GRAND CONCERT

Pukekohe & Waiuku Times, Volume 9, Issue 553, 30 July 1920, Page 2

GRAND CONCERT

A HUGE SUCOESS.

The concert organised for the purpose of raising funds to purchase the extra acre of ground required for the Technical School, proved to be without doubt a huge success. The hall was lilted comfortably, and the programme submitted was thoroughly appreciated by the audience.

During the interval the chairman of the School Committee (Mr. F. Perkins) presented four gold championship medals won at the sports held, in the reserve at the time of the PrlYice of Wales' visit to Pukekohe. The championships were not for Pukekohe alone, but lor the Franklin district, for Standards 111., IV., V., and VI. The winners were: Standard, VI., N. Barker (Buckland)' Standard V., Woods (Pukekohe). Standard iV., Daysh (Pukekohe). Standard 111., McKinnon (Pukekohe). Mr. Perkins then expressed a few words on the establishment of the High School, and mentioned how the school committee had fought a hard battle for the last eight years, and now they have a high school that Franklin should be proud of. In the first place, continued Mr. Perkins, the Pukekohe Borough Council and „the Franklin County Council bought ten acres of land adjoining the reserve. This was compulsory because the Education Department in Wellington would not consider for a moment the erection of \ high school in Pukekohe on a block of land under ten acres. Just-about the time the foundations were to be put down it was suggested that they secure live acres adjoining the ten acres already bought, because the site was more elevated and had commanding view, With this object in view the school committee secured a grant of £IOO from our member (the Hon. YV. F. Massey) with the understanding that we were to find the balance of the money. After a canvass it was found that we ?iad coll?cted only £2OO, and along with this and the grant of £IOO we could only buy four acres.

The committee knew that it was only a matter ofjtime that we would have to secure the area between the school and Mr. J. Roulston's property. The school committee then j>et to work and got an option over it, which holds good till December .iext, for £3OO. The committee wrote to the Board of Education stating that if they would give £IOO Pukekohe would give 1100. The Board of Education wrote stating that they needed a personal guarantor of the i' 100, and he (Mr. Perking} gave his personal guarantee that the /noney would be forthcoming by Christmas, and now the Beard of Education are purchasing the acre at once. Mr. Perkins also stated that the committee required far more than £IOO,

because they wanted to beautify the grounds, etc. Mr. Perkins stated that the previous £2OO collected towards the four acres was mostly from the businessmen of King Street, and he said .that he did not feel that it was fair to ask them to subscribe again. He said it was up to the farmers to subscribe as it was their school and property. Continuing, Mr. Perkins said it was up to every man, woman, boy, and girl in the district to lue loyal to their district, home and sclool. He

said the school will have a syllabus as good as that of any other school in the land, and also will have the best land, and also will have the best teachers available, if they would only send their boys and girls along in sufficient numbers. This school, continued the speaker, is t|p> first of its kisd to be started in the Auckland Province, and the Auckland Education Board and the local committee are most anxious that it he a great success. Provision has been made for three more class-rooms on the west side, and he said he was certain that if parents would support the committee's otforts the school would not be large enough for them in twelve months.

Mr. Perkins then appealed to the farmers to send donations to the secretary, Mr. Patterson. He said he was sorry to say that he had already made 3 appeals for the purchase of

the acre, and only eight donations hat been received, and more than half of those were from the business people. What W3 want, continued Mr. Perkins, is a hundred farmers to send a donation of £1 or £2 each. Mr. Perkins then thanked all those who assisted in making the concert such a success, the boys who sold the tickets, and the public for supporting the concert. The following are those who contributed to the programme: -Songs: Messrs. Brown, Edgar, Churchhouse. Jones, Roulston, Blake, Young, E Clarke and Pope; Misses Clarke and Foulkes. Recitation, Mr. H. V. Cribble. Monologue, Miss Ryan. Lighting effect, Mr. Thomas. "■