BOYS’ HIGH SCHOOL

Taranaki Daily News, 26 January 1921, Page 5

BOYS’ HIGH SCHOOL

SUCCESS IN RIFLE SHOOTING, A MESSAGE FROM THE KING The success of the New Plymouthi Boys’ High School in the Imperial Shield competitions (senior and junior}} for 1920, lias earned widespread praise. The High School, it will be remembered, was the only New Zealand unit to secure distinction, and their success has now drawn a tribute from the King. Mr. W. H. Moyes (the principal) ha& received the. following letter from Colonel Fennell, the donor of the shield:—* Referring to my previous letter of congratulation to you, I beg to inform you that I have received a message through Colonel Clive Gigram, from Hia Majesty the King, of which I have officially sent the following extract to the High Commissioner for New Zealand in London:— “His Majesty is much interested to see that Australian boys still continue to assert in so definite a manner their superiority of marksmanship over other competing teams; he notes that one New Zealand unit has succeeded in securing a high place in the list of (special) awards. It is gratifying to the King to see how many teams are entered from South Africa, which testifies to the popularity of the movement in that country.” I have informed the High Commissioner that the reference to the New Zealand unit is to your High School. I am sure that you and your cadets will be proud of the interest that His Majesty has taken in your achievements. Yours faithfully, R. W. J. FENNELL, Hon. Col. 10th S. African Infantry. The other letter from Colonel Fen* nell is as follows: I beg to congratulate you most heartily on the magnificent shooting of the boys of your school in the Imperial Shield competitions, senior and junior, for 1920. Their performance in shooting eight teams, of which all eight .stand high, in the prize list, is really , very fine, and you will see that their cores, as well as those of the 3/27th Infantry Regiment, Australia, and the R.A.N.8., Sydney, Australia, are being • circulated in detail to all teams that < have taken part in both these compel titions. i New Zealand, with Australa, contin- • ties to clear the board in the senior competitions of nearly all the principal '• prizes, thereby maintaining the high ’ standard of excellence shown in previ- | ous years. There is only one suggestion that I would venture to make; it • is that the number of entries for the t Imperial Shield, from New Zealand, are . too small. I quote the following figures ; dealing with the entries for 1919 and 1920 for the senior and junior compej titions combined::—

t.ered only 98 teams, and it has remained in the neighbourhood of 100 for several years. The same criticism applies to Canada and Australia. South Africa, on the other hand, has progressed steadily and rapidly during recent years, and in 1920 entered a total of 450 teams. If all New Zealand units entered in large numbers, your cadets and the cadets of the 3/27th Infantry Regiment of Australia, and the cadets of the many other units elsewhere, the number of entries for the Imperial Shield competitions would be much higher in New Zealand. New Zealand should enter nearly as many teams as South Africa, and more New Zealand schools should figure in the prize list. You can help towards this end, no doubt, by letting your brilliant successes become known.

I am, with renewed and very hearty congratulations, Yours very truly, R. W. J. FENNELL.

1919 • 1920 1 Number Number o: teams. of team”. South Africa 375 450 United Kingdom . 399 386 Australia 29(7 294 Canada 105 103 New Zealand 103 93 India, Ceylon and various 51 78 ——-— —. Total 1329 1389 You will see that New Zealand on-