SCHOLASTIC TRIUMPHS.

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXXV, Issue 64, 22 March 1913, Page 5

SCHOLASTIC TRIUMPHS.

STRATFORD HIGH SCHOOL.

A NOTABLE GATHERING. Before the Stratford District High School broke up for the Easter holidays, opportunity was taken on Thursday afternoon to present medals to Master L. C. Mail and Master E. C. Coutts, and football caps to the school team. The chairman of tho school committee (Mr P. Skoglund) made the presentations, and there were also present: Messrs T. C. Fookes, G. Smart, and E. F. Hemingway (Patea). The children,, to tho number of 675, were lined up in front of the main school, and made an imposing sight, spectators being somewhat surprised at the very large number of scholars who attend our school. A Fine Record.

Tho principal event of the afternoon was the presentation to Master Lawrence Mail of a gold medal, in recognition of his meritorious win of a Taranaki Scholarship. It might not bo out of place here to chronicle Mail’s achievements since he first,-... gained a Junior National Scholarship in 1907, being then slightly over IP years of age. In 1908 he qualified for Junior Civil Service; the next year ho passed the matriculation ■.examination; in 1910 he passed in four subjects for Senior Civil Service, being unable through illness at the time to complete the examination; in 1911 * he sat for tho Junior University Scholarship, more as a feeler than with any expectation of passing, yet came within a very little of obtaining credit; and now in December last he was successful in passing the examination, taking the high position of fifteenth place for the whole of j New Zealand, and being awarded in „ consequence a Taranaki Scholarship. Further, ho has passed with a year to spare, as ho is still only seventeen years of age. In making the presentation, Mr Skoglund said the school had been assembled to do honour to one of their number, who had won distinction for himself and the school by winning a University Scholarship, the first of its kind won by a Taranaki School. What Master Mail had done inight be achieved by any one of those present, provided his. talents were, ap-, plied in. the i-ight direction. IVfail’Sf success should be the goal they should all endeavour to attain.. The committee wei-e proud of the success W this scholar, and on, behalf of the committee he had great' ‘pleasure- in* presenting Mastej’. Majl wjth, a gold medal to mark their appreciation of his success. Mr Skoglund also ex-

pressed the hope that further sucStratford’s University Scholarship winner. • . / r . ' ’ ii ' Vi * ATHLETE AND SCHOLAR.'Master E. C. Coutts, the winner, of the “Alf. Bayly Memorial Scholarship,” was then presented by Mr Skoglund on behalf of the Taranaki Rugby Union, with the memorial medal. In making the presentation, Mr Skoglund stated that though this was the first time the scholarship had been won by a pupil of the Stratford School, yet on two previous occasions on which the scholarship had been competed for, the school had had either the better athlete or the better -scholar—on this occasion the winner had been first in both departments. Continuing, Mr Skoglund said that the medal not only indicated the winner's prowess in the athletic field or in the class-room, but carried with it memories of a man who was honoured tud represented by all who knew him—the late Mr Alfred Bayly. To Mr D. J. Malone belonged the honour of originating the scholarship, and it was on his suggestion that the Rugby Union acted. The members of the Union sincerely trusted*that the wearer of the “Alf. Bayly Medal” would , strive to emulate the character of the man whose memory they delighted to honour, and that not only would the medallists be good athletes and clever scholars, but, like the late Mr Bayly, grow up to be Strong, upright and generous men. Cheers for the two hoys were called for by Mr Fookes, and heartily responded to by the children.

THE FOOTBALL TEAM. Mr Skoglund, on behalf of the Taranaki Rugby Union, also presented the members of the school’s team with football caps. It was mentioned that the caps were the outcome of a grant made by the New Zealand Rugby Union, to local Unions, for the encouragement of. school football. The Stratford school had won this particular competition three years in succession. Mr Tyrer then expressed his appreciation of the success attained by Master Mail, and trusted that the present success was only the forerunner of many others. His present teachers and schoolfellows would always be pleased to hear of any further successes ho might obtain. Mr Skoglund gladdened the hearts of the youngsters by announcing an extra day’s holiday. Cheers for the visiters terminated the proceedings. The boys showed their appreciation of their comrade, Mail, by carrying him shoulder-high round the ground and off the premises, giving hearty cheers on their own as he left.