WILLIAM HENRY CUP

Wairarapa Times-Age, 21 October 1938, Page 5

WILLIAM HENRY CUP

PRESENTATION TO WAIRARAPA COLLEGE WON BY THE GIRLS OF THE SCHOOL SWIMMING AND LIFE SAVING MISS M. PITHER'S FINE WORK An interesting ceremony took place at the Wairarapa College yesterday afternoon, when the Mayor, Mr T. Jordan presented the William Henry Memorial Cup for life saving won by the girls of the school for the highest number of awards gained during last swimming season. The Wairarapa College girls, who were taught by Miss M. Pither, gained 143 awards, while the runners-up, Hutt Valley High School, gained only 32 awards. This is the first time the cup has been competed for. In an outline of the history of the Cup, the Principal of Wairarapa College, Mr G. G. Hancox, stated that the original William Henry Memorial Cup was presented by the Rt Hon Lord Desborough, K.G., G.C.V.0., in 1928, as a memorial to the late chief secretary for competition between the Royal Life Saving Society's branches. The winners in 1934 were Scotland, in 1935 Wellington, New Zealand; in 1936, Malta; in 1937, Auckland, New Zealand. Owing to New Zealand’s distance from the society’s headquarters in London, and the heavy freight on a cup of such a size, it was necessary to give Wellington a replica of the trophy. It was decided by the Wellington executive that this replica should be competed for each summer by girls’ secondary schools with a roll number of over 200. and that the school gaining the highest number of ; awards should be the winner.

Congratulations to the school were extended by Miss Donald, local representative of the society, who was present on the stage with Mrs H. E. Pither, Messrs Jordan and W. R. Nicol, chairman of the Board of Governors, and members of the College staff. Miss Donald said great credit was due to Miss Pither for the immense amount of time she had devoted to teaching the girls. Mr Jordan read a message to the school from Miss Pither, who was unable io be present owing to illness, urging the pupils to carry on with the good work. Endorsing Miss Pither’s remarks, Mr Jordan extended his'personal congratulations and the congratulations of the town to the girls of the school. He outlined the history of the .school baths, and urged the pupils to take advantage of them. Mr Jordan then presented a bronze medallion to each of the following pupils—Dora Hathaway (also Ist class instructor’s certificate), Patricia Baskville, Marjory McPherson, Heather Leitch, 'Sylvia Dunbar, Margaret McLaren, Nancy Judd, Elizabeth McLaren, Marie Blatchford, Daphne Larsen, June Hume, Joan Gemmell, Constance Lambert, Betty Devenport, Ngaire Richards, Elaine Hanley, Hylda Callender, Rewa Sharp, Doreen Dagg, Aileen Hanley, Margaret Reid, Edna McGovern, Alison Morice, ’Winifred Armstrong, Jean Stevens,- Madeline Robinson.

A boy pupil, L. Pither. also received a medallion and was the first boy in the school to receive a silver award of merit.

The following pupils were awarded bronze medallions, which were presented earlier in the year. Several of these girls have now left the school. Violet Hendry, Peggy Nicol, Florence Bellis, Gillian Gooder, Pauline Dixon, Gwen Clarke, Doreen Matthews, Glen Daysh, Barbara Gaskin, Nancy Spiers, Betty Renner, Margaret Gaskin, Madge Robinson, Barbara Hair, Winifred Nyhan, June Miller, Olwyn Richards, Dorothy Laing.