ENGLISH PUBLIC SCHOOLS

Waikato Times, Volume 121, Issue 20261, 2 August 1937, Page 8

ENGLISH PUBLIC SCHOOLS

WAIKATO SECTION REUNION. FIRST ANNUAL DINNER. A SUCCESSFUL GATHERING. Those two or three English publie schoolmen who had the vision a*4 enterprise to establish an organisation by which Waikato old boys of the English public schools might be kept together had reason to be gratified at the success of their efforts when nearly forty members of the Waikato section of the English Public Schools’ Club foregathered for the first annual dinner of the club in Hamilton on Saturday evening. Practically every English public school was represented and representatives of King’s College. Auckland, Christ's College, Christchurch, and Wanganui College were among the invited guests. The headquarters of the club is in Auckland and Mr W. A. Donald, the Auckland president, was present. Mr F. C. Roberts (Blundell’s), of Te Kowhai. was in the chair, and in proposing the toast of the club paid a tribute to the zeal of Mr Donald, whose work had made the founding of the club in Auckland and th».section in the Waikato possible. Waikato had a cricket team which had won the cup from Auckland and sections would soon be established in Wellington and Gisborne. In responding to the toast Mr Donald (Dulwich) congratulated tie Waikato section on a successful gathering, 1 and hoped that all the sections of the jL club would pull together. "Organised \ and united, there is much worthwhile work that we can all do," he said. Dealing with the club in Auckland, Mr Donald said it existed to do what it could to strengthen the links of Empire and uphold the valuable traditions of the English publio schools. He appealed to those present to enter public life, which was a necessary but thankless task, and in his opinion no one could do it better than the public schoolmen. (Applause.). Value Realised. In proposing the toast of "Kindred Associations." Dr. 11. E. Annett (Tiffin's) paid a tribute to those early settlers who had realised the value of the English public school system, and at great self-sacrifice had promoted schools in New Zealand based on that system. In his opinion this had been a* big factor in producing the fine type of New Zealander who was s< much esteemed in all parts of Hie Empire. Although education to-day was becoming ever more scientific to pace with a changing world, there were elements in Hie English publio school system which had successfully transplanted here and which should be preserved. Replying on behalf of the King's College Old Boys’ Association. Mr A. E. Gibbons said that schools In New Zealand had tried many experiments, but had had to come back to the basic principles of the English public school system. Personally he envied the English public schools theJr w ~it!i *-f traditions, without which no nation could be really great. Also replying to the toast. Mr M. J. Thomas, of the Christ's College Hid Bovs' Association, congratulated liH hosts and remarked that Christ’s College had been founded on English public school lines and could claim lo have been successful as a valuable factor in Hie life of Hie Dominion. Mr 11. <i. Hall, of Wanganui College DM Roys, said that the English public schools* had put New Zealand in their debt for some great schoolmaster*, who. coining from the English publio schools, had had a great inlluence on the character training of the Dominion's rising generation. i