ATHLETICS.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LIII, Issue 246, 23 February 1911, Page 7

ATHLETICS.

THE ALF. BAYLY MEMORIAL.' AN INTERESTING CEREMONY. A very interesting ceremony took plac« at the New Plymouth High School on Tuesday afternoon, when the presentation of the Taranaki Rugby Union's medal was made to Archie T. Bacon, the winner of the inaugural Alf. Bayly Scholarship.. There were present tile rector (Mr. Pridham) and stall', Messrs MaeDiarmid (chairman), Dockrill and Percyv'mith (of the Board of Governors), <"torgill .(chairman), Clarke and McLeod, oi the. Taranaki Rugby Union Executive. Mr. Pridham, addressing the boys, informed them of the purport of the gathering. At the outset, he would tell thein who Mr. Alf Bayly, was, to whose memory the scholarship was founded. Alf. Bayly, he Baid, was horn in 1800. He entered the New Plymouth High .School in July, 1882—the year the sohool was established—-at the "age of 10. Hs was the, forty-sixth boy tp enter the school. He had then passed the Fifth Standard; and in this connection Mr. Pridham mentioned that of the first 100 boys in the school only four had previously passed a higher standard. Mr. Bayly's prowess as a footballer was no douty well known to most of the boys, but there were many who perhaps did not know that in addition to heing a distinguished athlete ho was a man of a very high personal character, and a great favorite with a|l who knew him, His death in December, 1007, at the early age of 41 years, was deeply regretted' by all who had the honor of Iris acquaintance. It was not surprising, Mr. Pridham continued, that the Taranaki Rugby Union decided to establish n, memorial to Mr. Bayly's memory, end they decided to establish the Bayly Scholarship. The scholarship, of £lO a year, was open to- the pupils of all the schools in Taranaki province, and tenable for two years at a high school. To win it, candidates had to rely on two qualifications: Efficiency in ordinary work and efficiency in athletic matters, a combination he entirely approved.' (Applause). Mr. W. O. Cargill, chairman of the Rugby Union Executive, prefaced his remarks by expressing the pleasure of his himself and his colleagues at being present at what he regarded as an unique function in this province; more so because many of them would no doubt in a few years be retiring from the management of football, and would then be able to look back with pardonable pride at having taken part in establishing a movement that was in the best interests of healthy boyhood. He was very pleased that Mr. Pridham had referred to the abilities of the late Mr. Alf. Bayljvas a footballer and a gentleman. It was also singularly apropos that the first scholar to have the honor of being "The Bayly Scholar" should be a pupil of this school, where there was, no doubt, laid the foundation of many of the qualities that stamped Mr. Bayly as "always, n man." He did not think that the value of the scholarship was as yet fully grasped by those it was intended to benefit. It was certainly the best and most lusting of monumciiLs. It would as s uredh v be deemed in Taranaki the schoolboy honor of the year to be known as '"The Alf. Bayly Scholar." The scholarship was simply an adaptation to local conditions of the Rhodes Scholarship. In applying that principle, he affirmed that the Taranaki Rugby Union was the first body in New Zealand to recognise that the average boy had an equal right to participate in scholarships with the boy of brilliant brains. The State had made endowments for the benefit of the boy who might be particularly clever, but no provision for the boy with muscle and character as well as brain. That was what the Rugby Union attempted to do. They had framed the conditions in the belief that the boy who was able to take a good part in healthy athletic exercises and at the some time develop his brain, was the. best equipped to make his mark in later life. The spirit the L'nio.-i wished to inculcate was one of keen and honorable rivalry amongst the schoolboys of the province; and he might here remark • that the utter impartiality of the bovs ' who took part in the scholarship ath--1 letic competitions a few weeks ago was noticeable and remarkable. The management committee of (he Union was not • infallible, and they were not educational experts. As laymen, therefore, they had - a difficult task to cary out, and already they found that they had made one 1 mistake, The conditions did not provide for candidates gaining a minimum num- •> her of athletic marks to qualify, just as was insisted on by the Education Dcpart- '' ment, with regard to the scholastic examination. The conditions had therefore J now been altered, and next year candidates who did not secure 75 marks out of 9 the possible of over 300 could not quality. That was only a low percentage, and the fl standards fixed had already been proved to he fair. While the standards were not 8 high, tliey were still sufficiently so that - it meant candidates must, train to ; unalify. Cnljess boys were physically lit. i'. they would have no chance of winning. r. j Every boy, and his ma-ter. would now ii. i know that a standard has been set foi football kicking, for jumping and foi v. I runnimr various distances, and their ail) ['". letic exercises would now have a deliniti K. object ire. That should lead (o an in •\. crease in healthy athletic prowess, with ii- out ne'ilect of the brain, lie believer' I. that there were great possibilities aheai

of the Bayly Scholarship: By careful nursing of the funds, and addition* from time to time, it was hoped that eventually the fund might be rich enough to endow a scholarship right through to (lie University, and if such could be done it would be something for the province to be proud of. It was only a matter of money, and the Rugby Union was not going to lose sight of the ultimate pos■Jiility. This was a provincial institution, of which everyone should be proud, and'he believed when the scheme was thoroughly understood and the public realised its importance, financial support would be freely forthcoming. The annual athletic contests were going to a fiord a great opportunity for all the good allround boys of the province to.eo-uiingle, and engage in the healthiest and cleanest of sport, for the honor of their schools. That was the spirit they wished to foster, encouraging at the same time the average all-round boy to come to the front. Mr. Cargill then presented Master Bacon with the handsome gold medal which is to be awarded to every holder of the Scholarship. The medal, which bears on the face the Creek emblematic devices signifying knowledge, and the letters in bold relief "A.8.5.," hears the following inscription on the reverse:—"The Alt. Bayly Scholar, 1911, medal, presented by the. Taranaki Rugby Union to Archie f. Bacon, N.RH.S." Bacon, who was the recipient of a few words of good advice, was heartily applauded and cheered. Mr. X. K. MacDiarmid expressed his thanks to Mr. Cargill for making the presentation, and congratulated the Rugby Union on conceiving the Scholarship, than which he knew of nothing more appropriate or lasting as a mem-' orial. As chairman' of the Board, he also had to offer to Archie Bacon the Board's congratulations on his being the first possessor of the Scholarship and the medal.

, THE OKATO CLUB. This, popular and progressive club is again to the fore with a capital programme for its fifth annual gathering, which is to be held at the coasltal township on March 17. The programme is a varied one, containing 20 events, including running., from 100 yds to 880 yds, and chopping and sawing events, as" well as numerous {lost entry events, viz., ladies', girls' and' boys' ra.ces,* sack racea, stepping the chain, hop-step-and-jump, threepart races, sheep-guessing, etc. In fact, the programme is one typical of a wellconducted country meeting, which caters for the enjoyment of every section of the community. The prizes for the various events have been apportioned on a liberal scale, and tlie programme is well worth persual by local atheltes. In the evening a grand social and dance, for which capital arrangements have been made, will be held.