons, nor desert the comrade, by my side. I will fight for tilings holy and things secular, whether I am alone or with others. I will hearken to the magistrates and obey the laws. I will not destroy nor disobey the Constitution. I will honour the temples and religion of my fathers, and thus shall I hand on m.v Fatherland greater and better than 1 found it.”

Mr Wild expressed his thanks to Mr Murray for consenting to give the address at short notice. It was pleasing that the head of an older neighbouring school should come and talk to pupils of a younger school in this Centennial vear. ," . ■ ‘

Mr J. Knight : (chairman of the Board' of Managers) was among those associated with Mr Wild on the platform and on his motion Mr Murray was accorded a vote of thanks. The motion was seconded. by. Mr N. Fitzpatrick (president of the Old Pupils’ Association).