NEW SCHOOL BLOCK

Sun (Auckland), Volume IV, Issue 982, 27 May 1930, Page 8

NEW SCHOOL BLOCK

GOVERNOR-GENERAL PERFORMS OPENING TALK TO HAMILTON GIRLS From Our Ou:n Corj'cspotidcut HAMILTON, Monday. The new dormitory block at the Waikato Diocesan Girls' School at Claudelands was officially opened this afternoon by the Governor-General Lord Bledisloe. The weather was fine and there was a large attendance. Lord and Lady Bledisloe were welcomed by Archdeacon G. G. Bell, vicar-general of the •diocese, and by Mr. Douglas Hay, chairman of the trustees, on tehalf oj the governors and trustees of the school. Lady Bledisloe was presented with a bouquet by Miss .Margaret Matthews, one of the pupils. Archdeacon Bell thanked their Excellencies for the encouragement they gave the trustees by agreeing to be present at the ceremony. He said he regarded the work of the trustees in establishing the school on its present site with great pride and admiration, and the school had had a wonderful measure of success. Mr. Hay described the school as one of the links which held the Empire together. He handed Lord Bledisloe a key and asked him to formally open the dormitory. His Excellency said he was glad to note that the school was open to girls of all religious demoninations. Religious education was very near to the hearts of Lady Bledisloe and himself. Lord Bledisloe encouraged the scholars in their aim to form good characters, to practise self-discipline, purity, truth and love. Self-discipline, he said, consisted in the capacity to say "No” in the face of strong temptation. L'nrestrained liberty meant licence, and licence meant personal and national decay. In these days when parental control was so much slackened and chaperones were almost unknown, great care needed to be exercised by young girh. whose future was in their own hands. Lack of self-discipline, and self-deniai led to irregular lives, rejtlessness, immodesty and discontent. a The future of the Empire depended on the character of the young people of today, and schools such as the Waikato Diocesan School could do much in setting an example In character’ building. If the children did their part New Zealand would be enricnea and the greatness of the Empire wouM he maintained. From true < harac er and true beauty flowed naturally bean* tiful lives, thoughts and deeds. His Excellency congratulated tw trustees on their excellent work™ establishing the school. He then tne mallv declared the dormitory hic-ca open.